Touching down on a glass-calm lake by floatplane is an exhilarating experience and the perfect way to arrive for a canoe trip. However, if you’re using this transportation method, you really have to ensure every ounce of gear you bring has earned its place.
Here at Mattice Lake Outfitters, our decades of experience have taught us that smart packing is less about having all the latest gadgets and more about striking the right balance between durability, weight, and versatility. If you’re not sure exactly what to bring, don’t worry. This guide will break down the equipment that consistently proves its worth once the plane’s engine fades and only paddle strokes remain.
Why Packing Light (and Right) Matters
Weight restrictions on floatplanes aren’t suggestions; they’re safety requirements. Keeping total loads within limits ensures reliable take-offs and landings and leaves room for the food and fuel that make remote living comfortable. More importantly, streamlined packs simplify portages and camp setup, letting us spend time fishing, exploring, and soaking in the quiet instead of wrestling with excess baggage.
Canoe and Safety Foundations
Mattice Lake Outfitters offers Kevlar canoe rentals, partly because they combine strength with remarkable lightness. Each paddler will carry a properly fitted life jacket at all times. It’s also wise to have a compact throw rope, bailer, and spare paddle.
Satellite communicators are also a necessity. These palm-sized units will allow you to communicate in the most remote of locations. We can also provide you with a waterproof topographical map, but you’re free to bring a small, handheld GPS if you’d like.
Camps That Keep Spirits High
A good night’s sleep sets the tone for the next day’s paddle. You may want to consider a three-season tent with full coverage flies and aluminum poles that’s strong enough to stand up to ridge-top gusts and light enough for single-person carries. Inside, tapered sleeping pads and down-filled bags rated to at least ‑3 °C handle the surprise cold snaps northern summers occasionally deliver.
Cooking gear should follow the “pots-nest-into-pans” philosophy. One micro-regulator stove and a one-liter fuel canister shared between two paddles cover week-long trips when paired with an anodized aluminum pot set. Utensils should be minimal—a pot lifter, two sporks, and a collapsible mug for morning coffee.
Clothing and Personal Essentials
Layers are always key when canoeing in a place where the weather is as unpredictable as Northwestern Ontario. A moisture-wicking base, a mid-weight fleece, and breathable rain shell adapt to conditions ranging from muggy afternoons to cool, mist-laden dawns. Quick-dry pants with zip-off legs can also be useful. You may want to consider a dedicated dry bag with a merino top, long johns, wool socks, and a knit hat. Slipping into clean layers after a long paddle feels luxurious and preservers morale when weather turns.
Footwear should combine necessity with simplicity. Lightweight hiking boots with ankle support handle rough portages, while neoprene booties make wet-foot landings painless. A small personal kit—biodegradable soap, toothbrush, skin balm, and a few adhesive bandages—occupies less space than a water bottle yet keeps everyone comfortable day after day.
A Nod to the Anglers
Fishing gear deserves its own mention because northern waters an often turn a canoe trip into an angler’s dream. We bring one medium-light spinning setup per paddler, spooled with eight-pound braid, and a fluorocarbon leader. A palm-sized tackle wallet holds quarter-ounce jigs, soft plastics, and two crankbaits in perch and silver patterns. This is enough variety to tempt walleye and pike without weighing down the plane. A compact landing net, folded flat, stows under a seat until the first strike bends a rod.
Packing Strategies for Floatplane Success
Soft-sided portage packs and dry bags mold the aircraft’s cargo bay far better than rigid containers. It’s wise to label each of the bags so critical items are easy to find when we reach the first site. Before each flight, we stage gear on the dock, run a quick weight check, and trim any non‑essentials if necessary.
Embracing a Minimalist Mindset
The farther you paddle from roads, the more tempting it is to overpack for “what-ifs.” Experience shows that thoughtful redundancy—like carrying two ways to make fire—trumps hauling multiple versions of every item. When you pack and maintain trustworthy gear with intention, it frees us to focus on starry skies and the pulse of paddle strokes instead of worrying about broken zippers and leaky tents.
Ready to Pack for Adventure?
When every item has a purpose and every pound earns its ride, travel can become much easier. At Mattice Lake Outfitters, we’ve been preparing people for remote canoe trips for decades. We’re here to lend checklists, share packing hacks, and outfit you with rentals that lighten the load without sacrificing comfort. With the right gear dialed in, you’ll step off the floatplane confident, nimble, and ready to chase those experience that only Ontario’s remote waterways can deliver. Call us toll free at1-800-411-0334 or email us at mattice@walleye.ca to begin planning your trip today!
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