Gear you will need:
Transportation on lake: you'll see powerboats, canoes, kayaks, and rafts. I rented a canoe from Adirondack Lake and Trail Outfitters. They will transport you and your canoe/kayak rental to one of 4 DEC boat launches for a fee. Adk Lake and Trail: a great business with a great staff.
Shelter: a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and camp pillow. Check the forecast; it can get cold late at night, even in summer, so make sure your bag is warm enough.
Below: tent pitched on site #16 Halfway Island.
Clothing: pants or shorts, shirts, underwear, and a bathing suit or quick drying synthetic shorts. I also carry a rain shell, a light fleece, and socks. Bring a hiking shoe or boot; it is easier to gather firewood in, carry/set up gear in, and will be dry if it gets cool at night. Bring a boat/water shoe, something like a Keen or Teva; avoid flip flops as a lot of the sites are uphill.
Below: Arriving at site #16 Halfway Island.
Food: each site has a fire pit, so grilling dinner is the way to go. I grilled meat (steak, chops, sausage), and brought a small bottle of olive oil and tinfoil to cook vegetables in (peppers for sausage and peppers, zucchini, etc.). I also grilled corn in the husks with every dinner; a food that stays fresh no matter the temperature. Bring snacks (cereal bars, candy, jerky, etc.). I carried a small canister stove for coffee, and oatmeal in the morning; you won't want to make a fire before every meal, and it might be difficult if it has rained or is raining. A cooler will keep food safe from animals as no larger ones live on the Islands, but I'd hang my dry food to keep the smaller ones out.
Below: MSR pocket rocket stove and titanium pot.
Water: you can carry bottled (I carried some), filter by pump (I did last year), or purify (which I did this year). I brought four one liter water bottles and purified lake water with Katadyn Micropur tablets. As long as you step into the lake a few feet, your water should be free of floaties, if you have a problem with them. The lake probably has some of the purest water you will ever drink, but be sure to treat/filter it.
Electronics and light: I had very good cell phone reception on Halfway Island, but I am sure that is not the case for all the sites. A headlamp is a must. I brought a small transistor radio, a small hanging light for a tent, and extra batteries. The Islands have no electricity, and sites are very wooded, so it will be dark.
Below: tent after sunset.
Personal Hygiene: The usual camping toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, hand sanitizer, etc). I carry biodegradable wipes, which are great. Bring extra toilet paper; there is an outhouse at each site and there might be enough t.p. or there might not. Also to keep the smell down use a branch to prop the door open, and drop pine needles on the waste periodically. A camp towel, camp soap and pot that you can heat water in to clean your dishes, cups, and cutlery. Also bring sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent. Garbage bags are a must, as sites are carry in/carry out.
Obviously if you go by boat you can bring a lot more gear (chairs, sun/rain shades, etc).
Other gear I brought: a tarp (Eno Fastfly), it was great last year at site 01 but was difficult to hang this past year because of the spacing of the trees. Bring a camera, the place is beautiful. Lots of ziploc and dry bags. Keep your wallet and phone in ziplocs and dry bags whenever you are on the lake. Bring Paracord for lashing gear in your canoe (if it is windy with waves), to use as a cloths line, and to hang food.
I hiked up Baker Mountain for the second time. The trail head is close to downtown Saranac Lake. It is a short, but sometimes steep hike. Carry water, apply insect repellent, wear proper hiking footwear, and use trekking poles if you have them. I like to do the climb in late afternoon and then hit the Downhill Grill for dinner and a few Labatt.
