Lessons repeat themselves until learned… The first time I had a boat float away on me was on the Missinaibi River in Ontario. I had just portaged the boat down a muddy trail through the forest and arrived at the bottom of a rapid. I dropped the 16 foot Prospector into the water with just […]
The clove hitch is an important knot commonly used way to fasten a rope to an object. It’s quick knot to tie and is easily undone. It’s used in two different scenarios; it’s the same knot although you tie it in different ways…. A lot of people have trouble with tying the clove hitch, and […]
The bowline is one of the most essential knots for camping, canoeing, kayaking, and living in the wilderness. I think the ‘rabbit and tree’ method is the simplest way to learn this knot, and this method consists of 4 steps… Then you tighten up the knot to make it pretty and – VOILA! – you’ve […]
Type 1, 2 and 3 Fun Not all fun is created equal. Sometimes the word ‘fun’ really does mean that something is fun, and sometimes it means the very opposite. It was the mountain climbing community that first started using the terms Type 1 Type 2 and Type 3 fun to describe their adventures. These […]
A description of the route to Widgeon Falls which combines a paddle through the idyllic Widgeon Slough wetlands and then a hike through a beautiful forest until you get to a waterfall cascading over polished bedrock.
The first sail I ever built was an army jacket held up by two paddles and a stick. The two paddles were jammed in place between the bags and the bow seat, then held in place by a rope that looped from the center thwart to the top corner of the sail and then down […]
I was honored to speak to Paul Mason, son of the legendary Bill Mason and an icon of canoeing in his own right, on my podcast. Some of the topics we discussed included… Hazards for Paddlers, including foot entrapments, strainers, high water conditions, cold water conditions, and the two times in a paddler’s career when […]
In my paddling career I’ve spent a ton of time paddling into headwinds and crossing gigantic lakes, stroke after endless stroke. And that’s given me a ton of time to think about and experiment with different paddle strokes, trying to find the one that maximised power and minimised fatigue. This video summarises my findings about […]
I’ve learned an absolute TON about canoeing from Cliff Jacobson over the years and was thrilled to have him on my podcast. You can listen our conversation here or check out the highlights.
Bears are curious, persistent, and tremendously strong creatures. Given enough time they can break into just about any structure to ransack it in their quest for food. And if you travel enough in bear country you’ll inevitably come across some pretty elaborate fortifications that people have built to protect their cabins. One of the lowest […]
