Have you ever done a canoe trip? How hard is it, relative to hiking/bushwhacking? It seems like a comfy way to go.
>>2880405yea in Ontario it's pretty much the only way to backcountry camp since hiking is shit hereit's extremely comfy since the view is far better, less bugs bothering you and you can fish anywhereonly downside is portage
>>2880405>Have you ever done a canoe trip?I often do kayaking tripsbut as I'm a krautmy tours are all in Europe and the only place actually /out/ here are in eastern europe, where I rarely amso I often have to camp at official camping sites with all the restrictionsstill>How hard is it, relative to hiking/bushwhacking? easier>It seems like a comfy way to go.yes way more comfythe main advantages>can take more stuff than you'd be able to carry otherwise>(obviously) always near water>very serene>often less crowded than nearby hiking trailslogistics can be difficult getting your kayak where you need itand as >>2880427 sad portage like on many canal locks you're not allowed to go through with a kayak and have to carry it aroundjust go rent a canoe / kayak for a few days and try it
>>2880405is a helmet really necessary?>>2880427>>2880431Interesting. It looks deceptively easy. Do your arms and shoulders take a beating, the way hips and knees and feet get fucked up on multi-day hikes? Do you need a lower minimum standard of health/strength?
>>2880405It can be the easiest kind of trip if you do it on a flatwater river downstream point to point. Very little paddling effort needed, just let the current take you. Lots of long big rivers to do this on in the usa, and even more if you can do a little whitewater.Another easy way for day trips I like to do is paddle a river estuary, timing it so the incoming tide takes you upriver and ride the outcoming tide back, very easy and comfy.>>2880440Yes if you want to put in serious miles it will work your upper body. But no it is less demanding in general, I've known plenty of fatter river users, and heavy drinking is really common. Helmets are for whitewater, no need in flatwater.
hardest/most dangerous thing is rapids in rivers. specifically if there are rocks and it's shallow where you scrape/hit and there is downed timber to get hung on. other than that paddling is easy. chop in open water might seem dangerous but it's really not if you know the basics of paddling. often times it's the safer option to portage around the rapids that aren't easily navigated while paddling.
>>2880440>>2880442>>2880448 If you paddle on open water- don’t forget the wind. A nice, easy paddle in the morning can be a bitch in the afternoon against the wind.
>>2880602Paddling upstream seems like it would be a nightmare.
>>2880440hitting your head is one of the easiest things to prevent that can kill or cripple you instantly. there can be a lot of shit under the water to bonk your noggin on if you go in. is it necessary, idk maybe there's faster water along their route somewhere.
I tried to swim in my pool once and almost drowned.
It's not really out there but at least it's out somewhere.
Does anyone have experience canoeing the pearl river between Mississippi and Louisiana?
>>2880405I like itYou really want to go with someone if there are portages involved, it makes carrying the canoe easier. I still pack the backpack light for both portages and making paddling easier, it also saves room for fishing gear. You need to use drybags and flotation bags for the boat are a good idea. It's hard to get tired unless you go a huge distance or the wind is strong. If the wind is considerable a kayak is the better choice, I have been trapped on one side of a lake by the wind before.
Ontario anon here. Portaging into the Backcountry with my canoes is my primary /out/ method. I own two, a tandem for when I bring a friend and a fancy solo kevlar thing with a folding kayak seat and detachable portage yoke.Fishing day trips are great, can have them strapped to the roof of my car in less than 10 minutes. My preferred method is portaging in to get some natural spawning trout.I've done many different trips, lead and organized larger groups I'm pretty knowledgeable about canoes and portaging.It's really great and comfy but is a ton of hard work on the portage, especially solo even when I have expensive lightweight gear. My problem is every time I shave weight I replace it with more fishing gear.I'd never go back to regular backpacking or camping. Waking up at sunrise making a coffee and launching the canoe by headlamp to slay Backcountry lake trout out of a pristine foggy lake is the ultimate outdoor experience for me. What are your plans op? Feel free to hit me with questions
>>2883636are you a writer? I swear every guy who has a feather tattoo was a writer
>>2883637No, I just think birds r neat
>>2883636Holy faggot tats >>2882270Kino >>2880405Canoe trips are sick. Make sure everything is waterproofed. I've done several multi day canoe trips as a teen with my best buddy. We did some on lakes which are nice and quaint, and did other ones down river. Our first attempt down river at 15 we planned to paddle upriver and then float back down when done, but it was too exhausting to paddle against the current and after 6 hours of hard paddling we only made it 1/10th of the way so we make camp in some farmers field instead of where we originally planned. As an adult I got a small dighhy I can motor or sail and I take it on island camping trips, with my kids and solo. I love island camping because you're the only personal on the whole island, I always bring a gun to blast some fowl or hares for dinny
>>2883658Hell yeah, great way to bring up your children.
>>2880405Another Ontarian here. I started my /out/ career canoe tripping, and now the idea of backpacking makes me cringe. Why would I want to carry 500 pounds of crap on my back for 15 miles every day only so that I can eat bad dehydrated food cooked on a gas stove and sleep in a garbage bag at night? Imagine if you could pack real cooking gear, a real tent, and even unnecessary things like your axe and fishing rod. Now imagine if you could go way further than you ever could on foot, so far into the wilderness that you will never run into anyone else the whole time. Now imagine you get to set up camp next to beautiful lakes on the Canadian shield and see awesome sunsets/sunrises every day. It truly is the best way to experience the /out/doors in my opinion.With that said, portaging can really suck, and you do take on some inherent risks being in the water most of the time.
>>2883658getting called a faggot by a Chad father just hits different
>>2883672I like canoe camping but you're being a bit dramatic. A lot of the appeal of backpacking for me is the physical aspect and exhausting my body. But I don't bother with ultra lite shit
I'm going to be really real with you all: paddling upstream looks like it would be the equivalent of walking 1 km/h but using 150% effort, and any time you took a break you'd start drifting backwards and losing all progress.Miss me with that shite.
>>2880405My dad used to tell me stories about his canoe trips in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. The place sounds awesome and it looks beautiful. I would love to spend a few weeks or a month up there.
>>2883709And get raped by somalis now
