South Canoe Gear List 2019-2020

• Closed-toe, sturdy shoes, (Velcro/no laces for kindergarten and grade 1 please)
• Rain boots (consider insulated boots for warmth, such as Bogs)
• Snow boots (can be insulated Bogs, or winter boots like Kamik)
• 2 pairs of Thermal socks (not cotton, which gets cold when wet)
• 2 pairs of light mitts or gloves (can be cotton or fleece)
• 2 pairs of Waterproof mittens (not gloves, please: mittens are much warmer)
• Base layer (consider that cotton gets cold when wet: recommend wool or polypropylene)
• Sweater (something warm that folds up small)
• Rain pants (recommend good quality, such as at Mountain Equipment Coop, aka: MEC)
• Rain jacket (with a hood please)
• Snow pants (not over-the-shoulder straps please, for ease and safety when toileting outdoors)
• Snow jacket (with a hood please)
• Buff (neck tube) (this makes a big difference to your child’s warmth and is safer and easier than a scarf)
• Toque
• Sunhat
•   A hiking backpack that properly fits your child. With a properly fitted and supportive pack, your child will tire less easily, will be safer, and will be more likely to enjoy their experience outdoors. Note: a pack is too big if it hangs over the carrier’s bottom. A suitable backpack should have a frame and a chest strap and/or waist belt to help support the weight for your child’s growing back, and at least one water bottle holder on the outside of the pack.Recommend packs like these at MEC (see images): these don’t cost much more than a regular school backpack, and they are worth the investment.
• Indoor shoes that offer enough support for gym
• Change of clothes to be kept at school: socks, underwear, shirt, pants.
• Water bottle (sturdy, not glass, no leaks, lightweight, fits in outside pocket of backpack)
• Lunch containers (lightweight, not glass, no leaks, reusable) Please consider our environmental impact and try to reduce or  eliminate waste as much as possible!
• Lunch kit: lightweight, not bulky, just to hold the lunch containers. You may want to pack your child’s lunch in an insulated lunch kit on very warm days (when they also have less clothing to pack into their bag), but otherwise insulated lunch kits take up a lot of space in your child’s pack: please consider all of the clothing that needs to fit in your child’s pack too. We recommend packing all potential gear in the pack to see if everything will fit and if your child can still carry the pack comfortably before making any purchases.

Please label everything: clothing, shoes, boots, water bottles, lunch containers, etc with a black permanent sharpie. This includes what your child wears/brings to school, and what they leave at school. Or you may want to consider Mabel’s Labels: name stickers that stay on even through the dishwasher or the washer/dryer.

Please don’t feel that you need to buy all of this gear brand new. Go to clothing swaps, visit the thrift store, tap into older cousins and other likely targets to scrounge hand-me-downs. The clothing from the list above neither needs to be Patagucci nor brand new – it just needs to do its job. Your child’s comfort in the outdoors will go far to nurturing a positive attitude and engagement out of doors.

If any of this gear causes financial hardship, please let us know. Although we’re not able to outfit all of the students at the school, there is a fund to help ensure that everyone has access to functional outdoor clothing.