Organizing Camping Gear by Category

A pile of camping gear makes it hard to know if you packed everything.

To make your camping checklist reflect the rooms in your house use these categories: paddling equipment, personal paddling gear (or clothing worn), bedroom, kitchen, den (or office), bathroom and closet. You could also add living room. See an example of how this catagory system works in PaddlingLight’s Fall and Spring Canoe Camping Checklist. These categories help you instantly see what gear you need to grab. For example, in a bedroom we have blankets, a bed and a roof over our heads. When camping we need a mattress, sleeping bag and tent. They’re essential the same items. Here’s a breakdown of what to include in each catagory:

• Paddling Equipment: This is the gear that you need to paddle. It includes paddles, boats, pumps, paddle float, tow ropes and anything else that you use while on the water.
• Personal Paddling Gear (clothing worn): When organizing camping gear use this catagory to list all your clothing that you’re going to wear while on the water. It includes your life vest and everything that you carry on it, including a ditch kit if you carry one.
• Bedroom: Everything that you use at night when sleeping such as a sleeping bag, pad and tent. Also the bags you use to store the gear when on the water.
• Kitchen: In your home, your kitchen has a sink that makes drinkable water, a stove, pots, pans, plates, forks and food. Your camping kitchen needs to have similar items that are simplified. Here’s an example of Lightweight Cooking Gear.
• Den (or Office): A den or office stores all the stuff that you’d use while working out of your house. When paddling the den is going to contain everything that you’d use during that day while you “work” such as navigation gear, headlamps, etc… Basically, anything that doesn’t really fit elsewhere in your house ends up in the den.
• Bathroom: All your toiletries and first aid supplies.
• Closet: At home, you keep all your spare clothing in a closet, so consider the dry bags you keep spare clothing in your closet. Adjust what’s in your closet according to the season.

Getting Ready For a Trip

The bedroom organized. It includes (from left to right) a sleeping bag, tent, tent poles, tarp and a sleeping pad.

First, figure out what exactly you’re going to bring in each catagory. If you don’t know what to bring, look at the Fall and Spring Canoe Camping Checklist linked above as a good place to start. Once you have everything decided put gear from each catagory into it’s own area on the floor. This makes it much easier to sort and see what you have ready to pack than just piling everything onto the floor in front of you. Once you do this a few times, you’ll have your packing routine time down to 30 minutes or less.

Packing Your Gear Away After a Trip

This is just as important as packing gear for a trip, because how you pack your gear away directly impacts how quickly you can get ready for the next trip. The easiest way to do this is make a storage system that uses the same categories as your packing list. Then store all the equipment in bins marked with those categories. When your next trip rolls around all you need to do is grab the bin and you’re almost completely packed. Keep in mind that sleeping bags and clothing should be stored in an area that allows the gear to breathe.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Organizing Camping Gear for Canoe Camping and Kayak Camping

To fix that second, you can take a sea kayaking class, or you can take it on faith that you need these items and then learn how to use them. Because kayaks are so expensive, spending more money on kayaking accessories is a hard pill to swallow, but you need the items so budget for it. See, kayaking is inherently dangerous. Humans aren’t water creatures. We’re not designed to live in the water, and we have a hard time learning to survive in the water. Anytime the water drops below 60 degree Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius), you run into the risks of cold water paddling and need a wetsuit or a drysuit. And anytime you paddle beyond swimming distance from shore, you risk not making it back if you make a mistake. When you add wind, waves, weather conditions, currents and the area where the water meets the shore, you end up with a lot of situations that are dangerous, and you might not understand or even realize the danger until it’s too late. It’s best to prepare for these situation by having the proper equipment and knowing how to use it.

On Twitter, I recently asked the question, “What kayaking accessories would you recommend to a beginner who just bought a new kayak?” I got responses from many seasoned kayakers ranging from whitewater paddlers, adventurers and guides. All their suggestions centered on the basic items required for survival in dangers, or items for comfort that beginners might not think of. Many had used these items to survive. What struck me was how similar the answers were. On that note, I put together a basic kayaking accessories list. In the list, I’ll link to the item and also briefly explain how you use it or why you’d want to buy it.

