Millie watches us load the canoes.

What We Took To Maine

By David Eden

In the first years of our marriage, when Lilly was small and before Anton came along, we would pack up our big Necky Nootka, stick Lilly in the middle hatch and my son, Chris, in the bow and head out with Tammy riding shotgun in her Arluk 1.8 on multi-day trips. As the kids grew older, our usual kayak exploration mode was to drive to and camp at a central location and explore the paddling opportunities in the area. Now that we are empty-nesters, it has been hard to return to our previous style of two decades gone. For one thing, the camping accoutrements you can fit into a car make for much more comfortable camping: large tent, big inflatable mattress, real pillows, an oversized cooler, martini glasses.

But we missed the romance of those past trips, with the ability to go much farther than a simple day trip. So this year, we had an opportunity to go on a multi-day trip to Maine and jumped at it. Along the way, we were able to field test some new gear, some bought and some borrowed, some old and some very new, under what were some reasonably difficult conditions: high winds, rain and sleet, and freezing temperatures. A list of our larger bits and bobs of gear and how they worked follows.

Sleeping Bags

Snow Lion Limited Edition Expedition Regular - Priceless: Literally priceless, because, unfortunately, you can't get these anymore, Snow Lion being long gone. These were the best-designed bags available when I bought them in 1976. List price was $166.00. or perhaps $749.07 in 2019 dollars. Over the past 43 years, the down in them has settled, turning what was once a bag that was almost too hot at temps above 10º into a three-season bag. Still, these had several advantages, critically the ability to zip together. This meant we could shove Millie the dog down inside as a hot water bottle for extra warmth. Visit the 1976 catalogue PDF to see what the outdoor enthusiast has lost.

Sleeping Pads

David: Sea To Summit Comfort Plus SI Sleeping Pad - $139.95: This is a lightweight sleeping pad for camping and backpacking. I found it very comfortable to sleep on. Its three-inch foam thickness offers plenty of plushness for lying on the hard ground. The foam is much larger packed than our old 3/4-inch Therm-a-Rests (also 43 years old and somewhat flattened). It has a self-inflating, adjustable fill valve (SI stands for "self-inflating") which does work to some extent, but I found that I had to blow it firm, as with any of this sort of pad. The valve design is not great for getting your mouth around. The Delta Core interior design helps to reduce the pad's weight by removing some of the foam without losing support. R-value of 4.1 kept me quite warm during our recent trip to Maine, when the temps dropped below 30º F on at least one night. I got mine at REI.

Tammy: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir® Xtherm™ Sleeping Pad - $214.95 - $254.95: Tammy thought that this pad was "wicked comfortable." Since this is essentially an air matress, one would expect it to be cold, but Therm-a-Rest has solved this through a combination of construction and materials. To quote the Therm-a-Rest website:

When your backcountry pursuits demand extreme insulation and an ultralight packed size, alpinists and mountaineers turn to the NeoAir XTherm. The unrivaled Triangular Core Matrix offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any air sleeping pad construction. The construction gives the 219½" (6.4 cm) thick pad superior stability, boasting the most inches of weld for maximum camp comfort. The packable pad boasts a 6.9 R-value, allowing users to take it into the most extreme conditions.

Other features the website mentions are: Ripstop nylon resists punctures; ThermaCapture layers trap air and reflect heat; and the mummy shape shaves ounces off. The pad is quite narrow, and Tammy did have some trouble staying on top. A workable solution for us: We placed our old Therm-a-Rest pads as a base in case we slipped off the pads, then used the other pads directly under us. We were sent a slightly older version to test (Therm-a-Rest has updated some aspect of the pad, including a new valve design to replace the very reliable one they have used for at least 40 years.) You can get the version we had, at deep discount here.

Pillows

When we car camp, we pack a couple of standard pillows each. Too bulky for this trip, so we bought a couple of the REI Co-op Trailbreak Foam Pillow. These come in two sizes, Regular and Large and cost $19.95 and $24.95. The pillows have a smooth side and a plush side, and each has a sewn-on pocket that the pillow can be rolled into. They are stuffed with chopped foam, which makes them easier to roll than a solid pillow. We found them perfectly comfortable and a nice change from our previous solution of rolling up a bundle of clothes.

