When you all are soloing do you keep anything in your life jacket? I keep a flashlight, cheap rain poncho, emergency blanket, Waterproof matches, a whistle, small first aid kit, knife and an extra compass. If I’d ever loose the canoe in bad weather I’d like to have a fighting chance. This summer I rolled the canoe and on a portage left my canoe on top of a rocky slope by the lakes edge and the wind came along and sent the canoe skipping across the lake on its own. I can laugh now
Mike

fisning license, canoe registration. glasses. leatherman(when i am fishing).

Ditch kit, camera and TP

Emergency blanket, monocular, head net, fire starting equipment. I keep stuff in my pants pocket as I have a cheapo PFD with small pockets. So I have small knife and lighter in my pocket all the time. Food bar of some kind usually as well.

I keep my ditch kit items and a variety of items I might use during the day in the pockets of my PFD, shirt, and pants. PLB, emergency blanket/bivy, firesteel, fire starter, whistle, compass, small platypus and water purification tablets, knife, the day's lunch/snacks, hand sanitizer, insect repellent/sunscreen, bandana, buff, camera, lip balm . . .

Emergency blanket, ferro rod, knife, navsea distress signal

To be honest: old tube of lip balm and the trash from whatever I ate that day while canoeing. That's in the pfd with a single pocket. The other is inflatable and has no pockets.

PLB. Nothing else.

Ditch kit, compass, trash, small clip-on folding knife. If I had the funds to upgrade my PFD, I'd get one with some pockets that are more functional.

Sounds like a commercial. "What's in your pfd? " emergency blanket, waterproof matches, gps

My PFD is the MTI Calcutta. Although the link shows one in and Orange/Tan combination, I've had mine for some time now and it appears to be more Red than Orange. I made a purposeful choice of both color (for visibility) and design (large front pockets). The one of the two pockets is reserved for daily use items (bug repellent, sun screen, lip balm, and head net). This pocket is also frequently used to house a small snack. The second pocket is reserved for survival gear. In this pocket is a small water tight container (ditch kit items) and a space blanket. The ditch kit contains fire starting material (e.g. wet fire or wax impregnated jute that has been braided), small (bic) lighter, fire steel and striker, led bulb w/wire leads plus a button battery (both sides covered with non-conducting taped, a length of fishing line and some tiny lures, heavy nylon thread and needle (repairs and sewing up wounds) and a few other odds and ends. The pocket also contains a survival straw and a lanyard with small knife, compass and emergency whistle attached.

My PLB is attached to the back D-ring of the PFD. I always have a bandana on me (usually around my neck; permethrin treated). I always have a Mora Bushcraft knife on my belt. I also recently receive a gift of an A2S Survival bracelet which provides a small compass, whistle, flint/steel striker (all in the buckle) and a 4 meter length of paracord. I'll probably just stuff that in one of my PFD pockets.

dd

quote muddyfeet: "To be honest: old tube of lip balm and the trash from whatever I ate that day while canoeing. That's in the pfd with a single pocket. The other is inflatable and has no pockets. "

That’s pretty much what I have. It’s where I also keep the TP. Never seen the need for all the other stuff.

Werther caramel wrappers.

Mini cigars, lighter, and GPS. You know - Survival stuff.

Tomster

Like many others, I have some emergency gear, water proof matches, compass, signal mirror, multi-tool.

Bob.

Small first aid/ditch kit, Gerber multi tool, PLB.

butthead

I keep a CO2 cartridge in mine ;-)

Nothing. A bunch of stuff in my various pants pockets.

PLB and a knife.

20-30 feet of spare rope/cord, whistle, power bar. That’s it.

Compass, cell phone for photo purposes in a water proof case. That's it. Some people here must have many more pockets than I do.

Ditch kit, InReach SE, and a few spare lures.