Canoe Camping

[BorealChickadee]

Trailbisquit- Igot into canoe camping 7 years ago after having surgery on both knees. I knew it was the only way I was going to get back in the woods that summer. I went with a used kevlar canoe and am glad I did. I can load it and portage with ease. (wimpy female here). i have the New York version of the Quiet WAter Guide and I do like the book. I'd say to take a look at it for Maine if ther is one.

The big advantage of the kevlar canoe is that now my son and I portage it for longer trips up to 2 miles at a time. Opens up whole new worlds.
And yes it makes for luxurious camping. A chair for evening campfires, better food, books...luxuries.

 

[woodstrider]

Great Flat Water Paddles in the Adirondacks and NJ

Adirondacks-various outfitters

Little Tupper Lake- No carries-primative campsites no leantos

St. Regis Area- lots of carries connecting the various lakes- some leantos

Long Lake- public launch area in town-leantos along lake on public land
(along Northville/Placid trail)


New Jersey-good outfitters

Pine Barrens- various river floats like;
Mullica
Bass

 

[Shewolf]

I'm with BorealChickadee! My boyfriend bought a kevlar canoe and wow is that bugger LIGHT. Portage is easy and you can camp in complete luxury! We can even take my hulking shepherd with us along with all the gear.

Woodstider has given you some great places to go, as well. We've canoed both the St. Regis area and Long Lake. I'm a bigger fan of St. Regis since there are so many sights to camp and some great secluded ones if you are willing to do a little portage work!

 

[SOFAS]

If you want to stay at a NY state campground, Fish Creek Pond and Rollins Pond have excellent access to canoe areas. You can go many miles with minimal portages. Canoe rentals are available in the campsites and most of the sites are on water. There are other outfitters in the area.

 

[Amicus]

Kevlar canoes for camping?

My boyfriend bought a kevlar canoe and wow is that bugger LIGHT. Portage is easy and you can camp in complete luxury!

I know how wonderfully light these are because I own one - a We-no-Nah Jensen Ultralite. I've never considered it sturdy enough, however, for canoe camping, at least the kind we prefer, on rivers. The best rivers all have rocks, at least sporadically, and for those you want something like Royalex that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (The Jensen mainly gets used in an annual canoe race, with an occasional quiet spin on a pond.) Perhaps there are other kevlar models that are more rock-resistant? Most of the weight on our portages, in any case, comes from our gear (we don't travel light), and we unpack that and carry separately on anything but the shortest portages.

 

[sleeping bear]

I know how wonderfully light these are because I own one - a We-no-Nah Jensen Ultralite. I've never considered it sturdy enough, however, for canoe camping, at least the kind we prefer, on rivers. The best rivers all have rocks, at least sporadically, and for those you want something like Royalex that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (The Jensen mainly gets used in an annual canoe race, with an occasional quiet spin on a pond.) Perhaps there are other kevlar models that are more rock-resistant? Most of the weight on our portages, in any case, comes from our gear (we don't travel light), and we unpack that and carry separately on anything but the shortest portages.

The compromise is Royalite or R84, Mohawk makes some nice tough/light boats. I want a solo!

 

[Flounder]

South Arm - Andover ME

I would recommend Richardson Lake http://www.southarm.com in Andover ME: they rent boats, kayak and canoes at the facility and have great Wilderness Camping along the lake. You can paddle about 15 - 20 miles in a very remote lake the camp sites are great with some on islands. Fishing is top notch as well if you are into that.

I have done a lot of boat trips in my day and this is one of my favorite. Spirit Island, Pine Island and my person favorite half Moon Cove (most southern site) are the best sites in my opinion.

Go get it!

 

[DougPaul]

I know how wonderfully light these are because I own one - a We-no-Nah Jensen Ultralite. I've never considered it sturdy enough, however, for canoe camping, at least the kind we prefer, on rivers. The best rivers all have rocks, at least sporadically, and for those you want something like Royalex that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (The Jensen mainly gets used in an annual canoe race, with an occasional quiet spin on a pond.) Perhaps there are other kevlar models that are more rock-resistant? Most of the weight on our portages, in any case, comes from our gear (we don't travel light), and we unpack that and carry separately on anything but the shortest portages.

I used to white-water boat in a Royalex canoe. Very tough, but heavy. Low maintenence. Slides over rocks. (17 ft Old Town Tripper + extra foam floatation = ~90lbs.)

Aluminum is lighter than Royalex, low maintenence, moderatly rugged, easily dented or bent, but easy to fix. Usable in current, but sticks to rocks. Very noisy.

Fiberglass and kevlar were lighter, but delicate. Low maintence, but some work to fix. OK on flat water, but stay off the rocks if you take it in current.

Wood was pretty, but delicate and high maintenence.