Basic Kayaking Accessories

• Kayaking-specific lifevest: Kayaking-specific lifevests differ from others in several ways. The main differences are a higher back that doesn’t interfere with the kayak’s seat, a snug fit so you don’t get rubbed wrong when paddling and comfort designed for the movements in kayaking. Some models include multiple pockets that you can stuff with snacks, a camera, VHF radio, etc. Kayaking vests also include tabs that allow you to lash on a knife, a strobe light. Some include tow belt attachments. I like Kokatat and Stohlquist.
• Nice paddle: Buy something better than the cheapest that you can find. The nicer the paddle, the more enjoyable your outings become, because they’re lighter, they swing back and forth easier. Just try a high-end carbon fiber paddle once and you’ll understand. Don’t skimp and don’t buy a paddle that’s too long for you. Many salespeople that fall into the first problem tend to size the paddle too large. It’s the right size when you place the paddle vertically and can reach up and wrap your fingers comfortably around the paddles end. Don’t stretch when doing this.
• Bilge Pump: When you get water in your kayak, you need to get it out. This might be after a capsize. It might be from splashes or boat wake or waves (see spray skirt). In a canoe, you usually use a bucket, but buckets don’t work well in a kayak, because it’s hard to get them to fill in the small area, plus it’s hard to get shallow water out of the boat. That little bit of the water sloshes around in the kayak and splashes against the back of your legs, which feels annoying. It also makes the boat less stable. The Beckson Bilge Pump is one of the best and the one brand I use. It takes a beating and pumps quickly. You’ll need to buy a foam float for it too.
• Paddle float: A paddle float is an inflatable bag that you use during a self rescue, i.e. you fell out of your kayak (wet exit) and need to get back in. One way to get back into a kayak is to inflate a paddle float around one blade on your paddle and then use the paddle as an outrigger to help you get back in. NRS Sea Kayak Paddle Float features a dual chamber, which means if one side fails, you have another. It also has a large mouth that’s easy to slip a paddle into.
• Sponge (optional): Water accumulates in the cockpit and a sponge helps get it out. It also helps get water out of a leaky bulkhead or hatch.
• Whistle: Whistles can help other boat traffic hear and see you. You can use them to communicate to other paddlers, and they’re required by the Coast Guard in some waters. You can also use them to get attention during an emergency. I suggest ACR Hot Shot Signal Mirror and Whistle Combo, because it uses a whistle that doesn’t require a floating ball (if the ball gets wet and sticks, it doesn’t work). The Combo also includes a signaling mirror and foam float for just a few more bucks than a whistle alone. Attach the whistle to your lifevest.
• Spray Skirt: You wear a spray skirt around your waist. When you sit in the kayak, the skirt seals the cockpit opening and keeps water out of the boat. If you’re going to paddle anything larger than a backyard pond or in any weather other than warm and sunny, you need to buy a skirt. I suggest buying a neoprene skirt for ocean travel. You can get by with a nylon skirt if you plan on paddling in flat water.
• Flotation (if you kayak doesn’t have bulkheads): The shocking news is that kayaks don’t float very well when filled with water. Some manufacturers address the problem by adding bulkheads and hatches to create air and watertight storage areas. If you come out of the boat and the cockpit fills with water, the bulkheads keep the ends dry. Without bulkheads, the boat fills with water and makes rescue and recovery difficult even for experienced paddlers. To help prevent the problem in boats, often recreational kayaks, buy and use float bags. NRS Standard Kayak Flotation Bags come in multiple sizes to fit most kayaks. Buy one for the front and the back of the kayak. You want a bag that fills all the free area in each part of your kayak.
• Dry Bags: To keep your gear dry while on the water, you need a waterproof container. I suggest bringing at least two bags on every trip. One bag carries spare clothing and the other contains your wallet, cell phone and other items that you might normally carry. When packing a kayak, it’s much easier to find space for smaller dry bags than large ones. For your wallet and other small items, consider a five liter bag. For the rest, buy 10 liter bags. Both Sea-to-Summit and SealLine make great dry bags.
• Rescue sling (stirrup): When you get tired from trying to get back into the boat and failing multiple times, you need help. A rescue sling such as North Water Sea Tec Rescue Stirrup can help you get in by giving you something to step on. You wrap the sling around your cockpit coaming, step on the sling, and then get into the boat. It can work in conjunction with a paddle float rescue or when you’re rescuing someone else.
• Compass and map: Some waterways are confusing. You need a map and compass to figure them out. I mount one on my kayak and put another simple baseplate compass in my lifevest. Learn how to use them in these Navigation articles.

These are just a few of the many kayaking accessories that you can buy, but for calm waters that you’ll learn on, they’ll get you by. You need to master the rescue items and that requires practice and probably a lesson. In More Kayaking Accessories for Beginners, I cover even more items that you’ll want to buy. Many I consider mandatory for paddling on large bodies of water such as the Great Lakes, oceans and big rivers like the Mississippi.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Kayaking Accessories for Beginners

Canadian topographic maps generally cost between $11 and $16 dollars each. When buying many maps for an extended camping trip, the costs quickly add up. Luckily, the Canadian government offers free electronic copies of all of their topo maps. By following a few simple steps you will save money and produce more useful maps by printing your own for a fraction of the cost. All you need is an Internet connection, a printer and a little time. Printing your own maps allows you to customize your maps and only print out the parts that you need. It shaves precious ounces off the weight you have to lug around with you, and each map makes a great fire starter at the end of the day. You may even print maps with greater detail for tricky sections of your route and larger scale maps for areas where less detail is required or for route planning.

