Bowron Lakes Circuit

Basic Logistics - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Gear - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Navigation and Maps - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Leadership - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Weather - Bowron Lakes Circuit
International Travel - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Flora and Fauna - Lakes Circuit
Previous Adventures - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Disclaimer

There are significant dangers associated with both Open Water and Moving Water canoe outings.  Units undertaking a Scouting Adventure on either a large body of water or moving water need more than just the basic skills and knowledge required by the BSA to conduct such a trip safely.

Our Troop has several adults with extensive experience and professional training in watercraft use, sailing and whitewater.  If you are planning a Canoe trip and do not have an experienced adult leader able to assess flow rates, wind and "read water", you should reconsider a water outing until you have the proper resources and people to make your trip safe. 

We are happy to talk to you if you have questions. 

Equipment

• Per pre-trip information booklet [PDF] 

• Generic Packing list: nwscouter.com/PackingLists/PackingLists-CanoePacking.htm

The list below is the minimum needed to safely paddle the circuit. Please ensure you bring these items. Luxuries (i.e. folding chairs) are nice, but remember you will have to carry everything on portages. For your safety, please ensure you can load all equipment and people in your canoe & still have at least 15cm (6”) of freeboard when the canoe is in the water. (Freeboard is the vertical distance between the water and the lowest point on the rim of the canoe.) Try this at home before you leave. Less than 15 cm of freeboard means either too much gear or too small a canoe.

Paddling

• Canoe or sea kayak

• Paddles, plus 1 spare paddle/boat

• Life jacket/PFD - one per person 

• Two 15m (50ft) 5 mm (min.) diameter ropes for tying canoes

• Bailer & sponge 

• Sunscreen/sun hat/sunglasses 

• Waterproof pants, jacket and hat 

• Sneakers that can be wet/all terrain sandals

• High-Energy snack/lunch food

• Map of the lakes 

  • Park brochure

• Water bottles

• Waterproof containers for 1st 60llbs of equipment (if using cart) & rope to tie into the boat

• Survival kit - one for each paddler 

  • Fanny pack with emergency blanket, fire starter, matches and snack food

Portaging

• Large backpack/portage pack with hip belt

• Hiking boots and socks

Clothing

• Use polyester or wool clothing, and dress in layers

• A fleece or wool hat is really nice to have

• NO Cotton!

  • Jeans and other cotton items are not suitable for the circuit

  • Weather can be cold & wet for days at a time, and cotton holds the damp against the skin.  This can cause hypothermia.  

Camping

• Matches/lighters in waterproof container

• Fire starter, e.g. candles

• Flashlight/headlamp & spare batteries

  • One FULL 4oz canister of fuel should be enough for one Scout

• One-burner portable stove and fuel

• Food

  • Dehydrated food recommended

  • Canned food is heavy 

  • Fresh food may not keep

  • Plan each meal: measure out the food, then double-bag it to keep it dry

• Garbage bags

• Pocket knife/Swiss Army type recommended

• Spoon, fork, bowl, cup

• Pots - lightweight nesting style

• Scrubby for cleanup

• Wash kit-small towel, toothbrush, comb, contact lens solution, medications, etc.

• Toilet paper

• Insect repellent

• First aid kit and blister kit

• Axe - one per party

• Water treatment system, e.g. filter and collapsible water jug

• Tent - good quality with waterproof fly and mosquito netting

• Tarp/heavy duty plastic sheet - for keeping rain off your gear

• String/rope to hang tarp

• Sleeping bag (0°C or 32°F), or warmer in the shoulder seasons

  • Night time temps did drop into the 30s in August at times

• Sleeping bad - closed cell foam or "Therm-a-Rest" type

Boots

Having the right footwear is important.  Portages are more difficult than you might think and feet will constanty get wet on the Bowron.

If your feet are constantly wet, you can develop Immersion Syndrome, which will result in a medivac, an end to our trip, and possibly permanent nerve damage. 

