The PaddlerUK magazine September 2015 issue 4 | Page 60

PADDLERUK 60
Planning your route

Many of my adventures are dictated by tight
schedules due to pressures of modern life.
Personally I am happy to paddle long days and
then make camp, eat and sleep. Other people
prefer a more leisurely pace. For longer trips it is
better to know your preferred paddling rate and
distance before you start. This can be
determined with a few training sessions or short
overnight trips.
Like most people I enjoy exploring different
points of interest on the route such as historic
sites, finding the perfect campsite, wildlife and
moving water or rapids for playing.
It is also important to consider the ability and
fitness of any paddlers in your group. Part of the
planning is also to understand the river grade
and how it might change during different
weather. Prior to starting your trip you should of
course get an accurate local forecast and keep
relevant people informed of your journey for
safety and risk management. Pesda Press have
books covering some canoe routes.

Packing to avoid the kitchen sink

One of the benefits of a canoe for camping trips
is that they have a huge load carrying capability
and retain relatively good handling
characteristics. In short canoes such as traditional
prospectors designs evolved to be the ‘Mule of
the paddling world’. Over the years through my
adventures I have learnt that no one thing seems
to weigh very much but the combination of kit
soon mounts up. Deciding on the right kit for
you can make a real difference and ensuring you
have talked to your paddling team mates to
avoid two or three duplicates can really help.
It then becomes a series of trade off ’s of space,
weight and comfort. The new gene &F