What’s your most useful piece of gear you bring that’s often overlooked?

Sea Anchor. Slowing my drift, especially on solo trips, is very helpful at times.

Tarp
Knife
Cordage

A large forceps type pliers.

Basketball nets that are used for anchors.

Tie off the bottom, put a rock in the net, then thread your anchor rope through the top loops and tie it off. You can also tie your anchor rope to a carabiner, then hook the loops that way. It doesn’t get more simple and functional. We have one for the bow and the stern.

Bug zapper for each tent.

Cot with air mattress when base camping with bungee cords to tie air mattress at feet end to keep mattress on cot.

Painters for the canoe - for tying up, lining.

Buff - Insect Shield, UV 50+ protection, provides considerable extra warmth for the weight.

Plackers - for flossing.

boonie: "Painters for the canoe - for tying up, lining. "

Me too! A couple other things are a raincoat and a First aid kit that has some things like matches, space emergency blanket, life straw, etc. It gets opened about once every couple of years., but when it's needed, it's invaluable! Only used a Space Emergency blanket once in my life, but that one time saved me from hypothermia as I waited for an ambulance at the access. I was soaked to the bone and it was February.

Chapstick

if you're a food hanger - a shooter line.

This is a 50' length of very thin cordage (mason line, arborist line, 550 cord etc) attached to a 4oz bullet type sinker. Shooter line is used to hang the rope that will be used to hang the food pack. Much easier than trying to get a 1/4" line on that one perfect limb surrounded by a mess.

Bonus is that it doubles as a clothesline.

PS - be careful - the idea of getting hit in the head with a 4oz lead sinker from 30 feet up is pretty terrifying.

Paper clips (black binder type) to use as clothes pins. Either way having something to keep your clothes hanging on the line while drying is a plus versus having them on the ground.

My fillet board!

AmarilloJim: "
My fillet board!"

How thick is that fillet board and how do you pack/travel with it?

Canoe chair/cushion/backrest contraption.
Purell-style hand sanitizer (clean hands in a jiffy, and can be used as a fire starter in a pinch.)

Have to say painters, too. Without those to tie down canoe, the strong winds would wisk it away. Flying, spinning canoes!

Lots of good ideas above and we definitely use painter lines. This is an important point because I have not seen them provided outfitters, at least when renting just a canoe.

And another nod to emergency blankets. The first night my wife and I ever slept together was under one on the bench seat of a broken down pickup truck. And we just slept. We weren’t even dating yet. We hiked out the next morning and got help.

I’ll throw in a trick I picked up here but haven’t seen mentioned lately. Put a roll of TP and a bottle of hand sanitizer in a plastic food container or plastic coffee canister. Place it at the bottom of the trail to the loo. If you see it then the throne is open for use. If not, then someone is up there. We adopted this on a trip that was 6 of our nephews, their Dad, me, and my wife. She didn’t want to count to 8 every time she wanted to head up the trail. Worked perfectly and the sanitizer makes it easy for people to stay healthy.

fresh body wipes. for a quick rinse.

wifishncanoe: "

AmarilloJim: "
My fillet board!"

How thick is that fillet board and how do you pack/travel with it? "

It's just a piece of paneling with a couple coats of polyurethane(very light). I just throw it under my forward seat when portaging along with my yak and spare paddle and it has never fallen out yet. I suppose you could just wrap a thingamabob around it and a seat if you wanted.

Nite Ize Rubber twist ties that you can get from Home Depot. Got two for my canoe paddles for when I portage. Tie the paddles together and they don't twist around in my hands as I portage. Also Bungee Dealee Bobs works great too.

Leather gloves for handling hot pots when cooking over the fire or on the stove. Also great for rainy days, help grip the paddle.

Sunglasses. I bring three pairs, all polarized. I would hate to be without a pair on a cloudless July day while I am trying to fish.

Ursack. One of my favorite past times is watching people try and hang a food bag in the dark, especially where there are no suitable trees, which is almost everywhere in the Boundary Waters.

I like my spliced painters for their security. I also like my spliced unattached ropes with carabiners for securely and quickly attaching my canoe to a tree. My extremely bright flashlights are also useful.

BobDobbs: "if you're a food hanger - a shooter line.


This is a 50' length of very thin cordage (mason line, arborist line, 550 cord etc) attached to a 4oz bullet type sinker. Shooter line is used to hang the rope that will be used to hang the food pack. Much easier than trying to get a 1/4" line on that one perfect limb surrounded by a mess.


Bonus is that it doubles as a clothesline.


PS - be careful - the idea of getting hit in the head with a 4oz lead sinker from 30 feet up is pretty terrifying."

We use a softball with an "I" bolt screwed into it. We tie the "shooter" line to that.

Sturdy needle, sturdy thread

Good hand lotion

Homemade fire starters

I use my LightMyFire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Army version often. I light stoves, my campfires, my charcoal grill at home ect.

I don't leave home without one.

OCDave: "I use my LightMyFire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Army version often. I light stoves, my campfires, my charcoal grill at home ect.


I don't leave home without one."

I go thru these so I buy Light My Fire Swedish Fire Steel Mini's or more often FireSteel GobSpark Ranger 1/2 dozen at a time. Keep one with my stove another in my pocket. Always several in the garage. Inexpensive to use as trinket gifts for tripping partners.

butthead

Bahco folding saw. Fits in the thigh pocket of my tripping pants, is light weight and comes with a high quality long lasting Swedish steel blade. Orange in the handle makes easier to see than the camo version when laid down (don't ask me how I know this).

BobDobbs: "if you're a food hanger - a shooter line."

+1

Gravity filter

BearBurrito: "Gravity filter"

+1

Honda 2000 Generator, super quiet, starts with ease

I have this small soft sided cooler from the 1980's that I use for my lunch and also for holding fish filets after I clean and ziplock them. It's indispensable for me. It doesn't let chocolate melt like a zip lock would.

Minnesotian: "
Sunglasses. I bring three pairs, all polarized. I would hate to be without a pair on a cloudless July day while I am trying to fish.
"

Yes! One trip way back when I broke my glasses with no back up. That sucked and ever since I bring two regular prescription pair, 1 prescription sunglasses, and one sunglass pair that will fit over my regular glasses in a pinch. And I always use a lanyard around my neck when wearing any glasses. The old Navy Seal saying "2 is 1, and 1 is none" applies here.

Two 1" ratchet straps. Works great for getting ropes super tight for large tarps.

BearBurrito: "Gravity filter"

+1
One of the best upgrades I made. We now take filtered water for granted.

My two wheel hand truck... in case I have to help ragged get his generator across a portage... painter lines in case the pull start rope fails on said generator. And a good rain fly to keep it dry!
Spare paddle would be my addition.

nctry: "My two wheel hand truck... in case I have to help ragged get his generator across a portage... painter lines in case the pull start rope fails on said generator. And a good rain fly to keep it dry!
Spare paddle would be my addition."

Thanks, my back will be hurting after getting the 2-20lb propane cylinders across, not to mention the keg

I steal a few of my Bride's hair bands. A bit thicker than a rubber band - works like a charm to secure up the garbage sack inside my portage pack.

Ragged: "

nctry: "My two wheel hand truck... in case I have to help ragged get his generator across a portage... painter lines in case the pull start rope fails on said generator. And a good rain fly to keep it dry!
Spare paddle would be my addition."

Thanks, my back will be hurting after getting the 2-20lb propane cylinders across, not to mention the keg"

Don't knock the keg. It's a good way to transport beer into the boundary waters for bachelor parties and base camping. Especially good for large lakes at the EP with lots of camp sites so you can holler to your neighbors.

BuckFlicks: "Canoe chair/cushion/backrest contraption. "

+1. I could never fish all day without this.

Chair.