[RosalaPeligrosa]

Hello! I am an experienced canoe country camper here in MN planning an early August trip to Washington. I am doing 1/2 night backcountry hikes in Olympic (beach) and North Cascades. I have all the gear for a long canoeing trip, but wondering if there is anything different to the climate/landscape that I need to purchase/rent? I’m guessing shoes, here I use keen sandles that cover my toes bc its basically water and mud all day, I probably need boots there? Or rain gear, here I pack for big rains and stuff gear in tied plastic bags bc it could tip or storm. Maybe thats overkill there? For bears here, I hoist by bag up a tree w a rope, but I see bear canisters are used there (Required?) Something else I’m missing? If it’s helpful, I don't prefer to spend tons of money for short trips and traveling with a kid who also’s a champ. Thanks in advance!

[Malachai Constant]

Bears here are not particularly bold here and Ursacks are allowed in Cascades but canisters are required on the coast. You definitely will need need covered shoes in cascades and headland trails (although some nature boys go barefoot.) lots of sharp rocks, stickers, devils club, murder hornets, and poison plants around. August is generally benign but rain is always possible.

[InFlight]

Olympic coastline has plenty of raccoons, so hanging food is a dinner invitation. Olympic National park requires canisters on the entire coast and certain interior areas of the park. Eastern portion of park generally allows hanging, but best to check. Might want to download the tide tables beforehand, or an App. Trail Runners are fine. Definitely want the covered shoes.

[RosalaPeligrosa]

I’m glad to hear really heavy rain isn't such common. I never know here and have to pack for the extreme of every possible weather situation, we have it all here. Thank you for all the advice! I didnt know where to get the tide maps, so yes I will print out ahead of time I trust physical over digital.

[RosalaPeligrosa]

Thanks! I will check on the canister rental at olympic then and not worry about Cascades then. I appreciate your help!

[evb89]

Hello! I have done quite a few trips in the boundary waters and live here in washington. A few big differences that others seems to have covered, but I will repeat a few of them. 1 - Bear canisters are 100% required in the olympics and on the coast. Bear vaults are good and light, the park will also rent you one but you should call them to figure out how that works. Personally, I always use the bear can regardless of park requirement. However, it is usually not a requirement in the cascades and when I have gone there campsites have had bear lockers in the back country. Not sure that is true at every site though. 2 - I use trail runners out here, but some boot or trail runner will suffice. Keens would be torture I think, but I usually have worn chacos in the boundary waters so I see where you are coming from. 3 - Not sure how you do your boundary water trips, but I usually pack/bring WAY more than I do when I go backpacking since the canoe carries the weight and portages generally arent that long. Make sure you have a legit hiking backpack and not one of those portage bags, if you are planning on doing any mileage. 4 - Bugs aren't as bad as boundary waters, but august can be buggy so I would bring a headnet. 5 - I also just put my gear in a trash bag in my backpack in case of rain so I think your system holds up. A rainjacket or poncho should suffice in august, it usually isn't that rainy and if it is it is short lived. 6 - On the coast you need to be careful about water filtration. I believe you need a sawyer filter or similar type filter as drops and tabs do not work as well for some of the bacteria out there. I think it is called Cryptosporidium? Also I have always found water on the coast to be challenging to find/gather. Might have been dependent on the campsites I have used, but probably best to have some way to port water from the trailhead to camp. 7 - +1 on the tide charts. It is not a consistent thing so you need to understand when high and low are so you don't get stuck somewhere. Hope that helps!

[thunderhead]

You may have enough clothes already but the more rugged parts of the north cascades often drop to freezing even on summer nights. Now these are generally calm wind nights so its not exactly severe weather or anything like that but its worth mentioning.

[RosalaPeligrosa]

Would you say a mid or heavy silk or merino base layer than? I use medium in the bwca.

[thunderhead]

I dunno about your other layers or exact temp preferences but my standard summer nighttime in-camp layering is a basic lightweight base layer, a fleece mid layer, a standard mini-puffy, and my hardshell. Lightweight gloves and hoods on when it gets coldest. My wife would have something even heavier. If i was going for the highest most rugged north cascades spots or in obvious cold air drainage/glacial cirque spots i often bring my full mountain puffy. We also like to sit out stationary for a while with a bottle of wine so i bias towards pretty comfy gear.

[RosalaPeligrosa]

Ok great to know, definitely more than here. That is super helpful.

[Randito]

Where are you thinking of paddling in WA? FWIW: I've done overnights on lakes: Ozette, Chelan, Ross, Diablo, Kachess, Cooper and Wanumpum. I've also canoe and kayak camped on the inland salt waters in Puget Sound and in the San Juans. Paddling in the San Juans is nice, but you need a tide and current chart and know how to use it -- much of the trouble that folks get into paddling in the San Juans involves getting capsized by waves and swirls that results from tidal currents. https://www.wwta.org/ If you are going travel all the way out here from MN -- you might want to paddling in British Columbia they have some amazing paddling locations 1) Bowron canoe circuit -- https://bcparks.ca/reservations/backcountry-camping/bowron-lake-canoe-circuit/ 2) Murtle Lake -- the largest non-motor lake in North America https://bcparks.ca/wells-gray-park/murtle-lake/ 3) Desolation Sound -- salt water -- but because it is well sheltered behind Vancouver Island the waters are 10F warmer and the tidal currents ignorable https://bcparks.ca/desolation-sound-marine-park/

[RosalaPeligrosa]

Hi! Im not planning on canoeing, we are going to do back country hiking and camping. I don't understand the ocean enough to feel comfortable canoeing in it, but maybe I should consider it. We are going to the islands for two days. Thanks for the recomendations.

[Eric Hansen]

One layering hack is to wear your sleeping bag while sitting around camp in the evening/morning. Cut down an old Z rest or foam pad for a cushion to sit on, prop your pack against a rock or tree for a backrest and reasonable comfort, and warmth, are yours.

[Randito]

One of the area you indicated so far are in the Olympics coastal zone. Even it early August it might rain or be foggy. Also note that in addition to bears the coastal raccoons are quite habituated to humans -- so in addition of bear canisters, it is useful to have trekking poles -- I've had to lay a beating on raccoons that were fighting among themselves at 2AM over which of them got to try and raid my food cache. (even though they had no chance of breaking it to it -- they could still smell the food) The North Cascades is a large region with a wide range of weather conditions. On the West side of the mountain crest (e.g. Rainy Pass) the weather is cooler and damper and the forest vegetation can be very thick. Further east it dries out and the trees become more widely spaces (and the species shift from Douglas Fir to Ponderosa Pines and Larch at higher altitudes). Further east the daily high temperature and the daily low temperature are higher and lower than on the west side. Sun protection is more important (full brimmed hats, sunglasses, suncreen)

[thunderhead]