Herts & Bucks Wing Adventure Training Group

Canada 2000

Item

Comment

Canoes &  paddles

Will be hired in Canada

Buoyancy aids

Supplied from group stores in the UK

Tents

Supplied from group stores in the UK. If you prefer to use your own tent, check with expedition staff that it is of sufficient quality and that it offers sufficient protection against mosquitoes

Stoves &  cooking gear

Supplied from group stores in the UK

Sleeping bag

We recommend a 2-3 season sleeping bag with synthetic filling (Avoid down bags which are expensive, and useless when wet)

£50-100

Sleeping mat

Minimum requirement is a foam mat (Karrimat or equivalent) which can be bought for £10-15, or can be supplied from Group stores.

If your budget allows, we strongly recommend a self-inflating mat like the Therm-a-Rest Standard for added comfort and insulation.    ¾ length is sufficient

£50-60

Waterproof bags

These will be required for carrying clothes and belongings during  the expedition. A small (10-15 litre) dry-bag is useful for items that you may need during the day such as a camera, lunch and dry clothing. Everything else will go into a larger bag which will only be opened at campsites. A bag of 60–80 litres is sufficient, and may be shared between two tent-mates. Dry-bags with rucsac-style shoulder straps are preferred for ease of carrying during portages

£10-50 depending on size

Head torch

We recommend either the Petzl Zoom or the Petzl Duo headtorch. The Duo has more features, and is more water-resistant

Zoom: £25

Duo: £40

Wide-brim hat and mosquito head-net

The hat should give protection from the sun during long days on the water. Personal choice again, but a broad brim which provides shade for the ears and neck is more suitable than a baseball cap.

You may also want to take a mosquito head-net which fits over your wide-brimmed hat and protects the face from insects in the evenings

£15-30

Waterproofs

Available from group stores if you don’t have your own

Water bottle

You will need to drink 1-2 litres of water during the day. Suitable containers are Nalgene (plastic bottle), Sigg (aluminium bottle), or Ortleib (flexible bag). Platypus and Camelback water bags with drinking tubes are also good, but more expensive

£5-15

Footwear

During the day trainers or sports sandals are fine, but be prepared to get them wet while wading to and from the canoe. For the evenings, take footwear and thick socks which protect feet and ankles from mosquitoes

Expedition clothing

Clothes for canoeing and for the evening. For the evening, tops should be long-sleeved, and trousers should be relatively thick and baggy. (Ron Hill tracksters are not mosquito-proof).  Insects are attracted to dark colours, so wear light or bright colours

Travelling clothes

Clothes for travelling to and from Canada, and for use in Thunder Bay will not be taken on the expedition but will be stored at Schreiber until we return

First aid kit

Your personal first aid kit should cater for insect bites, sunburn, blisters, minor cuts, grazes and burns, and any medication that you choose to take. E.g. your preferred tablets for headaches, tummy upsets or allergic reactions. (Don’t take anything you haven’t tried out at home first)

Insect repellent

DEET insect repellent is available in various strengths. We suggest the Expedition 100 formulation on clothing, and Expedition plus on exposed skin

£5 per 100ml

Camera

If you are buying a camera for the expedition, consider a waterproof or splash-proof one. Otherwise, make sure you can keep it dry

Sundries

Don’t forget sun-cream, sunglasses, plate/mug/cutlery, something to read, wash-kits, back-packers’ soap etc…

Remember that soap, toothpaste etc must be non-perfumed; deodorants and cosmetics will only make you attractive to bears!