Thanks HF! Yes, we have many nice canoe tripping parks. However most of the landscape is outside of parks, and the routes are often not maintained, and the portages grow in, and get clogged with blowdown, and huge interconnected routes on public become un-useable. Sure would be nice if the government had the old canoe brigades travelling and maintaining the routes like they did years ago.
Erated78 Thanks E-78! There are some hydrogen sulfide stinks from the open muck, but on the mats, its usually a sweet minty, evergreeny smell of many of the bog plants - its a nice smell when the leaves of the plants are crushed and you get that waft of true north smell !
Wonderful episode... It's been years since I've camped during "season"... Bugs and people keep me away... Nothing like a nice fall trip just after the season is over and the crisp air drives the bugs and people away. Blessed solitude... 😊 Thanks for sharing and helping me keep my sanity...
ScoutCrafter Thanks SC! Fall in the cool days and nights, waking up to a frosty morning, is so nice! I had an ample supply of quiet and solitude this trip. Only saw motor boat fisherman on one day, and only saw 2 other canoe parties, only one of which stopped by to chat. Otherwise, total solitude.
Beautiful again! The bugs I could see and hear on you video. I would sum it up and say it's all part of the experience. Not for the faint hearted. Great job! Cheers Paul
NEKCanoeist Thanks Paul!. If the bugs were not there in their hordes, I doubt that back country would be there either. It would be all developed with residential development, and industrialized. While we curse the bugs when out in them, maybe its those bugs that protect what we value most... :o)
I really am enjoying your trip and am waiting for the next episodes. I have been in Wabakimi, Quetico, BWCA; but not Woodland. This summer no trip, so I have your adventure to enjoy. Thanks so much!
Hardcore Hoop! Love the education on the forest and shaky bog lol. Can't wait for the camp set up and bush rafting part as well. You blend a nice combination of woodsman skills which create a really enjoyable series and adventure. This is the year I buy my first canoe and I'm ecstatic!!
Scott Matthews Thanks Scott! I get lazy - I should film more bushcraft stuff. Hey your life will change with your first canoe. Get a good one with plenty of depth for big water and chop and swell, and you have an all purpose boat. Spend whatever it takes to get what you need, because its a long term investment. My boat in this series is over 25 years old.
Wow I really appreciate the reply! I'll add those traits to my list as I'm trying to research for a good all around canoe and it's intimidating to be honest. I don't mind spending a little more for quality on any of my gear especially my transportation aka canoe. Thinking 14-16 feet, Kevlar if not crazy expensive or even find used, something that's sturdy on the water I hate the feeling of tippy canoes like my dads old bird that feels like it's gonna dump with any movement lol. Mostly for lakes and portaging and not gonna be doing any Rapids. Any brands u can recommend for me to look into if you don't mind?! Half the fun is researching I find anyways. But I rather have a veteran like yourself going me in the right direction. Thanks so much and happy spring. 16 degrees this weekend in southern Ontario and I'm so excited for spring Turkey hunt, antler shed searching and some good fresh air for a week trip in the bush.
Hi Scott. A good place to ask questions and discuss choices with an experienced group is on MYCCR discussion forum. Always good to get multiple opinions. Alot depends on if you are looking for solo, tandem, or a boat that will serve both needs. If both, I recommend a small 16 foot prospector type boat (many brands). A prospector is heavier to paddle and carry solo, but is all-purpose. Personally I like a small tandem since its wider, and is easy to stand up in, pole, and fish in without always being on the edge of tipping like the little solo boats are. Small solo boats are narrow, fast and light, but there are tradeoffs. I would recommend having a good look at Nova Craft Canoe's website, and their canoes if you can find a shop. There are many brands these days, so there is a bewildering array of choices. My ideal for a solo boat is 15-16 foot long, 34 inch beam, 2 inches of rocker, 14 inch depth. That combo is almost impossible to find however. Most solo's are 28-30 inch wide. Most tandems are 36 wide. So for the solo paddler its a tough set of tradeoffs. But for tandem, there are many nice 16-17 foot long boats that are excellent. For tandem, I like 17 better than 16.
Hoop what would you recommend for canoe material?! I'm looking at Kevlar but would like your input. I'm in southern Ontario so I'm n hr drive from Nova craft factory in London Ontario. I've been looking for used as well but most are really beat up. Sorry for pestering you I just respect your experienced opinion on this topic! Thank you.
Hi Scott. That is a loaded question! It can generate 40 pages of discussion on a canoeing discussion forum! :o) Nova Craft is a good company to benchmark with. They have several lay ups to choose from; the lighter ones will be less strong, the heavier ones will be more strong. Everything is blended now, so "kevlar" always means a mix of other materials as well. I recommend talking to one of their sale's people for the details. Nova Craft has their new "Tough Stuff" material which is heavier and super strong. But it may be overkill for what you need. Swift in Muskoka has some fine boats as well in many lay ups. There are many companies based in southern Ontario, so it is possible to do a road tour to various factories and stores, and make a little vacation road trip out of it to "window shop". Its good to be able to paddle a boat test model before you buy.
Another excellent video. Summer 2014 was the absolute worst I have ever experienced for mosquitoes. I mostly avoided the bush until late September and even then there was a healthy supply of them.
I just got myself a 14' canoe that I'm expecting to outfit and to put to water in a couple of months. Until then I'm going to rent both canoes & kayaks before taking my rig back home to learn. Another thing I'm going to do to learn is to keep watching this series. Thank you for bringing us along. I'm picking up a lot from your experiences.