Canadian Topo Maps Printing Instructions:

1. Go to Toporama’s interactive map page.
2. Find the part of Canada you are interested in. The toolbar above the map will help you zoom in, zoom out, and re-center the map. The search feature on the right side helps you quickly locate places by entering towns, lake names, or other geographic features.
3. Determine the amount of detail you want in your maps. For canoeing and kayaking 1:100,000 usually provides enough detail. For backpacking or off-trail hiking, the greater detail of a 1:50,000 map is more useful. Find the scale just below the map. You can quickly zoom in and out by changing the map’s scale.
4. Use a screen capture tool to save a map of the start of your route as an image onto your computer. For a home printer you will want to capture sections of the map that will fit onto an 8 ½ by 11 inch sheet of paper. Using a consistent image size is important because it keeps the map scale the same across all of your printed maps. Images that are 850 pixels by 1100 pixels works well. However, other dimensions will work fine as long as you are consistent.
   (If you need help doing a screen capture see the bottom of this article for more details.)
5. Open the image and print the map.
6. Adjust the Toporama map and capture an image of the next part of your route.
7. Repeat steps four, five, and six until you have covered your entire route.

It may take you a few maps to get the hang of this, but soon printing off Canadian topo maps for a weekend getaway becomes as fast as you could order them online, and printing custom maps for a summer-long expedition only takes three or four hours.

Screen Capture

Capturing images of your computer screen is easy. In fact there is a good chance your computer already has screen capture software. If not, you can easily download a free screen capture program.

Mac:

1. Press command, shift, and four all at the same time and a little target will appear in place of the mouse arrow.
2. Place the target at the top left corner of the map you want to copy.
3. Hold down the button on your mouse and drag the target to the bottom right corner of the area you want to save as your map. Your computer will automatically save the selected area to your desktop.

Windows

For Windows, download Lightscreen.

1. Start Lightscreen.
2. Click on “Screenshot” and then “Area.”
3. Follow step two and three for a Mac.

About Dave

Dave Freeman is an educator and wilderness guide. He has worked as a dogsledding, sea kayaking and canoeing instructor for 15 years, introducing hundreds of people to wilderness travel. He and wife are in the middle of three-year, 11,000-mile journey across North America by canoe, kayak, and dogsled. Learn more about him: www.NorthAmericanOdyssey.com

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: How to Print Free Canadian Topographic Maps Quickly and Inexpensively

How to Go to the BWCA

Before you go to the BWCA, there are four essential things to know:

1. The area is vast. It stretches almost 150 miles from Voyageurs National Park in the west almost to Lake Superior in the east. It has over 1,200 miles of canoe trails. You’re not going to see it all on one trip, so you need to pick an area. Most people divide it into the eastern side served by Grand Marais, Tofte and the Gunflint Trail and the western side served by Ely.
2. You must enter at a designated Entry Point. Because the area is so vast, the U.S. Forest Service, the agency in charge, divides it up into Entry Points. Each entry point has a number designation. For example, the Sawbill Lake Entry point is number 38. From May 1 to September 30, a quota system regulates how many overnight parties per day may enter from a single entry point. At Sawbill Lake the quota is 14. Maximum party size is nine people and four canoes.
3. You need a permit. For day use only, you can fill out a free permit at the entry point — there is no quota for day use, but maximum party size applies. For overnight use from May 1 and September 30, you must get a paid permit at an issuing station, such as a Boundary Waters outfitter or an U.S. Forest Service station. For overnight use from October 1 to April 30, you can fill out a free permit at the entry point. As of 2011, permits ran $16 for adults and $8 for youth 17 and under. When you pick up your permit, you must watch a “how to” film about the BWCA. Note: You must register your canoe in your home state or Minnesota.
4. Reserve permits ahead of time if desired. If you know you want to enter the BWCA at a specific entry point on a specific day, it’s best to reserve that permit. A $12 non-refundable registration fee to ReserveAmerica — a private company doing the work that government should be doing and making a significant profit from it — lets you reserve your permit before you go. From December 1 to December 15 each year, a lottery runs. If you know you want to enter on a popular day at a popular entry point, you probably need to try to get a permit via the lottery. Permit reservations open to the everyone on December 20th. If you’re flexible, then you don’ t need a reservation at all. I never make a reservation. Instead, I show up at a U.S. Forest Service office and grab something that’s available close to where I want to paddle. If you make a reservation, you must choose where you will pick it up, and you must pick it up from that place.

Entry Point Towns

The two main Boundary Water towns are Ely and Grand Marais. Ely is the more popular of the two for entering the wilderness, but Grand Marais, because it’s on Lake Superior’s shore, is more beautiful. Both are big summer tourist destinations. Ely serves the western side, and Grand Marais serves the eastern side. Beside serving different sides, they serve different geographies. The eastern side of the BWCA is more mountainous than the western side. I’ve paddled all over both sides and traversed the entire border, and to me, the eastern side is more beautiful than the western.

