Family Camping Checklist

Personal Gear					Crew Gear
	Day Pack					Tent
	Sleeping Bag (30° or colder)					Ground Cloth
	Sleeping Pad/Cot					Stove (2 burner)
	Flashlight/Headlamp					Cooking Gear
	Socks					Stove Fuel
	T-Shirt(s)					Meal seasoning
	Sweater/Fleece					Dishes
	Pants/Shorts					Rope
	Underwear					Carabiner(s)
	Stocking Cap					Toilet Paper
	Gloves					Food
	Long Underwear					Cooler
	Pajamas					Sanitation Supplies
	Rain Jacket					First Aid Kit
	Hiking Shoes/Boots					Ax/Saw
	Camp Shoes					Lantern
	Camp Towel					Matches/Lighter
	Tooth Brush/Paste					Water Filter (area dependent)
	Insect Repellent
	Lip Balm
	Sunscreen
	Comb
	Deodorant
	Medication (if needed)
	1 qt water bottles (2-3)
	Medication (if needed)
	Dirty Clothing Bag
	Watch (w/ alarm)
	Toiletries
	Optional
	Trekking Poles			Sunglasses				Pillow
	Camera			Money				Hammock
	Camp Stool/Chair			Multi Tool/ Pocket Knife				Book

Backpacking Checklist

Personal		Ex	Qty:		Pack & Bags		Ex	Qty:
	Stocking Cap	Wool/Fleece	1			Internal	> 60L	1
	Gloves	Wool/Fleece	1			Daypack	< 32L	1
	Cap	Ball/Brim	1			Pack Cover	For Pack	1
	Base Layers	Shirt/Pant	1			Ziploc Bag	1-2 Gal	6+
	Mid Layer	Fleece Pullover	1			Ditty Bag	Smellables	2
	Top Layer	Wool Jacket	1
	Rain suit	Waterproof	1		Crew Gear		Ex	Qty:
	SS T-shirt	Synthetic Blend	2			Tent	2-3 person	1
	Zip Off Pant	Synthetic Blend	1			Ground Cloth	Tarp	1
	Long Pant	Synthetic	1			Water Filter	1L min +	1
	Underwear	Synthetic	3			Backup Filter	4+ crew	1
	Socks	Wool Blend	2			Stove	1 burner	1
	Liner Socks	Synthetic	2			Backup Stove	4+ crew	1
	Boots	Ankle High	1			Fuel Bottle	ISO/Liquid	2
	Camp Shoe	Any	1			First Aid Kit	AMK	1
						Duct Tape	Repairs	1
Misc Personal		Ex	Qty:			Para Cord	100 ft	1
	Bowl	Metal/Plastic	1			Insect Repel	Ultrathon	1
	Mug/Cup	Metal/Plastic	1			Trowel	garden	1
	Spoon/Spork	Metal/Plastic	1			Toilet Paper		2
	Water Bottle	1 QT Bottles	4			Compass		1
	Pocket Knife	Up to 3.5"	1			Carabiner	Load Bearing	2
	Matches	Waterproof/BIC	1			Bear Bag		2
	Headlamp	LED	1			Dining Fly		1
	Toothbrush	Any	1			Pots/Pans	Cooking
	Toothpaste	>3oz. Tube	1			Chef Cutlery	Cooking
	Soap	Biodegradable	1
	Towel	Quick Dry	1
	Sunglasses	Polarized	1
	Watch	Alamed	1
	Foot powder	Any	1
Sleeping		Ex	Qty:
	Mummy Bag	30°F or <	1
	Stuff Sack	For Bag	1
	Sleeping Pad	Any	1
	Sleep Clothes	Only for Tent	1

First Paddle: A St. Croix Story

By Johnny “Boats” Kendrick

Paddle Sports Expert

Boom Site Landing

Recognizing the singularity of the moment, a lone goose called out on the river.  I haeartily agreed; the first paddle of the year is a singular event.  I had chosen the St. Croix Boomsite, and the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 120, for this first occasion.  Despite its popularity with motorboats, the lower St. Croix is a close-to-home gem of a paddle spot, with steep banks, sand rock cliffs and abundant waterfowl.  In contrast to Wilderness’ Pungo series kayak, the Tsunami is a smaller boat for my six-foot frame.  To get in I need to prop myself up and slide my legs down together.  The Tsunami 120 has a performance fit with my legs extended as far as the footpegs go and thighs snugly engaged in the braces.  The Wilderness kayak seat is truly the industry standard in comfort, and I felt one with my boat as I slipped out of the bay.

The river was alive in the rising sun.  A colony of egrets was congregated in the trees on a submerged island, their snowy silhouettes contrasting the darkened nests.   A few pairs of ducks flushed out in front of me; mostly woodies rising noisily and sharply into the air, often circling back to have a look at me, and a few mergansers, murmuring softly, just inches above the water.  Herons emerged like pterodactyls from the flooded trees, a bald eagle, geese, and even a pair of cormorants graced the sky, and the air was full of birdsong with swamp sparrows being the most prominent.

The peninsula that separated the Boomsite Landing from the marina and wayside was under water, but the flooded trees slowed the flow of the river.  As I neared the tip of the peninsula, I could see the current, swollen with the melt-off from the winter that just didn't want to die.  Carefully I nosed my bow into the channel and paddled vigorously.  But the Tsunami is a very efficient boat.  Even in my twelve-footer, I was soon slipping upstream with a consistent and manageable tempo, tracking with a very subtle swing in the bow as I paddled.  I was soon in the zone and at one with my boat, the river, and the beautiful spring morning.