The forest looks like my forest. A big mix of northern type flora/fauna. Doing 2-3 km as you do is not as easy as it might look on video :) When will the rest be up?
Survival Russia Thanks Lars! Your Boreal forest is very similar to my Boreal forest here, and similar to Scandinavia and Finland. Many species will be the same, or just slightly different, but similar (pine, spruce, fir, birch, larch, poplar/aspen). Similar type of ecosystem. Although you seem to have more Chaga on your birch than we do here! :o)
'Mornin, Hoop; 'nuther great episode. True how it's always so quiet & peaceful. The views were awesum. Hope U find the landing so's 2 get in a good swim. Thanks, Friend Happy Trails From Down The Path A Piece ATB Terry " GOD BLESS "
T.W. Milburn Thanks Terry! That evening I had a cool swing on a clean rocky deep water campsite, and all again was well! Nothing like a cool swim after camp is made and all the firewood is in. Relaxation time!
I was just thinking I will write that it is weird no moose tracks when there they were no surprise. I like how you tell honestly how impassable some areas are. They had said Survivor would be filmed in Northern Ontario ehe. Drop them into the middle of that blow down mid July in bikinis & gaunch :). They would break bones trying to escape. I wonder if the crew would believe we would fall for the precut bamboo?
Tossdart Thanks Tossdart! I never saw the survivor series on TV, but I know that regular people dropped off in the summer into thick blowdown Boreal with nothing much on for clothes, or tools, or skills, or shelter, would not last long.
Up in Cochrane, Ontario we called them trampoline bogs. Incredible how far you would sink if the wood you were walking on broke under your weight. When you got stuck then the bugs seemed to know they could move in and have a free lunch.
EconoChallenge Thanks Jeep! When bog stomping on my own, I think about falling through and becoming a preserved bog man that they will find 10,000 years later, fully preserved. I don't want to be that dude!
Mudtoa Outdoors Thanks MO! That night after I found a nice deep water rocky campsite, I went swimming and washed all that grime off, and all was well again! :o)
+Jim Cyr Thanks Jim! It was a workout for sure. With a nice campsite at the end of the day (4-5 PM), then a swim, then a wee dram of whiskey to relax, a big dinner, and all is very fine, and the hard work is forgotten. :o)
Been travelling lots lately and just catching up, looks like a great trip and one for on my list! Thanks for sharing, makes me remember fond memories of my last couple of years in Canada. Currently spending a year in New Zealand and it's a beautiful country, but for me personally it's not the same as the boreal forest :)
chaulsin Thanks Chaulsin! I am sure NZ has its many charms. I see from YT vids that the hiking can be spectacular, and they have liberal hunting seasons too? But ya, there is nothing like the Boreal forest on the Shield with our thousands of lakes and rivers.
Really had your work cut out for you there W.T. Spectacular views though. I'd say it was worth the effort. If you haven't tried this you may want to. Spray some fly dope on a bandana and tie it around your hat. Black flies usually land on your head then crawl down to bite you. At least your not sweating it all off.Lol. Bet you were happy to take a dip after that. Many thanks as always looking forward to the next one.
Nice video again...i love those trip, i would love to go too someday.I was wondering when you gonna do some update , its been a while since we saw some of yours!!!!Keep up the good work my friend and continu to make me dream with it!!!!!
Great video! I have a good idea of these portages you do in your trips from my own travels in the Boreal. But I don't understand when your filming and sound so calm and relaxed and not out of breath! Haha! It would be all I could do to just turn the camera on lol. Thank you for another beautiful video, look forward to more :)
PaddleBunk Thanks PB! If I carried the camera strapped on my head or the boat while portaging, you would hear alot of out-of-breath stammering, and cursing! :o)
Thanks FLH! The beach may have been OK, but I had several km's to paddle yet to find a campsite that afternoon, where I like to find deep rock bottom water. Sometimes those shallow beaches have gunk on the bottom with leeches, so I go for the deep rock sites!
Another beautiful installment! I got a bit spooked watching the bog holes and the bugs, to be honest...and I thought New England mosquitoes/black flies were bad. Also, you must have had quite a data/workflow challenge for all of this footage. I'm guessing all of the (only?) copies lived in the blue Pelican case?
Thomas Ortiz Thanks Thomas! The bugs up here are bad, but once you get your clothing system designed, and use of bug dope on neck, face, and get a good wide brimmed hat, its fairly straight forward (and spritzer pump spray used for call of nature! :-) ) Yes that Pelican case was the one and only case for the extra batteries and SD cards. I don't do any editing en route. That's all done at home after. Nowadays with the huge capacity of cards (I was using 32g card), no need to edit in situ to save space.
Can't recall exactly. Maybe filled two 32G, maybe a 16G also. Camera was shooting the lower end of HD. A better camera at higher rez would fill several more cards.
Richard Dombrowski Thanks Richard! I carry two cans of bear spray. I am always wearing one while on the portages, and in camp. I carry an extra one in my food barrel. You get 4-6, two second blasts from a can, so if I had a determined bear, I might need that extra can! :o) So far, never had to use it, but I have used the bangers a few times over the years to help curious bears make a decision to take off.