Boundary Water Routes

With over 1,200 miles of water trails and 160 miles of portages within the wilderness, you might think it be easy to find a good route, but because of the way the lakes and portages are arranged, it’s hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. Luckily, several books show a number of good routes based on difficult and length. My two favorite are Robert Beymer’s guides:

• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Eastern Region
• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Western Region

In each volume, he covers multiple routes leaving each entry point. For each route, he covers day-by-day paddling distances, portage tips and difficulty ratings. He gives an overview and adds in some historical information as well. There isn’t a better resource available for route planing, so if you plan on making a trip, pick up one of these books. It will keep you busy through the cold winter months and provide hours of day dreaming. Experienced wilderness trippers should consider all the routes one step of difficultly less than shown.

If you like planning trips with the maps pulled out in front of you, then you’ll probably find it easy to plan a trip.

BWCA Maps

Four companies produce maps specific to the Boundary Waters: Fisher Maps, McKenzie Maps, Voyager Maps and National Geographic Trails Illustrated. I’ve used maps from every company except Fisher. The Voyager Maps and the Trails Illustrated are the most compact and typically what I gravitate to. Since National Geographic released its maps for the area, they’re the only ones I use. I like them because they’re compact, waterproof, tearproof and you only need two maps to cover the entire BWCA. The scale is smaller, so you get less detail, but it’s plenty for navigating. If you need lake depth contours, then Voyageur and McKenzie Maps are the way to go, but you’ll need more of them. Voyageur Maps covers the area in 10, and McKenzie does it in 25. Fisher covers the area in 32 maps. Even if you decide you need more detail, the Trails Illustrated maps are great for planning a route. You can usually pick them up on sale on Amazon for $9 or $10 each.

• Trails Illustrated (National Geographic) Map Of The BWCA – Eastern Half
• Trails Illustrated (National Geographic) Map Of The BWCA – Western Half

Boundary Waters Outfitters

There are many outfitters serving the BWCA, so if you don’t want to bring your own gear or if you don’t own gear, then they’re a great option. Among the largest and best are Piragis in Ely, Sawbill Outfitters in Tofte and Voyager Outfitters or Gunflint Northwood Outfitters on the Gunflint out of Grand Marais. (Are you an outfitter? Contact us to get added to this list.) These certainly aren’t the only ones; a quick Internet search turns up many more. Before you book with an outfitter, find out if they issue permits. If they do, list them on your permit. Also, find out what type of gear they use in their outfitting. You want something mid- to high-end, especially in tents, because you don’t want to wake up to dripping in a rainstorm. Look over the food list to make sure you like what they offer. If not, look for a different outfitter or plan your own meals.

When renting a canoe, pay the extra for a light-weight Kevlar model, especially if the route has long or frequent portages. Because hoisting a heavy canoe onto your shoulders and carrying it across a long portage trail takes the umph out of a day. If you have a favorite canoe model, see if you can rent it. If you don’t, look for something 17 feet long, asymmetrical, stable and fast. Popular models and great ones to rent include Wenonah’s Minnesota 2, Bell’s Northwind and Souris River’s Quetico 17. Unless you’ve paddled before and know what you’re getting into, avoid anything labeled as a Prospector. Unless loaded heavily, they’re tippy and the high ends catch the wind.

What to Expect

Everyone’s experience in the Boundary Waters is different, but a few things stay the same, such as what you’ll find at campsites and portages. The U.S. Forest Service maintains all the campsites in the BWCA, and each campsite has a grill and a privy. Other than the grill and privy, the campsites vary from large to small. Some offer great tent sites and others not so great. The most popular sites always have a wide rock landing out front, an elevated grill area with log benches all around, lots of flat areas for tents and towering pine trees surrounding it. Island campsites fill up quickly. During the summer, campsites fill up quickly, so it’s best to claim one before 3 p.m, which means if you want to crank out miles, you need to wake up early.

The portages are hiking trails that connect the lakes — some date back 100s of years. The U.S. Forest Service maintains all the portage trails, mainly by cutting away blow downs. None of the trails are marked with a sign, so make sure you’re good at navigation. To find a portage, aim off and look for an open area in the woods that’s been trampled down. Usually, you’ll find it. Occasionally, it takes time, especially if its your first trip. All the maps show portages in rods, which is 16.5 feet.

Keep in mind trail etiquette when traveling across the portages. Follow these rules and you’ll do fine:

1. Don’t block the trail with gear, bodies and canoes. Set your gear to the side of the portage and away from the water. This also means that you shouldn’t take a break or eat lunch on the portage. Find an empty campsite for that.
2. The person going uphill on a portage has the right-of-way. If you’re going down, step out of the way.
3. The person carrying a canoe has the right-of-way. Step to the side and let him pass.
4. Be friendly and courteous.

Many first time visitors don’t know how many miles that they can paddle in a day. While this varies, 10 to 12 miles works for most groups. While most paddlers travel at 3 mph, the portages, especially if you take a lot of gear, take lots of time. When I go, I carry light gear, so I can carry everything across in one go. If you carry lots of stuff, you might need to take multiple trips — a 100-rod portage suddenly becomes almost a full mile.

