What do I need for a 7 day outdoor expedition?

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triden55

I am trying to figure out what kind of things I will need to go on a 7-day canoe and portage trip on the Bowron Lakes in BC, Canada. It will be all outdoors and I will be camping every night. It will be slightly chilly but never below freezing. The trick is to keep all the equipment under 60lbs because that is all that is allowed. What are the essentials that I should try to bring?

Answer
You don't mention if you're going alone or with a group - if with a group you can share equipment (tent, stove & fuel, water filter) to save on weight. Here's a basic list:

Good hiking boots (I like the NRS neoprene for canoe/kayaking)
Backpack with rain cover
topographic map(s)
compass
gorp (trail food/snacks)

whistle
emergency mirror
first aid kit (with moleskin)

Tent (as I mentioned above you can share this with a group)
Sleeping bag (10 deg colder than you expect to sleep in)
Sleeping pad

flashlight/headlamp (plus extra batteries)
bug bite stick
sunscreen
insect repellent
toilet paper
Shovel, trowel, or spade
Fixed blade knife

saw/hatchet
matches/lighter

2-4 1L Nalgene water bottles
water filter (as I mentioned above you can share this with a group)

backpacking stove (as I mentioned above you can share this)
stove fuel (as I mentioned above you can share this with a group)

cooking gear & utensils (1 pot, 1 spoon/fork or spork)
dehydrated meal packs (I prefer the Mountain House brand)
- breakfasts x 7+1 extra day (just in case)
- dinners x 7+1 extra day (just in case)

repair kits (pack, pad, stove, filter, etc.)
Zip-Loc bags for trash
Rain gear
Fleece jacket, hat, & gloves

Good luck and have a great time. I'm jealous.

Good family activities to do with my three year old daughter?

Travis

She seems to be getting a bit tired of the park, aquarium, zoo, and ponds. Generally this something my wife and I do every other weekend or so, just to get out of the house and spend some time together.

Also, we have twin five months old, and we'd rather not go hiking / camping with the infants, as you can imagine.

My daughter generally enjoys anything with animals, and crafts. She doesn't particularly enjoy anything 'girly' from what we've gathered. Likes to figure out puzzles, and always finding ways to make things 'work'. (She'll find a broken toy and will attempt to make it work again.) Extremely shy, if anyone comes at her too quickly, she's retreat behind my wife's leg.

Open to any serious suggestions, :) Thank you in advance.
My daughter hates the water, refuses to go to the pools / lakes with us. She will only go to the frog ponds with us to try and catch frogs in the puddles. Thanks for the suggestion though! :)

Answer
Some more ideas outside of the house...

-- Museums -- art, science, children's, etc. Most places have things for young children.
-- Library story hour
-- Children's theater production (maybe just for the 3-year-old and one parent, no babies)
-- Pet store. You don't have to buy anything -- just look at the animals.
-- Indoor playgrounds -- mall, McDonald's, other parks
-- Check out parks with short hiking trails (and you can wear the babies in backpack carriers), or find a new playground in your area.
-- Find a way to make old adventures more interesting. For example, our zoo has specific animal feeding times, so when we want something new, we choose a couple animals that we want to watch get fed that day. Or we splurge and buy the crackers to feed the giraffes ourselves or the food for the lorikeets. Or we watch for special events or shows on certain days.
-- Also, keep trying the pools/lakes. She may grow to like them over time.

Things to do at home...
-- Draw with chalk. You can do pictures, hopscotch, draw a maze or a path to follow, etc.
-- Ride bikes/scooters up and down the sidewalk.
-- Use blue painter's tape on hardwood or linoleum floors to make hopscotch or paths inside (for rainy/cold days).
-- Puzzles. (Maybe you could pick up a couple new ones.)
-- Board games like Candy Land.
-- Paint with water. You can do this on the driveway, the side of the house, or anywhere. Just get a cup of water and a paintbrush, and it disappears as it dries. Aquadoodle mats are fun for indoors.
-- Take a walk while you push babies in the stroller and she pushes a doll in her own stroller.
-- Build with blocks.
-- Take a magnifying glass or binoculars, and go on an animal hunt in your neighborhood. Look for birds, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and all kinds of bugs.
-- Get an easel and some dry-erase markers, and let her draw and erase as much as she wants.
-- Since she likes puzzles and building, let her help with minor repairs around the house. If you're doing some hammering to hang a picture on the wall, let her help hammer a nail or two into a spare piece of wood. When my kids were 3, their preschool teacher had them hammer big pieces of styrofoam together, and then they got to paint what they had created. I think they even got to use a real saw to help saw the styrofoam before hammering it.
-- Get some sewing cards and let her "sew" them with shoelaces.
-- Start collections of leaves, flowers, or rocks, and let her sort and count them.
-- Blow bubbles.
-- When it rains, let her go out and jump in all the puddles.
-- Turn on all kinds of music, and dance around the house. She can even play along with her own toy or homemade instruments.
-- Read books. Lots and lots of books.

Honestly, there are so many things you can do with a 3-year-old. If you live in or near a major city, there are probably tons of things you haven't even discovered yet, and there's plenty you can do at home as well. Have fun!

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