Every piece of gear you bring goes over every portage. That's the fundamental equation of Ontario canoe tripping, and it should guide every packing decision. A 2 kg luxury item that seemed essential at home feels very different after the third 800-metre carry of the day. This list is built from real Ontario canoe trips -- summer three-season conditions, Canadian Shield terrain, the specific demands of paddling and portaging in this province.
Paddling Gear
- Canoe: A 16-foot Royalex or T-Formex tandem canoe (like the Nova Craft Prospector 16 or Esquif Prospecteur) is the standard for Ontario tripping. Kevlar is lighter on portages but dents on Shield rock. Aluminum is bombproof but heavy and loud. For solo tripping, a 15-foot solo canoe or a tandem paddled from the centre works.
- Paddles: One paddle per person plus one spare per canoe. A bent-shaft paddle (like a Bending Branches Java) is efficient on flat water. A straight paddle (like a Grey Owl Voyageur) is better for manoeuvring and river work. Bringing one of each per person is ideal. Carbon fibre paddles are light but expensive; laminated wood is heavier but nearly indestructible.
- PFDs: One properly fitted PFD per person. Not stowed under the thwart -- worn. MEC, NRS, and Astral all make comfortable paddling PFDs with enough pocket space for a whistle, snack, and sunscreen. Make sure it doesn't ride up when you sit in the canoe.
- Throw rope: 15 metres minimum. Required safety equipment and genuinely useful for lining canoes through shallow rapids and hanging food.
- Bailer and sponge: A cut bleach bottle works as a bailer. A sponge gets the last few inches of water out of the hull.
Packing System
- Canoe barrel (60L): The standard food storage container for Ontario canoe trips. Keeps food dry and (somewhat) critter-resistant, though standard barrels are not bear-proof despite what some people claim. A barrel with a harness system (like the CCS barrel harness) makes portaging manageable. One 60L barrel feeds two people for 4-5 days.
- Canoe pack (90-120L): Shorter and wider than a backpack, designed to fit inside a canoe and carry over portages. The Ostrom Wabakimi and the CCS #3 are the Ontario standards. Internal frame packs work too but don't fit as cleanly in the boat.
- Dry bags: Everything inside your pack goes in dry bags. A 30L dry bag for your sleeping bag, a 20L for clothes, a 10L for electronics and valuables. Cheap dry bags from MEC work fine. Don't cheap out on the closure -- roll it three times and clip it.
Shelter
- Tent: A freestanding three-season tent. This matters on the Shield -- you can't stake into granite. The MSR Hubba Hubba and Big Agnes Copper Spur are popular choices. A two-person tent weighs 1.5-2 kg; a three-person tent gives you room for gear inside on rainy days. Practice setup at home before the trip.
- Tarp (10x10 feet): A tarp over your cooking and hangout area is the single most important comfort item on a rainy trip. Bring 15 metres of paracord for the ridgeline and know at least two tarp configurations. A tarp turns a miserable rain day into a manageable one.
- Ground sheet: Protects the tent floor from Shield rock abrasion. A cut piece of Tyvek is lighter and cheaper than a branded footprint.
Sleep System
- Sleeping bag: For summer (June-August), a bag rated to 5C is sufficient. For shoulder season (May, September-October), bring a bag rated to -5C or colder. Down is lighter and packs smaller but loses insulation when wet; synthetic is heavier but performs when damp. If you go down, keep it in a dry bag religiously.
- Sleeping pad: An inflatable pad with R-value 3.0 or higher. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite is the standard. Closed-cell foam pads (like the Z Lite) are bombproof backups and double as sitting pads on Shield rock. On Georgian Bay granite, you want the thickest pad you can justify carrying.
- Pillow: Stuff sack filled with your next day's clothes. Don't bring a dedicated pillow unless you truly can't sleep without one.
Kitchen
- Stove: A canister stove (MSR PocketRocket or Jetboil) for speed and simplicity. Carry enough fuel canisters for the trip plus one spare. A 230g canister lasts about 7-8 days of boiling water for two people. Liquid fuel stoves (MSR WhisperLite) are more economical for longer trips and work better in cold weather.
