least volume. But if you bring down, be anal about keeping it dry. And bring a toque, eh! Don't bother with rain gear—a tarp is much
more versatile. Keep your river gear on if it's raining. Wear sturdy river shoes that you are comfortable making basic rock-climbing moves in. If you lose your boat or gear, you may be hiking out a long way. As a treat, bring some comfortable camp shoes or sandals to give your feet a break.
Drybags Make sure the drybags you intend to use fit in your boat, and fit all of your gear before you head off to the river. Do a dry run of your pack- ing strategy at home. Tapered drybags are great for taking full advantage of the potential packing space in your kayak. A cheap alternative to dry- bags are plastic Ziploc bags, but double them up and only include items that you can afford to get slightly wet.
For cameras or video gear, Pelican cases
are great, but may be difficult to pack. You may be able to cut them into the foam of a rear pillar. Many paddlers keep cameras in cases or bags between their legs for quick, easy access. Make sure you can still get in and out of your boat.
Packing Your Boat It's always easier to pack the stern, so the challenge is to get enough weight forward to balance the trim of your kayak. To get gear for- ward of the bulkhead, it's easier to pack in mul- tiple small bags, rather than one larger drybag. I double-Ziploc food items and slide them past my bulkhead individually. To ensure that these smaller items can't slide out, I glue a thin foam barricade to the bulkhead.
If you have long legs, you might have to
remove all the foam from the bulkhead to create more packing space. In any event, work out some system to pack your heaviest items up front, within the pillar or bulkhead, or right behind your seat. Adjust your packing strategy as you go through food supplies to keep your boat balanced.
Expedition kayaking is all about explor-
ing and finding magical places that would be impossible to access without paddling. It's our big reward for a few hard knocks and a lot of persistence in becoming compe- tent whitewater boaters. These special places are ours alone, reserved for paddlers only.
Cozy cocoons of paddler larvae. Dean River, BC. Steve Whittall
virtual scouting continued
cliff—indicating a waterfall if the river flows over it, or maybe a canyon that commits you to the river with no exit. There are even map symbols for escarpments and overhangs. Overhangs can mean undercuts at certain flows.
Gradient helps define the nature of a river by deter- mining the amount of descent of a river or rapid over a certain distance. You’re steep creeking if you’re running anything dropping over 100 fpm. The Clearwater River in central British Columbia for example, flows at 45 fpm. To
1 metre/kilometre = 5.3 feet/mile
calculate gradient of a run or section or river, determine the change in elevation by counting the number of con- tours that cross the river and multiplying them by the contour interval, then divide the elevation change by the distance. When scouting a new river, a good exercise is to determine the gradient of rivers or rapids that you have already paddled, in order to establish a basis for compar- ison.
Multi-days increase consequences. South Fork of the Kaweah River, CA. Steve Whittall
Fireside comaraderie...one-pot meals. David Norell
Rediscovering classic canoe routes. Nadine Cooper on the Petawawa River. Rapid Stock Images
River Flow Once you know the gradient, river flow is the most important piece of the puzzle. Flow is the amount of water that moves through a river in a given period of time. Flow is usually measured in cubic metres per second (cms) or cubic feet per second (cfs). Learn the flow of familiar rivers for a benchmark. River data can be obtained from several sources including government water gauging stations and power generation companies. A search of the web will produce online data or at least a number that you can call. Local knowledge can also be handy; a call to a local trapper association or fishing outfitter can provide a rough, usu- ally qualitative, idea of river flow. Historical water levels provide an indicator of seasonal trends and can help you avoid showing up just in time for flood. Access—can you get in? The only way to a hid- den gem might be a plane ride, but first eliminate your cheaper options. Most roads, trails and cut-lines will show up on topographic maps. Be sure to check the date on the map. Some maps can be upwards of 30 years old and may mark roads that are long overgrown or fail to show more recent access points. Other sources of infor- mation may be backcountry roadmaps, snowmobile trail guides and provincial natural resources/forestry maps, available for many areas of Canada. Look upstream for paddle-in lake access or perhaps hitch a train into the headwaters. You may only get partway there and have to resort to hiking. Think about solid footwear and develop a system for transporting your boat and your days’ worth of gear.
Commitment–can you get out? Carrying limited gear and equipment on unfamiliar rivers is reason to know your escape routes. Consider the length of the run, methods of communica- tion, rescue capability and your own ability to get off the river. Your level of commitment should be directly related to your skill level and to the equipment you are bringing with you. Be conser- vative when evaluating your skills, don’t let your excitement about trip planning commit you to something that’s over your head. Your ability to foresee problems is essential.
2003 Spring 35
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