After doing two canoe camping trips in Algonquin over the last few weeks, one thing has become quite apparent. The Brent Run will be one of the toughest adventures I’ve done in my life.
When I use these 3-day canoe trips as a measuring stick and realize that I’m doing something similar over a single day for four consecutive days, it makes me wonder to myself WTF I’ve been thinking.
According to Paddle Planner, here is the raw data for this trip along with the estimated travel times based on a paddling speed of 4km/h.
| Start/Destination Lake | Total Distance (km) | Total Paddling (km) | # of Portages | Total Portages (km) | Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canoe to Big Trout | 37.9 | 33.7 | 10 | 4.2 | 11hrs 25min |
| Big Trout to Cedar | 42.6 | 37.1 | 13 | 5.6 | 13hrs 40min |
| Cedar to Big Trout | 42.6 | 37.1 | 13 | 5.6 | 13hrs 40min |
| Big Trout to Canoe | 37.9 | 33.7 | 10 | 4.2 | 11hrs 25min |
The Daily Grind
This run was planned for June 22 to 25 because of its long days with around 15hrs and 40min of daylight.
Although we have limited control over our paddling and portage performance (without over exerting ourselves), the time we wake up is one area within our control. Therefore, my plan is to wake up at sunrise at 5:30am and start paddling by 6:30am. This way, we’d be able to take advantage of calmer waters and less bugs while maximizing our paddling time. Even with breaks, we’d have several hours of daylight as a buffer zone.
Gear
Another area we can control is gear and the key is to go as lightweight and compact as possible since all portages will be done in a single carry. ie. Each person will be wearing their own pack while one person portages the canoe with the paddles strapped to the canoe. That way, the other person who isn’t portaging can walk hands free to rest their arms for the next portage.
My goal is to keep my pack around 50L in volume and under 35lbs. The contents will be the bare necessities such as an ultralight tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, freeze dried food and a canister stove. Luxuries such as a camping chair and bug shelter will be left at home. My expectation is that we’d be exhausted at the end of each day and that we’d both collapse in our tents after eating our meals.
While not gear related, I decided not to bring my puppy since she would require her own food and equipment as well as extra care during portages. I’m sure she will understand.
Nutrition
As my partner Victor mentioned during the Rosebary loop, keeping ourselves fueled up will be a major challenge. A trip like this will easily burn thousands of calories per day so a ramen for lunch and a freeze dried meal at night just won’t cut it. This is something I’ll have to figure out. Like I said to my partner for the Brent Run (who admitted to not eating enough), we may have to connect him to an IV full of energy gels to keep him energized.