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I just finished a 3-day (2-night) solo canoe trip on Michigan's Pere Marquette River. All in all, I had a great time. I only ran into one boater. At both campsites, I was the only occupant. Here's a re-cap of things I did right and things I wish I would have done differently.
Sustain:
+ I put all my perishables in a soft cooler then jammed that into a second hard cooler. Three days later, despite high temps and sun shine, I still had some ice left. No need for an expensive Yeti cooler when dirt-cheap alternatives are available.
+ I planned my trip in the middle of the week and went forward despite a prediction of 30% T-storms. This discouraged many others.
+ By quietly canoeing by myself, I was able to sneak up on lots of cool wildlife: eagles, muskrats, hawks, brown trout, deer, etc...
+ No freeze dried camping food. Everything was "home made": bacon, pork steaks, potatoes, onions, cabbage. It wasn't exactly "heart-healthy", but it sure was good. I only ate 2 meals a day. Both were cooked over a fire.
+ I packed all my gear like I was going to tip over. Everything was in plastic bags and tied to the canoe. I haven't tipped a canoe in many years, but as soon as I don't secure my gear, it's all gonna be swept away.
Improve:
- I'm not getting any younger and did way more mileage than I should have. Both times I arrived at my campsite, set up the tent and set out my air mattress, I laid down and was out cold. Next time, I need to dial it back some. Less time on the water. More time at camp.
- After sitting (and standing) in a canoe all day, a chair with a back rest would have been a game-changer. Next time I'm bringing a camp chair with a back rest.
Sustain:
+ I put all my perishables in a soft cooler then jammed that into a second hard cooler. Three days later, despite high temps and sun shine, I still had some ice left. No need for an expensive Yeti cooler when dirt-cheap alternatives are available.
+ I planned my trip in the middle of the week and went forward despite a prediction of 30% T-storms. This discouraged many others.
+ By quietly canoeing by myself, I was able to sneak up on lots of cool wildlife: eagles, muskrats, hawks, brown trout, deer, etc...
+ No freeze dried camping food. Everything was "home made": bacon, pork steaks, potatoes, onions, cabbage. It wasn't exactly "heart-healthy", but it sure was good. I only ate 2 meals a day. Both were cooked over a fire.
+ I packed all my gear like I was going to tip over. Everything was in plastic bags and tied to the canoe. I haven't tipped a canoe in many years, but as soon as I don't secure my gear, it's all gonna be swept away.
Improve:
- I'm not getting any younger and did way more mileage than I should have. Both times I arrived at my campsite, set up the tent and set out my air mattress, I laid down and was out cold. Next time, I need to dial it back some. Less time on the water. More time at camp.
- After sitting (and standing) in a canoe all day, a chair with a back rest would have been a game-changer. Next time I'm bringing a camp chair with a back rest.