Whats a great series of videos, so far. The scenary us exquisite. If it helps in any way, posting your waypoints (coordinates) gives us foreigners a great idea of where you travel. I live in Piedras Negras, Coahuila Mexico and do not have the slightest clue of where you are traveling. Thank you for reading my comments, keep up the good work. Gods speed!. Homero
Homero Jimenez Thanks Homero! Hey, you gave me a good idea to insert a map into one of the series showing the route, and location in Canada. You don't need the coordinates, since the shape of the lakes and rivers are easily understood on the maps. Here when on the water on these small Boreal lakes, we basically navigate by dead reckoning style using topo maps and the shape of the lakes, since the sight lines are wide open. :o)
Ok!!!...lol, i'll budge in to that. None the less, what ever you can come up with as helping your viewers get a vector on. Will be much appreciated...Salud!!!, from Piedras Negras,México
NAHAAFB Thanks N! Since this trip is inside a Provincial Park, we are not allowed to carry firearms. So I carry bear spray, and pen launched bear bangers. I have used bangers successfully on curious (non-predatory) bears and scared them off. When I am on public land up north (outside of regulated parks), I sometimes carry a shotgun with slugs. On this trip I did not have a GPS, since I have good maps, and the terrain is easily navigable by lake, river, and portage trail. I always have a compass on me, lanyarded to my shirt chest pocket, and I shoot a return bearing if I wander off trail.
Hey Hoop hope all is well! Have you ever tired permethrin on your clothing?! It's hard to get up here in Canada but luckily I got my hands on some sawyer permethrin and boy is it a game changer. Just curious if you use it and thoughts. Thanks
Hi Scott! Never tried it. But I have a bottle of the concentrated horse permethrin at home now. Got it through Amazon. It has to be diluted 20:1, which should not be a problem. I plan to try it this spring on the clothing. Can't wait to see the bugs and ticks stay away!
The bugs and that portage keep the tourists away. So far so good!! That looked tough. Are you dragging a lure at all? Great explanation of how the boreal works. I fell into one of those bog holes duck hunting and was doing the splits. Dam hard to get back up!!
A J Taylor Thanks AJT! No not dragging a lure when I am moving from A to B and portaging. I travel too fast to troll properly, and a fish will just slow me down having to deal with it (stop, land, fillet and bag, carry on). The bags can leak and I don't want any fish smells on my boat, gear or me having to transport the bag 'o fillets. Also the bag would have to stay on one side of the portage unguarded when I go for another load, which is a bear risk. I don't like placing a bag 'o fillets in my barrel, because if the bag leaks, my barrel gets a permanent smell in it that I won't be able to get out. So if I troll slow, or stop at the base of a rapid with no more portage left for that day, I will fillet and bag and leave in the bottom of the boat, and then cook that night. But mostly I fish on days off when I don't have to move all day. Fish coming up soon.
What a day of travel! I can almost feel the sweat trickling down my back in sympathy. Those clouds kept getting worse as the day went on. I suspect that you had some severe weather within 24-36 hours. Have you ever considered spraying your clothing and hat (and a loose fitting head net) with permethrin to combat the mosquitos? Permethrin not only repels insects, it kills them- quite a satisfying feeling indeed. Sawyer makes a good permethrin product for a reasonable cost, and lasts for up to 6 washings or 6 weeks. Here is a link to their website if you are interested. sawyer.com/products/permethrin-premium-insect-repellent/
ADKHillyMan Hi ADKHM! In the summer, its always threatening rain there, its quite remarkable, and storm cells scoot by missing you sometimes, and hitting you sometimes. Even on blue sunny days, there is a thunderhead on the horizon some place. In Canada we cannot buy Permethrin. Its strange, its not approved for some reason. I have been meaning to order some Sawyer's from the States and try it out. I hear its amazing stuff. I hope I can find a shipper who will ship to Canada. Many on line shops in the States will not ship to Canada, or we get hit with massive brokerage fees and duty, its frustrating here often.
Wintertrekker Permethrin is listed by the US dept. of Agriculture as an organic pesticide- surprising because it is highly toxic to fish, invertebrates, insects and crustaceans. There is some evidence of it being linked to bee hive Colony Collapse Disorder. It is also a suspected endocrine disruptor in male and female reproductive systems by binding to the androgen and estrogen receptors. It is reported that the dermal absorption toxicity of permethrin is negligent, if one can believe the claim. Personally, I am more concerned about DEET on my skin, and the possibility of contracting Lyme disease and West Nile Virus from ticks and mosquitos. If you would still like to try a permethrin spray on your clothing, there is a commercial company in the USA that impregnates clothing, and I am fairly certain that they can receive and ship to and from Canada. Check out the fine print. Here is their link. www.insectshield.com/PDF/IS_Your_Own_Clothes_-_US_form_revised_3-11-2015.pdf You will probably find this funny, but I have had tremendous luck with a product called Whup-a-Bug. Most folks haven't heard of it and are hesitant to try it, but it is highly effective. I remember canoeing one section of an Adirondack stream one-handed while spraying away at the worst cloud of deerflies I have ever encountered in 33 years of wilderness trekking. Within a short while the bottom of my canoe was black with the rotten buggers. It was then that I discovered that the product not only repels insects, it kills them. Here is a link www.whupabug.com/ This season I have purchased Sawyer's Picaridin product to try, and to compare to Whup-a-Bug. Time will tell.
Another awesome series, and my gratitude for you sharing it with us. The bugs have been horrid this Spring in the Carolina's. Hopefully they won't be as bad in Ontario this July. Trying to get up for a little back country time myself.
Barbarossa4U You bet! And its worse carrying heavy loads. I think about that very thing all the time, and take it slow and easy. When solo, its actually one of the exhausting things about being mentally at high awareness all the time for everything - I often sleep 10 hours, sometimes 12 hours when I take a day off from travel!
