What To Bring

A. Camping Gear:

• sleeping bag—good to 0°C/32°F or below
• sleeping pad—therm-a-rest or light air mattresses are best

Sleeping bags and Deluxe pads can be rented for $130/person + GST or pads only for $50 + GST. Couples, try the Dream Island sleep system for $260 per couple + GST. The Couples Double Wide Sleep system is the Big Agnes Dream Island Double Wide Sleeping bag paired with two Deluxe Pads.

B. Personal Clothing:

• t-shirts—three
• underwear/briefs
• long-sleeved shirt—wool or synthetic
• sweater—polypro, fleece or wool
• warm jacket or vest—(i.e. puffy jacket, ski jacket, etc.) An extra-thick fleece sweater and windbreaker could substitute.
• windshell—should be big enough to go over a sweaters
• rain jacket (hooded) and pants. Heavy duty Helly Hansen rain gear is provided for all raft guests, you will want to pack a lighter set of Gore-tex or other high quality for in camp and hiking.
• shorts—we suggest nylon, quick-dry variety
• long pants—quick-dry and loose fitting synthetic pants are best. Tights/leggings are ok but should not be your only option
• one extra pair of warm fleece or wool pants
• long underwear (not optional)—tops and bottoms—polypro or merino wool is best (avoid cotton).
• socks—several pair of wool are best
• hat—that can be tied on and with a brim that will protect you from sun & rain
• toque (wool hat)
• neck tube, buff
• swim wear
• Bug shirt and head net— a must for tundra trips, suggested as insurance for all other trips

C. Other:

• running shoes, sport sandals, or equivalent (for camp wear)
• hiking boots—lightweight
• rubber boots with insoles in the bottom—for wearing in raft (see Comments on Gear—Footwear) (Not necessary on Nahanni or Wind river Canoe expeditions) or around camp on wet days
• paddling shoes with soles to be paired with neoprene socks —for two-person canoe expeditions (see Comments on Gear—Footwear)
• glasses, contacts (spares), sunglasses—string or strap to tie on
• personal toiletry items—soap, towel, shaving gear, tooth brush, skin cream (to avoid severe drying of hands), etc.
• consider a “camp towel”—synthetic model. Some bring baby wipes for hygiene (Note: We do provide an excellent hand washing system in camp.)
• sunscreen lotion
• day pack capable of holding rain gear, lunch, camera, etc. on hikes
• personal medications (bring in “carry-on”—also consider two sets and giving one to the trip leader for safe keeping)
• insect repellent and bug jacket. We strongly suggest that you bring a bug jacket—they’re light weight and pack easily. We do sell “The Original Bug Shirt.” Call us for details.
• heavy duty trash bags as insurance to keep your things dry in the waterproof bags
• water bottle for day hikes. Must be 1 litre or more
• rubber dish gloves for cold water protection if necessary with thin fleece gloves underneath
• minor first aid items—bandaids, pain relievers, etc. (We carry large expedition first aid kits.)
• small musical instrument if you wish
• passport and visa (trip dependant, it is your responsibility to determine if a Visa is required—Visa is not required for Canadian and US citizens)
• insurance details—insurers name, policy & phone numbers for medical evacuation & trip cancelation insurance
• Ziplock bags for packing clothing

D. Optional

• camera—spare battery, extra memory card, USB phone charger if using your phone as a camera. We recommend a waterproof box to protect it.
• fishing rod and equipment (collapsible please). Check out more at About Fishing!
• reading and/or writing materials (we bring a “library” with some field guides and trip-specific literature)
• binoculars—a must for wildlife watching
• flashlight—more so on August trips
• gloves or mitts—for cold days (A must on the Tat/Alsek or any of our tundra trips! May be used for warmth, or sun/bug protection)
• favourite alcoholic beverage in a shatterproof container (i.e. Nalgene bottle)
• helmet (mandatory for canoe trips. You can use ours)
• trekking poles—collapsible walking stick(s) (These are excellent for your knees & balance while hiking. Use them like ski poles.) You can now rent them from us.
• small collapsible wash bucket, handy for a sponge bath or doing laundry
• small musical instrument
• Hot Paws – for hands and feet
• 1 or 2 carabiners for securing your daypack and water bottle to the raft
• Knife
• matches and/or lighter (in a waterproof container)
• light cord for clothes line

E. Canoe Trips Only

• 2 or 3 locking carabiners
• paddle—only if you prefer to use your own.
• PFD—only if you prefer to use your own.

F. Specific Trips

• wet suit —mandatory for all Nahanni canoe journeys as well as the Wind and Snake. We provide wet suits free of charge on all canoe journeys where they are required. On the Alsek River we include dry suits for all guests and at our discretion on the Tatshenshini. Dry suits are available for rent for guests on the Broken Skull, Moose Ponds and Coppermine trips.

 We Provide

• tent bag—communal bags for transporting tents on the raft. Each bag holds three tents (raft trips only). Canoe guests are provided with a smaller dry bag for their tent.
• tent—Mountain Hardwear Trango 3, self-supporting dome tent. Comfortable for two people with some remaining floor space for gear. If you wish to bring your own tent, please contact us so we can approve the model and design.
• river bag—115 litre, 30 gal—this is for your clothing and camp gear. When closed properly it provides waterproof protection. We’ve never encountered anyone who couldn’t fit everything they needed in this bag!
• day bag—20 litre, 5 gal– a smaller bag for items you’ll want to have easy access to during the day. Waterproof when closed properly. (Note: This is not the same as the “day pack” listed above in section ‘C.OTHER’ which you must bring for hiking)
• boot bag—communal bag for carrying hiking boots during the day (raft trips only)
• cooking, eating utensils, table ware, mug
• rain jacket and pants (raft trips only)
• collapsible hiking poles— to be shared amongst the group. If you rely on two poles for hiking please pack yours from home.

Items for Rent*

• rubber boots $40
• Pelican water proof camera case $40
• sleeping bag/sleeping pad combination $130. Couples, try the Big Agnes Dream Island sleep system for $260 per couple + gst
• luxury sleeping pad only $50

(Fees are per person, per item, per trip in CAD) *To ensure we can supply your rental needs, please place your order by March 1st or as soon as possible