The size of group we
pick depends on the type of experience we are looking for. There
are a number of factors which come into play, and we have to
weigh them against  each
other as we decide on the number of people to paddle with.
It is generally not a good idea to paddle in groups larger than
eight individuals, and there are some sound reasons for this.
First, large groups place undue stress on campsites. It is
difficult to accommodate groups much larger than eight on a
single site. large groups cause damage and erosion to sites,
whether that damage is intentional or not. Most sites have flat
areas that are adequate for pitching two or three tents. Four
can be a real stretch, and beyond that number, you're often out
of luck.
In addition, large groups often mean noise and confusion. It is
a lot of work to cook for and clean up after large groups, and
it can be a big job to keep the huge amount of food and
equipment required to support a big group organized.
Large groups also tend to be noisy, detracting from the
experience of wilderness.
 A
group of six paddlers traveling in three canoes is perfect. I
say "perfect" with tongue planted firmly in cheek,
since there is obviously no perfect size - it depends on a
number of factors, but this is a really good group size. Six
paddlers isn't just an arbitrary number. There are some sound
reasons that it is almost an ideal group size.
First of all, six people can fit easily into two
reasonably-sized tents without making anyone claustrophobic. If
we know that there are some large sites along the route, we can
probably get really decadent and bring along three tents.
Another reason is related to safety. If we somehow manage to
lose or destroy one of our canoes, we can still make it out of
the bush (albeit in a crowded fashion) by putting the six
paddlers into two canoes. We may have to leave some gear behind,
and it's going to be quite crowded, but at least it will get us
home. A group of four paddlers in two canoes doesn't have this
luxury. There's no way that you're going to make it back with
four paddlers in one canoe (unless you throw all of the gear
away).
A third reason is that six people should be able to camp at a
site and leave it in almost as good condition as they found it.
A group of six educated and concerned campers shouldn't
"overstress" a site.
Fourth, a group of six people is a safe size. In the event of a
capsize, we have one canoe to do the important job - getting the
swimmers to shore, and another to begin to recover packs. We
also have enough people to share in some fairly heavy work -
such as getting a loaded canoe through a liftover. Six people
should be able to carry a fully loaded canoe without anyone
ending up with a slipped disc.
Finally, six people is a good size socially. The group is small
enough that we're going to get to spend some time with everyone
else in the group, but not so small that we're going to get sick
of each other.
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