***** Ha ha! Oh the trade offs in life......Its always something, eh! Well the portages keep the back country quiet and clean, so I don't really mind doing the work to get back inside, even though its painful at times! :o)
Wintertrekker Lady Evelyn many moons ago, I saw my trip leader...she launched a Grumman off her shoulders, to land 40 feet below, belly-side-down...with no damage. Loudest canoe I ever did see. Memories.
Videos too short Hoop! So much to see and say with that wildlife biologist mind of yours. Let the unwary or unluck wayfaring travelling plunge into the one of those holes in the floating bog and you could be bummin! So that is close to the headwaters of the Bloodvein river? Empties into Lake Winnipeg not far north of here. That is so cool way up there in the "high country".
Canesser Thanks C! You know me, I can't turn that Bio brain off! ;-) On Bigshell Lake fly-in, I was starting on one of the Bloodvein northern tribs. So I hopped a trib, and on Larus Lake at the end of the vid I was on the main branch. I have also tied into the Bloodvein on other trips starting on the Knox Creek trib system.
Hi Dany! That canoe is an old one (purchased late 1980's), sold by Trailhead out of Ottawa Ontario. It was made for them, but I don't know by what company, since it has a Trailhead sticker. I think it was an Ontario company that was making boats for several Ontario retailers at the time. It does not have the signature gold serial number plate that all MR canoes do. Trailhead had a line of royalex canoes made for them by MR and I own one, and it has the MR gold serial number plate on it.
+Alex Hi Alex. Its a common whipping knot, similar to what is shown on Animated Knots here: www.animatedknots.com/commonwhipping/#ScrollPoint Instead of pulling the loop under the last few strands, I pull it under the entire wrap, and that requires pliers to pull it due to very high friction, since you wrap it as tight as possible. The down side to my method is that it leaves a thickness of that pulled through cord on one side. I like that protrusion on my finger side, not my thumb side. I used Mammut 3mm climbing accessory cord, which is actually closer to 2.5mm. Got it at MEC, link here: www.mec.ca/product/0403-063/mammut-3mm-nylon-static-cord/?f=10+50640 Its a very tight weave cord, smaller diameter than paracord, and harder finish, and its round, not flattish like paracord. Once its smoothed out and ends trimmed off, I used spar varnish to seal it, which I also use on the paddle, so its easy to add a coat now and then. Its never frayed.
cr0cket01 Hi C-01. I do not use smudge pots because they do not work on northern mosquitoes. You end up breathing in alot of bad smoke, but the bugs get you anyway. I know because I have experimented with smudge fires many times. Smudge pots were used back when there was no mosquito netting, or for open side shelters where there was no alternative. People suffered from smoke inhalation and got bit, just not as bad as without. They would have to sleep inside their blankets with head buried. Not a pleasant way to sleep. I have a mozzie-free tent inside with the modern tents. :o) In Canada here, yo yo fishing rigs are illegal for non-commercial fishing purposes. Angling or a static line rig that is attended is the only legal way I can fish, unless you get a commercial fishing license, and then people use gill nets. Unattended lines are illegal (but for survival, a good skill to know). The lake country here is only as wild as it is, because of the bugs. Otherwise it would have been privatized and developed long ago and they would have signs up saying for people like me to "keep out"! So the bugs are sort of our friends in the long run. :o)
Thank you!
billert55 Thanks Billert55!
I love that you put where you are every episode so that I can follow the trip on a map.
Thanks BB! I had not thought that out before hand while filming, but I am glad that you could follow along on a map.
I flinched toward the end when the moose fly buzzed the camera. I'm enjoying the series, waiting for our snow to melt.
You got to love our country of Canada almost endless amounts of firewood and plenty of fresh water to access when doing things like this
Thanks HF! Yes, we have many nice canoe tripping parks. However most of the landscape is outside of parks, and the routes are often not maintained, and the portages grow in, and get clogged with blowdown, and huge interconnected routes on public become un-useable. Sure would be nice if the government had the old canoe brigades travelling and maintaining the routes like they did years ago.
Hot, humid and dead calm...gotta love it! LOL! Great trip, looking forward to more of it!
Rob Farrow Thanks Rob! Those dead calm humid days kill me! :o)
Loved this video. I could almost smell that summer hot smell of watery bog.
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Cheers.
Erated78 Thanks E-78! There are some hydrogen sulfide stinks from the open muck, but on the mats, its usually a sweet minty, evergreeny smell of many of the bog plants - its a nice smell when the leaves of the plants are crushed and you get that waft of true north smell !
Big fan. I have learned a great deal. Thanks for these videos.
Stuart Jablonski Thanks Stuart!
keep up the good work! Anxiously awaiting part 6!
Bryan Hampton Thanks Bryan! Part 6 is on its way soon!
Great video and series Hoop. Thanks for sharing...looking forward to next one!
ishmael747 Thanks Ishmael747! More to come!
Wonderful episode... It's been years since I've camped during "season"... Bugs and people keep me away... Nothing like a nice fall trip just after the season is over and the crisp air drives the bugs and people away. Blessed solitude... 😊
Thanks for sharing and helping me keep my sanity...
ScoutCrafter Thanks SC! Fall in the cool days and nights, waking up to a frosty morning, is so nice! I had an ample supply of quiet and solitude this trip. Only saw motor boat fisherman on one day, and only saw 2 other canoe parties, only one of which stopped by to chat. Otherwise, total solitude.
