Our Equipment list for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail
This is everything we took on our through-paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). It’s quite a long list, but if you’re looking to paddle the NFCT (or complete a long distance paddling expedition of your own) then we hope you enjoy looking through our full kit list, and that this can help you when deciding what to pack yourself. We spent many hours researching and testing as much as we could before we went on the expedition, however there were a few key bits of kit that we just could not test in the UK before heading to the start of the trail (our canoe being one of them!). This list includes them all, every item we took on the trail, why we chose it, and if we would recommend it.
Each and every piece of equipment was intended to have one or more uses. Where possible for key functions we have more than one solution. This was so that if a piece of equipment failed then we would have a backup to keep us going until we replaced the damaged equipment.
We’ve split the list down into sections, so if you’d like to jump ahead to a section in particular, here’s the headings for you to do so:
For everyone else, it’s a long list, so let’s get going!
Canoe Equipment
When your primary mode of transport is canoe you do need to use some specialist equipment. We have detailed the craft and all the canoe specific equipment in the table below.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Northstar, B-17 | Water transportation | Yes, for large lakes and deep rivers. We were a little worried about durability, so look for something a bit sturdier if you’re paddling routes that involve bouncing off rocks and scrapping bottoms. |
| FoxWorx, Fox Fire Carbon Straight shaft canoe paddle | Robert’s primary canoe paddle | Yes, a wonderful paddle to use. |
| FoxWorx, Fox Fire Carbon bent shaft canoe paddle | Katrina’s primary canoe paddle | Yes, a wonderful paddle to use. |
| Mohawk, 8 straight canoe paddle | Back up paddle for if we lost or broke another paddle. Also for Katrina to use while going through rocky stuff | Maybe, would have got a lighter, nicer wooden one as Katrina ended up using it more than anticipated. |
| Yak, Throw bag 20m | Hauling people or boats out of the water | Yes, We thankfully did not need to use these for rescuing a person, but we did use it as a safety line for ingress and egress on steep banks. |
| Palm, rescue knife andNRS, co pilot knife | A means of cutting line cord or any other material to free someone from entrapment while in the water | Yes and Yes. |
| Adventure Lights, Guardian Personal Flashing LED Beacon Light White | Light source to attach to a person when paddling in low light conditions to avoid collisions | Yes, worked well and they have done for years. Note: replacement batteries are difficult to get hold of. |
| Polish Spring Water - bottle cut down to make a bailer. | Remove unwanted water from inside the boat | Yes, these worked well just about the right amount of flex. Readily available all along the NFCT. |
| Suspenz, All-Terrain Super Duty Airless Cart | Aid in carrying boats during portage | Yes, but make sure you check the welds before setting off. Some are not aligned well, and you will likely have to replace every nut and bolt during the trip. Due to the solid tires no need for a puncture repair kit or a pump. |
| NRS, Sliq Triple Lock Carabiner | Attaching equipment to the boat also for use as part of the boat pin rescue equipment | Maybe, as they reduce the risk of entrapment vs a wiregate but take less time to hook on and off compared to a screw gate. By the end of the trip there was some evidence of rust on the return spring, and that was a little concerning. |
| Palm, Prusik Minding Pulley x 2 | Mechanical advantage for hauling a rope | Yes, we did not have to use it for rescuing a pinned boat thankfully! We have practised with these devices and they worked well. |
| Beal, Jammy Sewn Rope Sling (Prussic loop) x 2 | Mechanical advantage for hauling a rope | Yes, we did not have to use it for rescuing a pinned boat thankfully! We have practised with these devices and they worked well. |
| Palm, Snake Sling | Assisting person in water or righting a canoe | Yes, we used these for anchors when setting up guide lines to help us get up and down steep banks. We have practised with these and have found them useful. You can use them to make a sling to pull a stuck boat off a rock, as well as making it easier to get back in a boat in an “all in” situation. |
| Master Lock, Python Adjustable Cable Lock | Securing the boat when left unattended | Yes, surprisingly useful when out and about and you have to leave your boat behind. |
| Peak, PS Explorer Zip PFD | Additional personal buoyancy to reduce the chance of drowning | Yes, nice and comfy with loads of pockets. We have different PFDs due to fit. |
| Palm, Kaikoura Buoyancy Aid | Additional personal buoyancy to reduce the chance of drowning | Yes, nice and comfy with loads of pockets. We have different PFDs due to fit. |
