water containers

[vivian]

I've got a question for all the experts that use open boats and canoes. Have you ever had rats chew through those blue hard sided water carriers?

This is my second year using these in my canoe on the outside islands. Last season the rats were on most of the gulf islands. So far the racoons have not done any damage to them.

[Keith W]

I paddle a Mohawk Odyssey 15 solo. The cooler goes in the rear behind the thwart, and PFD, bailer, anchor, and food container go right behind the seat. Water jugs, cooking gear, canoe bucket, and camping gear go in the front under the deck. Camera slides under the seat in a Pelican box. The whole thing trims out pretty well with a full load.

Here is the cooler with the hasp open on my 40 qt Coleman cooler. You can see by the rust how long I've been doing this. The hasp has never worked loose in almost 8 years on the same cooler. If you try this make sure the screws that come with the hasp are shorter than the cooler is thick on the sides, otherwise you'll punch through the interior of the cooler. I drilled very small pilot holes, just enough to allow the screws to get a bite into the plastic:

Here it is with the hasp closed and secured with a caribiner. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the racoons try and get into this during the night, and they have always failed:

The 40 qt cooler is big enough to hold two 2.5 gallon frozen water jugs with about 8 inches of space between them. That's 5 gallons of ice that makes a great portable fridge. The cooler comes just a hair above the gunnels and the rear deck snaps down snug over the top.



Oh, and here is what the cooler was sitting on while I took the photos:

[vivian]

Gorgeous wood strip! Is it a tandem?

Well now I know what the hasp installation looks like. I'll do the same thing to my cooler. Unfortunately, my canoe is very shallow and a 40qt comes up too high. I've already installed the snap deck to coincide with the cooler I take on trips. Here is how my stern is packed with cooler and 4 gallon water container. I am not happy with that configuration.

Bow loading:

Please feel free to critique and give me some advice on better canoe packing. There are very few people that I can ask who use solo canoes on long trips in the Everglades. I do appreciate your help.

[Keith W]

The cedar stripper is an 18' tandem that I've been working on for more years than I care to admit to in public. Still needs to be glassed, a task that will thankfully be completed this winter.

I picked my Mohawk for the capacity and high gunnels - and it was cheap. Not the fastest or easiest boat to handle but it can carry a ton of gear and still ride high and dry. With water, food and gear for 10 days onboard I still have 9" of freeboard left.

The way you pack depends entirely on what you bring. I minimize clothing and I launder as I travel. During warmer weather the sleeping bag is replaced by a Kelty hostel sheet which packs very small. This winter I'm getting an Adventure Medical Thermo-lite Bivvy which should handle cooler nights, and just about replace the sleeping bag when used with the Kelty sheets. I'm also starting to minimize cooking gear, and I want to leave my Coleman Peak Expert stove and fuel bottles home and start carrying my Trangia alcohol stove and kit instead. Your friend Michelina (sp?) put that bug in my ear at Willy Willy a couple of seasons ago. After years of lugging around everything but the kitchen sink I'm starting to realize smaller and simpler really is better. The last thing to go will be the cooler and my stock of fresh veggies and eggs and sausage and shrimp and cheese and tuna steaks - I really do love my food! I don't often fish but that may change if I want to continue to eat fresh.

[vivian]

I too carry the hostel sheet which is cotton/poly mix and the Heat sheet similar to the thermo lite. I've had mine for 5 years and it's still in good shape. Very light and feels good against the skin. It is also very easy to fold back up.

http://www.altrec.com/adventure-medical/heatsheet-survival-one-pers...

However, being cold and miserable is where I draw the line. The hostel sheet is excellent on warm nights with the sleeping bag used as a blanket on cool nights. The heat sheet is when it's REALLY cold and I need to get in my sleeping bag AND throw that sheet over it all.

Trangia: I love mine, it's simple and has no moving parts to break or clog with sand. Cheap fuel at 1 quart for two people cooking 2 meals for a 9 day trip.

The cooler is a luxury. I never brought one when I used my touring kayaks. Now that I use a canoe it's made me bring more stuff than I ever did. And now you tell me your paring down, LOL! So maybe get rid of the cooler and just get back to basics.

[Kim Gass]

I carry a 7 gal and a 4 gal hard sided blue water container in a canoe and have had no problems. I dont bring a cooler. New Turkey Key last year was overrun with rats. I had to swat them out of my blue barrel while I was trying to find dinner. And they ran all over my tent like spooks in the night.

I have a Thermolite liner but sometimes want a little more. It does make my down bag feel less clammy. While the bag does not get wet I dont like clammy nylon.

[Megan Digeon]

Last year we had some issues with the crows pecking through our water jugs.  We were using the large water containers you buy from the grocery store as well as the water bags.  I don't think either are as hard as those containers though.  We did find if you simply cover your water containers with a tarp or something they won't even try to get in.

[0ghzx4ar16eim]

In the past, I've used the 2.5 gallon Coleman type and the MSR drom bags. Obviously the drom bags are nicer but they are spendy. 

To keep the critters out, At night, I put my food and water in the rear locking hatch of my kayak then flip it over in the sand. That has worked on Pavilion and other crittery places.