Wildlife and Bears in the Boundary Waters

Because the Boundary Waters is wilderness, there’s a good chance for a wildlife encounter. The most common encounters include bald eagles, water fowl, loons, otters, mink and beavers. If you see a moose, a bear or wolves count yourself lucky. Overall, the BWCA is home to over 350 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians; 50 species of fish; and thousands of species of invertebrates, plants, lichens, fungi and other organisms.

Perhaps the mammal that causes the biggest concern is the bear, because they like human food and are curious animals. Hopefully, the one you see isn’t the one invading your camp. To help prevent bad bear encounters, the U.S. Forest Service requires you to protect your food, either with a bear barrel stored outside of camp or by bear bagging. Regardless of the method used, keep your campsite clean and pack everything into odor-proof plastic. The U.S. Forest Service describes bear bagging as follows:

Using a rope, suspend the food pack from a tree branch making sure it is at least 8 to 10 feet from the ground and at least 6 feet out from the trunk. The tree should be well away from your tent.

If a bear comes into your campsite, scare it away. Don’t panic. Be loud. Bang pots and pans. Shout. Don’t do anything that puts you at risk.

Fishing in the Boundary Waters

To legally fish in the BWCA, you must possess a Minnesota fishing license, which you can buy at most gas stations and many outfitters. After you catch something, bury or scatter the remains far away from campsites, trails, portages and
shorelines. It’s against the law to dump them in the lakes. As far as gear, bring the tackle that you’d use for bass, trout, walleye and pike. I’d suggest bringing a collapsible four-piece fishing rod or just a handline. My suggested strategy for fishing involves only fishing after you get to a campsite and keeping the pole packed away during the day. I do this, because carrying loose fishing gear across portages is a big hassle.

Packing Your Gear for the Boundary Waters

Many beginners pack their gear in a backpack and then wrap the pack in a garbage bag and throw it into the canoe. After the first portage, they realize that it’s hard to carry the pack and the garbage bag rips quickly. That’s not the way to keep your gear dry. What you want is a Duluth Pack, because it’s designed to fit nicely within the canoe and it’s easy to make waterproof. Check out this video on how to pack a Duluth Pack.

Boundary Waters Inspiration

If you need a reason or inspiration to come watch these videos:

The Boundary Waters from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

Boundary Waters Part 2 from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

Additional Boundary Waters Resources

• U.S. Forest Service BWCA Trip Planning Guide

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Boundary Waters (BWCA) Primer

Parts of a Compass

Index line: Read the bearing in degrees at this line. In the images, the index line read 43 degrees.

Direction of travel arrow: This points towards the bearing. Use the arrow and the center of the magnetic needle like a site when holding the compass out in front of you.

Compass dial: The compass dial rotates. It shows the cardinal directions and the degrees.

Orienting arrow: When the red end of the magnetic needle aligns with the orienting arrow, the index line shows magnetic degrees from north.

North-south lines: Used to align the compass to a map.

Housing: A fluid filled enclosure of the magnetic needle.

Magnetic needle: Piece of metal, painted red and white, that points towards magnetic north.

Transfer a Course To a Bearing

When you know where you are on a map and want to know which direction to travel to a destination, you use the compass as a protractor to find direction to the destination, and then transfer the direction to a distant object near it using the compass as a bearing compass. It takes just three steps.

1. Align the long edge of the compass with your starting point and your destination on the map. Make sure the direction of travel arrow points towards your destination.
2. Turn the compass dial until the north-south lines are parallel to the north-south lines on the map. The orienting arrow should align with north on the map.
3. Hold the compass straight out in front of you. Turn the canoe or kayak until the orienting arrow and the red end on the magnetic needle align. The red end will point to the north symbol on the compass dial. The direction of travel arrow now points at the destination. Pick a feature along the shore and paddle towards it.

After Step 2, the index line indicates the course in true degrees. If your kayak or canoe is equipped with a built-in compass, turn the boat until the compass reads the same degrees as shown on the index line.

Transfer a Bearing to the Map

If you want to relate a feature in the distance to the map, you take a bearing to the feature and then transfer that to the map. It takes three steps.

1. Hold the compass straight out in front of you and point the direction of travel arrow at the feature. Turn the compass dial until the orienting arrow, north on the compass dial and the red end of the magnetic needle align.
2. Set the compass down on the map with the bottom of a long edge touching your position.
3. Rotate the entire compass around your current position until both the compass’ and map’s north-south lines align. The long edge now points towards the distance feature.

If you don’t know where you are, but you do know where the feature is on the map, you can align the top end of the compass’ long edge with the feature on the map in Step 2. This gives you a Line of Position. You are somewhere along that line. You can combine two Line of Positions to find a Fix.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Navigation: How to Use a Compass

VHF Etiquette

Think of a VHF radio as a direct connection to every other vessel in your line-of-sight and within your radio’s range. When you talk on it, every other vessel in the area hears what you’re saying. Most of the other boaters aren’t interested in hearing it, so keep any communication short and only use it when you have to. I.e. no one wants to hear a conversation about what color of underwear you’re wearing. The airways are limited and lots of users need to pass along information, so the less you use it, the more others can do what they need to.

