We have a thing about making sure you have the right canoeing gear and clothing on our trips. We personally like to use only the best clothing and equipment and we treat our guests the same way. 

All of the rivers that we paddle in the Yukon are cold year round. The average temperature is usually somewhere in the 4°C range.  This requires dressing for the river temperature as opposed to the air temperature when paddling in stretches of rough water.  Your guides are very familiar with these rivers and will inform the group of when protective paddling wear is required.

In addition, because these rivers flow through mountain valleys, the weather can change very quickly.  It is not unusual for it to be warm and sunny one minute becoming a rain shower the next minute or in some rare instances a snow shower!

WHAT WE PROVIDE

Royalex canoes, expedition quality tents and dry packs are provided for our clients as well as the necessary paddling and camping gear. We sleep in high-tech mountaineering tents, and excellent sleeping bags. We also bring high quality fly-fishing gear along for those guests who do not own their own. All of our gear is constantly being updated, ensuring that our guests receive quality equipment that has seen very little previous use. We provide waterproof dry packs that will be used during the expedition, so you can bring your clothing in regular suitcases and transfer to our packs once you arrive at the Uncommon Journeys Lodge.

• warm sleeping bag and freshly laundered cotton liner bag
• a foam sleeping pad
• tents and ground sheets
• group tarp
• all group and individual cooking and dining gear
• whitewater canoes, fully outfitted with kneepads (and sprayskirts when warranted).
• paddles and lifejacket
• dry bags for packing personal clothing and sleeping bag in.
• fishing gear - both spinning and fly fishing equipment
• emergency personal locating beacon and SAT phone
• whitewater rescue gear
• first aid kit
• bear spray

 *Please Note: Valuables, plane tickets etc. can be left at Uncommon Journeys

WHAT YOU BRING

You are responsible for bringing your own summer wardrobe. The following list is intended to assist you in assembling your clothing.

Therefore, we recommend that guests use the following suggestions for canoeing clothing and gear as closely as possible.  If you have any questions with the list or any items, please do not hesitate to contact us for clarification.

Canoeing Clothing

Your clothing must work as a system that wicks away perspiration, insulates you from the cold and protects you from the wind. Our preferred approach combines several layers of clothing which allows you to easily adjust your clothing to changes in the weather and changes in your heat output.

• The First Layer: the first layer next to your skin must wick perspiration away from your skin to keep you dry and warm. Capilene by Patagonia is excellent. Polypropylene or merino wool is also good but cotton is inappropriate, as it is a poor wicking layer

   

  • 2-4 pr. Underwear. 50/ 50 polyester/cotton is best but 100% cotton is ok.
  • 2 sets of long underwear. Polypropylene, Capilene, merino wool or silk are great. Tops and bottoms are required. Cotton is not appropriate as it stays wet too long
  • 3 pair of heavy socks - wool or synthetic blend.
  • 2 pair liner socks – Polypropylene, polyester, merino wool or silk. These are thin socks worn next to your feet to lessen the chance of blisters while hiking.
  • 2 T-shirts. -  50/50 polyester/cotton is best, all cotton is ok. One short sleeve and one long sleeve are ideal. (Bring light colours to reflect the sun and the bugs!)

   

• The Second Layer: the second layer (or layers) provides insulation. This layer needs to retain your body heat without restricting movement. Pile and polar fleece are great. Wool is warm however not as good overall as it holds moisture and is difficult to dry.

   

  • 1 Long sleeved zip top. Zippered turtleneck 100 weight pile or fleece or expedition weight Capilene. (sweatshirt weight but not cotton).
  • 1 pair wind pants - nylon or polyester “Quick dry”
  • 1 pair medium weight (200 weight) pile or fleece pants to wear under rain pants on cold days.
  • 1 pair shorts - nylon or polyester “quick dry” (can double as bathing suit for men)
  • 1 Neoprene wetsuit. "Farmer john" style. (sleeveless with legs attached). This is a must have piece of gear for long paddling trips, our shorter sampler trips  may not require one, contact us for details. The bottom line is rivers in the Yukon are COLD and a wetsuit makes all the difference (we can assist with renting one). 
• The Third Layer: the third layer must offer protection from the wind and rain. The more wind proof a garment often is the less breathable it will be. Gore-Tex is a good choice as it is very windproof. Completely waterproof, non-breathable garments provide the most reliable rain protection.