Beautiful again! The bugs I could see and hear on you video. I would sum it up and say it's all part of the experience. Not for the faint hearted. Great job! Cheers Paul
NEKCanoeist Thanks Paul!. If the bugs were not there in their hordes, I doubt that back country would be there either. It would be all developed with residential development, and industrialized. While we curse the bugs when out in them, maybe its those bugs that protect what we value most... :o)
I'm enjoying the series Hoop...
J. Kelly Nolan Thanks Bioguide! More to come....
really good videos again honestly. 😉
Thanks again Dany!
Real nice series really enjoying it!! Some deep holes in the bog ...!!
rodney newbury Thanks Rod! I bet you have many of the exact same "shakey" big holes around some of your ponds there!
Awesome videos. Keep em coming.
Nova Hiker Thanks NH!
I really am enjoying your trip and am waiting for the next episodes. I have been in Wabakimi, Quetico, BWCA; but not Woodland. This summer no trip, so I have your adventure to enjoy. Thanks so much!
davkumi Thank you Davkumi!
Hardcore Hoop! Love the education on the forest and shaky bog lol. Can't wait for the camp set up and bush rafting part as well. You blend a nice combination of woodsman skills which create a really enjoyable series and adventure. This is the year I buy my first canoe and I'm ecstatic!!
Scott Matthews Thanks Scott! I get lazy - I should film more bushcraft stuff. Hey your life will change with your first canoe. Get a good one with plenty of depth for big water and chop and swell, and you have an all purpose boat. Spend whatever it takes to get what you need, because its a long term investment. My boat in this series is over 25 years old.
Wow I really appreciate the reply! I'll add those traits to my list as I'm trying to research for a good all around canoe and it's intimidating to be honest. I don't mind spending a little more for quality on any of my gear especially my transportation aka canoe. Thinking 14-16 feet, Kevlar if not crazy expensive or even find used, something that's sturdy on the water I hate the feeling of tippy canoes like my dads old bird that feels like it's gonna dump with any movement lol. Mostly for lakes and portaging and not gonna be doing any Rapids. Any brands u can recommend for me to look into if you don't mind?! Half the fun is researching I find anyways. But I rather have a veteran like yourself going me in the right direction. Thanks so much and happy spring. 16 degrees this weekend in southern Ontario and I'm so excited for spring Turkey hunt, antler shed searching and some good fresh air for a week trip in the bush.
Hi Scott. A good place to ask questions and discuss choices with an experienced group is on MYCCR discussion forum. Always good to get multiple opinions. Alot depends on if you are looking for solo, tandem, or a boat that will serve both needs. If both, I recommend a small 16 foot prospector type boat (many brands). A prospector is heavier to paddle and carry solo, but is all-purpose. Personally I like a small tandem since its wider, and is easy to stand up in, pole, and fish in without always being on the edge of tipping like the little solo boats are. Small solo boats are narrow, fast and light, but there are tradeoffs. I would recommend having a good look at Nova Craft Canoe's website, and their canoes if you can find a shop. There are many brands these days, so there is a bewildering array of choices. My ideal for a solo boat is 15-16 foot long, 34 inch beam, 2 inches of rocker, 14 inch depth. That combo is almost impossible to find however. Most solo's are 28-30 inch wide. Most tandems are 36 wide. So for the solo paddler its a tough set of tradeoffs. But for tandem, there are many nice 16-17 foot long boats that are excellent. For tandem, I like 17 better than 16.
Hoop what would you recommend for canoe material?! I'm looking at Kevlar but would like your input. I'm in southern Ontario so I'm n hr drive from Nova craft factory in London Ontario. I've been looking for used as well but most are really beat up. Sorry for pestering you I just respect your experienced opinion on this topic! Thank you.
Hi Scott. That is a loaded question! It can generate 40 pages of discussion on a canoeing discussion forum! :o) Nova Craft is a good company to benchmark with. They have several lay ups to choose from; the lighter ones will be less strong, the heavier ones will be more strong. Everything is blended now, so "kevlar" always means a mix of other materials as well. I recommend talking to one of their sale's people for the details. Nova Craft has their new "Tough Stuff" material which is heavier and super strong. But it may be overkill for what you need. Swift in Muskoka has some fine boats as well in many lay ups. There are many companies based in southern Ontario, so it is possible to do a road tour to various factories and stores, and make a little vacation road trip out of it to "window shop". Its good to be able to paddle a boat test model before you buy.
Another excellent video. Summer 2014 was the absolute worst I have ever experienced for mosquitoes. I mostly avoided the bush until late September and even then there was a healthy supply of them.
Wintertrekker I was just going to ask about that :o) Thanks for all the tips and the new series!
Thanks Tim! Bugs, bahhh, we don't care 'bout no stinkin bugs! ......although I am afraid of ticks :o)
I just got myself a 14' canoe that I'm expecting to outfit and to put to water in a couple of months. Until then I'm going to rent both canoes & kayaks before taking my rig back home to learn. Another thing I'm going to do to learn is to keep watching this series. Thank you for bringing us along. I'm picking up a lot from your experiences.
The Yankee Woodsman Thanks YW! Best of luck assembling your outfit!
Thanks WT. :)
Great Vid Hoop. Always enjoy your boreal wisdom. Heading to WCPP in T-minus 42 days. Not that anybodies counting....
***** Thanks CJ! WCPP is a great place. Best of luck on your trip!
Great series of vids..Here on the Rock we call that floating mat, Shaky Bog!
