A paddler new to the Arctic might survive their first trip by luck alone, but not dying is a very low standard to measure success. Completing many rivers over time transcends luck and speaks to a set of traits that go beyond simple survival. Veteran Arctic paddlers seem to thrive in the far north. They are in their element on pristine tundra rivers. I have been fortunate to travel with many experienced paddlers, these river veterans, over my three decades of far north travel.  

After traveling thousands of miles in my canoe, I have distilled a list of habits and skills into seven categories of behavior, indeed traits, that served me and other far north paddlers well. You carry them with you. Good traits weigh the same as poor ones. Why not bring the best that you can? 

There are few hints at gear in this writing. How you handle yourself will count more than gear in the equation of success. Of course, the Arctic puts special demands on your gear. Don’t ignore those demands. But the best tent in the world won’t replace the skill and fortitude needed to set up that tent up in a howling wind.