Alright folks, fill me in on what to pack up for camping, I’m running through my list and I wouldnt’ mind suggestions from y’all.
When are you going? That's someplace I've always wanted to go. Pack a flashlight, sleeping bag .... that's all I can think of right now. :)
Coco, here is some info. Have fun at Algonquin.
Algonquin Park is huge. There are many dozens of lakes, most of which have a few widely separated campsites on them. If you really want to "get away from people" for a while, then you should plan on a minimum of 5 days (two days moving out from the point of entry, two days to get back). Naturally, the longer you plan to stay "out," the farther into the park you can get, the fewer and fewer people you will meet, and the heavier and heavier your backpack will be when you start.
You might be tempted to canoe/portage "as fast as possible" for the first half of your trip, to see how far "out" you can get and to take in as much scenery as possible -- which forces you to move fast on your return trip as well -- but you should definitely consider setting aside at least one day to take it very easy, moving very slowly or indeed not at all. Although the scenery is beautiful, it is quite frankly -- aside from a small waterfall here or a strange island with all burnt-out trees there -- pretty much the same in one part of the park as another, so just take it easy and enjoy the scenery where you are. It is a good idea to contact the Park authorities several weeks in advance to ask them about camping conditions. It is an even better idea to ask them to send you a detailed map of Algonquin, and to laminate that map before you arrive. And this brings us to a very important topic.
WATERPROOFING:
You will need to waterproof everything in your backpack. Garbage bags work for clothing. Bring plenty of rope to act as clothesline, just in case. Certain vital necessities that cannot stand water, such as toilet paper, should be double-bagged. Since it is absolutely impossible to avoid getting your feet wet, you should bring TWO pairs of shoes. (Squishing around the campsite all evening in soggy shoes is second only to mosquito bites as a source of mental instability in campers.) Since most of the portages are short, hiking boots are probably not needed; and it should be pointed out that hiking boots, once wet, simply do not dry out during the lifetime of a normal vacation.
FOOD and WATER:
Bring a portable stove; campfires are not allowed from time to time when there hasn't been enough rain. The water in most of the lakes is perfectly drinkable once it has been boiled. Paddling is hard work, so bring large canteens which you can fill each morning with boiled water. A useful trick is to bring gallon milk jugs with screw-on caps: fill with boiled water, seal, and put it the lake for rapid cooling; tie empty jugs to backpacks for buoyancy. Tie the backpacks onto the canoe while paddling. I would hope this one was pretty obvious.
SUNGLASSES are very useful, and very easy to lose.
CAMPSITES are generally well separated from each other. They consist of nothing more than some open space in which to pitch one or two tents (usually with some pine needles for padding), a bare patch of ground to build a fire or set your stove, and an open-box latrine a few dozen meters away. You are responsible for keeping the campsites perfectly clean, which means carrying all of your garbage out with you. Use only biodegradable soap. Some campsites are better than others are. It's a good idea to pick a site and set up camp early, a few hours before sunset. This allows you to pitch tents, cook dinner, go for a leisurely swim, and, most importantly, memorize the path to the latrine, before dark.
CANOEING:
Bring along an extra paddle. It'll be might difficult trying to get back to the entry point one paddle short. Since canoeing involves a lot of sitting, cushion-type floatation devices provide a vital service which vest-types cannot. Lakes are by far the most common features of Algonquin, but there are also rivers, streams, a few marshes, and even a waterfall or two. (Canoeing over a waterfall is not recommended.) On the rivers, expect to encounter beaver dams. The first few will be amusing, but after that you will start thinking thoughts about stylish fur caps.
PORTAGES: a typical day of canoeing in Algonquin will include half a dozen portages. Their length is typically a few hundred meters. A few portages are longer than 1 kilometer, and they should be positively avoided! I can categorically state that you will not be having fun during long portages. Mosquitoes seem to know to congregate at landing sites for portages. You might consider renting a shoulder harness to help carry the canoe. And the extra money it costs to rent the lighter Kevlar canoes are definitely worth it!
Amir's already posted some fantastic advice.
