Algonquin Park Trip Planning

I will probably take a 4 day weekend sometime coming up and make it up to Algonquin Park. Spring and I are going to take a nice vacation first - probably staying in Southern Ontario somewhere. More details on that coming up.

My lightweight camping list is below. I think the only question mark is the camping chair. But since I'll be doing a small portage, it isn't like I am carrying a huge amount with me. Anyway, here I go - feel free to comment on my list:

Kitchen Equipment
  • Cooking pot - small pot with lid
  • Kettle - to aid with boiling water for tea
  • Nalgene bottle - 1 small, 2 large
  • Mug - my stainless steel camping mug
  • Stainless steel bowl
  • Wooden spoon
Food
  • Instant Mashed Potatoes - for a quick meal
  • Powdered milk - for oatmeal and for the bannock
  • Lemonaid Crystals - to freshen up the water
  • Margarine - in a small tub
  • Freeze-dried meal
  • Pasta side-dishes - quick and easy to prepare
  • Flour - for bannock and thickening stews
  • Salt, Pepper and Tabasco sauce - for flavour
  • Tea bags, instant coffee - coffee in the morning, tea throughout the day
  • Sugar - for bannock, for tea and coffee etc...
  • Chocolate bars - a Mars bar or two
  • Raisins - for the bannock
  • Slab bacon - for fat, and flavour in meals
  • Rice and dried lentils - for main meals, add in the bacon for flavour
  • Curry paste - add this to milk powder and make a thick sauce for the rice and lentils
  • Tinned corned beef - to add to curry
  • Instant oatmeal - as a quick breakfast, after the bannock is done
  • Tortillas - to mop up the pasta and curried rice dishes
  • Gin - for purely medicinal reasons - in case treatment is needed for Antifreeze poisoning, the ethanol is preferentially metabolized over those of the ethylene glycol metabolites, preventing blindness, respiratory collapse and coma, leading to death. Hence the gin is very important to bring along. Safety first, folks.
  • Kibble for Monty
Clothes/Quarters
  • Mattress - self-inflating Thermalite for insulation and comfort
  • Wool blanket - rolled and tied to the outside of my bag
  • Mattress repair kit - in case of the rare event that my Thermalite gets speared by a stick or a thorn
  • Sleeping Bag - a light one
  • Emergency Bivvy Bag - for use at night and even for sitting around in the evening
  • Tarp - 8 foot square tarp
  • Pole - to reduce weight I might just leave my collapsible fibreglass pole that I modified from an old tent pole, and use a piece of wood instead. We'll see.
  • Tarp footprint - i.e. another tarp, perhaps a cheapy blue reinforced nylon tarp cut to the right specifications... it is important that a tarp footprint never extends beyond the outer walls, or it will invite water to flow on in...
  • Pillow case - into which I stuff clothes or leaves to make my pillow.
  • Wool pants and felt hat - I can also use the wool blanket as a Match Coat in case it gets cold. We went camping in August a few years ago and I spent the night shivering...
  • Socks, Underwear - washed with Camping Suds to keep them warm and clean
  • T-Shirt, Shirt, wool sweater - warmth.
  • Rain jacket - so I can wander about and not be confined to the tarp if it begins to rain.
Toiletries/Kit Bag
  • Aspirin/Anti-inflammatory
  • Band-Aids
  • Toilet paper
  • Tooth-brush and paste
  • Alka-Seltzer and Imodium
  • Camping Suds
  • Insect repellent spray - DEET
Gear
  • Book, notepad and pen - for readin' & writin'
  • Compass, woman's makeup glass-mirror case & map in plastic - navigation and signaling
  • Flint & Steel & tinder kit - with ferrocerium backup for safety
  • Small telescopic mini-fishing rod, Tackle & License - to catch dinners
  • Garbage Bags - to store wet/dirty clothes & store garbage etc...
  • Gransfors-Bruks Small Forest Axe - firewood gathering
  • Folding Bucksaw
  • Frosts #164 Hook Knife - this blade is one-sided, and tapers to a point, so it is easier to use with bare hands
  • 3 Mora carbon steel knives - 1 primary + 2 for backup
  • Diamond sharpener - for knife and for axe
  • Headlamp and AAA batteries - to read at night & for evening strolls
  • Mini Radio - to pick up CBC if possible - nice entertainment & relaxing
  • Lantern & mantle (filled with naphtha fuel)
  • Paracord & string
  • Stove & full Fuel Bottle (and 2nd filled fuel bottle for reserve)
  • Folding legless chair - to sit and read in comfort, tied to back of knapsack (very lightweight)
  • Camera & 2 batteries
  • Mosquito netting - to keep the inside of the tarp insect-free
This would mostly be stored in or on my knapsack, using dry-sacs for the items that need to remain dry. I haven't weighed this, but I expect it would be a very light load.

Cheers,

Mungo


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