- Pot set: A 1.5-2L pot is enough for two people. Add a frying pan if your meals require it (they don't have to). GSI makes decent lightweight camp cookware.
- Water treatment: A pump filter (like the MSR MiniWorks or Katadyn Hiker) or a gravity filter (Platypus GravityWorks) for treating lake and river water. Backup: water purification tablets (Aquatabs or Pristine). Ontario lake water generally filters well but must be treated -- giardia is present in backcountry water sources.
- Dishes and utensils: One bowl, one mug, one spork per person. Biodegradable soap. A small scrub pad. Strain dishwater and scatter it at least 30 metres from water.
Clothing
- Base layer: Merino wool or synthetic. Not cotton. Cotton kills in Ontario's backcountry -- it absorbs water, loses all insulation value, and takes forever to dry. One set of paddling clothes and one dry set for camp.
- Rain gear: A waterproof jacket and pants. You will get rained on. Budget rain gear soaks through in sustained rain; spend money here. Frogg Toggs are a budget option that works short-term. A good Gore-Tex jacket lasts years.
- Warm layer: Fleece or puffy jacket for camp. Even in July, Ontario evenings cool down quickly near water. A 100-weight fleece is the minimum; a down or synthetic puffy is better for shoulder season.
- Footwear: Neoprene booties or water sandals with heel straps for paddling and portaging. A second pair of camp shoes (lightweight hikers or running shoes) for dry feet in the evening. Portaging in flip-flops on wet rock is how people break ankles.
- Sun protection: Hat, sunglasses (polarized to see through water glare), and sunscreen. Reflection off water and Shield rock doubles your UV exposure.
- Bug protection: A bug shirt or head net is essential from May through July. Bug spray with DEET or Icaridin. Without these, a June Algonquin trip is genuinely unpleasant.
Safety and Navigation
- Map: Waterproof topographic map of your route. Jeff's Map for Algonquin, Chrismar Maps for Temagami, or NTS 1:50,000 topo maps for Crown land areas. Do not rely solely on your phone. See our navigation guide.
- Compass: A baseplate compass (like the Suunto A-10 or Silva Ranger). Know how to use it before the trip.
- Satellite messenger: A Garmin inReach Mini 2 or similar device for SOS capability and check-in messages. This is core safety gear, not a luxury. Cell coverage is absent in most Ontario backcountry.
- First aid kit: See our wilderness first aid guide for kit contents. At minimum: adhesive bandages, gauze, medical tape, ibuprofen, antihistamine, tweezers, moleskin for blisters, and any personal medications.
- Fire kit: Waterproof matches and a lighter. Firestarter (cotton balls in petroleum jelly, or commercial firestarters). See our fire building guide.
- Headlamp: Plus spare batteries. A headlamp is essential for late-night bathroom trips, early-morning packing, and any emergency situation.
- Knife: A folding knife or a small fixed blade. Useful for cutting rope, preparing food, and general camp tasks.
Bear Country Gear
- Food storage: A bear barrel is the Ontario standard but is not truly bear-proof. Bears can claw and chew through standard barrels if motivated. For serious bear country, a Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache canister is genuinely bear-proof -- heavy but effective. Alternatively, hang your barrel 3 metres off the ground and 2 metres from the trunk. See our bear awareness guide for details.
- Rope for hanging: 15 metres of paracord or light rope, plus a small stuff sack to use as a throw weight. Practice the hang at home -- finding a suitable tree and getting the rope over a branch is harder than it sounds, especially in the dark.
What to Leave Home
An axe (a folding saw is lighter and more useful). A camp chair (sit on a log or pad). Multiple changes of clothes (two sets is enough -- paddling clothes and camp clothes). Bluetooth speakers (please). Glass or metal containers (banned in Algonquin and Killarney interior). Books you won't actually read. The fear that you're forgetting something essential -- if you have shelter, water treatment, food, a map, and a PFD, you can handle the rest.