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Layers

The lodge asks you to dress in layers because mornings and late evenings are cool whatever the month. Its own ranges: 6 to 18°C in spring, 15 to 30°C in summer, 5 to 15°C in autumn, in a rainforest that gets about 6,650 mm of rain a year.

Long-sleeve base layers The early tours leave in the cold part of the day. The lodge says no shorts or skirts on those.
Warm mid layer, fleece or wool
Long trousers for the tours Rain trousers go over them and the lodge supplies those.
Warm hat and a brimmed hat One for the 6°C morning on the water, one for the afternoon sun.
Light gloves The lodge's autumn range starts at 5°C, and hands on a skiff rail feel all of it.
Swimsuit Two cedar saunas sit on the floating dock. The cold plunge is the inlet, at 9 to 20°C in summer.

Feet, and what the lodge already has

Knight Inlet supplies high-quality rain jackets, rain trousers and wellington boots, plus binoculars and life jackets. Bring your own only if you would rather; bring walking shoes regardless.

Hiking boots or comfortable walking shoes The hikes cover 100 to 200 metres of uneven, slippery shoreline. Wellingtons are for the skiffs; these are for the trails.
Warm socks, several pairs Boots that are not yours, worn in rain, want good socks under them.
Your own rain shell optional Only if you prefer it to theirs. The lodge kit is good and it saves you the weight.

Camera and glass

This is the group that decides your trip. Three lodge rules to plan around: tripods are not allowed in the skiffs or on the viewing stands; drones are prohibited during the season under the environmental management plan; and there is no carry-on of any kind on the floatplane, so the camera travels in your duffel and only what fits the seat pocket travels on you.

Camera body and the longest lens you own Long lens, low tide, and a bear with better things to think about than you.
A monopod or a beanbag, not a tripod Tripods are banned in the skiffs and on the stands. A beanbag on the rail does the job.
Spare batteries and the charger Mains power runs 4:30 am to 10 pm; after that the generators stop and the lodge is on battery and inverter. Charge in the evening, not overnight.
More memory cards than you think There is no wifi and no cell signal, so nothing offloads to the cloud until you are back in Campbell River.
A rain cover for the camera and a cloth for the front element Six and a half metres of rain a year. Some of it will fall on the lens.
A small camera or the phone, for the flight The only camera allowed on your person in the floatplane is one that fits the seat pocket. The rest is in the bag under you.
Binoculars optional The lodge provides good ones. Bring your own only if they are better.

Scent-free, all of it

The lodge puts a number on it: a grizzly's sense of smell is 2,600 times more sensitive than yours. The bathrooms are stocked with eco-friendly, scent-free shower gel and shampoo. Anything you bring instead has to be scent-free too.

Scent-free toiletries, or use theirs Deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm, the lot. Read the label.
Fragrance-free insect repellent Mosquitoes on some excursions, especially the land-based ones.
Clothes washed in unscented detergent The easiest one to forget, and the one a bear notices first.

Personal

Once the floatplane leaves there is no shop, no signal and no way to send for anything.

Prescriptions and medication The lodge's words: anything you consider essential during your stay.
The three forms The lodge lists a health and dietary review, a liability waiver and a bear viewing licence, with samples on its site. Do them before you fly.
Something for the bar Red and white wine are complimentary at dinner; beer, spirits and cocktails are at the bar.

The floatplane

Transport Canada rules for aircraft of this size mean no carry-on luggage at all. The lodge's limit is 14 to 15 kg, about 30 lb, per traveller, in a soft case no more than 110 linear centimetres in any one direction. Anything on your person must fit the seat pocket.

Soft duffel, 110 cm or under The lodge says soft cases are preferred.
Weigh it at home: 14 to 15 kg all in Camera kit counts. This is where the second lens loses to the first.
Leave the rest in Campbell River The lodge offers complimentary secure luggage storage at the floatplane base.
Book the first night in Campbell River yourself The package includes meals at the lodge but not the first night in town. The lodge names the Comfort Inn, 3 km from the floatplane dock.

What to pack for Knight Inlet Lodge