| Pool noodle | Padding for paddling canoe yoke | Yes, works as cheap padding, however if you plan on carrying on your shoulders often, then dedicated yoke padding is probably a better bet. |
Navigation equipment
When navigating the NFCT we were glad of the navigation aids we selected. At one point or another we relied on all of them, and in some circumstances all of them combined.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| NFCT River Maps, full set | Information of what is positioned relative to what along the trail | Yes, however they lack some useful information so you are likely to need more from guide books, route cards, etc. |
| NRS, Map case | Protection for paper route cards and maps | Yes, pricey but well worth it, this map case has lasted for many years of use so far. |
| Aloksak, Waterproof dry bags | Map storage | Yes, however it is worth knowing that they only have a limited number of seals and reseals. One of ours failed in the last week of the trip. |
| Silva, Ranger sighting compass | Find which way is north | Yes, we have taken this compass on many adventures. This was specifically helpful for taking bearings across large lake crossings. |
| Opticron, Mono 8x30 Waterproof Field 7.5 | Magnification for scouting potential landing locations | Yes, Used for years, and hopefully many more to come. |
| Garmin, inReach explorer+ | GPS locator, maps, distances to key locations | Yes, worked well, though has a waypoint number limit that was an issue. |
| Garmin, inReach mini 2 | GPS locator, maps, distances to key locations | Yes, worked well, not overly helpful mapping though. |
Shelter
Having the shelters we selected ensured that we could get out of the worst of the weather and bugs, regardless of what it was doing. We had blazing sun, torrential rain, and everything in-between it seemed.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Nemo, Dragonfly 3P | Shelter from the elements at night with enough space to hang around in for a couple of days if needed | Yes, it was light, however not great in high winds and we had to pitch in some interesting places to avoid the worst of the wind. |
| Nemo, Dragonfly 3P tent footprint | Protect the bottom of the tent from damage | Yes, it worked a treat. Due to some of the ground conditions that we pitched on, it was helpful to have the footprint. |
| Rab, Sil wing 2 tarp | Extend the effective shelter of the tent as well as keeping the inner, an admin area of sorts | No, we would recommend the extra weight for a rectangular silnylon tarp. It would have been more usable in some of the camping locations. |
| Aiguille Alpine, Tarp - Expedition | Group cooking and eating shelter | Yes, this tarp is fantastic. Not the lightest, but solidly put together, though it does not have taped seams. |
| Generic “X” profile tent pegs/stakes. | Used for anchoring down the tarp and tent | Yes, ours were great, though we have had these years and have no idea as to the make, or where to get them from. |
| Pre cut 5m lengths of high visibility green microcord | Lengths of cord to attach the admin tarp to the ground | Yes, the bright colour was helpful in low light without being obnoxious, and the cord was more than strong enough. |
Sleeping
After a long day on the trail falling into a comfy sleeping system is divine. The temperature swing that we experienced was from just below freezing to over 35°C! The sleeping system that we developed was light yet comfortable, even over this temperature range.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Sierra Designs, Backcountry Bed Duo | Keeping warm at night while sleeping | Yes, this has been a revolution in our sleeping! |
| Homemade, Silk sleeping bag liner | Keeping the inside of the sleeping bag clean, a washable layer that can be easily cleaned | Yes, this was helpful to keep the sleeping bag from getting too funky. |
| Sea to summit event compression bag | Reducing the size and keeping the sleeping bag dry during transit | Yes, this worked well. |
| Tensor Insulated Ultralight Sleeping Mats | Thermal protection from the ground while sleeping | Nope, both of these mats failed on us during the trip! Probably ok for lighter use, but only lasted us just over a month of continuous use. |
| Hikenture Camping Pillows with Removable Covers | Keeping head off the ground while sleeping improving comfort | Yes, relatively cheap and cheerful, worked well, and good to be able to wash the pillow case. |
Clothing
Unfortunately the human body is not well adapted to the conditions of the NFCT without clothing. We tried to select the minimum number of clothes that would still provide all the protection we would need from the elements. This section has been split into what we took for each of us individually, so you can see who wore what.
Clothing is a very personal thing. Something that worked for one person may not for another. Fit comfort and fit for purpose is the name of the game. It is worth considering that at some point everything is going to get wet. Also if you plan to use laundromats along that way then you may struggle to wash some of the more exotic technical fabrics as they request in the care label.