• 1 pile or fleece jacket 300 weight (thick). What you will wear when it gets cold at night. The thicker jacket should be sized large enough to fit over a long underwear top and 100 weight zippered top.
• 1 pile or fleece vest or 100 weight zippered pile jacket. That extra piece that makes all the difference if you get wet etc.
• 1 rain suit. The most important clothing you will bring. It does not rain that often during the Yukon summer but when it does watch out! Invest in a good quality suit (jacket and pants) that you will have forever. Things to look for in a good suit: large hood with drawcord around the face, wrist closures (velcro is great.), seams that are glued or taped to make them waterproof, high collar to protect your neck from getting wet, large pockets with velcro closures, and nice bright colors so you are easy to spot and look good in photos! New Gore-tex that has not had its waterproofness compromised by hard use is fine.
• 1 wind jacket. To bring on hikes and to wear over your thick pile jacket when it is cold. Gore-Tex is fine.
• 1 pair of gloves. It can get cold on the hands, especially paddling in the wind and rain. Neoprene gloves are great and pile or polyester fleece gloves are ok. Leather and cotton are not appropriate
• 1 baseball hat or sun hat
• 1 warm hat. Pile or polyester fleece is best, as it will dry quickly. Wool is ok but dries slowly. Make sure the hat covers your ears and if possible has ties to tie it under your chin so the wind will not blow it away!
• 1 Bug jacket. Special jackets made with fine mesh to keep the bugs away (not always required – please contact us for details)

Footwear

• 1 pair of wet shoes for wearing while canoeing. Options:
• Ankle-high, thick neoprene booties with a solid sole (this is a must), with a thick polypro or wool sock inside - It is important that the booties be sized to comfortably accommodate the socks as this improves the warmth considerably.
• A solid pair of running shoes sized to fit a thick neoprene sock inside. These running shoes should have a good tread.
• Rubber boots that accommodate either two pair of warm socks or a felt liner and a heavy sock. These boots must have a nylon collar attached to the tops of the boots with a drawcord running through it in able to ensure that water will not pour into the tops of the boots if you are unfortunate enough to go into knee deep water (or worse!)
• You need to bring at least one of the options listed above. If you can afford to bring two items our guides opt for neoprene booties AND rubber boots

• 1 pair of evening shoes ('dry shoes') to be worn around camp or hiking. Light weight hiking boots or running shoes are fine. We will be hiking in them so they need to be sturdy and comfortable

Personal Gear

• "stuff sacs" nylon bags to separate your clothing when packing in the dry bags
• toiletries – including sunscreen and lipbalm
• small towel
• extra medications if required (they should be well waterproofed.)
• camera and film ( we suggest you have a waterproof case or pouch of some kind to carry your camera in)
• sunglasses that block out all ultraviolet rays UVA and UVB with a retaining strap (bring extra set if prescription!)
• bug repellent
• small (30-40 litre) day pack with waterproof liner bags (garbage bags are fine) to put raingear etc in and for day hikes and to keep essentials in when paddling

Optional Items

• pencil and journal
• paperback book
• binoculars
• bandana
• paddling jacket (kayak style with neoprene neck and wrist closures, to use playing in rapids)
• your favorite paddle
• your favorite fishing rod, lures, flies etc.
• your favorite sleeping pad (i.e. Thermarest)
• small knife

Many of our shorter trips do not require you to bring as extensive a supply of clothing. If you have any questions or concerns about any items on this list please do not hesitate to contact our office. We can explain items much more fully and can suggest alternatives for you that are the least expensive. In fact, guests have had their local outdoor retail store phone us for information in the past. Whitehorse also has an excellent outdoor retail store that can provide you with any items that you have been unable to purchase at home.