What should you pack for a canoe trip in Dalsland?
Short answer
For a week in Dalsland you need a tent, sleeping bag and mat, a camping stove with fuel, rain gear and warm layers, a waterproof barrel and dry bags, insect repellent and a head net, a tick remover, a small saw for the campsite firewood and bags to carry out all your rubbish. The canoe rental usually supplies canoe, paddles and life jackets, and most bases also rent tents, sleeping bags, barrels, stoves and canoe wheels, so you don't have to buy them.
A canoe carries more than a rucksack, so you can bring a little comfort. Everything still has to fit in a few waterproof containers and be carried over portages, so pack in soft bags and leave the suitcase in the car.
Canoe and safety
The rental normally supplies these. Check before you go.
- Canoe, a paddle per person and a spare
- Life jacket per person, worn on the water
- Canoe wheels, if your route has portages between lakes
- Waterproof map of the Dalsland–Nordmarken lake system
- Phone in a waterproof pouch, with offline maps
- About 10 m of rope to tie up or line the canoe
- Small first-aid kit, with plasters for blisters
In an emergency, call 112. Every DANO campsite has a name and number on its wind shelter; give that to the operator.
Camp
- Tent that stands up to wind and rain
- Sleeping bag and sleeping mat
- Head torch (in June the nights are bright, by late August you need it)
- Small folding saw or hatchet: DANO leaves firewood at most campsites, but you have to cut and split it yourself
- Small trowel or shovel, for the rare case without a toilet
- Rubbish bags: you take all your waste with you. DANO has containers at 12 points in the lake system, including Gustavsfors, and the canoe rentals take waste too
- Toilet paper and hand gel
Kitchen
- Camping stove with enough fuel for the week. From 1 June to 31 August a fire ban applies across the lake system, with fires allowed only in the fixed campsite fire pits. Sometimes those are closed too. Check the BRANDRISK UTE app before you light anything
- Lighter and matches in a waterproof bag
- Pot, pan, mugs, cutlery, a knife
- Water bottles and a filter or tablets, or boil lake water
- Sponge and biodegradable soap; wash up away from the water’s edge
- Food for the days between shops, packed by day
Clothes
Swedish summer weather changes quickly on open water. Pack for wind, rain and a cool evening as well as sun.
- Rain jacket and rain trousers
- Fleece or wool layer for the evening
- Quick-drying trousers and shirts, no cotton jeans
- Long sleeves and long trousers for mosquito hours
- Shoes that can get wet for getting in and out of the canoe, and dry shoes for camp
- Sun hat, sunglasses on a cord, sunscreen
- Warm hat and socks for the night
- Swimwear and a small towel
Keeping it dry
A capsized canoe is rare on calm lakes, but rain and splashes are certain. Pack as if everything will get wet.
| Container | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Waterproof barrel (55 L) | food, stove, things that must not get crushed |
| Large dry bag (40 L or more) | sleeping bag, warm layers, spare clothes |
| Small dry bag or pouch | phone, wallet, nature card, map, sunscreen |
| Bin liner inside each rucksack | a second layer for the sleeping bag |
Tie the barrel and bags to the canoe on bigger crossings. Keep rain gear and the day’s snacks on top, where you can reach them without unpacking.
Mosquitoes and ticks
Mosquitoes are part of a Swedish lake summer, worst at dusk and on sheltered, damp campsites. A breezy point or island usually has fewer.
- Repellent with DEET or icaridin
- Head net, light and cheap
- Tent with a fine mesh door, kept closed
- Long, light-coloured clothes in the evening
Ticks live in grass and undergrowth. Check your body each evening and take a tick remover. The tick-borne disease TBE occurs in many parts of Sweden, mostly in the south. The Swedish health service recommends vaccination for people who spend a lot of time in risk areas, and the course has to start well before the season. Ask your doctor at home.
Papers
- ID or passport
- Nature conservation card (bought online, at a tourist office or from the rental). You need it to use the shelters, fire pits and toilets: see the nature card guide
- Travel insurance details
- A card for payments; cash is rarely needed in Sweden
What you can rent instead of buy
You don’t need to own outdoor gear for this trip. At Outpost North in Gustavsfors, the canoe package already includes the canoe, paddles, life jackets, a waterproof barrel, a shovel, canoe wheels, the route in an app, a map of the lakes and the DANO nature card. The rest you can add, at these 2027 prices:
| Option | Price per day |
|---|---|
| Tent | €15 |
| Sleeping set | €15 per person |
| Food pack, meat or vegetarian | €20 per person |
| Middle seat for a third person | €4 |
Bring your own stove and cooking set, or ask when you book. Outpost North’s camp shop and café are on site too, which helps if you forgot something, and you set off straight from the camp onto Lelång or Västra Silen.
If you book The Canoe Trip, the barrel, a 40 L dry bag, the Trangia, canoe wheels, the trail map and the nature card are already included. A tent (€49), sleeping set (€39) and food pack (€129) are optional.
Read how hard a canoe trip in Dalsland is before you decide how much weight you want to carry over the portages.
Sources
DANO: regulations, DANO: garbage, DANO: campsites, DANO: nature conservation card, 1177: TBE vaccination, Outpost North: canoe tours, The Canoe Trip.