Katrina
| Selection | What she chose it to do | Would she recommend it? |
| Astral, Loyak Water Shoes | Foot protection during water activities. | Yes, they work well during water activities and drain quickly. |
| Mustang Survival, Taku Jacket | Keep top half dry. | Yes, good cut for canoeing and nice brim on the hood. |
| Berghaus deluge pant | Keep bottom half dry. | No, okay whilst sitting, but too hot whilst moving. |
| Outdoor Research gloves | Hand protection from abrasion and sun. | Yes, stopped hands from burning, quite comfy. |
| Leather gloves | Hand protection from bugs, fire, and abrasion. | Yes, warm, but good for all wood prep. |
| Sea to Summit Bug Shirt | Protect from biting insects. | Yes, however the original bug shirt company bug shirt worked better. |
| Tilley, Cotton Duck Hat | Protect the head from the sun. | Yes, a favourite hat for most outdoor activities. |
| Fjallraven, Classic Beanie | Keep head warm. | Yes, didn’t wear often, but good to have when it did get a little chilly. |
| Sea to Summit, Mosquito Head Net with Insect Shield | Quick head protection from bugs when getting the bug shirt on is inconvenient. | Yes, easy to see through, fits over Tilley hat. |
| British Army Olive Field Shirt | Protection from bugs and sun. | Yes, modified to remove lapels, added a hook to the neck for hanging, and velcro to the cuffs to keep bugs out. |
| Buff | Neck protection, and head protection. | Yes, multipurpose and always worth carrying one. |
| North Face, Aphrodite Pant | Cover legs, project from bugs and sun. | No, bought halfway in, quick drying, but not 100% bug resistant and the fabric picked up lots of plant matter. |
| Me-made, Arenite pants | Cover legs, project from bugs and sun. | No, very comfortable, but were made in too warm a fabric and not great to have only open pockets. |
| Ronhill, shorts | Alternative to trousers. | Yes, great to have the option, especially on wash days. |
| Icebreaker, Women's Merino 175 Everyday T-shirts | Top half baselayer. | Yes, didn’t rub, didn’t smell, long enough to tuck in if needed. |
| Smartwool, Merino 250 Baselayer | Warm long sleeve for layering. | Yes, great for keeping warm and odour free, fit fantastically. |
| Snag, Merino Wool Footless Tights | Warm legs for layering | Yes, small to pack but easy to add a little warmth if needed. |
| Bridgedale, liner socks | Light socks to wear with water shoes. | No, too light a sock to wear alone, and they were definitely showing their wear by the end. |
| Smartwool, Hike Classic Full Cushion socks | Thicker socks to wear with boots. | Yes, worked well with the boots, but great in the evenings for cosy feeling feet. |
| Alpkit, Rana Waterproof socks | Waterproof socks to wear when canoeing. | Yes, great at keeping feet dry, till you top them tracking upstream |
| John Lewis, microfibre boy shorts | Bottom half underwear. | Yes, great cut, comfortable and quick drying. |
| Icebreaker, Siren bra | Top half underwear. | No, comfortable and lightweight, but the elastic started escaping about halfway through (they were new at the beginning of the trip). |
| Meindl, Womens Respond GTX boots | Shoes for long distance walking. | No, although lightweight and comfortable, they didn’t last the trip without needing repairs. |
| British Army, Softie Trousers | A warm bottom half layer. | No, sent home early on as far too warm for this time of year. |
| Rab, Cirrus Flex Jacket | A warm top half layer. | Yes, great to throw on for instant extra warmth in the morning or evening. |
| Cotton Handkerchief | A piece of relatively clean fabric for all your wiping needs. | Yes, always helpful to have one to hand. |
Robert
| Selection | What he chose it to do | Would he recommend it? |
| Astral Loyak Water Shoes | Foot protection while in the canoe and in the river. | Yes, they work well during water activities and dry quickly. |
| Mountain Equipment, Changabang jacket | Protection on the top half from rain. | Yes, This jacket has gone with Robert over mountain, hill, and dale, as well as down one or two rivers now! |
| Peak, PS Semi Pant Evo | Protection on the bottom half from rain. | Good for sitting in a boat, but do keep sweat in if worn while walking. |
| NRS, Mens Boater’s Gloves | Hand protection from sun and friction. | Yes, with some modifications. Robert removed some of the reinforcing patches to improve the fit, with the knowledge that it would reduce the longevity. |
| Naturkompaniet, Elk Leather gloves | Hand protection from bugs, abrasion, heat, and minor lacerations. | Yes! These gloves are the most comfortable Robert has ever owned. |
| OBSC, The Original: Bug Shirt | Top half excluding hands protection from biting bugs. | Yes, these shirts just work to keep the bugs from eviscerating you. |
| Tilley, Outback Waxed Cotton Hat | Head protection from sun & rain. | Yes, Robert has pretty much worn this hat whenever it's sunny and he is outside. |