Roderick Mercer Shaky Bog! I like that! I will use that term next time, thanks Roderick!
The forest looks like my forest. A big mix of northern type flora/fauna. Doing 2-3 km as you do is not as easy as it might look on video :) When will the rest be up?
***** Yeah i remember that :)
Survival Russia Thanks Lars! Your Boreal forest is very similar to my Boreal forest here, and similar to Scandinavia and Finland. Many species will be the same, or just slightly different, but similar (pine, spruce, fir, birch, larch, poplar/aspen). Similar type of ecosystem. Although you seem to have more Chaga on your birch than we do here! :o)
Survival Russia The rest will be up as I get that chance to edit. I am almost a year behind schedule! :o)
Wow no snakes, telemarketers or pesky children.. that island look very inviting to camp on too.
'Mornin, Hoop; 'nuther great episode. True how it's always so quiet & peaceful. The views were awesum. Hope U find the landing so's 2 get in a good swim. Thanks, Friend
Happy Trails From Down The Path A Piece ATB Terry
" GOD BLESS "
T.W. Milburn Thanks Terry! That evening I had a cool swing on a clean rocky deep water campsite, and all again was well! Nothing like a cool swim after camp is made and all the firewood is in. Relaxation time!
you're a hard case, but nothing beats the great outdoors.
NLGhostWolf Thanks again NLGW!
Head over to Inwoods and I will cheech with you. Well done sir, looks like a great trip.
I was just thinking I will write that it is weird no moose tracks when there they were no surprise. I like how you tell honestly how impassable some areas are. They had said Survivor would be filmed in Northern Ontario ehe. Drop them into the middle of that blow down mid July in bikinis & gaunch :). They would break bones trying to escape. I wonder if the crew would believe we would fall for the precut bamboo?
Tossdart Thanks Tossdart! I never saw the survivor series on TV, but I know that regular people dropped off in the summer into thick blowdown Boreal with nothing much on for clothes, or tools, or skills, or shelter, would not last long.
Wintertrekker Well punish yourself & watch it. Tee hee.
Up in Cochrane, Ontario we called them trampoline bogs. Incredible how far you would sink if the wood you were walking on broke under your weight. When you got stuck then the bugs seemed to know they could move in and have a free lunch.
EconoChallenge Thanks Jeep! When bog stomping on my own, I think about falling through and becoming a preserved bog man that they will find 10,000 years later, fully preserved. I don't want to be that dude!
Wintertrekker Why not you'd be famous? lol
Ha! Maybe "infamous"!
Nice! Watching this makes me want to hit the water
Mudtoa Outdoors Thanks MO! That night after I found a nice deep water rocky campsite, I went swimming and washed all that grime off, and all was well again! :o)
That was exhausting I hope it look more fun than appears on camera
+Jim Cyr Thanks Jim! It was a workout for sure. With a nice campsite at the end of the day (4-5 PM), then a swim, then a wee dram of whiskey to relax, a big dinner, and all is very fine, and the hard work is forgotten. :o)
Been travelling lots lately and just catching up, looks like a great trip and one for on my list! Thanks for sharing, makes me remember fond memories of my last couple of years in Canada. Currently spending a year in New Zealand and it's a beautiful country, but for me personally it's not the same as the boreal forest :)
chaulsin Thanks Chaulsin! I am sure NZ has its many charms. I see from YT vids that the hiking can be spectacular, and they have liberal hunting seasons too? But ya, there is nothing like the Boreal forest on the Shield with our thousands of lakes and rivers.
Really had your work cut out for you there W.T. Spectacular views though. I'd say it was worth the effort. If you haven't tried this you may want to. Spray some fly dope on a bandana and tie it around your hat. Black flies usually land on your head then crawl down to bite you. At least your not sweating it all off.Lol. Bet you were happy to take a dip after that. Many thanks as always looking forward to the next one.
dadgad68 Thanks D! I will need to get a 2nd bandana, since I need that one on my neck! But I may try that trick, thanks for the tip!
Wintertrekker Your welcome. It might slow down the ones biting your head and neck. Good luck with the rest.Lol. Thanks for the reply. W.T.
Nice video again...i love those trip, i would love to go too someday.I was wondering when you gonna do some update , its been a while since we saw some of yours!!!!Keep up the good work my friend and continu to make me dream with it!!!!!
Sebastien Boucher Thanks Sebastien! Check out Parts 1-4, and I will have several more to come in this series!
Great video! I have a good idea of these portages you do in your trips from my own travels in the Boreal. But I don't understand when your filming and sound so calm and relaxed and not out of breath! Haha! It would be all I could do to just turn the camera on lol. Thank you for another beautiful video, look forward to more :)
PaddleBunk Thanks PB! If I carried the camera strapped on my head or the boat while portaging, you would hear alot of out-of-breath stammering, and cursing! :o)
another nice video, that sandy beach looked good, would that have not been a good spot to camp and swim? looking forward to your next one.
Thanks FLH! The beach may have been OK, but I had several km's to paddle yet to find a campsite that afternoon, where I like to find deep rock bottom water. Sometimes those shallow beaches have gunk on the bottom with leeches, so I go for the deep rock sites!
Another beautiful installment! I got a bit spooked watching the bog holes and the bugs, to be honest...and I thought New England mosquitoes/black flies were bad. Also, you must have had quite a data/workflow challenge for all of this footage. I'm guessing all of the (only?) copies lived in the blue Pelican case?