About a mile upstream, a small slough on the Minnesota shoreline led into flooded woods.  I don’t like to enter sloughs from the downstream side.  They’re often blocked on top-but a deep green color from the otherwise brown shore caught my eye and I paddled over, hoping for marsh marigolds.  There were none blooming yet so I continued up the shoreline into the woods; evading trees and passing under a goose perched in a tree (not a common sight). As I brushed through the limb of a submerged silver maple, I surprised a couple of beavers, one of them just off my bow.  His fur was glistening red in the morning sun.  With a quick slap of his tail and they both disappeared.

Ok, ya caught me, this is Lake Superior.
It is from the deck of the Tsunami 120 though

Emerging from a rather surreal paddle through the woods, I found the river changed.  The sun was high in the eastern sky, bathing the steep Minnesota shore in warm, soft light and there I saw the rich green and yellow of marsh marigolds, stretching on to the next bend in the river.  The Wisconsin shore featured the reddish brown cliffs that marked the Boy Scout camp and I followed the line of conifers down to the old bridge pillars.  With both shores beckoning the way upstream, I set my bow in the current and soon rediscovered the joy of a fast boat on a wild river.  If one would really understand a boat and a river, the nuances of each and the music they can make together, one should paddle upstream.  What upstream travel demands is not so much hard work but consistent exertion  My favorite sidearm is the Bending Branches Sunrise, a fiberglass paddle with a slightly smaller blade.  This paddle enables me to establish a good rhythm and I soon passed the pillars following the bend in the river and arrived at the High Bridge where a sign forbids upstream travel.

Dutifully, with shoulders beginning to complain anyway, I swung the bow around and started my descent.  Half an hour later, I was back at the landing where, perhaps appropriately, it had clouded up and two motorboats were preparing to go out.  But I did take the time for two short detours on the return trip.  I saw a bald eagle on the way up, so I wanted to check out the nest.  I was happy to see the white head of an adult peaking out of the nest and I hope to return to see eaglets later in the year.  My other errand was to search the shady recesses of the Wisconsin shore for any remaining snow.  May 5^th is a late first paddle for me.  With the late snows that delighted the skiers, it frustrated the paddlers.  I was happy to find several large pockets of snow hiding in the shady cliffs.  So though it was late, my first paddle of the year was amid the remnants of snow.

SUP Minnesota

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Kayaks are on shore.  What's on the water?

The latest in paddle sports trending on the water are Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP’s).  These surf shaped boards give the boarder a smooth paddle on calm days and are a phenomenal form of exercise.  The sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding has its roots in one form or another tied to any area where there is surf.  This includes Africa, South America, Australia and yup, you guessed it, Hawaii.  The first (known) recorded incidence was a film made in 1939 of Duke Kahanamoku in Australia on a surfboard with a paddle in hand.  From its first glimpses, paddleboarding as a sport was largely reserved for calm days when the surf was low.  It wasn't until 2005 that the sport reached the mainland in California and started growing roots.  In 2007, the first SUP Race (Nalu) was hosted in Lake Tahoe and was the beginning of the Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival.  Locally, the sport arrived at Joe's Sporting Goods in the summer of 2009 and went largely unnoticed its first few seasons.  Since then, the sport has been growing rapidly and with the water warming up, we are in the throes of another great paddle season.  In store, we offer Rave, Doyle, and BOTE paddleboards in a variety of designs.

Classic Design

Soft Top

Race Design

SUPs come in a wide variety of different shapes that offer an assortment of paddling characteristics.  Many recreational paddleboards have a traditional surf board look and feel with a rounded nose and a wider shape.  This allows the paddler to turn well and follow the contours of a shoreline or otherwise cruise on the lake.  Race (Nalu) SUPs have a more battleship profile and a much stronger keel line to provide unparalleled tracking but sacrifice stability.  A third class of Stand Up Paddleboards are called soft top paddleboards and feature a yoga mat like material covering the board from bow to stern.  These SUPs are wider than the classic boards and are stable enough to actually do yoga on the water.  Personally, I've tried it and only got as far as the downward facing kersploosh… but I digress.  It’s common to require a few tries to get the hang of balancing on a SUP, and once you do, you will be hard pressed to not have a great time on the water. 

Be sure to sign up for our own Demo Days

Like kayaking, there are practical weight limits that can help identify what board(s) would be the best to fit your needs.  Paddleboards in the 10’ and 10’6” range have a typical peak performance capacity of up to 160-170 lbs.  The 11’ to 12’ range at a peak performance weight of up to 240 lbs.  Any SUP above 12’ will be able to handle 300 lbs and above with ease.  Using myself as an example (6’4” 235 lbs) I find the best paddle on an 11’-12’ SUP.  I can and have used a 10’6” SUP successfully finding that I turn too easily and cannot hold a straight line.  If you are hesitant at first, sign up for one of our boat demo’s at Lake Gervais.  If that doesn't work for your schedule there are many lake side rental agencies in the Twin Cities that have SUPs available per hour or per day and are a great way to get started.

Until next time, GET OUTDOORS!