River canoing is a sport for all; from gentle downstream peddling in slow flowing rivers ,weekend excursions with overnight camping along the riverside to the experience of the adrenaline rush when descending roaring rapids and drops from overhanging rock ledges.
Although some rivers might seem at first glance easy to conquer,a due diligence is to be taken as factors such as rainfall,weather, or up and incoming tides, can make a huge difference in the rivers water level,speed of current and behavior.
There for i would like to advice people to let always some one know where they depart from and going to with the estimated time of arrival.Far to many people found themselves in hazardous situations,simply by ignoring this simple rule.(You get very wet when you peddling and probably your mobile phone too)
For longer excursions you will also need a detailed map of the river,which indicates the flow rate,cascades,hazardous rocks etc.
The choice of gear is also important,remember:you will get very wet:think swimming! The minimum requirement should be a personal flotation device, swimming trunks and a towel plus shorts and a shirt and an extra pair of warm trousers ,sweater,hiking shoes and a towel in a dry bag which can be stored in or on the canoe.If you have thermals, bring them,try not to bring cotton or jeans to wear on the river as you will get cold. A must is comfortable footwear that can get wet ,ideally flexible thermal rubber boots that are almost like a sock but with a protective sole.
Canoing is a very demanding exercise,so bars of chocolate and loads of drinkable water should also be included in the “on the water snack-pack”.Further more you will need a basic first aid kit,a tent,portable stove,matches,sleeping bag,torch,compass and map,canned or dried food,a few lengths of rope,sunscreen,insect repellent(i hate those mosquito’s on the water)all to be kept in a waterproof bag which can be stored in the hatches or bulk heads of your canoe.The advantage of this is that when you capsize,these bags will prevent the canoe to fill up with water and trough experience i know its quiet tricky to lift your canoe when its half filled with water!You also should pack a few flares and a whistle,sponge and a pump for the buoyancy bags(inflatable bags stored in the bulkheads).If your boat is a fiber glass one,some instant fiber glass kit could come in very handy.(these kits consists of a 40cmx40cm self adhesive sheet and once applied hardens in about 5 minutes and can also be used temporarily for plastic or wooden boats)
To prevent the loss of the paddle i always attach a rope to it with a little buoy,just in case you flip over in a stream and you let go the paddle.With this you always retrieve your paddle and it saves you paddling with the hands….
So know you’ve been on the water for the best part of the day and decide to set up camp for the night..But where?One thing you don’t want is to wake up in the middle of the night with your tent floating on the water!It is very much possible that, during your nice sunny day,somewhere 120 km further upstream there was some rainfall,add to this the mountainous area or urban developments and your sweet river turns in to a monster that swells by the minute.So if you camped like 3 meter beside the water line,you have a problem.To find the highest water line ,just look around you and try to find some debris,weeds or tree trunks hanging in the overgrowth along the river.This indicates how high the water can raise,so you want to camp higher than that.
Now you know what you need,go out there,find your self a nice river and go canoing.
Enjoy!
