Issue #47 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

Page 20

The essentials Many organizations and guides agree on equipment that all backcountry trekkers should have. You may not need everything on this list, but taken together it can save you if things go wrong. This is the list from Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (eighth edition): • Navigation (maps and compass/GPS/altimeter) • Sun protection (sunscreen/ protective clothing/ sunglasses) • Insulation (appropriate clothing plus extra) • Illumination (headlamp/ flashlight and power source) • First aid kit • Fire (waterproof matches/ starters) • Repair supplies and tools (knife, multitool, duct tape, trowel) • Nutrition (enough food for one day longer than you plan to be away) • Hydration (water treatment) • Emergency shelter

20 | OTTAWAOUTDOORS

Get set for that first backcountry adventure BY JENNA THOMPSON

T

here’s a next-step question in the minds of many campground campers: how about the peace and freedom of backcountry camping? That step into the wilderness can seem intimidating, but it’s less scary if you break it into little steps with some easy-to-handle ideas. Start with the car-camping you know, but practise backcountry skills along the way. Skip the infrastructure amenities of the campground (drinking water on tap, showers, electricity) and put the car off limits for storage. Take the familiarity a step further on a short one- or two-night trip with a doable hike on the way in, accompanied by a backcountry-savvy friend if you can. Short treks give a sense of what it’s like being away from the vehicle and other amenities, but leave you with the security of knowing they are close by if you need them.

Frontenac Provincial Park north of Sydenham has campsites as little as 20 minutes hiking away from the parking area and plenty more around two hours away. Charleston Lake Provincial Park, near Lyndhurst also has hikes from 10 minutes to

a few hours to your site. Packing everything in on these shorter trips shines a light on gear that’s inadequate, unnecessary or missing. After a couple of such outings, you’ll be ready to try longer, more remote trips.

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

In like a lion, but lamb tastes like a delicacy

4min
pages 53-56

Ideas for a relaxing backyard

4min
pages 51-52

Hike from Ottawa to Kingston with the Rideau Trail Association

2min
page 45

Quebec’s Dumoine River watershed faces the future

6min
pages 46-47

Support MitoCanada

2min
page 44

Budapest Beckons

3min
pages 42-43

Cast off, set sail, take the helm and climb aloft

4min
pages 40-41

Bug-free camping and other helpful tips

2min
page 37

Hollywood survival myths can kill

3min
pages 38-39

Making molehills out of mountains

3min
pages 35-36

Ottawa Outdoors Music Festivals

1min
page 31

Outdoor Summer Adventure Clubs

0
page 32

Cool Gear Hot Clothing

2min
page 30

Get set for that first backcountry adventure

2min
pages 20-21

Two bike roads for all ambitions

3min
pages 28-29

Survival Quiz

4min
pages 26-27

Climbing into a colour spectacular

3min
pages 18-19

Finding your inner dragon

3min
pages 24-25

Seven reasons to visit Dows Lake Pavilion

2min
page 17

Choosing the right stove

3min
page 13

Old rhymes – fact or fancy?

4min
page 16

How to portage like a pro

6min
pages 11-12

Tie the perfect boot knot

4min
pages 7-8

A definitive new book on beavers

4min
pages 14-15

Human and natural history on Wolf and King Mountain trails

6min
pages 5-6

Publisher’s Letter

3min
page 4

Arnprior's Macnamara trail

4min
pages 9-10
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.