Keep your conversations short and to the point.

Many countries require a license to use a VHF radio. One reason for the license is to keep the on-air conversations following specific protocols, which helps shape the communication and keep everything understandable. In some countries, like the U.S., laws allow recreational users to use VHF radios without requiring a license. Despite the lack of licensing, users must adhere to the established communication protocols.

VHF Radio Channels

To help prevent on-the-air choke holds of one channel, the VHF radio band is divided into different channels. You can usually select channels on your VHF radio by pushing up or down buttons. Each channel has a specific designation on who can use the channel, so before you begin talking make sure that you’re allowed to use that channel.

The most important VHF channel is 16. The U.S. Coast Guard says this about channel 16, “International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.” It’s used when you need to hail (call) another vessel or broadcast an emergency or safety situation. After contacting a vessel, except in an emergency, you must move off of channel 16 to leave it open for other users. You can also use channel 9 to hail other craft. When someone broadcasts an emergency on channel 16, don’t use it until resolved. Essentially, all communication starts on 16 or 9.

Channels 68, 69 and 78A (plus 79A and 80A in the Great Lakes) are designated non-commercial channels. These are the channels that you use to carry on a conversation after you establish contact. When you’re hailing another vessel, that vessel will tell you which channel to switch to. It’s often one of these. When you’re hailed, you should suggest one of these channels to switch to.

A full list of U.S. VHF channels is on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center website.

Nonemergency Ship-to-Ship or Ship-to-Shore VHF Communication

One common use of VHF radios is to contact other vessels or contact shore-based stations, like a lock and dam system or a harbor master. You establish contact by hailing. A hail follows this protocol:

1. Say the name of Station you’re calling three times.
2. This is [vessel name].
3. OVER.
4. Contact replies (Step 1 to 2). States channel to switch to. OVER.
5. Repeat 1 to 2, ROGER [channel #].
6. OUT.
7. Switch. Wait for contact. Step 1 to 2, [communicate message], OVER.
8. End with OUT.

A conversation between two kayakers might sound like this:

Kayak Romany: Explorer. Explorer. Explorer. This is Romany. Over.
Kayak Explorer: Romany. Romany. Romany. This is Explorer. Switch to 68. Over.
Kayak Romany: Explorer. This is Romany. Roger 68. Out.
Kayak Explorer (Switches to 68): Romany. Romany. Romany. This is Explorer on 68. Over.
Kayak Romany (Switches to 68): Explorer. Explorer. Explorer. This is Romany. I’m one mile out from the Grand Marais harbor. What’s your position? Over.
Kayak Explorer: I’m two miles out from the Grand Marais harbor. Over.
Kayak Romany: We’ll wait for you at the DNR beach. Over.
Kayak Explorer: See you there. Out.
Kayak Romany: Out.

Safety VHF Use

You can use a VHF radio to communicate important or unusual safety information to other boaters around you using a Securite call. Most often you’ll hear this call originating from the Coast Guard, but you might find a time to use it. One popular use among kayakers is announcing kayak crossings. A Securite call follows this protocol:

1. Securite. Securite. Securite.
2. All Stations. All Stations. All Stations.
3. This is [say vessel name 3 times].
4. Safety message concerning [location] to follow on channel [#].
5. Vessel name and description.
6. OUT.
7. Repeat on new channel with hazard.

It might sound like this:

Romany: Securite. Securite. Securite. All Stations. All Stations. All Stations. This is Romany. Romany Romany. Safety message concerning Pigeon Point and Isle Royale to follow on channel 9. Romany is a 16-foot red kayak. Out.
Romany (Switches to 9): Securite. Securite. Securite. All Stations. All Stations. All Stations. This is Romany. Romany Romany. Safety message concerning Pigeon Point and Isle Royale. Today at 7am a group of five kayaks are crossing from Pigeon Point to Washington Harbor. Speed is 4 knots. Expected completion at 10:30am. For additional information contact Romany, a 16-foot red kayak, on channel 16. Out.

Emergency VHF Communication (Mayday, Pan Pan)

You use one of two different protocols to announce an emergency. For emergencies that immediately threaten life or vessel, call a Mayday. For emergencies where no life or vessel is threatened call a Pan Pan. It’s important to stay calm during an emergency call. Keep the message simple by relaying only the important information and repeat your message every 10 seconds until someone answers your call. Your handheld radio is low in the water; in rough water, the message might not transmit clearly.

Mayday Protocol:

1. Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.
2. This is [say vessel name 3 times].
3. At Position [say location].
4. State nature of emergency.
5. Type of assistance needed.
6. Number of people involved.
7. Vessel name and description [2 times].
8. OVER. Wait 10 sec. repeat.

