1. Choose the Best Canoe
Choose a canoe for your needs, not because of how much the canoe costs. Choose a canoe based on how many people are going and on what type of body of water you are canoe camping. If you plan on paddling lazily or fast on straight water, then choose a long canoe. If you are using your canoe for faster white water, then choose a shorter canoe because they are more maneuverable. Other important features are the symmetry and the keel line, which affect your canoe's performance. Use the keel line--the profile curve of the canoe--to determine how the canoe maneuvers. The greater the keel line, the more maneuverable the canoe. The symmetry line--the shape of the canoe from a bird's-eye view--affects how the canoe handles paddling forwards and backwards. There are all types of canoes designed for the body of water you want to tackle.
2. Get the Right Gear
Get the basic camping gear to bring on your canoe camping trip. You need a tent, sleeping bag, cookware, cooler, stove, lantern and a dry bag. Make your tent waterproof. Get a light sleeping bag that still provides warmth in the cold. Bring a minimum amount of cookware and plan on washing all your cookware. Use a lightweight cooler that keeps items cold for days. A cook stove and lantern are essential to camping. Again, choose a lightweight model for these items. If you are camping for a long amount of time, get a dry bag to keep your clothes dry in case of the rain.
3. Safe Your Life
Get a personal flotation device (PFD) for your canoe trip. You need to wear this the whole time you are in the water. Use a type-III PFD for your canoe camping trip. These are usually called life-preserver vests, have a tight fit and have large armholes to give you maximum movement. They are designed for paddling activities.
4. Loading the Boat
Put all your items in the dry bags. Load the lightest items into the ends of the canoe first. Then fill outward towards the middle of the canoe. Put the coolers and the heaviest items in the middle of the canoe. Make sure you have a repeatable process in place to load the canoe. Make sure to balance the canoe once your camping gear is in the canoe. Use rope to tie all your camping gear into your canoe. Make sure your camping gear doesn't peek over the sides of the canoe.
5. Mark Your Spot and Map the River
Mark your route on the map. Make sure you are expert enough to handle the area on the map. Choose your camping spots along the way of your canoe camping trip.
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