Exercise caution in lashing gear to the canoe for portaging. A well built canoe is finely balanced at the portage yoke. Anything you do to throw off this balance can result in an ongoing struggle with the boat over the length of the portage. Line your pack with a plastic garbage bag and close it up tightly before you venture onto the water each day. You may not think it likely that you will ever swamp your boat, but you cannot stop the rain from falling, or from puddling in the bottom of the canoe.
Wet gear makes for a miserable trip.
Keep essentials readily accessible when packing. At a minimum, raingear should be in an outside pocket where it can be easily reached, when on the water, without moving or turning your pack. You might also want to know where your insect repellent is stashed. Camping Bears are an avoidable problem. Keep a clean camp and hang 'em high.