 | Algonquin Provincial Park Packing Lists | Tips 1 - 9 of 9 |  |
Popular Packing Lists | Miscellaneous Packing Lists Tips | All Tips (9) Backpack is essential, you will have to carry all your gear and food through the forest to get to each lake.
Good sturdy boots and rain gear as you will likely encounter all kinds of weather and roots on the trail make sandals a no no for portaging.
Circular polarizer to cut down on glare and bring out the clouds. Zoom for wildlife.
Good tent to protect you from insects and rain and small camp stove for more environmentally friendly cooking.
Do yourself a favor and rent a nice light canoe like the Kevlar Ultralight. Your shoulders will be glad you did. Leave a Comment
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The conditions in Algonquin vary quite a bit, one moment you walk in dark forest, the next you are standing on a sunny lookout point. To get the best out of these conditions I use a 200 ISO film. I normally prefer a 100 ISO but in the woods that's not always so practical. I don't have a tripod with me on my hikes and with a 100 film I often don't have enough light to take photos.
A must for me is my circular polarizing filter. I use this filter a lot (it's actually the only filter I use). It's a great tool to filter the reflection out of the sky, which makes the sky look more blue and all the colours more vibrant. If you have an SLR camera I can really recommend buying one for your lens! And if you do, try to make it a B&W, it's a bit more expensive, but it's certainly worth it! The disadvantage of the filter is that it takes away a bit of the light you have, so when there is just enough light I can't use the filter.
The camera I use is a Minolta Maxxum 7 and I mainly use two lenses. A 28-80mm (for landscape photos) and a 70-300mm, both lenses have macro options for my close up photos. I love making close ups of flowers, hahaha, as you probably noticed, so this is a great lens to have. I love to use the 300 mm lens to zoom in and try to take photos of wildlife. If the animal is far away, like in the moose photo, I use my 400mm lens instead. Leave a Comment
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 | |  |  | Protecting against mosquitos | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
As you could read in my warning tip it's best to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes because of the West Nile Virus. Here are some useful tips to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes:
Pack light coloured and long-sleeved clothing that includes long sleeved shirts or jackets, long pants, shoes, and tuck pants into socks for extra protection.
Hahaha, as you could see in these pictures I didn't follow this advice myself. The mosquitoes weren't 'that' bad on my visit... yep, there were still plenty, hahaha, but I've seen worse! So I choose to wear clothes that I find comfortable and use insect repellent on the unprotected areas.
Besides the right clothing it is necessary to use insect repellent. Use a federally regulated insect repellent containing DEET when mosquitoes are biting. Adults may use an insect repellent that contains no greater than 30% DEET and no greater than 10% for children. Apply the repellent to exposed skin, and clothing as well, because mosquitoes may bite through fabric. Do not apply repellent under clothing. If you don't like to use a repellent containing DEET there are some alternatives on the market. I have no clue how effective those are though. Another good tip is to limit the use of colognes, perfumes, and scented body lotions that can attract mosquitoes and other biting insects
Ontario Parks has a special section about the mosquitoes and West Nile Virus on it's website. You can find lots more info and answer to many questions on this website :
http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/general_wn.html
I have been concentrating on the mosquitoes in this tip, hahaha, but I forgot to mention those irritating black flies! Phew, those know how to bite you as well! But luckily they can't give you West Nile Virus. If you use these tips mentioned above you'll be protected against the black flies as well.
It all may sound very complicated and not inviting to go to the parks, but please don't let this stop you. The bugs are irritating, but with these few simple precautions I am sure you will have a fantastic time and it will be safe to visit :-)
Leave a Comment Website: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/general_wn.htm
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| | | | First Aid and Second Skin | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Light, good quality backpack and sleeping bag. Small tent to fit in small camp sites.
Extra socks and light shoes to wear around the campsite. You'll want good hiking boots, as some of the portage trails are very challenging.
A good first aid kit, toilet paper (or get used to using leaves), and tylenol.
Be prepared for low-light shots, spectacular wide-angle landscape shots, and telephoto animal shots.
Knife, insect repellant, gloves,
pack your food in separate bags, in case a bear or racoon finds one. Always hang them in a tree, or you will find your bags have been dragged into the woods overnight. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Going for a hike | Tip Rating: | | | | |
When you go on a day hike it's good to take a few things along with you.
* First of all the bug repellent (see the next tip for more info).
* Sunscreen! The sun can be suprisingly strong and a sunburn is easily caught.
* Water! Hahaha, when you've done a climb uphill you certainly get thirsty. So bring plenty of water for your hike. Never use the water in the park but use bottled water.
* A park map and a trail guide. Mostly the trails are marked quite well, but it's always great to have a map and/or a trail guide with you so you keep track of where you are and how far you still have to go. The trail guides are mostly available at the start of the hike, but sometimes you have to buy them at the campground store.
* Bring some snacks! During a hike I always get very hungry and it's great to have something to eat or snack during the hike or on a break. I always have some candy, apple or sandwich with me.
It's wise to bring a first aid kit on your hike...... hmmm.... I have to admit that I am guilty of not bringing this with me myself, but I think it is better if you would. I do have my plasters with me in case I get blisters on my feet. When I feel I get one I always use them to protect it from getting worse.
Okay, this one is obvious... bring your camera and film! And lots of it! When you have a digital don't forget to bring some spare batteries and maybe extra memory cards to store you photos. I've made a separate tip on the photo equipment I use, so take a look there if you are interested in reading more about it.
Besides bringing water on your hike, also make sure to have plenty of bottled water with you for on your campsite. In a lot of the parks the water isn't of drinking quality. If you do want to use this water make sure you boil the water for at least 5 minutes. A lot of parks have a boil water order in effect. When I was in Algonquin they were working hard on the water quality, but still had the 'boil water order' in effect as a precaution. When there is a 'boil water order' you will be informed by the park with signs at the water taps.
An easy moment that you forget about this rule is while brushing your teeth, so don't rinse your mouth with the campground water! The good news is that the parks are working on it to solve the problems.
Leave a Comment Website: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/general_wn.htm
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If you want to hike any of the park's more demanding trails, or even carve your own then make sure you have a sturdy and comfortable pair of shoes (preferably with ankle support incase you slip). Leave a Comment
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