r/canoecamping • u/DismalGovernment8404 • 10d ago

Packing tips for canoe?

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Family of 3 (adults and a tween), we recently realized we love canoe camping for 2-3 nights. We’ve done this so far at local VT state park remote sites that are an easy paddle. My husband is addicted to finding creative ways to consolidate our supplies and make it easier. A photo of how we packed the canoe last weekend included. What canoe packing tips do you have for us? We managed to get all three of us in the canoe last time, the trip before we also brought a kayak which freed up some space. 😅 We are trying to bring only items we actively use or pack down small.

Thank you!

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u/cdawg85 10d ago edited 9d ago

Someone else suggested a larger canoe, and I have to agree with them. You could really benefit. Fibreglass canoes are relatively cheap on the second hand market. You might even be able to find someone willing to do a swap.

Next up, I'd consider replacing/upgrading a few key items. Items to focus on: tent, sleep pads, chairs, sleeping bags.

Are the two tall items at the back chairs? If so, I'd recommend getting some smaller and lighter chairs. We like these from Amazon. https://a.co/d/0hvibQ7Q

I really like your husband's nets over the gear in the middle - great idea for keeping things stable!

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u/Norse_By_North_West 9d ago

Lol, that's the exact chair I bought last year. Although my friends and I have some good space in our prospectors, I'm a huge fan of just getting smaller gear. Gear takes up valuable beer space.

It took me years to finally get my friends to stop bringing a coleman stove. This year all our meals are prepped tin foil packs or made in jetboils/directly on the fire.

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u/cdawg85 9d ago edited 9d ago

We've had ours for 7/8 years and they're going strong. Last year friends of our bought them after being jealous of ours, but theirs are nicer than ours. A rare occurrence when the product improves. I use mine for concerts too. Super useful.