Do NOT use Waterproof Boots. Do NOT use Gortex Boots.  Do NOT use Rubber Boots.  These trap water around your skin instead of draining and will lead to injury of your foot on the Bowron. 

We will be getting in and out of boats multiple times a day, which will soak any footwear you bring.  If you wear shoes filled with water all day, the skin on your feet will fall apart.  You need shoes that drain and plenty of dry socks. 

Northern Tier (Scouting High Adventure Camp on Boundary Waters) requires ankle high boots that either have mesh material or built in drain holes to allow water to escape from the boots for their canoe trips.  Boots should also be quick drying, so cutting holes in sneakers won’t work as well as you might think it will since most sneakers take a long time to dry out.  Ankle high boots were NOT necessary for this trip in 2026.  

This is what Northern Tier sells in their shop: store.ntier.org/footwear/boots 

The old Moab Ventilators were made with mesh fabric that drains out water and dries quickly.  You can still find the Merrell Moab Ventilators online (maybe these? amazon.com/dp/B01HFA8WV6).  If you get them – do NOT get a waterproof version.  The new Moab 3 made from mesh according to the internet, but I haven’t checked them out yet.  

Some of our Adult Leads wore modern jungle style boots with drain holes.  Danner makes a few models, but these are overpriced and overkill for this trip, though they did work well.  Fake Jungle boots can be found for less than $40, but quality and fit are a gamble.  

Transparency – if you ask what others have used at Bowron, it ranges from Crocs (often resulting in blisters) to sandals to sneakers to old trail runners to hiking boots to full sized rubber boots.  

NOTE: on Day 1, make sure all Scouts have their boots on for the first portage.  At least one Scout left them in a vehicle to save on weight.  Getting them out of the truck delayed our start time, but not getting them would have be worse. 

What actually worked on Bowron:

• What worked best was having a set of hiking boots, plenty of dry socks and a pair of water shoes

  • Wear the correct shoes for the situation

    • Boots (or trail runners) and dry socks for dirt trails

    • Water shoes or Crocs for getting in and out of boats and for swimming

    • Dry footwear for camp

    • Take the time at each transition point to change into the correct footwear
      
      

• Water shoes and Crocs were generally fine for getting in and out of the canoe and will spare yours socks from getting wet

  • You MUST stand in the water to get in and out of your boats to prevent damaging the bottom of your boat

    • Your feet will get wet every single time you get in and out of your canoe - that's just the way it is
      
      

• For portaging, hiking boots with dry socks worked best - just switch out before you get back to water shoes in the water

  • Plan to change socks and allow your feet to dry out in camp

  • Plan for more than a day for each pair of socks to fully dry out if it's sunny

    • If its cloudy, you will transport wet sock from camp to camp

  • Portaging in Crocs will lead to blisters

    • Rocks and sticks can enter or poke through holes in Crocs

    • One Scout had such an injury in 2026
      
      

• For Swimming - Water shoes work best

  • We had a PDF and shoe policy for swimming
    
    

• A few spots required you to get out of your boat and "float" or drag your canoe in shallow water

  • Specific locations of concern:

    • Getting in and out of Rum Lake to access Site 42

    • Bobcock Creek is too shallow to paddle all the way to the portage site

    • Shallows in Cariboo River if you don't follow a good line

    • Muddy shore at entrance to Isaac Lake

      • If you go in really muddy area, the mud will try to steal your footwear

  • Hiking boots work, but will obviously get soaked 

    • Ventilated boots are preferred

  • Water shoes worked OK

    • Offer minimal protection to the side of your feet against sharp sticks and rocks

  • Crocs must be in "sports mode" and were at risk of getting lost

    • In the rare event that a stick pokes through a hole in your Crocs, you can have an evac level injury

  • Combat boots that drain worked the best

    • For Day 7, the portages are short and you will need to get out of your canoe several times to float it in shallow water