| Sea to Summit, Mosquito Head Net with Insect Shield | Quick head protection from bugs when getting the bug shirt on is inconvenient. | Yes, easy to see through, fits over Tilley hat. |
| British Army Olive Field Shirt | Protection from bugs, sun, and contact with pants. | Yes, modified to remove lapels, added a hook to the neck for hanging, and velcro to the cuffs to keep bugs out. |
| Buff, merino | Neck protection, and head protection. | Yes, these are just useful bits of clothing. |
| Fjallraven, Vidda Pro Men's Hiking Trousers | Protection from bugs, sun, holding personal survival equipment. | Yes, Modified to shorten leg, move knee, pockets, added pocket loops. |
| REI Co-op, Trailmade Shorts | Lightweight leg coverage which does not hold a lot of water. | Yes, however the toggle did break. |
| Smartwool merino t-shirt | Top half base layer for strenuous activity. | Yes, The long length is good to keep the bugs and drafts out. Stayed fresh for longer than expected. |
| Icebreaker merino t-shirt | Top half base layer for strenuous activity. | Yes, great width and good positioning of seams. Stayed fresh for longer than expected. |
| Mountain Equipment, Headpoint Block Tee | Top half base layer for non strenuous activity evenings and in civilisation. | Yes, Looked smart enough when going out for food. Stayed fresh for longer than expected. |
| 1000 Mile, Ultimate Tactel Liner Sock | Liner socks to protect Sealskinz socks and Astral, LoyakWater Shoes. | Nope, hold too much fine grit between the layers. |
| Bridgedale, Midweight Merino Performance Boot | Socks to wear with Meindl boots in evenings and during portages. | Yes, comfy walking socks |
| Sealskinz, Scoulton waterproof warm weather Mid Length Sock with Hydrostop | Waterproof socks to wear when canoeing. | Yes, however one did spring a leak in the last week of paddling. |
| Runderwear, Men's Running Briefs | Underwear baselayer. | Yes, Robert has been using these for years for many adventures. |
| Meindl Men's Respond Gore-tex Mid Boots | Portage and camp foot protection. | Nope, these boots fell apart in the first month and were held together with copious amounts of ShoeGoo by the end of the trip. |
| Rab, Men's Cirrus Alpine Insulated Jacket | A warm top half layer. | Yes, warm, compact and helpful during cold evenings. |
| Isobaa, Merino 200 Tights | A warm layer to put on legs. | Yes, warm and stay fresh longer than you would think. |
| Full Grain Leather 34mm Belt by Ashford Ridge (1.25") in Tan | A means to keep trousers up. Robert does not have a waist. | Yes, a good, solid belt. |
| Cotton Handkerchief | A piece of relatively clean fabric for all your wiping needs. | Yes, always helpful to have one to hand |
| Nickwax Paramo, Fuera Windproof Smock (Classic) | A highly breathable windproof layer, keep bugs out. | Yes, for when you want a layer that is windproof, not warm, and keeps the bugs off. |
| Oakley, crossfire spectacles with hard case | Corrective spectacles (non-sunglasses) | Yes, I took two pairs of these: my old pair and my current pair. |
| Decathlon, Glasses straps | Keep glasses on head. | Yes, cheap cheerful and work with the holes in the Oakley glasses |
| Oakley, half jackets,polarised, iridium fire lenses with hard case | Protection from sun, increase of contrast in vision, ability to see further into the water. | Yes, worth every penny as these are a pleasure to have on my face. |
| Croakies, Lycra Suiter Floater Eyewear Retainer | Keep sunglasses on head, keep them floating if fall of head. | Yes, comfy and work well with the sunglasses arms. |
Cooking, fire, food, campcraft
When not travelling or sleeping, quite a bit of time is spent preparing food (or eating food, or washing up after food). This section covers all of the more campcraft related items. Almost all of these items were used multiple times a day.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Bark River, Bushcrafter knife | A sharp stick for making things into two things, for bushcraft activities and large food prep | Yes, cheap knives also work, but this one is a dream to use. |
| Gransfors, Small forest axe | Splitting & cutting wood | Yes, probably not necessary for the NFCT though, as there was enough small wood to not need it. |
| Benchmade, Mini Griptilian | A small sharp stick for small detailed tasks, a backup cutting tool for emergency situations, Robert carried this on his person | Yes, this is a nice small pocket lock knife that works well. Probably the blade that got used the most on the trip. |
| Fire steel | Ignition source for fires | Yes, reliable but requires skill to use. |
| UCO, Sweetfire Fire Starter Tinder | For when you need fire quickly in the rain and everything is wet | Yes, these work when you need them. |
| MSR, Dragonfly stove, wind shield, & BernieDawg DragonTamer modification | Cooking heating source for when an open fire is not possible or desirable | Yes, reliable, easy to find suitable fuels. With the DragonTamer this stove is almost silent. |
| MSR Fuel Bottle - 30 fl. Oz. x2 | Storing the liquid fuel for the dragonfly stove | Yes, solid, reliable bottles. |
