Open Canoe Camping
Using an open canoe for camping opens up a whole new world
of opportunities. It enables you, in a very short time, to get away from all
the busy spots and find a piece of wilderness all to yourself.
As an example, in the summer the banks of Loch Lomond are buzzing with tourists, walkers and campers. The big islands are full of people in their powerboats with large camps set, complete with all the noise. However, ten minutes paddle from easy parking will take you and your canoe to small islands, not very accessible to big boats. Islands with small secluded spots. Places where the wildlife is close and the impact of man small.
In these places you can really get away from it. Despite not having to travel for a long time or distances you are in a place well removed from the hustle and bustle. Loch Lomond is only an example. The places you can go and find are at almost every watercourse. The opposite side of the lake from the road, the piece of land between two rivers that is hard to get to on foot. These are some of the joyful spots reserved for the open canoe camper.
Even if you are not a fan of wild camping the Open Canoe
still opens up new opportunities. Many traditional campsites are positioned on
the shore or rivers or lakes. You can arrive by car and explore during your
stay using the open canoe. Or to make it more of an expedition, why not pack
your canoe and paddle to the campsite from some convenient place. It is also
relatively easy to plan a route where you paddle from one campsite to another
on an extended tour of the area.
On either of these type of camping trip the open canoe has a big advantage over traditional back packing. Space for gear. The impact of carrying more weight is far less than when paddling than when the weight is on your back. This allows you to make the camping experience far more comfortable as you can afford to bring along the little (and not so little) luxuries that make all the difference.
There is a club for those who enjoy camping trips from canoes. The Canoe Camping Club is a section of the Camping and Caravanning Club, which I believe will give you access to a wide range of campsites.
It is worth keeping an eye on the review pages of the Song of the Paddle site as well as the forum as over time there will be information being added regarding camping equipment as well as the expected canoe related items. Of course rather than wait for information to appear on the forum the easy option is to ask the question yourself, someone is bound to know the answer.