Ultralight and canoe gear might seem like a contradiction. What’s the point in going lightweight when you have a 40 pound canoe to carry? Still, we’ve managed to find a balance that allows us to travel fast and light on canoe expeditions. My canoeing gear list is very similar to my thru-hiking list, with a few small differences. For one, base weight matters a lot less in a canoe, so it is much easier to bring a book or some camp shoes. I also canoe with my husband, so we share a two person tent. We use this gear for multi-day trips in Algonquin Park. While we can bring heavier stuff, we do try and keep our packs ultralight. This makes portages much easier. Crossing a 5km portage in one trip is much better than having to go back and forth multiple times! Shake ‘n Bake carries the canoe on portages, so I take extra shared gear to make up for it. I normally carry the tent and most of the food as a result.

• Swift Prospector 16 ft kevlar fusion canoe
• Grey Owl Raven paddle
• Lifejacket
• Z Packs Arc Haul
• Z packs five degree bag
• Big Agnes Copper Spur (2 person)
• Z-lite (small)
• Frogg Toggs ultralight rain suit (jacket only)
• Montbell Ultralight Down anorak
• Cheap shorts
• Long sleeved shirt
• Smart wool hat
• Melanzana Hoodie
• Darn tough socks
• Fleece gloves
• Sunglasses
• Altra Lone Peaks
• Bedrock sandals (as camp shoes when my altras get wet)
• Ursack
• Jetboil / titanium pot
• Titanium spoon
• Swiss army knife
• Rag
• Steripen Ultra
• Petzl Tikka Plus
• external battery
• Smartphone
• First aid (ibuprofen, paracetamol, band aids, leuko tape, lighter, needle, floss, neosporin, band aids, and not much else)
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Deuce of spades trowel
• Various cuben fiber stuff sacks
• Way more luxuries! Including books, booze and much better food.

Check out my Solo Thru Hiking Gear page or my Winter Adventure Gear List post to see how this compares.