| Primus, Campfire Cookset | Hold food while being cooked over an open fire or on a stove | Yes, a solid set of pans that can stand up to being over an open fire. |
| MSR, Alpine Kitchen Knife | Cut and prep food | Yes, a light knife suitable for fine slicing of vegetables for quick cooking. |
| Homemade, Cutting mat | Clean surface to cut on | Yes, made from an IKEA flexible chopping board, cut down to fit into the Primus frying pan. |
| Wooden spoon, modified | Move food around in pans, pick up hot pans from fire | Yes, works as a spoon and lifting stick with modification. |
| Plastic fish slice | Flipping food in frying pan | Yes, worked a treat for pancakes and bacon alike. |
| Nalgene, 1L Wide Mouth Tritan Sustain bottle x2 | Personal water container that interfaces with the MSR water filters | YES! These things are bomb proof and we’ve had them for years. |
| MSR,Guardian™ Gravity Purifier (group)MSR,Guardian™ Purifier (group) | Filter river or lake water for bacteria, protozoa and viruses | Yes, we did not get sick, and drank a lot of river and lake water. Simple to use. |
| MSR Dromedary 6L x 2 | Filtered water storage for sections where water could not be taken out of the rivers due to chemical pollution | Yes, solid but not indestructible. Highway crash barriers can chew a hole in these, as we found out. |
| Sawyer, Mini Water Filtration System | Back up personal filter carried in buoyancy aid | Yes, worked well but just don't have the same filtration capabilities as the MSR Guardians. |
| GSI, Outdoors Camp Dish Cloth | Pot cleaning / scrubbing without damaging the pots and utensils | Yes, used for years.They work well and have a handy popper to hang on a line. |
| Bic, Lighter | Instant fire! | Yes, unless you dunk it in water it will just work. |
| Sea to Summit, Titanium sporks x 2 | Food eating utensils | Yes, light, good bowl and have usable points. |
| Wildo, Fold-A-Cup Big x2 | Hot and cold drink holder | Yes, Used for years |
| OEX, Trekking Microfiber hand towel | Drying food equipment after washing up | Yes, nothing special about this small microfiber towel though. |
| Scrubba, Wash Bag | portable travel washing machine for cleaning clothing | Yes, it works, but you can get similar results with a sturdy standard dry bag. |
| SIGG, Hot & Cold Brushed Thermo Water Bottle (1L) | Keeping liquid warm when paddling cold water | Yes, used for years, if you have an “all in” cold water it is helpful to have a warm drink to hand. |
| Halfords, Black floor mat | Protection from cold uncomfortable ground for sitting and sleeping | Yes, cheap, cheerful and do a good job. |
| Atwood, 550 Paracord various colours cut into various lengths | Connecting things to things. | Yes, having colour coded lengths is a boon. |
| Plastic clothes pegs x20 | Attaching clothing to a washing line | Yes, we could do a load of washing at camp and get it all hung up to dry. |
| Sea to Summit, Trash Dry Sack | Rubbish (trash) storage while in the backcountry | Yes, worked well and did not leak when stored in barrels. |
| Black Diamond, Storm 375 Headlamp (Octane) | Hands free light source | Maybe, it has an annoying interface, but it is bright. |
| Petzl Bindi, head torch | Light source | Maybe, not very bright, but quite small. |
| Thermocell, MR300 Portable mosquito repeller | Help keep the bugs away while cooking and eating | Yes, though it depends on the species of bugs you are trying to avoid. |
Repair equipment
From time to time equipment breaks and when away from civilization you have to make it work. We selected repair equipment based on the specific equipment that we were taking.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Small adjustable spanner | Tighten nuts and bolts | Yes, used many a time to fix the portage carts! |
| Leatherman, Wave + | The go-to tool when we do not have the correct tool for the job | Yes, these tools are so useful! |
| T-Rex tape | Stick something to something | Yes, we have had good results using this tape. |
| Gear Aid, Silnet Silicone Seam Sealer | Stick the tent back together | Yes, had to use this product once on another trip, and it worked well. |
| Terranova, Silnylon, mesh & inner tent material | Patch the tent if it got a hole in either the inner or outer | Yes, have used them on someone else's tent on another trip. |
| Cable ties, various lengths | Holding things together | Yes, always useful to have a few to hand. |
| Stainless steel cable ties | Holding things together | Yes, useful to hold things together that could get hot or have significant force put through them. |
| Gear Aid, Tenacious Tape, Clear | Waterproof patching | Yes, had to use on a previous trip. Ok for a temporary fix. |
| Gear Aid, Gore-tex repair kit | Patching holes in Gore-tex waterproofs | Yes, had to use on a previous trip. As a temporary fix they are ok. |
| Milwards, Sewing needle | Needle for fixing fabric faults. | Yes, used to fix bug nets. |
