We meet at 6:30 the evening before the canoe trip begins at
the Grand Union Hotel. We will give each guest his or her
dry bags and helpful packing tips. Camping gear
familiarization, and safety procedures will also be
reviewed. We generally meet, the day of departure, at the
public boat landing at the Old Fort at 8:30AM. If you
have flown in we will pick you up at your lodging in Ft.
Benton.
At every stop on your canoe trip you will need to step into
water half way to your knees. Be prepared to get your feet
wet. Old sneakers will work, so will your basic sandals but
if they fit loosely you may loose one. River guides wear
Chaco continuous strap sandals, they never slip off and wear
like iron, but are expensive at $50-80.
Each person on our canoe trips will be provided with one
large dry bag 16” in diameter by 28” high. This bag will
hold all your clothes and your sleeping bag. You will also
have a medium dry bag 12” by 28” to keep the things you will
need during the day, such as, raingear, hiking shoes, etc.
All your gear must fit into these two bags.
Outdoor clothing suitable for our canoe trips can be found
at mail order retailers such as L.L. Bean, REI, EMS, or NRS.
Locally, our personal favorite is Big Horn Wilderness, 202
5th St. South, Great Falls, Montana. Quick drying layers
from underwear to hat will keep you the most comfortable.
For a 4- day warm season canoe trip in addition to underwear
and swimwear, you will need 1 or 2 T shirts, a long and
short sleeve shirt, a pair or two of shorts, a pair of long
pants, raingear (top & bottom), sturdy hiking shoes, river
sandals, a fleece jacket, and a hat that won’t blow away. A
32 oz. wide mouth Nalgene water bottle is required, they are
widely available or we have them for sale. Spare sunglasses,
a flashlight, camera, film, a daypack, handiwipes,
sunscreen, spf lip balm, and a towel, round out the necessities.
Cool Season Considerations
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Early and late season trips (May-mid June and September-mid
October) require warmer clothes.
Knee high rubber boots with thick wooly socks will keep your
feet warm on cool mornings when getting in and out of the
canoes. Think layers in the cool season, light to medium
long underwear, warmer pants and shirts, fleece jacket or
vest, wind/waterproof pants and jacket, gloves, and a hat.
