Big Trip, Small Boat Outfitting yourself for the Journey
by Steve Whittall Expedition paddling is about the jour-
5 miles and uphill both ways. Marsayandi River, Nepal Dunbar Hardy
Planes... Whistler, BC Steve Whittall
Trains... Northern Ontario Tyler Curtis
ney. It is immersing yourself in an untouched, inaccessible wilderness to expe- rience some incredibly beautiful places. Once you find yourself getting fired up over topo maps, wondering what excitement lurks in a particular drainage and needing to find out, the next step is outfitting your- self for the journey. Every trip you'll come up with a few new ideas and once you have your system dialed, there will be no stop- ping the inquisitive explorer within you.
Estimating Time
If the river has been paddled before, try to find magazine articles, guidebook descriptions, firsthand knowledge and photographs of the expedition you plan to tackle. If little or no infor- mation is available, a lot can be determined from topographic maps.
and Automobiles. Tamur River, Nepal Dunbar Hardy
Calculate distances and gradients, breaking the run down by the kilometre or mile and con- tour interval to estimate the duration of the trip. As a rough guideline, estimate travel speeds at five kilometres per hour for gradients less than 100 feet per mile (fpm), two km/h for steeper sections of 100–150 fpm, and for intervals over 150 fpm, anticipate portages and add time accordingly. Be conservative. Aim to paddle four to six hours per day. This will give you time to dry camping gear by the fire in the morning, and to dry paddling gear in the afternoon. If the weather dictates, you can always pick up the pace.
Knowing how many days you'll be on the river allows you to select your kayak, sleeping system, menu and cooking system, and packing strategy.
Boat Selection
Kayak selection will depend on the difficulty of the run, river character, gradient and volume, length of trip, and climate. Most likely, you'll be paddling a creek boat to ensure that there's enough room for all of your gear. For less diffi- cult rivers, larger volume expedition boats will allow you to travel with a few more camp com- forts.
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