Tools of Summer: 6 Canoe Camping Essentials

Mad River Serenade 13

If you’re going solo—be it fishing, just cruising, or heading full-bore into the Quetico—Mad River’s Serenade 13 canoe-kayak hybrid is the way to go. The fiberglass mashup is stable, fast, and light, and thanks to the unique seating system, you can pilot it kayak style (double bladed) or with a canoe paddle.

Sperry Top-Sider Son-R Feedback Bungees

You might want a more substantial shoe if you’ve got a portage-intensive route planned. But for mellower trips, Sperry Top-Sider’s Son-R Feedback Bungees do everything the fanciest water shoes do: drain quickly, dry fast, grip algae-slimed rocks. The only thing missing? The $100 price tag.

Innate Aqueduct Water Transporter

Innate’s four-gallon Aqueduct Water Transporter has a roll-top closure to prevent spillage and keep out debris. Once you’re back at the campsite, a twist valve makes for easy pouring. 

MSR Whisperlite Universal

Even if there isn’t a fire ban where you’re going, you’ll want a lightweight stove as insurance. MSR’s new Whisperlite Universal works as well in canister or liquid-fuel mode and, as with previous Whisperlites, is a snap to repair in the field.

Columbia Bug Shield

There will be bugs. It will be hot. That’s why Columbia made the Bug Shield mesh jacket. The fabric is bonded to a proprietary form of Permethrin, the stuff found in spray-on repellent, so it’s remarkably effective at warding off mosquitoes and blackflies. It’s also the coolest (and coolest-looking) bug shirt we’ve ever worn.  

L.L. Bean 100th Anniversary

To celebrate its centennial, L.L. Bean has released a collection of iconic gear true to the company’s roots. Made of reclaimed softwood from the bottom of the Penobscot River, the 100th Anniversary paddle is a classic beavertail design that works best in deep water.