Some of my personal recommendations for lightweight gear for canoe tripping and backpacking — with brands and Southern Ontario locations.
Tents
- MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person
- Eureka, MEC, North Face, Sierra Designs
Sleeping Bags
- Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, MEC, North Face
- Liner: Sea to Summit
- Winter overbag: MEC Amulet
Sleeping Pads
- Thermarest / NeoAir, Exped, Big Agnes, MEC
Canoes (Ontario manufacturers)
- Swift, Nova Craft, Holy Cow, Alchemist
Canoe Tripping Packs
- Eureka waterproof 115L, MEC, SealLine / Cascade Design
Backpacking Packs
- Gregory, Osprey, Arc'teryx
PFDs (Lifejackets)
- Salus, Stohlquist, MEC, Kokatat, NRS
Paddles
- Red Tail, Badger, Grey Owl, Werner, Bending Branches
Stoves
- Backpacking: Optimus Terra, MSR, Primus, Jetboil
- Canoe tripping: MSR Dragonfly, Coleman
Water Purification
- Platypus gravity bag, Katadyn pump, Pristine tabs/liquid
Emergency GPS Communication
- Garmin InReach, SPOT
Clothing System
- Base layer: Smartwool, Icebreaker
- Mid layer: North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Arc'teryx fleece
- Outer layer: Eddie Bauer, Arc'teryx, Columbia
- Quick-dry pants/shirt: Patagonia, MEC, Columbia
Footwear
- Hiking: Lowa boots, Keen shoes
- Water: Keen or Chaco or Teva sandals
- Winter: Merrell boots + MEC down booties + gaiters + Kahtoola microspikes
Other Essentials
- Compass: Silva, Suunto
- Maps: ChrisMar (Uxbridge, ON)
- Dry bags: SealLine / Cascade / Outdoor Research
- Bear spray: Frontiersman / Kodiak
- Water bottle: Nalgene
- Headlamp: Black Diamond, Petzl
- Tarp: MEC Siltarp Scout/Guide
- First aid kit: St. John's Ambulance, Red Cross
- Rescue throw rope: NRS, MEC
- Camp chairs: Helinox
- Food barrel + harness: 30L/60L North 49
Lewis Williams, 2020