Food and Water

Food and water. They are the two most important things in a canoe/kayaking trip. No matter where you get your water from, it's gonna weigh roughly the same, and you can't help that. Neither is water something you can ration on a long distance expedition like this. David and I will need to be drinking water out of our ears to make sure we stay hydrated the whole time. We'll need to stop at the marinas every couple of days to refill our water jugs. Food is different. The kind of food you choose can make a difference, both in your energy and in the weight you're carrying. In the early days before the League, trips from Riverbluff would bring canned beef chili and crackers for pretty much the entire journey. But not only did this give us terrible gas (my intestinal tract has never been the same since that first trip!), but it was also incredibly heavy and took up a lot of space. Over the last several canoe trips we have taken, I have been experimenting with my food supply, bringing different items and testing which ones are the most lightweight and yet still deliver a huge amount of energy.
This is the conclusion I've come to: tuna fish and salmon in those little packets are awesome! Almonds and peanuts are also low in weight but pack a punch energy-wise. Whole grain oats (you don't need to cook them; just chew 'em around in your mouth for a while and, BAM, instant oatmeal!), fruit cups, dried fruit, some Clif energy bars. These are all parts to a well-balanced kayaking diet.
Many of the canoers/kayakers of the League have developed the peculiar but defining habit of eating all our food cold; without heating it up. This began on the very first trip, basically because we didn't have anything to heat the stuff with. Over time, though, it became almost a matter of pride. Given that we are part of the long and glorious tradition, David and I will probably be saving the weight of a camping stove :)

-Daniel