Trail Knowledge

The Rideau Trail Association (website) and their members (Facebook and blogs) have accumulated a fair amount of information critical for planning a thru-hike on this trail. We joined the association and acquired most of the information needed to create our work sheet from their sites.

Our RT work sheet (click to access) included distances between communities, Lock locations, trail difficulties, water sources (their reliability), and grocery stores nearby. We calculated an average of 25 km/day.

Removing Obstacles

Financial:

• The reservations for camping at the locks were made onsite. The nightly fee was $10 per tent.
• We planned on having rest days in the Ottawa and in Kingston. The accommodations were booked ahead of time. 

​Time Commitment:

• As we were hiking a yoyo (back and forth), we calculated about 24 days in total.
• Hiking the Rideau Trail can be done anytime of year. But because it can be quite buggy, we chose the fall.

Health and Fitness:

• The terrain on the Rideau Trail is generally flat. But the wilderness sections are rolling and rocky. Having a good fitness base and a good walking technique, helped minimise injuries.

Skills:

• This trail was well marked and crossed many communities and city parks. No orienteering was needed for this trek.
  
• Some backcountry camping skills and ‘leave no trace ‘camping practices were useful. ​​

Equipment

On the RT, we carried water and our clothing in our backpacks. The Wheelie (our cart) carried the rest of our equipment.

• We chose our Z-Pak tent for our shelter as bugs were a concern in this environment. We were thankful for its protection during our rest periods and on those rainy nights.
• We wore Hoka hiking shoes. The shoes dried faster than boots, but still protected our feet from the rough terrain and provided excellent cushioning for the long road walking sections.
• Our UV water filter (SteriPEN) work great to eliminate possible contaminants. But some of the water sources did not taste very good and the SteriPEN did nothing to eliminate the tanins of the water.
• We had our Whisper light stove with fuel cannisters for rehydration. It was light weight and boiled water quickly for our meals and hot drinks.
• As we crossed a community every 2-3 days, we did not carry a lot of dry food stores. We had a few soup bases and some instant rice. But we purchased most of our food from the local shops along the way.
  
• We carried luxury items such as our 2 camp chairs (which we used a lot during our breaks) and a few books.​

​There is additional information in our 'Equipment Section'.

Cooking super at a wild camp

Nutrition

Our menu plan for this trek included a few soup bases, instant rice, and snacks such as nuts, dry fruit, and sausages. We purchased our supplies at local grocery stores along the way. Upon crossing a town, we would calculate the distance to the next grocery store and purchase enough goods to last us until then. The grocery stores made it possible to eat a lot of fresh foods most days.
​
On these style of trails we stick to the standard food items available from small and medium grocery stores. Refer to the worksheets on our main Nutrition Page for specific caloric or nutrient calculators.

HealTH & Fitness

Our winter fitness program maintained a good base. But as the new walking season came about, we started increasing our walks.

Our resistance training consisted of free weights. The program performed 3 times a week, incorporated exercises to challenge upper and lower body muscle groups.
Core work was performed daily, as was balance work. Stretching and foam rolling finished off this part of the routine.

Crossing Malborough Forest

Climbing stairs and long hikes with a weighted pack rounded out our training. We gradually increased the time/distance, and the carry weight. This aided our bodies to adjust to the added weight of the pack while traversing various terrain.

An important part of this program was rest (active rest days, and good sleep habits). Restorative techniques such as regular massages, hot baths, and good nutrition were equally important. Without these, we risked overtraining and become injured or sick.

​For further information on our exercise routines check out our 'Exercise' page.