| Gutermann, Thread in black | Thread for fixing fabric faults | Yes, works well. Use of black does not stand out in your eyeline when fixing head nets. |
| Fixit, 10g stick | Moldable plastic for fixing items | Yes, simple to use in the field, just heat water, mould and leave to cool - done. |
| MSR, Dragonfly Expedition service kit | All the user serviceable parts for the MSR dragonfly stove | Yes, due to the operational time and frequency that we used the stoves a service was needed. |
| Fallkniven, CC4 sharpening stone | Sharpen Knives & Axes | Yes, if you use it often enough there’s no need for anything more coarse. |
Survival/Emergency equipment
If the worst should happen we wanted to be prepared for it. The principals that we used were deciding on what situations we were concerned about, and ensuring we had the minimum equipment to survive. The concerns we had were being separated from the rest of the group, losing the boat and all its kit, cuts from tools, breaks from falls and burns from fires. We considered boat pinning, capsize, and swamping in the canoe equipment section.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Custom assembled first aid kit | Injury stabilisation, and minor malady treatment | Yes, we’ve used the contents on many trips. Due to the amount of content, this will be detailed in another post. |
| Mountain House, Various Meals x4 | Emergency calories | Yes, light, calorific, actually taste good. |
| Counter Assault, 8.1oz Bear Spray With Holster | Repel the bears and other big nature | Yes, we think of these as insurance. It is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. |
| Bahco, Laplander folding saw, Orange | Make firewood prep much easier | Yes, we have used these saws for years and it’s good they have replaceable blades. Often recommended to have one on you if you need to cut out of your canoe. |
| Personal Survival kit (made up of the items below) | Personal emergency survival equipment to be carried in Buoyancy aid or trouser pocket | Yes, actually needed to use some of the equipment after a minor accident on one of the portages. |
| Generic Heliograph, mirror with a hole in. | Emergency communication with aircraft and rescue pirates | Yes, however thankfully we did not have to use it. |
| Bic, Mini Lighter | Ignition source | Yes, they just work. |
| Coghlans, Trails tape, Orange 5 m | Trail blazing markers if stepping away from the trail or to bring attention to a location. | Yes, If you use make sure you take it down on your way out. |
| Light My Fire, Scout Fire Steel | Reliable ignition source | Yes, small but reliable. |
| Live Fire, Emergency Fire Starter, Sport Size | Emergency tinder. | Yes, it catches easily and burns hot for a long time. |
| Lifesystems, Chlorine Dioxide Tablets | Water purification. | Difficult one, the packet did break down during the trip. However they do work. |
| The Bushcraft Store, Survival Card B (Fixed Blade knife, arrowhead, needles, hooks, button and a saw) | Emergency food acquisition and preparation. | Yes, packs flat, and the parts do work if you come to use them. |
| Generic, Kevlar Nano cord | Fishing line, emergency cordage. | Yes, This stuff is strong and light. You do need a tool to cut it though! |
| Genic, Thick Tin foil | Cooking or boiling water, reflective signalling. | Yes, helpful. |
| 3M, Steri Strips | Laceration fixing | Yes, Had to use on one of the portages after someone in the group slipped and split open their face. |
| Melolin, absorbent dressing | Wound protection | Yes, have used these dressings for years. |
| 3M, Hypafix, 4m | Medical tape and all the things you can do with that. | Yes, a good alternative to micropore and zinc oxide tape |
| Generic, isopropyl alcohol wipes x 2 | Wound cleaning, fire starting. | Yes, worked well for when we have had to use them. |
| Generic, magnifying lens, credit card size | Splinter and tick extraction, fire staring. | Yes, small light. |
| Generic two tone whistle | Emergency signalling, alerting to presence | Yes, they just work. Trick is to find a loud one. |
| Generic, Button compass | Navigation, and direction finding. | Yes, they’re small, light and reliable. |
| Genric, Gaffer tape, 4m | Sticking stuff to stuff, making waterproof barriers. | Yes, useful. |
| Crafted, ranger band made from inner tube. | Holding things together, emergency fire starter. | Yes, helpful for organisation. |
| Fenix E05, torch | Light source, signalling. | Yes, it is an incredibly bright little torch. |
| AMK, Heatsheets Survival Blanket 1 or 2 person | Emergency insulation, shelter, signalling. | Yes, if you ever have to use an emergency blanket, having that bit more space makes it much more comfortable. |
| Aloksak, Waterproof bag. | Keep all the survival kit clean and dry. | Yes, these bags have worked well. |
| Generic, 2GB small USB drive | Hold copies of all of our emergency and useful information. | Yes, small, light and provided peace of mind. |
Electronics
