My husband James and his best friend Dan set out this weekend to bushwhack in the Kawartha Highlands. It reminded me of some valuable safety lessons I learned as the partner of an avid backcountry camper. Before their last canoe trip into Algonquin, my husband gave me the usual “our route is X and we’ll be out no later than Y pm” speech. I listened with half my attention as I … [Read more...]
Nanuk 915 camera case: My favorite canoe camping gear
by N. Glenn Perrett Some of the nicest scenery is viewed from a canoe but I’ve always been leery of taking my best cameras along in case they get wet or damaged. My worries in this regard have been largely overcome thanks to the Nanuk 915 case. This made-in-Canada case is made of lightweight resin and is waterproof (IP67 rated). It is also impact resistant and comes with … [Read more...]
5th Annual Kitchener-Waterloo Canoe Symposium is happening next month (16th April 2016)
Calling all paddlers! On April 16th, the 5th Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) Canoe Symposium invites you to come meet fellow canoeing enthusiasts and share your love of outdoors and paddling. Those who like to venture into Canada's wilderness know that there is no better way to explore it than in a canoe. As Bill Mason, legendary Canadian canoeist and filmmaker, once famously … [Read more...]
Canoe Review: Legend Prospector 16.7 by Alchemist Canoe Company
by N. Glenn Perrett I was introduced to canoeing with my brother’s cedar strip and canvas canoe made by the Lakefield Canoe Company. While still in university I bought my first canoe – a “Sundance” from Muskoka Canoe Ltd. in Gravenhurst. The 15’ 3” cedar canvas canoe was made to be light and weighs only 45 pounds. When my wife Lynn and I bought our cottage on a rocky lake … [Read more...]
Review: Grey Owl Paddles
I’ve enjoyed canoeing since I first set foot in my brother’s canoe at our family’s cottage on Georgian Bay in the 1960s. It is an ideal way to explore nature. One item that can significantly improve a canoe trip is the paddle that you use. A paddle that is significantly too long (or short) or one that is particularly heavy will make paddling not as enjoyable as it could … [Read more...]