Pan Pan Protocol:

1. Pan Pan. Pan Pan. Pan Pan.
2. All Stations. All Stations. All Stations.
3. Same as Mayday 2 to 7.
4. Resolved send “URGENCY ENDED.”

A Mayday might sound like this:

Romany: Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. This is Romany. Romany. Romany. Bearing 35 degrees magnetic — distance about 1 mile from Terrace Point. Lost boat with victims in the water. Need rescue. Two adults. Romany is a 16-foot red kayak. The other kayak is 18 feet and blue. Over.

Suggested Handheld VHF Radios for Kayakers by Kayakers

• Icom IC-M72 Waterproof VHF Marine Radio – I’ve owned this radio for a number of years. It has seen lots of upside down time and it’s still going strong. The buttons are big and easy to hit with gloves on.
• Icom IC-M34 VHF Waterproof Marine Two-Way Radio – This one floats! Used by David H. Johnston of PaddlingInstructor.com.
• HX751 6W Floating VHF – Used by Dunks of Solent Sea Kayaking.
• HX850s Handheld VHF w/GPS – Jill Ellis of Adanac Paddles recommends this model.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: How to Use a VHF Radio

In the past, you had to use NOAA’s somewhat confusing tool or a command-line hack. Bob Webster, feeling our pain, programed an open-source BSB converter. It converts NOAA’s native BSB format to PNG, JPEG or TIFF. Download the BSB converter for free.

Using the chart converter is painless.

1. Start the program.
2. Click the “Browse” button next to the “Source (BSB) Folder” dialog box.
3. Find the folder that contains your BSB download from NOAA and click on it to highlight it. Click “OK.”
4. Click the “Browse” button next to the “Destination Folder” dialog box.
5. Find the folder where you want to place the converted files and click on it to highlight it. Click “OK” after you find the folder.
6. Open the “Output File Format” menu by clicking on the down-arrow next to the box.
7. Select PNG, JPEG or TIFF by clicking on it. All three formats are readable by modern graphic programs.
8. Click “GO” and wait for it to process the files. In the big right-hand box, the program will tell you when it’s done.

NOAA BSB charts separate the insert maps from the main chart. If you want everything on one sheet, you’ll need to use a graphic program to paste the insert maps into the main chart.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: NOAA Marine Chart Converter

Preparation of the Bread Dough

At home mix all the dry ingredients into a plastic bag. You can substitute or remove some of the ingredients as you wish. Traditional bannock was just flour and water. In my recipe, baking powder makes the bread fluffy, salt brings out the flavors, powdered milk allows the bread to brown and butter adds flavor. You can add anything to the base to change the flavors. If you want a sweet bread add cinnamon and sugar. In the mood for something cheesy, then toss in some chunks of cheese.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp powdered milk
• 1 tbsp oil or butter

In camp, mix in the oil or butter (ghee). Add water slowly until you create dough the consistency of play-doh. You want a firm dough that isn’t sticky. If you use the baking powder, set the dough aside to let it rise.

Your Campfire

You don’t need a big fire to cook bannock. You just need one with hot coals. I usually wait to cook bannock until an evening when I’m going to make a fire anyway, then start a fire, let it die down to red-hot coals and get it going again after I finish the bread. Keep in mind that your bannock picks up the flavor of smoke, so select wood that you know tastes good to you. You might not be able to tell the difference, but if you have an advanced camp-cooking palate, you may.

Gather a Stick

Since, you’re going to cook the bannock on a stick, you need to gather the perfect stick. Preferably, pick a stick that’s freshly cut, green and taste good, like aspen. If you’re camping in an area that doesn’t allow the gathering of green wood or in a popular camping area, save the trees and find a recently dead and down branch.

Look for a stick that ranges in size from two fingers to wrist thick. The bigger sticks are heavier, which is a concern, because you’ll have to hold the stick over the fire for about 10 minutes. The smaller sticks force you to make a long loaf, which makes it hard to evenly cook the middle and end. I find a stick about three fingers wide works best.

Once you have your stick, remove both the inner and outer layers of bark. Then, temper it by holding it over your fire until it becomes hot to touch. Don’t burn the stick or your bread will take on that taste. By tempering the stick, the bread will cook from the inside as well as from the outside.

Wrap the Bannock

Take the bread dough and roll it into a snake-like shape. You’re in the woods, so it doesn’t have to look perfect. Start wrapping the dough around the stick. As you wrap, spiral the dough down the stick and compress and spread it, so the dough is less than a half-inch thick. Any thicker and the dough has trouble cooking through.

Find a Hot Spot Above the Fire

The inside of the dough wrap needs to cook before the outside finishes, so you need to find a distance above the fire where the temperature is just right–if you hold it too close the outside will brown too quickly leaving a wet, doughy interior. Find the right distance by holding your hand over the fire. When you find a place you can hold your hand for around 10 to 15 seconds, you’ve found the right height.

