Mississippi Canoe Trip
(Page 3 of 8)
July/August 1970
By CINDY COOPER
An extra paddle is often recommended and we started out with one. It was quickly lost. Many canoers use gloves. We also started with some and, of course they were quickly lost. An ample amount of callouses soon developed on our hands to protect whatever was left underneath.
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We brought two foam cushion "life jackets" which served mainly to prevent blisters on our bottoms. The important thing to remember with an aluminum canoe is that it has air pockets and will float under any condition. If you tip one you should automatically try to grab the canoe as you go over. You can practice maneuvers if you feel shaky about this, but life jackets, per se, are pretty useless despite what the red cross manuals say.
Our tent was a 5' by 8' outside frame. It was adequate for our uses and cost about $25. The shelter was fairly light and had a floor. This is a valuable asset when the best camping place for miles is on a hill, slope or mountain, leaving one susceptible to rain water. The floor will also keep out snakes, rats and other pests.
Our tent was sturdy but - once while camped on a sandy island - a Mississippi River rain and sand storm broke all the poles. During that storm we tried to make repairs but the fierce wind and blinding sand made it impossible. We have to wait - with the mass of smelly, soaked and sandy cloth that once was a tent cozily pressed against us - until the storm passed. After we dug ourselves out in the morning, we were able to patch up the shelter.
Our sleeping bag (which was really two identical bags zipped together) was large and well-insulated . . . for which we were thankful on many cold nights. The bag was made of cotton with flannel lining and we quickly learned to keep it covered and off the floor of the canoe while paddling. Otherwise, at night, the splashed water and rain of the day make it as snug as a WWII movie's trenches.
Although we foolishly packed too many clothes, you should be equally as careful not to take too few. At least one change of clothing should be kept in a (hopefully) dry area. Otherwise, after a heavy rain storm, you may find yourself very cold and miserable . . . rain ponchos do not always do their job.
We also encountered vast weather changes, and I suspect this would be the case during every season of the year. One day we would be hot in bathing suits while the next, fierce cold and wind would have us bundled in two or three layers of clothes.
Hats are very desirable for heavy sun and pounding rain. We went through five sets that blew away or were left behind.
One piece of equipment that we found particularly useful was a heavy repellent treated canvas tarpaulin. This can be used very effectively during the day to cover gear in the canoe and at night as additional buffering under the tent or over supplies left in the open.
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