Welcome to the Outers Club!
Canoes We have 9 canoes: 3 Grummans, 3 Old Towns and 3 Daggers.
The Grummans are the aluminum boats. They are fairly light (at about 65 to 70lbs), have nice comfortable yokes (which are removable -- make sure you ask for yours when you rent the canoe), and track well on windy lakes, thanks to their keeled design. Aluminum is a soft material, however, and it sticks on rocks; so these canoes must never be used for river trips.
The Old Towns are the red, plastic boats. They are much heavier (over 85lbs) and have minimalist yokes, so that they aren't as well suited to tripping and portaging as the Grummans. On the other hand, the plastic is very strong, and "slips" on rocks, so they are ideal river and whitewater boats. In fact, we have outfitted these canoes for whitewater fun: they have foam kneeling pads, Kevlar skid plates and floatation bags.
Please Note: when car-topping the Old Towns, please partially deflate the floatation bags (otherwise they might burst during transport). When re-inflating the bags, please make sure there are no pebbles or grit between the hull and the bag itself (wipe the area clean with your hand), as these particles could puncture the bag.
The Daggers are the green, plastic boats. They are constructed of ABS "light", and are approximately the same weight as the Grummans, yet nearly as strong as the Old Towns. Their length (17'4") and their design makes them particularly well suited for tripping: they can carry 3 people and gear, they track well in adverse conditions (wind, waves), and the molded yokes ease the pain of portaging.
Kayaks
The Club has 10 kayaks, including 5 which are suitable for whitewater use and one stunt boat. These kayaks are mostly used during our pool sessions (see our event calendar for times), but all members are welcome to sign them out during normal equipment room hours.
Sea kayaks
The club has two 17' sea kayaks. These boats are big enough to hold gear for a 2-3 days trips.
Related Equipment
Of course, we have paddles (Mohawk aluminum/plastic canoe paddles, an assortment of kayak paddles) and life vests (many shapes and sizes to choose from) to go with our boats. On extended trips, it is a good idea to carry a spare paddle. And remember that by law there must be one life-vest per person. We suggest that you wear your life-vest anytime the conditions are less than ideal (ie wind, rain...).
Our car racks will fit cars with rain-gutters only. The extra-wide rack can accomodate 2 canoes side-by-side; the narrower racks are better suited to a single canoe or up to 2 kayaks. If your car has no gutters, we also have foam blocks. We will provide you with tie-down line too.
For whitewater enthusiasts, we have throw-ropes and helmets.
Tents
We have a variety of tents, including:
- lightweight hiking tents, for 2 "well-acquainted" people; some of these are not free-standing (to reduce number of poles)
- 2-person free-standing A-frames; ideal for a lightweight canoe trip
- 3-person geo-domes; great canoeing tent, lots of space for "junk"
- 4-person A-frame; a nice tent for large groups, or car-camping
Sleeping Bags
Most of our sleeping bags are designed for 3-season use. Theoretical ratings vary from -7C to -2C, depending on the bag. These are the ratings from the manufacturer, and they should be taken with a grain of salt -- whether or not you will be warm largely depends on you, your body type and size, your metabolism, etc.
A few bags are summer-only (mainly older bags); we strongly suggest that you do not overestimate the night-time lows in canoeing country, even in summer. An August night in Algonquin Park can easily drop to a few chilly degrees above freezing -- plan your sleeping bag accordingly.
For winter use, we recommend double-bagging. For example, pair a -7C bag with a -2C bag. (In this case, we will make an exception to the one-per-member policy, and allow you to rent 2 bags).
Foamies
The foamies (camping mattresses) provide some amount of cushioning and insulation from cold and dampness. They aren't nearly thick enough to absorb "obstacles" such as roots or rocks, so use good judgement when choosing a site to set up your tent!
This type of foam literally evaporates when it comes in contact with any source of heat, so please be very careful with these around fires and lanterns.
Stoves, etc.
We mostly carry Coleman Peak-1s (Feather-400 series). These are among the easiest stoves to use and maintain. They are also quite versatile -- they boil fast (though perhaps not as fast as MSRs) and simmer well.
They use white gas, aka Coleman Fuel, which is widely available (hardware stores, camping stores...) The Club will usually give you a stove full of fuel (and you can rent extra fuel bottles, also full of fuel); sometimes we run out of fuel, and so you must provide your own.
We also have 1 double-burner Coleman stove. This unit, which also uses white gas, is better suited to car-camping, as it is rather bulky.
For car-camping, or for local events, the Club also has 2 barbecues. Neither charcoal nor lighter fluid is supplied.
Cook Sets
We have an assortment of pots and pans and utensils (laddles, spatulas). Our pots come in 2 flavours:
- Shiny (ie: clean)
- The shiny pots must be returned shiny. No
black!!! The easiest way to ensure the pot is returned clean is to use
it on a stove only.
If you really must use it on a fire, be prepared to scrub hard when you get home! One tip for easier cleaning is to coat the pot with soapy water before it goes on the fire. The black will then wash off more easily (but you will still probably have to scrub in places). For scrubbing, nothing beats steal wool.
- Black
- If you know you will always be cooking on the fire, we suggest you use these pre-blackened pots. Then you won't have as much cleaning to do. But beware! the black stuff will come off on your hands, in your pack... (so wrap it in a plastic bag).