L to R: Jack Rabbit tent with Mountain Shade Tarp over it. Jack Rabbit without fly. Old Eureka tarp pole design. New Eureka pole.

Tent and Tarp

Big Agnes Jack Rabbit SL3 Tent - Not Available: Big Agnes no longer makes this tent, which is a pity, because we have found it a nearly perfect three-season super light model. Rated for three sleepers, it would be a very tight fit if anyone else tried to crawl in with us. Still, this is one incredibly light tent with reasonable room for two adults and a small dog. And it rolls into a small package.

The tent has a number of features usually associated with much heavier tents, such as two doors, two vestibules, free standing, pre-cut guylines, color-coded webbing, buckles, and storage pockets. It is extremely easy to set up by yourself, even in the dark (although a headlamp would help to find the color-coded webbing on the fly). The main support and ridge pole segments are all connected; only the cross-ridge pole is separate, making basic setup rapid.

Although the Jack Rabbit is no longer available, Big Agnes does produce the very similar Tiger Wall 3 Platinum, which retails for $599.95. (Why can't they just charge $600 and be done with it?!) The difference that springs to the eye when checking this out is the price. Five years ago, our Jack Rabbit retailed for a mere $369.95. However, Big Agnes' use of quality materials and great design, as well as the incredible lack of weight of its super-light tents could make the price less painful.

Mountainsmith Mountain Shade Tarp - $59.95: We carried several extra tarps with us to cover eating and kitchen areas. We had an eight by ten polyethylene tarp from Aubuchon Hardware ($8.99) that went inside the tent and served as a ground cloth, and the 12- X 12-foot Mountain Shade went over everything.

The tarp gave extra coverage from the elements, which were not favorable on more than one night. It kept the rain drip line even farther from the tent than the fly alone, and on the very cold nights collected the breath frost that otherwise would have gathered inside the tarp and rained down through the netting roof onto us.

We attached ten-foot parachute chord guy lines to each tie-point. With the chords, the tarp weighs about 2.25 pounds, so the weight of the tarp and tent together was just over five lbs.

Tarp Poles: We carried four adjustable tarp poles By Eureka. I have used these for years, after making do with kayak paddles to form a peak in my tarps. This design is no longer available, as Eureka has vastly improved the design, making a lighter (18 oz. vs 2319½ oz.) pole with a more compact adjustment mechanism. The pole now has a pair of twist locks similar to those used on adjustable mountaineering ski poles. Price is about the same - $35 more or less.

L : Outdoor Research Upsurge Paddle Gloves. R: Werner carbon-fiber, bent-shaft Corryvrekan Paddle.

Paddling Gear

Outdoor Research Upsurge Paddle Gloves - $39.00: We were sent a nice new pair of these paddle gloves to test. I found them very comfortable to wear and fairly warm. I do suffer from very cold hands and did find that using my lined pogies was necessary under the coldest and wettest conditions. The gloves worked very well at protecting against that sore spot at the base of the thumb. They were also great for improving my grip on my wet paddle shaft. The gloves are designed with "barely-there foam support, and dexterity that doesn't interfere with your natural grip on [a paddle]. Breathable Airprene is mapped only where your hands lose the most heat, and also allow for maximum stretch and dexterity. A synthetic suede palm, poly-spandex stretch back of hand fabric, all-over UPF 50+ sun protection, and strategically placed drain holes for a cold water escape route," according to the website.

One feature that we did not, alas, get to test was the gloves' UPF rating, as the sun was never strong enough in this northern late season paddle to be much of a concern. Overall, an A-rating for this nicely-designed glove.

Corryvreckan Carbon Bent-shaft Paddle - $440.00: This might have been a good time to more extensively field test the GearLab Greenland-style paddles I reviewed last September, but unfortunately we had to send them back. We used our Werner break-down carbon fiber models, mine the bent-shaft, two-piece Corryvrekan. The large blade and bent shaft of my paddle were a big help shoving my heavily-laden canoe along. That big blade Is also a comfort for bracing in rough conditions, and the bent shaft works ergonimically to increase the power of my stroke. According to the Werner website, the Corryvreckan is its " largest premium High Angle blade, designed for those who want powerful strokes in all directions. The perfect paddle for the coastal play environment, or for those strong enough to move lots of water and cover the miles fast." I love this paddle and highly recommend it.