    • Combat boots allow for solid traction and real protection both in shallows and on portages
      
      

• The last portage before Isaac Lake is really muddy on the Isaac Shore

  • Go left down very muddy trail for best results - your feet will get wet

  • If you go off the dock instead, the mud will try to take your footwear

    • Shoes that slip on (instead of being tightly laced up) are easily lost here

Not Required but Recommended

• Swimsuit

• Bear pepper spray

  • Must say "Bear Use Only"

  • This was carried by each adult leader and a few Scouts

  • Bear River Mercantile has a box of used cans you can take for free

    • Return it when you are done

    • They feel full but look really old

    • NO guarantee they will work

• Camera and film 

  • Having a professional grade camera and someone who knows how to use it is HIGHLY Recommended

• Canoe/kayak cart for portages (see rules)

  • A cart should NOT be consider optional 

• Binoculars

• Field guides to birds, plants, etc.

Gear in Canada

In 2026, One Scout went ultralite per the advice of their parent.  That Scout froze each night and slept on hard ground.  We also had to stop by the Walmart on way to Bowron to stock up on food supplies for him and others.  There are ways to avoid this, such as doing a shakeout prior to or on the way to Bowron.  Once you pass Quesnel, resupply is limited to what the Bowron outfitters have on their shelves or available to rent and those options are very limited and expensive.  

You may have luck finding gear at

• Rocky Peak Adventure Gear

  • 337 Reid St

  • +1 250-992-2947

• Keen's Sports

  • Seems like mainly bike and skating gear

  • 273 Reid St

  • +1 250-992-2724

• McFrugal’s Discount Outlet & Outdoors Store - Quesnel

  • Discount car camping gear

  • 155 Malcolm Dr #12

  • +1 250-992-6933

• Walmart Supercentre

  • Limited selection of basic car camping gear

  • Reasonable food options

  • 890 Rita Rd

  • +1 250-747-4464

Food Plan

• Please avoid peanuts if possible

  • We had multiple scouts with peanut allergies – one accidental ingestion will end the trip for everyone

• 2 days of travel to and from Lakes – Pack a lunch and plan to eat in restaurants

  • Scouts should have enough cash or credit for meals x 4 days

  • We made stops to:

    • A&W (very common in Canada)

    • Walmart

      • One in Merritt was depressing and lacked fresh foods

      • One in Quesnel had berries and other foods

    • Denny's 

    • Tim Hortons

      • Not sure what the appeal is here, but they have coffee and doughnuts

      • Chicken wrap was actually pretty good

• 8 days on Bowron Lakes – Pack High Adventure Food

  • Pack daily meals in separate ziplock bags

  • See Food - High Adventure 

  • Separate snacks into daily bags so Scouts don’t blow through them on day one

  • Do NOT skimp on food – there is NO resupply

  • Where to purchase Freeze Dried Meals:

    • REI – discount if you purchase 10+ - ask about discount

    • Sierra Trading Post – new store in Lynnwood

    • Fred Myers

  • Where to get bulk snacks

    • Costco

    • Costco Business

    • Winco - Bulk Bins – repack into separate daily zip lock bags

  • Where to get Muesli oatmeal

    • Mr B’s Superfood

    • Winco - Bulk Bin 1946

• Surprise Food Inspection

  • At the first campout on the way to Bowron, have Scouts line up all of their food

  • Compare what they have

  • Have Scouts without enough food stop at Walmart in Quensel to stock up on food - this is your last chance

Communications

Six public two-way radios have been placed strategically around the circuit for use in the event of an emergency only (see brochure/map); they are  not to be used for personal calls or other reasons. Abuse of radios will result in prosecution. There is no cell phone reception on the circuit. Visitors may bring their own registered communication system, but are not permitted to access radio frequencies used by BC Parks. Telus radio phone transmissions can be received on the north and west sides of the park.