Finally, if you're planning a trip where weight and size are not dominant issues, and if you like the idea of freshly-baked bread or pizza, you might want to sign out a reflector oven. This folding aluminum contraption (we have a large one and a small one) sets up right next to a hot fire, and reflects enough heat onto its built-in shelf to act as a baker's oven.
Lanterns
We mostly use candle lanterns; they are small, light and convenient, although light output is relatively low. They use special non-drip candles (we usually stock these) which last approximately 8 hours. Although these lanterns can be used inside a tent, please be very careful: make sure you have plenty of ventilation (open the windows), and keep the candle as far as possible from the tent walls (tent material melts easily).
If weight and volume are not an issue and you want lots of light, we have Coleman lanterns. These run off the same white gas the stoves use. Do not under any circumstance use these lanterns inside a tent!
Hiking Packs
We mostly have medium-sized internal (soft) frame packs. They are adequate for a 3 to 4 day backcountry hike (or cross-country ski trip). As with all packs, adjustment of the straps is everything; if you aren't sure how to properly fit the pack to your body, try asking the equipment room volunteers. In particular, make sure that:
- the weight is born by the hip-belt (not by the shoulder straps)
- the pack is held flat against the back
Canoeing Packs
Typically canoeists will attempt to fit all their gear inside
the pack (as opposed to hikers who strap sleeping mats and even bags on the outside). Thus canoe packs tend to be larger than hiking packs.
Also, since the pack is (supposedly, at least) more often in the bottom of the boat than on someone's back, the shape (or lack thereof...) is optimised to fit in the canoe. Note that external frame packs with their rigid shape fit poorly in a canoe, and can even damage it.
We have some Woods canvas packs -- the archetypical canoe pack we all remember from our camp days, green canvas and leather straps. We also have newer, bigger, packs from Algonquin Outfitters; they boast a hip-belt in addition to the tump line, and are thus more comfortable to portage.
For equipment which needs to stay dry (food, sleeping bags, clothes...), we have two sizes of water-tight barrels:
- 20 litres: a good size for food for a small party on a weekend
trip; also a good size for personal gear. The easiest way to carry
these barrels is to place them inside your pack (they fit in our large
canoe packs). Check the lid and its O-ring before your leave, as the
rubber might stretch and loose its seal.
Note that these are actually olive jars (the containers in which retailers receive olives); you can get your very own from stores such as Vincenzo's, for free! but you have to clean them out of that olive smell...
- 60 litres: these barrels come with a custom harness to ease portaging. Ideal for storing food for large parties; rumour has it that these are even pseudo-bear-proof, saving you the trouble of hanging your food pack. This is from anecdotal evidence only -- we have always left these out overnight, and apparently so has Blackfeather Trips, and there hasn't been a problem yet -- but if you are the cautious type, you might decide to hang the barrel anyway.
Bike Panniers We have Bianchi bike panniers, which attach to standard bicycle racks. We do not provide racks.
Cross-Country Skis
Waterloo will usually get skiable snow by the end of December, and on a typical year, it will last until mid-March. So go out there and enjoy the cold! The Club has two types of cross-country skis:
- waxless: the "fish-scales" on the soles of these skis prevent you
from slipping backwards. These are the easiest type of ski to use --
put 'em on, and you're ready. Please do not put any
type of wax on these skis, you'll only gunk them up. You certainly
won't get any benefit -- no performance improvement, for instance --
out of it. For that, see the next category of skis.
- waxing: with these skis (which have no fishscales), you must use traditional waxes to obtain forward glide and prevent backward glide. Waxing is not actually tricky, although it demands a certain amount of care. Different waxes must be used for different snow conditions; use the wrong one, and it will take you all day to cover 1km... If you do get the wax right, however, the performance advantage over waxless skis is enormous. The Club has a variety of waxes which you may use in the equipment room, but please do not take them with you!
A word about sizing: when you raise your arm straight up, the tip of the skis should reach the palm of your hand. If you have a heavier build, size your skis slightly longer than this. The poles should fit snugly under your armpit. If you wish to try skating (note that our equipment is not at all suitable for proper skating techniques), take longer poles and shorter skis.
Boots should fit snugly enough to give your foot and ankle some support, but loosely enough to allow your blood to circulate freely (otherwise you will get very cold feet).
Snowshoes
If balancing on slats of wood (or fibreglass) isn't your thing, give snowshoeing a try. We have one-size-fits-all snowshoes; most of them have simple pull-on rubber bindings -- just stick your boot in the hole, and you're set. There are also a few strap-and-buckle bindings; with these it is important to really tighten the straps, otherwise they will come off at the worst possible moment (in a 4 foot snowbank, no doubt...)
First Aid Kits
We have an assortment of kits available. Choose the size appropriate for the lenght of your trip and the number of people in your party. Also consider whether or not you want a waterproof case. If you do (you're going on a canoe trip, for example), take one of the kits housed in a PelliCase (hard plastic shell, O-Ring) or Tupperware. Otherwise, you probably don't want to bother with the bulkiness of these boxes.
It is a good idea to look through the kit before you leave, and to make sure you know how to use the contents. The Club has some books and pamphlets on First Aid which you might want to look through.
Please let us know what you have used (if anything) from the kit when you return, so that we know what to replace. And if you find something is missing, let us know that too.
Sundry Small Items
Do you want a tarp? A lightweight tarp (aka an old tent fly)? Tarp poles (aka old tent poles)? A saw? A folding Saw? Rope?
We have all this and more... come by the equipment room and see for yourself.