People often wonder whats required when adventuring into the great unknown…… well it all depends on how “unknown” your adventure will be. Tracey and I have traveled extensively throughout the Squamish area, so our “packing list” has been pared down considerably over the years compared to our first couple of trips. But, there are always “must haves” regardless of where we are going. Here is my list, and in no particular order:
#1 – extra fuel! Even these days, people still go off the beaten path, without extra fuel. It sure wouldn’t be fun having to turn around partway through a trip because your not sure if you have enough fuel! Typically, we carry 2 x 5 gallon Gerry cans – in Fiona, that gives us about 2/3 of a tank and almost an extra 250 km of range. In this category, I should also add other vehicle requirements – oil, grease, hose clamps, air filter etc. You don’t need a parts store, but a few extra items might just save you a lot of grief.
#2 – tools! Tracey bought me a fantastic set from Canadian Tire – nothing fancy, but it does have everything, well most everything I might need to do a trail repair.
#3 – chainsaw. In our neck of the woods – deadfall is fairly common. Trying to hack through it with an axe isn’t always and option. I found one on Craigslist, brand new for $200. I hoped that it would last a season (we used to have a fire place) but now we are going on 6 years and its still running strong…. lucky find in my world.
#4 – proper clothing! No matter if you are going for a day, a week, in the summer or winter – you need to dress appropriately! Flip flops in the snow – don’t laugh, I’ve seen it!!! I’ve also seen people shivering in the cold of winter wearing shorts and a t-shirt and baking in long black sweat panels & sweat shirts in the heat of summer. The proper clothing makes things so much more comfortable.
#5 – food. Even on a short trip, bring something – a couple granola bars, so fruit and a bottle of water. Never go out without something – eating bugs and foliage isn’t the tastiest.
#6 – rock hunting gear. Tracey is the actual “rock hound” – i’m just the driver – AT THIS POINT. I used to fight with Tracey on what she could bring, but now there is not question. Pry-bars, hammers, eye protection – i’m pretty much in charge of the “big stuff” – she gets all the rest…
#7 – electronics. Yeah, this is my side of things. I like my gadgets. Navigation is done with Gaia on an iPad connected to a Bad Elf GPS unit. We also use a Gamin GPS. I’m also a registered HAM Radio operator (hence the funny licence plate on Fiona) and we carry 2 little Baofeng UV-5R radios and have a built in TYT-TH7800. The antenna that came with the unit was horrible – so thanks to HRO, we’ve upgraded to the Diamond CR-8900A Quad Band Antenna – its AMAZING!!!
That about covers my basic list. Obviously, this list can change dramatically depending on where, how long and what time of year we are adventuring – but for the most part, this is our bare minimum.