Thomas Ortiz Thanks Thomas! The bugs up here are bad, but once you get your clothing system designed, and use of bug dope on neck, face, and get a good wide brimmed hat, its fairly straight forward (and spritzer pump spray used for call of nature! :-) ) Yes that Pelican case was the one and only case for the extra batteries and SD cards. I don't do any editing en route. That's all done at home after. Nowadays with the huge capacity of cards (I was using 32g card), no need to edit in situ to save space.
Wintertrekker Good to know. How many SD cards did you go through?
Can't recall exactly. Maybe filled two 32G, maybe a 16G also. Camera was shooting the lower end of HD. A better camera at higher rez would fill several more cards.
I enjoyed this series, thanks for posting. What else do you carry for bears other than the bear bangers?
Richard Dombrowski Thanks Richard! I carry two cans of bear spray. I am always wearing one while on the portages, and in camp. I carry an extra one in my food barrel. You get 4-6, two second blasts from a can, so if I had a determined bear, I might need that extra can! :o) So far, never had to use it, but I have used the bangers a few times over the years to help curious bears make a decision to take off.
Whats a great series of videos, so far. The scenary us exquisite. If it helps in any way, posting your waypoints (coordinates) gives us foreigners a great idea of where you travel.
I live in Piedras Negras, Coahuila Mexico and do not have the slightest clue of where you are traveling.
Thank you for reading my comments, keep up the good work. Gods speed!.
Homero
Homero Jimenez Thanks Homero! Hey, you gave me a good idea to insert a map into one of the series showing the route, and location in Canada. You don't need the coordinates, since the shape of the lakes and rivers are easily understood on the maps. Here when on the water on these small Boreal lakes, we basically navigate by dead reckoning style using topo maps and the shape of the lakes, since the sight lines are wide open. :o)
Ok!!!...lol, i'll budge in to that. None the less, what ever you can come up with as helping your viewers get a vector on. Will be much appreciated...Salud!!!, from Piedras Negras,México
That is beautiful,peaceful and quiet country. Do you carry bear repellent (44 Remington Magnum) and a GPS.
NAHAAFB Thanks N! Since this trip is inside a Provincial Park, we are not allowed to carry firearms. So I carry bear spray, and pen launched bear bangers. I have used bangers successfully on curious (non-predatory) bears and scared them off. When I am on public land up north (outside of regulated parks), I sometimes carry a shotgun with slugs. On this trip I did not have a GPS, since I have good maps, and the terrain is easily navigable by lake, river, and portage trail. I always have a compass on me, lanyarded to my shirt chest pocket, and I shoot a return bearing if I wander off trail.
nice if not for all the carry and bugs
cr0cket01 Thanks C-01! Well the portages keep all those tourists away, as do the bugs, so its the price we pay to get into the back country ;-)
lol
Hey Hoop hope all is well! Have you ever tired permethrin on your clothing?! It's hard to get up here in Canada but luckily I got my hands on some sawyer permethrin and boy is it a game changer. Just curious if you use it and thoughts. Thanks
Hi Scott! Never tried it. But I have a bottle of the concentrated horse permethrin at home now. Got it through Amazon. It has to be diluted 20:1, which should not be a problem. I plan to try it this spring on the clothing. Can't wait to see the bugs and ticks stay away!
The bugs and that portage keep the tourists away. So far so good!! That looked tough. Are you dragging a lure at all? Great explanation of how the boreal works. I fell into one of those bog holes duck hunting and was doing the splits. Dam hard to get back up!!
A J Taylor Thanks AJT! No not dragging a lure when I am moving from A to B and portaging. I travel too fast to troll properly, and a fish will just slow me down having to deal with it (stop, land, fillet and bag, carry on). The bags can leak and I don't want any fish smells on my boat, gear or me having to transport the bag 'o fillets. Also the bag would have to stay on one side of the portage unguarded when I go for another load, which is a bear risk. I don't like placing a bag 'o fillets in my barrel, because if the bag leaks, my barrel gets a permanent smell in it that I won't be able to get out. So if I troll slow, or stop at the base of a rapid with no more portage left for that day, I will fillet and bag and leave in the bottom of the boat, and then cook that night. But mostly I fish on days off when I don't have to move all day. Fish coming up soon.
What a day of travel! I can almost feel the sweat trickling down my back in sympathy. Those clouds kept getting worse as the day went on. I suspect that you had some severe weather within 24-36 hours.
Have you ever considered spraying your clothing and hat (and a loose fitting head net) with permethrin to combat the mosquitos? Permethrin not only repels insects, it kills them- quite a satisfying feeling indeed. Sawyer makes a good permethrin product for a reasonable cost, and lasts for up to 6 washings or 6 weeks. Here is a link to their website if you are interested. sawyer.com/products/permethrin-premium-insect-repellent/
ADKHillyMan Hi ADKHM! In the summer, its always threatening rain there, its quite remarkable, and storm cells scoot by missing you sometimes, and hitting you sometimes. Even on blue sunny days, there is a thunderhead on the horizon some place. In Canada we cannot buy Permethrin. Its strange, its not approved for some reason. I have been meaning to order some Sawyer's from the States and try it out. I hear its amazing stuff. I hope I can find a shipper who will ship to Canada. Many on line shops in the States will not ship to Canada, or we get hit with massive brokerage fees and duty, its frustrating here often.
