This Unique Style Of Camping Is Perfect For Outdoor Enthusiasts Who Love Water Activities

People have been using canoes to get around for at least 8,000 years, making these simple vessels older than the pyramids, Stonehenge, and even the Great Wall of China. There is evidence of historic canoes everywhere, spanning continents and timelines: Neolithic explorers paddled canoes along the Mediterranean coasts millennia before the existence of Ancient Greece. Polynesian people used outrigger canoes to migrate across the Pacific Ocean, and indigenous peoples used dugout and birchbark canoes to navigate North American lakes and rivers. After all this time, the fundamental design has barely changed. Why mess with a good thing?

Today, canoes are fantastic for camping. Much like our ancestors placed their belongings in the bottoms of their canoes and floated from one encampment to the next, modern outdoorspeople can paddle machine-made boats to established campsites and set up nylon tents next to the water. Canoes are tough, spacious, and versatile; you can travel alone or in a group, which makes them a great option for families. Using a paddle effectively takes some practice, but it's not rocket science. Canoes are suited to all kinds of water-based activities, but perhaps aren't the obvious choice for camping enthusiasts.

If you've never put canoeing and camping together, the process might look daunting. Tent camping is a lot less intimidating, with numerous tips out there from seasoned explorers. Yet canoeing is among the safest and easiest pastimes you can enjoy on the water, and, when combined with camping, most people get the hang of it quickly.

Canoes come in many sizes and materials, from aluminum to wood to fiberglass. The traditional seating is a horizontal surface fitted between the gunwales, but you'll also find some with foldable chairs, allowing you to sit back. Large canoes can usually seat three or four people, making them a great choice for small groups and families, though most can technically be paddled solo (seated in the far stern). Canoes are generally buoyant in the water; as long as everyone moves deliberately and stays in the middle of the bilge, there's little risk of capsizing.

One of the main differences between a kayak and a canoe is that the latter tends to be bigger and heavier. That said, a fit adult should be able to drag or even lift a canoe without any issues. This portability makes canoes ideal for "portaging," the process of transporting the vessel overland from one body of water to another.

For campers, canoes are handy because they can easily carry all your stuff. This is a relieving alternative to stuffing equipment into backpacks and heaving them onto your shoulders. Canoes can carry hundreds of pounds of baggage and still glide smoothly across the water. The canoe functions almost like a mobile storage unit, so you can keep your belongings organized and easily access any zipper or pocket at will. On your way, you can take a break, fix a snack, snap pictures, or pull the canoe ashore and stretch your legs.

Naturally, the most important aspect of canoe camping is safety: Pick the proper model, bring the right number of people, and take on reasonable waterways. No matter how well you swim, you should always wear a life jacket and choose quick-drying clothing materials instead of cotton. While it's always challenging to relieve yourself on a canoe trip, drink lots of water — paddling burns a lot of energy, and you can get dehydrated without realizing it. Canoes are fantastic for exploring wetlands, but standing water is the main breeding ground for mosquitoes, so insect repellent is a must.

Before you go, keep an eye on weather reports, as canoes offer no shelter from rain. Bring sunblock, headgear, and sunglasses on bright days. Canoes expose you to sunburn, and light reflecting off the water can actually damage your eyes, a condition known as photokeratitis. Heavy winds can also slow down your progress, so if you're expecting a blustery day, you may want to factor this into your timetable. A similar hangup is an irregular water level, as canoes may struggle to navigate draught-stricken streams, and maps may outline a very different shoreline during floods.

When you arrive at a campsite — or any land — make sure to pull your canoe all the way onto firm ground. You don't want to end up watching in horror as your canoe dislodges and drifts downriver. Take special care of yourself during your overnight, as canoe-camping often places you in remote locations that are difficult to leave or access in an urgent situation. To help, bring enough supplies and use simple hacks that can make finding your medical kit easier in emergencies (like using a red ribbon or hair tie to mark where it is).