In general we try to limit the amount of electronics we take with us. This is largely due to the more electronics we have, the more power we need. Finding power while out in the wilderness is never an easy thing. Many electronic items are susceptible to water too, which is never good when you are spending most of your day in, on, or around water.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Fairphone 4 | Communication and access to the internet | Yes, works and fully user repairable |
| Pixel 4a | Communication and access to the internet | No, had no end of issues and no user serviceable parts. |
| Lencent, USB travel plug | Charger for electronic devices when access to mains power. | Yes, used whenever we had access to mains power. |
| Casio, Men's W-218H-1AVCF Classic watch. | Time telling | Nope, broke in the penultimate week of the trip (during the mud pond carry). |
| Powertraveller, Solar panel | Power source in remote location. | Yes, reliably provided power. |
| Anker Power Bank, 325 Portable Charger (PowerCore Essential 20K) 20000mAh | Store electrical power. | Yes, could power all of the electrical items. |
| Amazon, Kindle paperwhite x2 | Entertainment | Yes, we’ve had these for years. They can hold many hundreds of books and have a scene time of many many hours. |
| Generic Micro USB cord x2 | Connecting USB devices | Yes, nothing special here. |
| Generic USB C cord x2 | Connecting USB devices | Yes, nothing special here. |
| Aloksak, Large waterproof bag | Keep solar panel dry when using in the rain | Yes, it kept the solar panel dry when it rained and it rained a lot! |
Memory Capture
When we are out adventuring we make memories. From time to time we like to look back at what we have done and experienced. Also capturing our memories and sharing them can be far easier to pass on our experiences than just relying on using words alone after the fact.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Field notes, Expedition notebook | Memory capture Journal, notebook | Yes, these notebooks are a good size and being water resistant helped. |
| Bic, 4 colour Original pen | Writing implement | Yes, four colours, one pen, what more can you want? |
| Canon, Eos M6 MkII camera | Image and video capture | Yes, the form factor is small, downside though, it is bad in low light. |
| Generic, wrist strap | Attach camera to hand to stop it from getting dropped. | Yes, Used for years across two cameras. |
| Duracell DRC5915 Charger with USB Cable | Charge camera battery | Yes, being able to charge camera batteries by USB was helpful. |
| SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC card x 12 | Digital information storage for camera and Gopro | Yes, yet to have one fail on us. |
| MCH, MSD10 Memory card holder | Store and organise 10 SD cards | Yes, used for years. |
| LPE 17 Canon batteries x 3 | Power for camera. | If you want to use an EOS M6 Mk II then you need these batteries. |
| Cannon, EOS-M 18-55 mm lens | Change form of light entering the camera body | Yes, we used this for many shots around camp and landscapes. |
| Cannon, EOS-M 55-200 mm lens | Change form of light entering the camera body | Yes, we used this for nature shots. |
| Cannon, EOS-M 11-22 mm lens wide | Change form of light entering the camera body | Yes, we used this for landscape and night shots. |
| Generic, Lens cleaning pen | Clean the lenses of the camera and GoPro | Yes, simple but they work |
| GoPro, Hero 10 | Capture of video and pictures while in the boat and on the water. | Yes, solid little camera. |
| GoPro, Endurance battery x 4 | Power for the GoPro Hero 10 | Yes, the Gopro can be a little hungry on the power. |
| GoPro, Dual charger | Charge the GoPro batteries without needing the Hero 10 | Yes, makes it easier to charge multiple batteries in a short period of time. |
| GoPro, The Remote | Remotely operate the Hero 10 | Yes, when the Hero 10 is mounted on the boat it is way easier to mash a single button on the remote rather than the one on the gopro |
| Gopro, Hero 10 the protective housing | Protect the GoPro from extreme water. | Yes, it brought peace of mind when playing in the bubbly stuff or for extended periods of rain. |
| HSU, Carbon Fiber Waterproof Floating Hand Grip for GoPro | Float, Tripod, extension, for Hero 8 and EOS M6 MkII | Yes, a useful mount. |
| Eyewear, cleaning wipes | Cleaning lenses be they camera or vision correcting | Yes, they work well for sticky things, also helpfully flammable. |
| Generic, lens cleaning cloth | Cleaning camera lenses | Yes, useful to have around. |
| Railblaza, QuikPort inc VHB x 2 | Mounts for Railblaza camera boom | Yes these are a quick and easy mounting solution. |
| Railblaza, Camera Boom 600 R-Lock | Position GoPro in good positions for footage. | Yes, solid boom. |
| In-It, Camera Wrap | Protection for camera when cannot carry in pelican case | Yes, used whenever we went into town for resupply. |
Sanitation and toiletries
When out in the wilderness for so long if you don’t keep yourself clean where it matters you can end up in a world of discomfort.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Toilet roll | Cleaning after going to the toilet | Yes, When you got to go! |