Wintertrekker Permethrin is listed by the US dept. of Agriculture as an organic pesticide- surprising because it is highly toxic to fish, invertebrates, insects and crustaceans. There is some evidence of it being linked to bee hive Colony Collapse Disorder. It is also a suspected endocrine disruptor in male and female reproductive systems by binding to the androgen and estrogen receptors.
It is reported that the dermal absorption toxicity of permethrin is negligent, if one can believe the claim. Personally, I am more concerned about DEET on my skin, and the possibility of contracting Lyme disease and West Nile Virus from ticks and mosquitos. If you would still like to try a permethrin spray on your clothing, there is a commercial company in the USA that impregnates clothing, and I am fairly certain that they can receive and ship to and from Canada. Check out the fine print. Here is their link.
www.insectshield.com/PDF/IS_Your_Own_Clothes_-_US_form_revised_3-11-2015.pdf
You will probably find this funny, but I have had tremendous luck with a product called Whup-a-Bug. Most folks haven't heard of it and are hesitant to try it, but it is highly effective. I remember canoeing one section of an Adirondack stream one-handed while spraying away at the worst cloud of deerflies I have ever encountered in 33 years of wilderness trekking. Within a short while the bottom of my canoe was black with the rotten buggers. It was then that I discovered that the product not only repels insects, it kills them. Here is a link www.whupabug.com/
This season I have purchased Sawyer's Picaridin product to try, and to compare to Whup-a-Bug. Time will tell.
Thanks for the info!
Another awesome series, and my gratitude for you sharing it with us. The bugs have been horrid this Spring in the Carolina's. Hopefully they won't be as bad in Ontario this July. Trying to get up for a little back country time myself.
Looks like leg breaking terrain to me. That could turn bad real fast.
Barbarossa4U You bet! And its worse carrying heavy loads. I think about that very thing all the time, and take it slow and easy. When solo, its actually one of the exhausting things about being mentally at high awareness all the time for everything - I often sleep 10 hours, sometimes 12 hours when I take a day off from travel!
I would rather get married, than go through portages like that.
***** Ha ha! Oh the trade offs in life......Its always something, eh! Well the portages keep the back country quiet and clean, so I don't really mind doing the work to get back inside, even though its painful at times! :o)
Wintertrekker Lady Evelyn many moons ago, I saw my trip leader...she launched a Grumman off her shoulders, to land 40 feet below, belly-side-down...with no damage. Loudest canoe I ever did see. Memories.
Videos too short Hoop! So much to see and say with that wildlife biologist mind of yours. Let the unwary or unluck wayfaring travelling plunge into the one of those holes in the floating bog and you could be bummin! So that is close to the headwaters of the Bloodvein river? Empties into Lake Winnipeg not far north of here. That is so cool way up there in the "high country".
Canesser Thanks C! You know me, I can't turn that Bio brain off! ;-) On Bigshell Lake fly-in, I was starting on one of the Bloodvein northern tribs. So I hopped a trib, and on Larus Lake at the end of the vid I was on the main branch. I have also tied into the Bloodvein on other trips starting on the Knox Creek trib system.
just wondering if your canoe is a madriver ?
Hi Dany! That canoe is an old one (purchased late 1980's), sold by Trailhead out of Ottawa Ontario. It was made for them, but I don't know by what company, since it has a Trailhead sticker. I think it was an Ontario company that was making boats for several Ontario retailers at the time. It does not have the signature gold serial number plate that all MR canoes do. Trailhead had a line of royalex canoes made for them by MR and I own one, and it has the MR gold serial number plate on it.
+Wintertrekker thanks a lot for the fast reply
what do you have wrapped around your paddle?? i wold like to to the same to mine
+Alex Hi Alex. Its a common whipping knot, similar to what is shown on Animated Knots here: www.animatedknots.com/commonwhipping/#ScrollPoint Instead of pulling the loop under the last few strands, I pull it under the entire wrap, and that requires pliers to pull it due to very high friction, since you wrap it as tight as possible. The down side to my method is that it leaves a thickness of that pulled through cord on one side. I like that protrusion on my finger side, not my thumb side. I used Mammut 3mm climbing accessory cord, which is actually closer to 2.5mm. Got it at MEC, link here: www.mec.ca/product/0403-063/mammut-3mm-nylon-static-cord/?f=10+50640 Its a very tight weave cord, smaller diameter than paracord, and harder finish, and its round, not flattish like paracord. Once its smoothed out and ends trimmed off, I used spar varnish to seal it, which I also use on the paddle, so its easy to add a coat now and then. Its never frayed.
thanks for the reply!!
Why do you not use smudge pots? as you would have an ember when you settle down
cr0cket01 Hi C-01. I do not use smudge pots because they do not work on northern mosquitoes. You end up breathing in alot of bad smoke, but the bugs get you anyway. I know because I have experimented with smudge fires many times. Smudge pots were used back when there was no mosquito netting, or for open side shelters where there was no alternative. People suffered from smoke inhalation and got bit, just not as bad as without. They would have to sleep inside their blankets with head buried. Not a pleasant way to sleep. I have a mozzie-free tent inside with the modern tents. :o) In Canada here, yo yo fishing rigs are illegal for non-commercial fishing purposes. Angling or a static line rig that is attended is the only legal way I can fish, unless you get a commercial fishing license, and then people use gill nets. Unattended lines are illegal (but for survival, a good skill to know). The lake country here is only as wild as it is, because of the bugs. Otherwise it would have been privatized and developed long ago and they would have signs up saying for people like me to "keep out"! So the bugs are sort of our friends in the long run. :o)