[quote]
Squishing around the campsite all evening in soggy shoes is second only to mosquito bites as a source of mental instability in campers
[/quote]
100% accurate. Not certain whether at this time of the year you'll encounter any mosquitoes at Algonquin. They can be pretty annoying, especially if your tent is pitched close to a lake. You can get mosquito-proof jackets or vests (the latter with long sleeves) - check around places like Canadian Tire. i'd suggest something like mosquito spray as well - don't remember what it's called, it comes in a green, round tube-like container. i'm sure it's available in TO. "Mosquito OFF" or something like that it's called. Extremely effective. You just spray it on your neck and arms. (If you have sensitive skin, better check with a dermatologist before spraying it on your skin... or test-spray a VERY small amount on your wrist).
Bandages and disinfectant cream for insect bites are two other necessities. A first-aid book with visuals on how to make tourniquets etc would be useful. If you're planning on warming up some soups etc. for those cold nights, take a saucepan... water-proof matches... extra batteries for the flashlight... can-opener for the tinned cans... knife, of course. One of those foldable chairs - they also sell them at Canadian Tire... the ones made out of what looks like tough fabric, you can fold 'em very small and carry them around. They're good to sit on if you're planning on doing some reading or something by the lake during the evenings. But if you're going to do hiking, i'd recommend not stuffing too much in your backpack. Nothing sucks during hiking more than having to cart a heavy bag full of useless items.
That's all i'm able to think of right now, might add more later if i remember.
oops sorry for posting twice, check out this website - offers many more tips: http://familymatters.tv/level_3/outdoors/campingessentials.htm Check with the campsite before you leave re: whether or not they supply free kindling/wood. Some do, some don’t. Check beforehand. Might be cheaper to buy your own wood especially if you’re planning on staying more than a couple nights, but some campsites offer free wood access… so check with them what type of options they have.
oh and one item not mentioned in that list is a nail-cutter - incase you chip a nail:o
um okay sorry for consecutively posting twice, just wanted to mention that link.
Thanks a lot Nadia, Amir and Mehnaz. I'll make sure to take tons of pictures for you guys : )
Keep the suggestions rolling folks!
mosquito repellent should be second only to water on ur list! Stock up on double of what you think you'll need, coz you'll end up using it all up eventually.
Have seperate ice boxes for food (sausages, BBQ meat) and drinks. Pepsi and other carbonated drinks are a big no-no if ur planning on extensive hiking- good ol' water is ur best friend there. Take lotsa quarters and loonies if ur gonna call home etc. as cell phones will go dead on you in most areas. Lota and/or TP, soap, disinfectant, first-aid kit, swiss-army knife, 3 sets of knives (eating, cutting rope, cutting/scaling fish & worms), pillows n' blankets, firewood (in bulk from candian tire), coal, flashlights, tent WITH a rain cover on it..
Make sure you've double-checked all ur items before leaving as there's NO place to get supplies once you've gone to ur campsite. In case you need supplies, the last place to stock up will be Hunstsville, after that it's pure, untouched wilderness. You will be able to buy firewood (at overcharged prices) from the local office at the entrance of ur designated lake, but that's about all they have.
For canoeing, Lake Opeango is the best and most scenic spot. If ur in a group of 6 (or similar multiples), it'll be better to take the three 2-seater canoes instead of two 3-seater ones as the latter are more likely to tip over if the party's inexperienced. This lake's pretty deep so you'll hafta be decent swimmers to canoe here though. Otherwise Two Lakes is also a good spot where the water's shallow.
If ur gonna be fishing, don't use small fishes for bait at any cost. There's a $1000 fine all over Algonquin for introducing alien species of fish into their controlled ecosystem. Use worms or artifical fishes, in fact, if ur near Mew Lake there's a Pakistani who owns a bait shop and lodge some 15 kms west of there. If you get a lil' chummy with him he can be a good source for some 'inside information' ;-) . You can't miss his place if ur in the area, it'll be the biggest one in the only stretch of bait shops you'll see, and has a large board of funny worm drawings outside it.
Mew Lake is also the better option if you'll have minors in ur party as it has quite a few facilities, otherwise if you wanna rough it out then Grand Lake or Tea Lake are the best spots to hit, very rugged but very scenic. Not to mention a beautiful beach at the end, complete with mostly untouched volleyball nets. :-P If you're looking for privacy Pog Lake is the best option (if ur planning this on a long weekend, this will also be the first one to get completely booked, so do it well in advance). If ur looking for partying then Two Rivers is the most social one (also one of the few places you'll actually get to see other desis- which are an endangered species in this park lol).
