Essential Gear List

(Above and beyond the standard fuel and safety equipment for a small boat)

• Two handheld radios and each of us always has one on our person. We also carry a SPOT messenger device and have predesignated check-in times with family.

• Flagging tape, a GPS and a compass.

• A few sources of fire starter. We each carry our own in safe waterproof stashes. We do all our cooking on small fires below the tide line to avoid carrying stoves and extra fuel canisters.

• A tent (though we’ve gone with as little as a tarp), sleeping bags, a spare tarp, spare rope, sleeping pads, a pan, two bowls and forks, two water flasks and a knife each.

• Water takes up a huge amount of space for us. If we’re going a long way, knowing we’ll be making our way back, we usually drop off stashes of water to lighten our load as we go.

• A meal plan helps when packing the food. We burn a lot of energy hiking the shore and spoil ourselves with good meals to keep us going. I’ll often pre-make our dinners and wrap them in packages of tinfoil so all we have to do is cook it in a bed of coals.

• One change of clothes each packed in a dry bag.

• One large backpack that has the food and camping supplies and a small backpack for hiking with.

• A camera and smart phones (packed in a dry bag or waterproof case).

 

Always follow rules and regulations. Do not camp on private property. Do not make illegal fires.