The new adventures of the Prairie Paddlers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/08/2017 (3289 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It seems like only yesterday that nine 20-something gals from the flatlands of Manitoba journeyed into the rugged and remote Canadian Shield in Northwestern Ontario.

We travelled in three canoes, from one full moon to another, overcoming whatever obstacles came between us and our destination. We called ourselves the Prairie Paddlers, a name that was resurrected this summer when six of the now 40-something women reunited for a 20th anniversary adventure.

The seed was planted early in the New Year when it dawned on us two decades had passed since our big trip. It was time to get back out there, and commit to another backwoods excursion. Except this one would be less difficult, more casual, and closer in tune with our modern day lives.

Last time we travelled over 500 kilometres in 31 days, with a pre-set drop-off and pick-up. We carried only the bare minimum, arranging for a food-drop at the halfway mark. It was quite the logistical marvel. This time, the trip would be five days, and maybe we’d do 20 kilometres or so. Some of the ladies hadn’t been in canoes for a long time, so we chose a looped route with different options. This would give us the choice to adjust the distance as we went, allowing us to play things by ear. And body.

There were other noticeable changes in this more laid-back approach. On a lengthy canoe trip, you have to be discerning about what to take. Everything you take, you carry — across waterways, through rapids, and over portages. Food and essentials become the priority, leaving little room for little else.

On a short canoe trip, though, you can be more generous with what you bring. We included culinary indulgences like hummus, smoked oysters, two kinds of olives, varieties of crackers, a giant hunk of summer sausage, and the entire cheese store. A pack designated solely for “beverages” even made its way into our trio of canoes. Even though it ended up being one of the heaviest, no one ever complained about carrying it. It was also the one we’d be most likely to grab first in case of disaster.
Another new addition was the over-40-comfort-pack, and is a must on every canoe trip from now on. It carries an assortment of camping chairs and sleeping supplies. Last time, we all made due with tiny little mattresses less than two centimetres thick. It didn’t matter much back then, but since things now ache after lying down on the ground for extended periods of time, it matters these days.

The hot new trend among Prairie Paddlers in 2017 is finding the best mattress possible that compresses to the smallest size. The good news is that today’s outdoor sleeping products are impressive. Therm-a-Rest makes the incredibly compact NeoAir all season SV, which at only .68 kg is likely light enough for hiking trips. Its 6.3 cm of thickness and high R-Value make it pretty comfortable, too.

Sea to Summit’s comfort plus insulated mat has an interesting dual layer construction that distributes body weight over individual cells. Its airstream pump sack allows you to fill it up with just a few breaths, and it too, turned out to be cozy. Throw that in the over-40-comfort-pack along with tiny compressed pillows, mosquito nets, and sleeping bags, and the anniversary camping trip is on.

More to come: My next Travelations will share more about the Prairie Paddlers’ special anniversary trip, where we went, how we got there, and what we did along the way…

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller and music lover who seeks inspiration wherever she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca