So a topic I thought might be worth poking at…

What’s in your pockets?

When you are in on a trip and it’s a travel (paddle/portage) day…what do you have on you?

Let’s assume it is pants pockets and PFD…

My pants pockets:
Headnet
Neck buff
Lighter
$ clip (one cc, a couple bills, DL & insurance card)
Ziplock w/ passport (Quetico, etc), permit, RABC, ON fishing license, one page 2nd backup map.
Bandana
Readers
Paddle gloves
Pocket knife

PFD:
Firestarting kit & emergency blanket (cold water season)
Tethered Phone
InReach
Compass
Whistle
Forceps, also tethered
Line snips
Stringer
Possibly a snack

Pocket:
Hankerchief
folding knife
lighter
fishing license


PFD:

Compass
lighter
small fixed blade


I try to go light

@sns - how many pants you wearing to fit everything in them pockets?
On my solo trips I wear Original bug shirt which has large front pocket and I stuff it with bug juice, extra head net, microfiber cloth for glasses and small handkerchief to wipe sweat. There's a compass, knife and whistle in the lifejacket pocket (these are items rarely required on portages). Everything else I like to keep handy, including lunch, camera, water filter, heavy booze and small first aid kit is in my thwart bag.

Hmm, in pockets &/or in / attached to life jacket, I may have:
compass
whistle
survival kit (small enough to fit in cargo pocket of pants)
pocketknife
matches
chapstick
bandana
sunglasses
leatherman
headnet in season
Ziplock with DL, insurance card, $, car key, permit
Probably a snack if a long portage

EddyTurn: "@sns - how many pants you wearing to fit everything in them pockets?
On my solo trips I wear Original bug shirt which has large front pocket and I stuff it with bug juice, extra head net, microfiber cloth for glasses and small handkerchief to wipe sweat. There's a compass, knife and whistle in the lifejacket pocket (these are items rarely required on portages). Everything else I like to keep handy, including lunch, camera, water filter, heavy booze and small first aid kit is in my thwart bag."

I like the idea of heavy booze in thwart bag. May start doing that.

Moonpath: "

EddyTurn: "@sns - how many pants you wearing to fit everything in them pockets?
On my solo trips I wear Original bug shirt which has large front pocket and I stuff it with bug juice, extra head net, microfiber cloth for glasses and small handkerchief to wipe sweat. There's a compass, knife and whistle in the lifejacket pocket (these are items rarely required on portages). Everything else I like to keep handy, including lunch, camera, water filter, heavy booze and small first aid kit is in my thwart bag."

I like the idea of heavy booze in thwart bag. May start doing that.
"

I'm thinking heavy booze in all bags

As an aside, we once had a bear come into our camp while encamped at a site along the horse portage. This was in the evening. We shagged it away. When we turned in for the night, I had thoughts that the bruin may return, if not during the night, then likely at dawn. I decided to sleep fully clothed, as I did not want to end up spending the night scantily clad in mosquito infested woods if it came to that. This necessitated emptying the pockets of my tried-and-true light way cargo canoe pants. All that STUFF (previously listed) went in a little pile next to my head, along with my bear spray at the ready. My spouse made me take a photo of my 'little' pile!
BTW, the bear did return in the morning, this time a bit more stubborn. After some heated dialogue, it left and we left, toot sweet!

Fjallraven pockets;

Nat Geo BWCA East map
Winter beanie hat
SPF 100
Lifestraw Peak water bladder (on belt loop)
iPhone 16 (no case, I live dangerously)


Stohlquist Fisherman PFD;

Compass
Mylar blanket
Laminated fishing license (small printout)
Safety whistle
Sea To Summit head net
Bungee-dealee-bobs (4)
Lighter
Waterproof matches
Joker Avispa neck knife

Pockets: nothing. I hate the feeling of weight in my pockets

PFD (clipped on or in pockets): sunscreen, head net, compass, whistle, fire starting kit, rescue knife, mylar blanket, permit, ID, SOS locator

Good bear story. Glad it heeded your tooting, which can have several denotations.

Phone on one side cargo pocket, pouch of Redman on the other side, bug net in another pocket, leatherman and fire starter on my belt.

I carry the same items in my pants pockets whether I'm tripping or not (except maybe a map at times).

right front pocket:
-multitool
-bic lighter
-small pencil
-chap stick
-small AAA flashlight

cell phone in my left front pocket (might go in my PFD pocket at times as well)

wallet in my rear right pocket (or a front/cargo pocket if I'm paddling a long time).

Strapped to my PFD I have:
-PLB
-whitewater knife (with a blunt tip),
-whistle
-compass

In my PFD pocket:
-another lighter
-water purification tablets
-emergency blanket
-some small diameter cordage
-bug lotion (sometimes)
-sunscreen (sometimes)

Sometimes I might have some whitewater/pin recovery gear attached/in my PFD as well, but not usually in the BWCA.

Lighter, preferably Djeep, a 2oz bottle of Ben's repellant if the bugs are up.