1 What do you need, really, to live for a few days away from it all? Less than what you see here, no doubt. But here, in this section of the gallery, is our inventory of the 'essential' gear that we are accustomed to using.
2 We've been packing it in and out with two canoe loads. What's most necessary coming in isn't necessarily the same as what you need to the end, especially if you separate the trips by some time, or even by one night, as we like to do.
3 Press F1 anytime for this aid to gallery navigation. And consider using the interactive access features (Facebook and Comments) at the bottom of each page.
4 Our beautiful TrailHead4 tent from The North Face
5 The TrailHead4 is the best tent we've ever had. Tall enough for me to get dressed standing up.
6 This is no pup tent, so sometimes it's hard to find a spot big enough for it. We forgot our landscape cloth groundsheet this time so had to make do with a tarp.
7 When you've camped with just thin foam pads to sleep on, this seems luxurious, even though its only two inches thick, fully inflated. We're careful only to roll them up for transit and they have never given us any trouble.
8 Two of these, linked together with special straps, serve as our sleeping mattress.
9 For many years we have shared the warmth of a matching pair of these rectangular sleeping bags zipped together. The usual differences in temperature requirements can be accomodated by spooning, unzipping a side, and of course by adding clothing. I'll let you guess who's needs what.
10 Ages ago, we simply sewed two flannel sheets together into a bag just slightly smaller than our sleeping bags. This inner sheet keeps our sleeping bags clean, adds warmth, and is a nice light cover when it's too hot to be fully insulated.
Essential
Basic gear for canoe camping