Reasons Why You Should Carry Survival Kit On A Wilderness Canoe Trip

When travelling in the wilderness in a canoe you are exposed to a range of risks that you are not exposed to when hiking. While your canoe is both the means into, and out of, the wilderness, you are wholly reliant on your canoe as a means of transport. If you lose your canoe for whatever reason and end up on an isolated shore, you may then have to depend on your bushcraft and survival skills along with any equipment you may have on you.

Compared against other modes of self-propelled wilderness travel, the risks of losing your most important camping equipment and other supplies are higher. When you hike there are occasions when there is the likelihood you might lose your backpack – river crossings are the most evident circumstance – but there’s more of a chance you’ll become separated from your camping equipment when travelling by canoe.

When you’re hiking, you’ve got the option of re-tracing your steps. If you’re marooned after being separated from your canoe nonetheless , there are probably going to be no trails from where you are. There may not even be trails anywhere nearby. There could easily be tens of miles of dense forest between you and the nearest hunters trail or ATV track, never mind a road.

Do not get coaxed into a false sense of security by thinking there are probably going to be other people around to see you or sound the alarm. Assume responsibility for yourself. Even in popular canoe camping areas, there are times of year when there’s scarcely anyone around. You can go literally days without seeing another paddler.

If you’re taking only a short break from a wilderness cottage or cabin, you can still travel many miles in a morning. You may be a ways away from anybody even in half a day. In this circumstance you will likely be travelling light, quite possibly without camping kit. You are then even more contingent on what tiny amount of personal equipment you have with you.

Hence the items you keep with you while making a wilderness canoeing trip bears some significant consideration.

You won’t be in a position to hire much of this gear from a canoe outfitter and it’s unlikely you are going to be able to purchase all of the gear you need in any single wilderness outfitter. It is certainly best to assemble your wilderness canoeing survival equipment before your trip.

So what do you need? You need to choose equipment so that you will be able to provide the basics you need to survive: Shelter, Fire, Food and Water. You also need to be well placed to signal and you will probably require some tools in order to be able to provide your fundamental requirements, or at the very least make some jobs faster, safer or simpler. And remember – this kit should be compact enough in order that it is always on your person.

Paul Kirtley is an enthusiastic canoeist who teaches bushcraft and survival skills. Paul is dedicated to nature, the great outdoors and remote travel. This is something that comes across very clearly on his bushcraft courses.