The Eastern Pines is the best one out of the three trails for hiking. Very picturesque and full of wildlife. If you go here, there's prolly no need to trek into Muskoka and further cottage country as it won't even remotely compare to what you'll get to see and experience here.
Happy camping!
w:eek:w. Diablo, how many times have you gone camping ? a-very-jealous-Nadia
Coconut, yes we expect pictures 
At least the ones who responded in this thread should get some 
Nadia, I try to at least once or twice every summer.
edit: pics below have lost out on quality coz had to be resized (thanx for the info Nadia).
[thumb=D]355.JPG[/thumb]
taken right before we were ready to leave. The pic was taken standing in our neighbour's campsite at Great Lake- that blue thing behind the trees is our tent. That's a pretty extreme example coz there's usually alot more vegetation between adjacent campsites but that's how close it can get on the less private lakes. We knew there was going to be less traffic over the weekend we went so we booked one of the not-so-private spot and saved some major $$. :-P
crawled outta the tent one morning to be greeted by this
[thumb=D]1281.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=D]234.JPG[/thumb]
edge of the campsite around midday at Pog Lake.
[thumb=D]344.JPG[/thumb]
the calm, beach at the southern end of Great Lake. The three distant figures in the center of the pic is us trying our hand at 'water polo' :-P . so as ya can see, the water's pretty shallow. my younger cousin can also be seen running towards the water to the left of the pic.
[thumb=D]159.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=D]1271.JPG[/thumb]
the first aquatic glimpse of Algonquin you'll see after miles of nothing but trees.
[thumb=D]215.JPG[/thumb]
err.. deciding to drive off leaving behind a buddy who got off to check out what he thought was a moose. :-P fun times for all.
not some of the best pics out there- the digi cam kinda sucked. the good ones are either too big or were taken with the reg. camera, I dunno where those albums are right now.
I responded!
Diablo, Many many thanks. 
hehe the last pic is funny. There’s no way to shrink the pics here unfortunately (unless you use a program like IrfanView or similar). It’s okay, the pictures you posted were interesting, i’ve never visited Algonquin so i have no idea what it’s like. Went camping a few times around Banff, nothing more.
Many many thanks for sharing the pictures
i responded :D
HSKhan and Rimsh - Not that easily i am afraid. You need to post a list of essential camping items 
None of the items should have been mentioned previously in this thread (j/k)
lost for words.
Me too Nadia. Diablo, the first three pics in the forest are simply stunning.
^^ agree with mehnaz...breath-taking indeed...
coco: already told u dude :D have fun :)
Indispensible items (In order of their importance):
2 torches with extra batteries, , lighters (Or matchsticks, but they can get wet), soap, extra pair of easy on-easy off shoes, extra clothes, a couple of pots, tongs to hold the pots, pillows and blankets, snacks, (Canteens if planning to to go all day hiking, energy drinks preferably, hiking is not just walking 
), enjoyment!
Items you should have:
Lots of film for the memories, deodorant (probably should have put it up top), a backpack, 1. disposable plates, 2. napkins 3. Disposable cutlery, 4. firebricks (items 1 to 4 to be moved to top spot if planning to cook outdoors too and 4 should be lots if novice at lighting fires)…
Items you can do without but good to have:
Cell phone, shaving kit, mirror, firearm, marijuana, wife…
Camping in Canada and America has been made so easy…During your stint with nature, civilization will be easily within your reach yet not close enough to be apparent…During your camping, you will have so many amenities, you hardly need to buy anything before you set off…
Enjoy your trip…
P.S. I hope I posted this in time for you before you left…
that place has breath taking views, n lakes and small water falls!
awsome place. have fun coco :-)
Diablo, awesome pics!!! and great tips too :)
Coco, have fun! And we better see some pics :-)
wish i could have gone there…some members of our group stayed 10 days camping in that park…and touring Canada. Yesterday I saw the pics they took: just awesome :k:
why did i chose NY 
For all that have asked for pics, chanda jama karo disposable batteries ko 