Yes, I understand. I have taken an RTIC soft cooler in solo canoes on multi-day trips for that reason. I try to be very careful keeping any actual food (as opposed to beverages) in double zip lock bags and I wash the outside of the cooler to try to get rid of food odors. The RTIC cooler material lends itself to washing the outside much better than that of the Polar Bear fabric coolers, and I believe that the zippers on the RTICS block food odors much more effectively.
Thatās some suspiciously clean looking cookware!
Similar menu for kayaking. Breakfast is usually focused on getting on the water early before the wind picks up: granola and coffee mate (I like the taste better than evap milk), instant Folgers. Lunch: Rollups: pb or Starkist sachet of tuna or chicken salad or bbq chicken. Dinner is real meat and beer the 1st night then various rice, noodle or lentil dishes with maybe canned meat or pre-cooked bacon. Snacks: trail mix and teriyaki jerky.
My lame and frequently comical attempts at hanging a bear bag have been replaced with food and garbage stored in dry bag, then sealed again in a hatch compartment.
Pack with tent tarp clothes and sleeping pad and rainwear
Food barrel with 10 days dehydrated food
No booze
Total kit 40 lbs.
Cant imagine portaging 2 k with a cooler. Donāt own one.
I always take the hard Yeti. But my two canoes are a Penobscot 174 & a Minnesota 3, so always plenty of room.
I thought about getting a new soft cooler, but havenāt pulled the trigger yet. Newer versions look like they would keep food cold longer, but the Polar Bear fits perfect. Someday maybeā¦
Stainless - easier to keep clean, but I cook more on the stove anyway. 
If portages are involved I do the same thing - one bag with tent/tarp, sleeping bag/pad and cloths and one bag with food, cooking gear and other stuff. I do bring my soft-side cooler. Its a two trip portage - trip one is boat and cloths bag, trip two is food bag, cooler and and anything else. If itās cartable itās one trip. I have been tempting fate by not getting a food barrel, but I have made out OK so far.
Unfortunately, most of my trips are short and donāt involve portages, so I can load up.
Some seriously overloaded canoes.
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Here in PA we are not supposed to transport firewood from and to other areas on wilderness trips or even bring it on car camping trips. It can spread the tree-killing pests we are fighting in our forests, like the wooly adelgid and emerald tree borer. This is true nowadays in many states and campers should make themselves aware of it:
This 28ā voyageur canoe is packed prior to our Yukon River 1000 mile race. It has a considerable amount of required and safety gear, including multiple tents for seven paddlers and all food and other supplies for up to 10 days on the river (knowing from previous experience that it will take us only six days to complete). No stopping for resupply or external support is allowed.
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Great video from a dadās perspective - you donāt see many like this. One thing you donāt mention is a tarp. Here on the east coast, one learns that it will usually rain. Nothing more miserable than being stuck in your tent during an all-day rainstorm, especially with kids. You could also cut down on space by using back packing furniture instead of car camping furniture. I agree 101% - eating well mis key to a trip and the kids love to help. My daughters are great at making blueberry pancakes and bacon in a cast iron skillet. Nice job.
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Thanks @richardp
Yes, there are a few other things I could have mentioned. For me it is as much about building relationship with my children as it is enjoying the paddling and camping. My next video is going to be on cooking. I think itās going to be pretty funny, yet give some good ideas. Thanks for the encouragement. I also have a trip planned with all 5 of my daughters, ages 6-21. That could get a little crazy.
5 daughters?! You are a very brave (and lucky) soul. I have had a many many great times with my 2 daughters.
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If you want to bring a lot of stuff, paddle a big canoe.
I like 18 feet, just right for larger humans, dogs, a cooler and furniture.
So, safety second?
I have many years of backpacking experience. Here is what I consider a well packed canoe with luxury camping gear and cooler.
MRC explorer 16 with four days supplies and camp for two in Okefenokee.
Two solo canoes camping in Okefenokee with light rain at the put in
Solo Tripper seen fully packed being paddled in the big swamp.
My other canoes are decked and fully packed for camping trips. A small soft cooler can be carried if wanted.
Solo
Tandem and camp
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Is that photo at the beginning of the video supposed to be the āHow not toā example? The chair and the table in the back should be laid down so they are sticking up so high and that tool box on top of the dry box is probably not a good idea either.
It is an example of convincing your wife to join you.
The chairs in the back give me something to lean back on and the tool box is bungied to the other box. I still have a low COG. Iām also typically on flat water. Iāve never had an issue doing it that way. Keeps things nice and tidy.
If I had a dollar for every person that I have had to rescue that had stuff piled up like that and got caught in a tree or a strainer or just turned over in a rapid because the boat was top heavy, I could afford another Prospecteur.
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It all depends on the trip. An overnight trip you can get by with a couple of dry bags and a small cooler easily. I did a trip with a couple of brothers in Virginia on the Shenandoah for a few days. I asked them how they travel, they said heavy. I had at least 200lbs of gear in my Supernova plus me so, a big load.
Their load was ridiculous. It was piled so high in their boat they couldnāt see each other. I bet they had 500lbs of gear and coolers.
I agree - it completely depends on the trip. Flatwater? Portages? How Long? Shared stoves or food? Traveling with āfoodiesā? It just all dependsā¦
But one thing always comes to my mind, especially just before departure:
Iāve never in my life taken a trip where I didnāt haul around something that I didnāt use. Thereās never been a trip where (usually while kicked back at the campfire) I couldnāt think of something useful I didnāt have along this time. Thatās why camping is called āroughing itā.
As an āasideā, When I was younger I always carried a pint or so of rum - it went nicely with instant coffee or lemonade, cold or hot. And burn ointment - I found its not so unusual for someone to get a minor burn while diddling with the campfire while its burning down. But since I stopped carrying the rum, I found I never needed the burn ointment. But it still crosses my mind around the fire that a sip of rum would be niceā¦ and I still carry the burn ointment.
I recognize that there is a certain perverse fun in the planning and dreaming about what to bring on future trips. But its also true that you can drive yourself crazy by overthinking what to bring.
Planning is never perfect. Accept it and enjoy.
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