Doug

 

[Wet]

Hey Trailbiscuit,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Canoe camping.

My suggestion to you would be to take out a canoe several times before loading one up and going camping. You can usually use them for free at some parks (IE the Middlesex Fells reservation in Boston). Or you can rent them for a few hours at a local camp or from someone on the Charles river.
I don't know your canoeing experience so some basics - and then I'll have some trip suggestions for you and others interested.

First, do some quick research on Ask.com
Get a few terms down, understand the different strokes, and the potential hazards of river/lake canoeing....(Winds, Strainers, Eddys)
You dont need to go nuts with white water stuff. Mainly focus on the different canoe paddle strokes, there reather easy and can be mastered in a day or so of practice.

Next- go take out a canoe- You can use the ones at the Middlesex Fells reservation for free. (the boating dock off 28 on the Malden/Medford line) Or Rent one on the charles river..(not sure your local)
You should take one out several times to get comfortable before you load it up with gear and try camping.

Next up some suggestions on where to camp...

 

[Wet]

OK where to go:

Well first, something rather important I forgot. EQUIPMENT: Get a water bag. They sell em online and at EMS/REI/Wherever. Also usefull is a Short Lawnchair and Metal Cooler. regarless of wether or not your borrowing/renting or owning a canoe. The Short lawnchair goes on the bottom of the canoe between the gunnels directly behind the front seat. Place your water bags on top of the chair. this keeps the bags out of the muck that will get in the canoe. Though they are waterproof, it always helps, and keeps you clean while caring em in and out of the canoe. you should be able to fit 2 bags in the first gunnel space. Then you'll have some filler gear that will do in behind that. lastly place the cooler in the gunnel space infront of the rear seat. This is great for the rear person, as it gives you something to brace our feet against. This should all work nicely on a 17-18" cane....(Old town Discovery 149 i think). Lastly the Metal cooler. The old style metal coolers, usually stay colder better than the plastic ones, there more durable and the last two points are the most important> Metal coolers have the latch locks (i cant find em on plastic ones) This will keep your stuff in the cooler, if the cool/boat tips over. Lastly, Metal coolers are chew proof. If you go to the more popular canoe camping places, you will encounter recoons, who have been know to chew rigth through plastic coolers to get to the goodies...
Other good Stuff - Sandles- You will need the sandles with clip type clasps. Do not use velcro ones. The velcro ones come off when you swim in water, with good current. The clip style sandles wont come off your feet. (Water shoes are junk, and your feet get nasty) I havent tried any of the new hybred mesh type shoes. But my preference is on Sandles.
Sunblock- sounds silly but people forget it all the time.
from personal experience, do the inside of your ears....the top inside, will get burnt from light reflection off the water...also make sure you lather up those pasty white toes your showing off in our sparkly new clip style sandles.....

ok I promiss, i'll get to some trips in a minute.....

 

[Wet]

Ok Trips:

Well, my absolute favorite area to go is the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camping/secluded5.htm
http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/Pubs/AWWBroc/AWW1.html

I have done serveral week long trips up to this area, if your looking for solitude and nature you will find it here. For something like this I would reccomed using an outfitter. You drive up to them, they drive you with your canoe's to where ever your going, and drive your car to where your taking out. When you pull out you leave the canoe there, and go on your merry wy. they'll pick it up later. GREAT! system....
For any hikers out there, there are some great 4-day trips on the lakes (all connected no portages) that can end whith you driving to baxter on the 5th day, Hiking Katahdin, and then going home on the 7th day...WHAT A VACATION!!!

* the whole reason to use an outfitter. If you put in at churchill damm, most outfittes, will drop your gear at the end of the rapids. So you can canoe class 1 & 2 rapids without a heavy canoe, and not worry about tipping and soaking your gear....you can also do a lakes trip, drop your gear at churchill damm for the outfitter. and for an extra $20 or so, have them meet you at the end of the rapids...good times




anyway some other canoe trips:
Stay off the Saco
The conneticuit river is good
I reccomened the BattenKill river in VT (make sure you can steer a canoe)
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1107

other trips:
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?956
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1073

 

[expat]

A couple of places to go

The Moose River Bow trip is a good one, but it does have one long (1 mi) portage. The benefit is that it's a loop! Start on Attean Pond in Jackman, ME, cross it to the long portage, then put in on a pond that empties into the Moose river. There is a short portage around the major falls, and there there are two or three class I or II drops, but nothing big. We did three days, camping at the far end of the first portage, then at the big falls. The Moose River flows back into Attean pond, where you started. Late June was good, but I've heard that it can get crowded in July, but I don't think it gets to the level of the Saco.

The second place is Nicatous Lake, about 40 mi NE of Bangor. There are several campsites accessible only by water. I think that fire permits are required, but I can't recall where to get them, maybe Enfield. The lake is very quiet.