| Sea to Summit, Ultra-Sil Outhouse Dry Bag | Keep toilet roll dry | Yes, when in the backcountry it keeps it dry and to hand. |
| Navbaris, Titanium trowel (modified) | Digging cat holes whe you need to poop in the woods. | Yes, after modification (covering the sharp edges using a fix-it stick). |
| Andy Handy, Water Dispenser | Hand washing. | Yes, this thing is amazing when in the back country! |
| Generic, Tooth brush | Keeping teeth clean. | Yes |
| Toothpaste | Keeping teeth clean. | Yes |
| Floss | Getting food out from between teeth | Yes |
| Biodegradable bar of Soap | Cleaning body. | Yes |
| Tecnu, Oak-N-Ivy Cleanser | Removing biological irritants. | Yes, did not have to use. |
| Biodegradable Solid Shampoo | Cleaning hair | Yes |
| Tangle Teezer, Compact Styler | Brushing Katrina’s hair. | Yes, works well with curly hair. |
| Kent, Sawcut FOT comb | Combing Robert’s hair | Yes, carried for years. |
| Repel, Insect Repellent Sportsmen Max Formula Spray Pump 40% DEET, | For when the bugs get bad, and for when using a privy. | Yes, it works. |
| P20, Sensitive Skin SPF 50+ Sunscreen | Sun protection | Yes, it works and multiple layers feel ok. |
| Anthisan, bite and sting cream | Relief from insect bites and stings | Yes, it works |
| Generic Antihistamine tablets | Relief from bug bites and allergies | Yes |
| Generic Hand sanitizer | Sanitise hands when washing with soap not an option | Yes |
| Genric, diamond nail file | Keep nails dull and free from snagging points. | Yes |
| Body Glide, Original Anti-Chafe Balm | Reduce chafing injuries | Yes, this stuff works, been using for years. |
| Aveeno, moisturising cream | Moisturising skin that has dried out. | Yes, this stuff works. |
| Lifesystems, Mountain SPF30 Sun Stick Protective Lip Moisturiser Sun Protection Lip Balm | Sun protection for lips. | Yes, works and we have used for a while now. |
| Lifeventure, Recycled SoftFibre Towel Medium | Robert washing towel. | Yes, used for years. |
| Lifeventure, Recycled SoftFibre Towel Giant | Katrina washing towel. | Yes, used for years. |
| Kula Cloth, Reusable Antimicrobial Pee Cloth | For when nature calls and you need to wipe the drips. | Yes, Katrina recommends this product to everyone. |
| Mooncup, Reusable Menstrual Cup | For when Aunt Flo needs to visit | Yes, used for years and continues to be a great alternative to disposable options. |
| Personal Medication | The chemicals we take to keep our bioreactors working. | Take what you need. |
Travel specific
There are a few items that you need to carry when travelling even if you would rather ditch the weight, here are ours.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Passport | Travel document | Makes travel easier. |
| Stove flight advisory paperwork | Advice from British Airlines when flying with petrol stoves. | Yes, anything that increases the likelihood of getting equipment through the airport. |
| Revolut card | Paying for things and exchanging money between currencies. | Yes, these work well and are accepted almost everywhere. |
| Alpkit, Mission Pack Small | Storing cash and Cards | Yes, used for years and many travels, This has replaced Katrina’s purse! |
| Sealline, See Pouch Small | Storing paper cash and Cards | Yes, worked well at keeping paper money dry in pockets. |
Load carrying
Now having all this gear is ok but you need to put it into some sort of container to make it easier to carry. All the containers had to protect the items within from water and getting bumped.
| Selection | What we chose it to do | Would we recommend it? |
| Aquapac, 7L Heavyweight waterproof drybag | Snack bag for smelly things accessible in boat | Yes, used for years now to carry lunch. |
| SealLine, Baja 5l Dry Bag x 2 | For bits and pieces of personal kit. | Yes, solid little bags. |
| SealLine, Pro Pack 120l orange | Carry none smelly equipment | Yes, these have stood up to the majority of our training trips as well as the whole NFCT and still look to be in reasonable condition. |
| SealLine, Boundary Pack L red | Carry day accessible equipment | Yes, Solid daysack as long as you don’t put too much weight in it. |
| Barrel works 60L barrel | Carry the food and smelly stuff. | Yes, however the waist strap is made for people considerably bigger than us. Would recommend looking at other manufacturers for smaller builds. |
| Sealine, Ultra-Sil Dry Bag x 4 | Keep clothing dry and separated in our portage bag. | Yes, they seem to work well, can be a little hard to open when it is cold. |
| Sea to Summit, View Dry Sack x4 | Organising equipment in PFDs | Yes, it is helpful to see inside the bags when you need the contents in a hurry. |
| Aloksak, document bag | Keep documentation dry | Yes, however they do not last too long. |
| Pelican, 1450 case, with custom padding | Keep all of the electronics and memory capture stuff safe. | Yes, This case is awesome. |