Radios

• We used Rocky Talkie Expedition Radios to communicate between the trail and lead canoes

• These proved to be very useful

• Batteries would have lasted the entire trip without recharging if turned off at night

  • We topped of radios a few times with our solar charger to be on the safe side

Satellite Messenger

• We used several inReach Satellite Messenger Devices

• One was always on with live tracking

  • Link was provided to support team and parents so they could track the crew's progress

  • Mapping was password protected for security/privacy reasons

Batteries and Chargers

• With all of our safety electronics (radios, cellphone and satellite messengers), backup power was needed

• What we carried

  • 2 small Power Banks with universal charging cables

    • Never dipped into the second Power Bank

    • The one Power Bank worked throughout the trip but was acting up a bit - it was 4 years old

  • 1 146Wh Portable Power Station Power Bank with AC outlet

    • This was pretty heavy and wasn't used once

  • 40W Foldable Solar Panel with USB QC 3.0, 12-15V DC Output

    • This would charge up everything if it was sunny

• What would have worked

  • 1 Power Bank

  • 40W Foldable Solar Panel

Canoe Carts 

Canoe Carts are permitted on the circuit, but to reduce damage to trails, the following restrictions apply: 

• Maximum axle width of canoe carts is 75 cm (30 inches). Wide track tires are recommended. 

• If using a cart, the weight of cargo in canoe must not exceed 28 kg (60 lbs.) Portages are rugged & may be muddy. You must backpack all gear in excess of the 28 kg limit. This prevents wear & tear on trails. Do not attempt to hand carry duffel bags, coolers or other cargo: use large, comfortable backpacks or portage packs with hip belts. Weigh your gear  & ensure enough space in your packs before leaving home. Some portages are over 2 km in length.

Going Cartless?

It is possible, but certainly NOT worth whatever you think you are saving or whatever macho points you might get from going cartless.  Going cartless is going to kick your butt, slow down the group and significanly increases your risk of injury or damage to your canoe. 

Rent or Purchase Carts

Even if you plan to do Bowron every 3 years, we don't recommend that you purchase $300 carts.  Storing and transporting them every 3 years just isn't worth it.  

We rented carts from Bear River Mercantile

• Mom and Pop Business - and wonderful people

  • Second area just past bridge before you hit the Bowron Campsites

• Fat Tires and heavy duty carts - these are the ones you want

  • They are heavier than some of the others

    • They are welded together and can/will take a beating

  • Fat tires roll over large rocks and mud so much better than bicycle tires

    • Easier to move loaded canoes

    • Safer to move loaded canoes where one crash can end your trip

• Reserve ahead of time via email

  • Carts and canoes run out - don't show up thinking you'll get what you want in the middle of nowhere

• Bring CASH - internet there is limited and they only operate with cash

• They have a box of loner bottles of fuel and pepper spray

  • Free to take and use

  • Fuel cans all felt pretty empty - but could be used for pre-circuit cooking

  • Pepper spray bottles were well seasoned and may or may not work

• Lighter weight carts may be ok for kayakers traveling ultra-light

  • Smaller tires or skinnier tires are NOT recommended

  • Lightweight frames are more likely to break when you run your loaded cart into a rock or root

• We do NOT recommend carts from REI or Amazon

  • Rent the good stuff or suffer

Cart Examples (per AI):

• Western Canoe & Kayaking Expedition Cart
  This cart is often cited as a highly durable and effective option for rough conditions. Its robust frame and large pneumatic wheels make it a preferred choice for tackling the Bowron Lakes' challenging portages. 

• After portaging the Bowron, these AI recommendations are are NOT acceptable:

  1. C-Tug Cart:
     While a popular option, users recommend ensuring it's a model with solid wheels or taking extra care on particularly muddy sections. The C-Tug's solid wheels may not perform as well on soft, muddy terrain as a cart with larger pneumatic tires. 

  2. Paddleboy Heavy Lifter:
     This stainless steel model is also highly regarded for its strength and proper bearings, making it a strong contender for rugged trips.