Canoe Tripping 101. Start Close to Home with S24O Canoe and Kayak Trips!

What is S24O? Short sub 24-hour overnight canoe trips are BETTER than NONE! Don’t be intimidated by “epic” adventures.

Canoeing and kayaking are experiencing booms. More and more people are embracing this relaxed and intimate method of exploring lakes and rivers.

But how do you enjoy canoeing and kayaking MORE? Plan an overnight adventure!

The recent advances in ultralightweight camping equipment have extended the range for explorers. What’s not to love? Unmatched scenery, solitude, and often minimal fishing pressure!

Enjoy S24O canoe trips solo or with a companion.

At the same time, many new canoe and kayak owners have been overwhelmed with logistics and details. There is information overload thanks to articles, videos, and numerous Facebook group posts. Unfortunately, many novice campers are intimidated by "epic" trip reports of paddling the length of the Yukon River, 20 days in the Quetico wilderness, or circumnavigation of Lake Superior!

The thoughts of a massive trip, especially into the roadless wilderness, is paralyzing to many novice adventurers. New trippers may simply put their dreams on hold and limit themselves to day paddles. The “overwhelm” of planning may cause new paddlers to give up on their dreams of extended trips.

But there is a simple solution: Sub-24 hour Overnight canoe and kayak trips, or S24O.

Simply embrace short, overnight outings that require less preparation, and less conditioning. Overnight trips have minimal consequences for any mistakes you make.

Grant Peterson of Rivendell Cycle Works is credited for naming this type of mini adventure. As a small business owner, he looks forward to squeezing in dozens of S24O’s. He can’t get away for weeks at a time to tackle "epic" adventures. But he enjoys more spontaneous overnights where he leaves after lunch and returns the following morning. Like Grant, you can also enjoy the change of scenery and benefit from the chance to unplug from your daily routine.

S24O’s are now popular for many outdoor pursuits including bikepacking, backpacking, and canoe camping.

Any kayak or canoe can be the "escape vehicle" for S24O's

Grant also admits to having forgotten everything from adequate food to matches, his sleeping pad and tent poles on a few Sub 24-hour Overnights. But the goal is experience and escape - not perfection. You will learn from your mistakes, and few Sub 24-hour Overnights will put the camper in life-threatening situations.

For the novice canoe or kayak tripper, a S24O provides the perfect way to fine-tune your packing list, weight distribution, and campsite skills. You get to plan a few meals and snacks for the outing. You practice setting up your shelter and sleep system. You gain invaluable experience in paddling and portaging. You might also learn how to handle minor mishaps or sudden weather changes without the urgency of being hundreds of miles from home.

Sub 24-hour Overnights are NOT just for novices!

I am retired, and though I have YEARS of camping and canoe tripping experience, I also enjoy S24O’s. I still have a full calendar that makes week-long trips difficult to schedule. I am blessed to live close to rivers and reservoirs with many miles of public shoreline and numerous, small carry-in lakes. I enjoy the option to drop everything and take advantage of forecasted great weather for an overnight trip - or TWO if my calendar and the weather allows!

2 days, 2 nights kayak camping on the upper Wisconsin River!

As an avid fisherman, I can promise you that the best bites are after the rest of the anglers go home and the waves and noise disappear, then again before the next shift arrives in the morning. I have also found that nothing improves your fitness like back-to-back days of paddling. If you have minor position or technique issues, they will be highlighted in two days of paddling!

S24O canoe and kayak trips are accessible nearly everywhere.

There is no mileage qualification for an S24O. Once you leave the put-in, you can often experience amazing solitude within a mile or two. And solitude isn’t a necessity if you are a novice. Paddling from a “base camp” in a local campground that you can drive to with water access is a great place to start. The point is that you can begin where you are comfortable – but you lose the excuse not to start!

Successive Sub 24-hour Overnights are the perfect way to test and refine your camping kit and canoe or kayak setup. It would be a mistake to start a week-long expedition without the necessary skills and confidence. It’s much better to practice on an overnight trip to learn what works and what needs to be changed. Don’t like your cook kit or stove? Dissatisfied with your bug dope or sleeping pad? Change it on your next S24O canoe trip. Always wanted to try a camping hammock? Here’s your low-risk opportunity.

Shoreline luxury in a camping hammock!

More importantly, you will learn what you DON’T need! The sure way to ruin your enjoyment of canoe tripping is to paddle (and portage) an overloaded, unbalanced boat. Make lists and refine your clothing, cooking, sleeping, and shelter requirements. Better to encounter a problem on a Sub 24-hour Overnight than two days into a week-long wilderness ordeal.

Two final points that favor S24O’s for canoe and kayak tripping.

Lake and river trips are synonymous with canoeing. But more and more paddlers are trying kayaks (or paddle boards!) and loving it!

The S24O is perfect for fine-tuning your minimalist mindset. My 13-foot lightweight canoe is ideal for paddling my area lakes and rivers, including Class 1 whitewater. While it can handle two anglers, it is ideal for a solo paddler with camping gear. When planning trips covering more miles, and especially with any portages, I would choose a longer and lighter canoe. But for camping trips down rivers I have come to love a sit-on-top kayak that is super stable and self-bailing.

The point is short overnight camping trips allow you to try various paddle craft, sizes, and styles. Canoes and kayaks can be rented near most lakes and rivers. And you likely know someone with multiple boats that would allow you to borrow one for an overnight adventure.

My Old Town canoe fishes TWO but is perfect for solo S24O

Second, S24O’s are not limited to solo adventures and can combine several solo and/or tandem canoes and kayaks. Sub 24-hour Overnight trips are ideal when you have a range of camping and paddling skills. I can easily keep pace in my solo canoe or kayak with a pair of paddlers in their tandem canoe. A group of two or three paddlers allows everyone to swap boats for comparison.

Sub 24-hour Overnight camping trips may be the perfect option to introduce your spouse or children or friends to paddling and camping. No one should be over-extended. Everyone has the opportunity to learn something from a paddling partner, whether a bushcraft skill, a new recipe, or the names of local plants and wildlife.

Adventure awaits S24O camping trips!

Finally, you don’t need to travel for days to rack up new sights, sounds, sunrises, and sunsets. The First Rule for successfully introducing the outdoors to a novice is to end the outing while it is still fun! Keep them coming back for more.

Whether you are new to canoe tripping, or an experienced voyageur, consider all the advantages of adding a few Sub 24-hour Overnight trips to your calendar. Invite a friend or drop everything and enjoy a spontaneous solo getaway. More day’s paddling and more night’s camping are always a good thing! Every S24O will add to your memories. Every hour in The Great Out There will add LIFE to your days.