Gathering the Gear

The gear pile in my room and backyard grows!

In a shameless mixing of disciplines, I'm keeping track of my gear acquisition with the same spreadsheet protocol I use for costuming shows.  It's basically a giant spreadsheet that lists items down to the sock, categorizes them, and lists what source their coming from, even when that source is "Build it yo' damn self."  And, most importantly, whether or not the item is obtained and ready to go.

But this list has proven immensely helpful at keeping track of things I need and expenses.  It's helped me come up with this final shopping/sourcing list:

To find lying around:

• Bailing sponge
• Tinder box (AKA, a shored-up Altoids tin with grass and jute rope)
• Spice container
• Dense closed-cell foam for car transport
• Repair putty and cart hardware
• Airline cable for locking up boat.

To buy new:

• Hiking sandals, if I have some extra funds (I really like Keen, but we'll see what eBay can provide...)
• Reflective tape for PFD and boat
• iodine drops or squeeze-bottle filter for treating water
• nice skirt (my boat came with one, but it's rather old nylon, and I don't trust it to stay waterproof.  I quite like those nylon skirts with the neoprene tunnel...)
• Synthetic bucket hat
• Hippy dippy nice-to-the-soil toothpaste

To build:

• Yoke pad for kayak
• Neck/head buff
• portaging pack (I have a super-lightweight design in mind!)
• Silnylon tarp
• Hammock bug net
• Pee rag

To find via Craigslist or my paddling friends (I have leads on all of these!):

• Spare paddle, at least two-piece
• Paddling gloves
• small dry bags
• portaging cart

To otherwise arrange:

• US cash
• Canadian cash

After acquiring my high-end boat and paddle for a pretty fee (not cheap, but waaaaay cheaper than either would cost new), the only thing left where I have to spring for a high-end version is the portage cart.  The NFCT is notoriously brutal on carts and basically requires them, and I've tracked down one of the few models that is purported to survive the journey via Craigslist.  I haven't heard back from the poster, but if it doesn't shake out, they're also in stock at REI.

It's coming together!  And I'm getting really excited.  I'll be sharing a comprehensive gear list once I have the final kit ready to go, since doing so beforehand is just hubris in the face of the Craigslist gods.