Campfi re WORTH IT. PHOTO: ROBIN B. POWELL
[ EDITORIAL ] The Three-Day Revival
I’m only a little embarrassed to admit it. I get out far less than I’d like, spend far more time on three-day trips than 30-day ep- ics, and much more time frequenting the water trails within a few hundred miles of my house than I do exploring my northern dream destinations. Maybe, like me, by the end of your workweek, the prospect of
packing up and driving for hours starts to sound less appealing than doing laundry and watching snails traverse the garden (how relaxing). Whenever I’m tempted to bail, I tell myself that while I prob-
ably won’t regret staying home and running errands, I will regret missing out on a new adventure. After 10 years of playing weekend warrior far more often than
the part of paddling nomad, I’ve learned a thing or two. From one three-day adventurer to another, here’s my advice.
1) Leave on Friday. No excuses, even if it means arriving at the ac- cess point at midnight and camping. You’ll appreciate it when you wake up Saturday morning already there and your time outside will feel like it’s double the length.
2) Keep an eye on your bear spray. Don’t assume the safety lock will do its job and toss it in a pack. Best-case scenario of an accidental blast is experiencing a litany of strange, capsaicin- induced symptoms on the trip thanks to a never-going-any- where residue. And that’s best-case.
3) Make a list, check it twice. Just because you can rattle off your paddling essentials like a kid’s Christmas wish list doesn’t mean you won’t forget crucial items. You’re in a hurry—don’t
8 SUMMER/FALL 2013
leave it to chance. Forgotten utensils were one thing, forgotten cook pots another. The time I left my stuff sack of clothes in the hallway was the last straw.
4) Keep your gear together. Avoid the monumental time-waster of looking for that elusive tie-down strap by using big bins or an extra large pack to store gear all in one place.
5) Pack in advance. Don’t leave it to the final hour prior to your Friday night departure—this sets you up to fail at step number one. Better yet, avoid a jumble of sleeping bags and stuff sacks in the trunk, and pack it like you’re getting into your canoe. You’ll thank yourself when you arrive at the access point.
6) Limit your time in traffic. A four-hour drive might be doable but an hour spent in stop-and-go chaos borders on unbearable and starts your getaway on a sour note.
7) Bring freshies. Weekend trips were made for perfectly grilled steaks, fresh omelets and soft breads. A stew or burrito fill- ing prepared in advance and frozen makes mealtimes easy and keeps everything else chilled for the weekend.
8) Unpack as soon as you get home. Ignore every distraction—air the sleeping bags, dry the tarps and do the dishes before anything else. Aggravating as these chores are, taking along mildew and maggots on your next weekend adventure is a major buzz kill.
No excuses. Summer is short and winter is coming. Ignore the weeds—an overgrown lawn isn’t deadly, but boredom is. —Kaydi Pyette is the managing editor of Canoeroots.
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