Cook the Bannock

Hold the bannock over the fire at the right distance and let it cook. Rotate the bread so all the sides cook evenly. At first, rotate the bread more often to help stop any sag in the dough. Be careful not to allow the bread to get to close or you’ll end up burning a side. It takes around 10 minutes to cook the bannock.

Take the Bannock off the Stick

When the bannock is finished, it should easily come off the stick. If it’s not done, the bread dough will stick making it hard to slide. You want bread that’s dry and fluffy. To help remove the dough, rotate a small section until it breaks and pulls off. Work the rest of the bread off the stick. Enjoy.

Video: Making Bannock

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: How to Cook Bannock on a Stick – Campfire Bread

Weather Lore

• Red sky at night sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning sailor’s take warning. Perhaps the most well-know saying. In the northern hemisphere weather typically moves west to east. When the sun can cast it’s light up on the underbelly of the clouds, it means that the sky is clear in that direction. So, if there’s a red sunset, there must be clear skies to the west. If there’s a red sunrise, the clear weather has passed to the east and bad weather is overhead. Another version: A rainbow in the morning, is the sailor’s warning; a rainbow at night is the sailor’s delight. Rainbows appear opposite the sun, so it must be clear in the direction of the sun. In the morning, it’s the east. In the evening, it’s the west.
• A ring around the sun or moon, means rain or snow coming soon. Halos form from the sun reflecting off of high altitude ice crystals. This may mean that a storm is blowing in and sending moisture high into the sky. When sun dogs surround the sun, weather will deteriorate within 18-36 hours.
• Frost or dew in the morning light, shows no rain before the night. And, when grass is dry at morning light, look for rain before the night. This saying depends on the night sky. If it’s calm and clear at night, the temperature will drop and dew forms. If it’s windy and cloudy, dew probably won’t form. Clouds and wind can indicate bad weather moving in.
• Mackerel sky and mare’s tails make tall ships carry low sails. Thin high cirrocumulus clouds that look like fish scales with blue sky in-between or long wispy high cirrus clouds. These clouds could indicate a warm or cold front approaching. Chances are for strong winds and in the case of a warm front, probably rain.
• A veering wind, fair weather; a backing wind, foul weather. Veering winds change direction in a clockwise direction and backing winds change direction in an anticlockwise directions. A veering wind means that the system is passing and a backing wind means the system is arriving.
• If clouds move against the wind, rain will follow. Stand with your back against the wind. If the upper level clouds are coming from the left, a system is approaching from the west. If the upper level clouds are coming from the right, the weather will be clear.
• When the glass falls low, prepare for a blow; When it rises high, let all your kites fly. This saying has to do with the type of pressure system that is approaching. Low pressure systems bring unstable weather and high pressure system more stable. So, when your barometer shows a falling pressure, expect bad weather, and good weather when it rises.

Do you have some favorite sayings?

Weather Lore Downloads and Resources

• Weather folk-lore and local weather signs by Edward Bennett Garriott: A U.S. Department of Agriculture publication from 1903 and now in the public domain. Includes lots of weather lore and prediction tools for cities across the U.S.
• Folklore in Meteorology: WRGB’s collected weather lore sayings and explanations.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Paddling Weather Lore and Prediction

Step One:

Cut the old rope off and use it to measure the approximate size for your new rope. I typically leave the rope slightly longer than I know I’ll need, because it’s easier to tie the knot and you can always make it shorter. When replacing ropes, I like to replace them with reflective rope, which shines brightly at night when a light shines on it.

Step Two:

Slide the rope through one of the holes in your end toggle’s center. Make sure the rope comes out of the corresponding side of the toggle. Tie an overhand knot in the end. You don’t need to use a fancy knot here, because in the tight space inside your toggle it’s unlikely that the knot will come undone. Once tied, cut the excess off leaving between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of rope past the knot. Use a lighter and burn the end, so that the rope doesn’t fray.

Step Three:

Run the rope through the hole in your kayak and get ready to make a choice. If you’re using your toggle to hang onto your kayak during a swim, there’s a chance that if you run the cord back into the toggle making a loop your finger could get caught in the loop. As the boat spins, the loop could constrict on your finger and break it or worse. If you tie your finishing knot on the kayak instead of back into the toggle, you remove this possibility. The downside for cartoppers, is it takes away an easy place to hook your bow and stern tie-downs. If you want the extra protection while swimming tie a knot against the kayak, cut, and burn (see picture).

Step Four:

For those that need or want a loop, run the line through the boat and then into the open hole on the toggle. Pull the line out of the corresponding side, tie an overhand knot, cut and burn.

Step Five:

Pull the rope tight, which will compress the knots making then less likely to slip. After a week of use, check the knots by looking into the toggle. Make sure they’re still tight.

Spare Parts

• End Toggles
• BlueWater Niteline Accessory Cord – 4 mm

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: How to Replace Your Kayak’s End Toggle