L to R: Skylake Pack. Discovery View Dry Bag. Counter Assault Bear Keg. BearVault BV500 Food Container. Yeti Roadie 20 Cooler.

Dry Bags

Skylake™ Dry Daypack - $99.95: We were sent several dry bags from SealLine to test out, and this beauty, with its 18-liter capacity and beautiful "Heather Blue" color quickly became my fave bag of the trip. This is what I kept all those daily items and extras that needed to stay dry and was the first item out of the boat at every stop and the last one in as we took off. An A++ pack.

Some of the features mentioned on the SealLine site include:
 • Waterproof: Constructed with 100% waterproof materials & welded seams.
 • Confident closure: DrySeal™ roll-top closure offers intuitive sealing and amplifies waterproof protection.
 • Easy access: Front stretch mesh pocket offers quick and easy stowing and retrieval on pack exterior.
 • Stowable: Convenient roll & stow design is secured by front pocket strap for compact storage.
 • Comfortable: Lightly padded shoulder straps provide comfort when carrying.
 • Versatile: Straps are removable for travel and dry bag use.
 • Attachment point: Allows for clip-on of a bike light.

Another thing I really like about this pack is that it doesn't stay in storage when I'm not paddling. I had to do a long bike ride carrying papers and a borrowed book in the rain and the Skylake replaced my usual Patagonia Chacabuco daypack that day.

SealLine Discovery View Dry Bag, 20 Liters - $39.95: We had a couple of older REI see-through 30-liter dry bags. These were very stiff and hard to roll at the best of times, but became almost iron-hard as the temperture dropped. I switched them out for these really nice bags after struggling with the others for a day. The material stayed flexible in the cold, and even though the sides were transluscent, rather than crystal-clear like the REI bags, I was still able to see enough to be able to tell what was inside.

We have received a couple of bags from Cascade Designs (parent company of the SeaLine products). The bags have the PurgeAir bleed valve: "Our unique and waterproof PurgeAir™ valve vents trapped air, helping the dry bag compress further after being sealed, and is both more durable and more reliably waterproof than waterproof/breathable fabric membranes." I have always been somewhat suspicious of the valve, but must admit that the bags' contents stayed perfectly dry through splashing, rain, and even a couple of dunking on our trip. Definitely A+ gear.

Food Storage

Counter Assault Bear Keg™ - $79.95:
BearVault BV 500 - $79.95:
Yeti Roadie 20 Cooler - $199.99: We were heading into bear country and needed to take food containers that would keep our food safe, according to trip leader Chuck Horbert. This led to some rapid research and some agonized decision making. Here is what we came up with:

There is no really ideal solution. None of the safes is really 100% bear-proof. In fact, the BearVault products are banned in at least one major park, the Adirondacks. Backpackers going into the High Peaks region have to carry an approved food safe, or rent one, and the BearVaults are banned, because the bears in the area have learned to break that design open. The Bear Keg is an approved design and should fit well into a backpack. On the other hand, it is fairly small and you can't see through it. Neither is waterproof, Both are frankly a pain to open and close. We got one of each to see how they would work. We definitely needed something to discourage the other critters who skulk around campers, waiting to raid their food, and we could just hope that Maine bears were not as mechanically inclined as those of the Adirondacks.

We were luckier with the cooler, as we had been sent it to review several years ago (ACK The Gear Bag. June, 2014 - Vol. 23, No. 4). The cooler has extremely thick (2½") walls. There are holes in the corners of the lid to add padlocks, necessary to make the cooler truly bear-proof. We did this, and I wore the keys around my neck. Its 19⅛" width just fits crossways into my Hornbeck pack canoe, right behind the seat, so, although it's pretty heavy (15 lbs. empty), it sits low and does not affect the trim of the boat.

As it turned out, we were not bothered by bears at all, and, although I can't say if the smaller panhandlers of the forest came around after dark, we had no trouble with spoiled or nibbled comestibles in Maine!