Jerry Vandiver’s album True and Deep: Songs for the Heart of the Paddler is reminiscent of those classic albums like Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell, Pink Floyd’s The Wall or those of Coheed and Cambria. Not that the sound is remotely similar—it’s just that the list of cumulative songs form a strong story line. Jerry has created an amazing story—and lucky for us, it’s all about paddling. If you’re a paddler, you’ll definitely love listening to Vandiver’s album from beginning to end. The first few arrangements (“More Than a River,” “Headwind,” “The Spirit of Fishdance Lake”) are warm-up tunes, the ones that get you excited about spring break-up. Then there’s “Rocks and Roots” and “Camp Coffee” that relate to the trip itself. And “The Morning Fog has Lifted” and “True Deep” end it off and creates that enthusiasm everyone to plan the next trip on the way home from the previous one. My personal favourite songs on the album are “Wabakimi” and “Leave No Trace.”

Check out his web site and have a listen—you won’t be disappointed.
paddlesongs.com

Watch the video for “Camp Coffee” below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

As a rule, you should plan for 40 minutes of cooking time per day for dinner and 20 minutes for breakfast. For a five-day trip, you’ll be having four dinners (two hours and 40 minutes of burn time) and four breakfasts (one hour and 20 minutes). Add an extra hour for hot soup on a rainy afternoon or a double-dose of coffee on a cold morning. That adds up to five hours of fuel for five days. If the stove runs on white gas, you’ll use up to one litre of fuel every three days, which means you pack two litres for five days to be on the safe side. If you have a butane or propane stove, then two large-sized canisters should do it.

TIP: never fill your white gas storage container to the top; always fill it to the three-quarter mark. If it’s full, it won’t create pressure in the container and the stove won’t light.

I like wearing wool. I always have. Some may think it’s because I’m too cheap to buy some of the “fancier” fabrics on the market, or that I’m too “traditional” to go beyond wearing an old wool sweater. But that’s not it at all. Wool generally keeps you dry when wet, unlike a lot of other materials. It’s also darn environmental (the animal doesn’t die when the material is obtained so it’s definitely a sustainable resource). The new-age stuff is also incredibly light-weight, so there’s no need to dress up in an over-sized sweater your grandmother knitted you a dozen or so years ago for Christmas.

My favorite wool gear is a product called Woolpower. It’s made with Ullfrotte Original, a material two thirds fine Merino wool and one third synthetic fiber, giving the product ultimate strength. It’s also knit with a distinctive terry loop stitching, which gives it the best overall insulating capability. However, the layering system that this wool garment company has developed is why I started buying up their new wool products in the first place. It’s not just one bulky sweater but a series of layered clothing that can be added or removed to stop you from sweating and becoming chilled.

The best part of any of the newer wool products coming out now is that even though wool generally doesn’t smell bad due to its “self-cleaning” abilities, these newer wool products on the market now can be washed in warm water without shrinking. That’s darn incredible. I absolutely love it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

Wool underwear is also in fashion. If you’re questioning that outdoor skivvies have nothing to do with fashion, or ability to keep you cozy, think back to the union suit. That red cotton one-piece with a trap door was in vogue for years. Recently, however, what’s replacing cotton undies is wool (or a second option equally as good is polypropylene or what was once known as polyester). A common theme now is a two-layered system, having Polypropylene material for the inside layer and wool as the outside layer; the outside fabric having a greater affinity for body moisture then the inside layer, which in turn pulls the sweat away from your body and lets it evaporate. The after affect is that you won’t suffer from chills after building up a sweat and then stopping your workout. Odor still isn’t a problem with the Polypropylene being because the new fabrics being used have silver or gold compounds incorporated in the fibers which discourage bacteria from growing.

Of course, I’m not a total wool snob. Good wool clothing can also be compared to good fleece, especially when used as a second layer under a wind/waterproof jacket. Fleece technology has greatly improved since its inception. It’s softer, compresses down to a smaller size (remember those Cookie Monster jackets) and has greater insulation and weight ratio. I prefer the shag look. It’s a terrible choice for in-door carpets but for a fleece this texture has a low density but lots of room to capture air for insulation. There was a trend not long ago that pushed fleecy fabrics that shed wind and rain. They worked but your sweat had a hard time escaping and most of the time you put on a waterproof outer layer to rebel wind and rain anyway. Now more people are buying up fleeces that repel moisture from the inside, even if they lack good protection from the wind and rain. A hard-shell fleece fabric used to make a soft-shell outer garment is the key here. Of course, if money is an issue (it always is), you still could wear your grandmother’s knitted wool sweater instead and tell your friends you’re going retro.

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

When it’s been down pouring rain for several days and you’re desperate to get the camp fire going, having a good fire starter to help get things going can be extremely  comforting. Yes, there’s plenty of natural material in the bush to help ignite your fire—birch bark, dried grass, cattail fluff, and resin from a balsam tree are some of the best—but having homemade back-ups stored in your pack and always available can be an extra bonus. Even if you don’t make them at home, you always have plenty of flammable materials in your pack as well.

Dryer lint and egg cartons

The classic homemade fire starter is a wad of dryer lint placed in each empty storage department of a cardboard egg carton with melted wax, or better yet, melted paraffin wax poured over top. It’s an easy project and brings back days of making crafts in public school. The main trick, however, is to melt the wax without burning the house down or ruining your good cooking pot. Wax or paraffin wax is highly flammable so don’t just throw a cube of it in a pot and heat up up over the stove burner. To slow down the melting rate, and reduce the chance of combustion, make a double burner by having the pot with the wax in it float in another pot of water. The simmering water will melt the wax at a much slower and safer rate. And you might want to use an old coffee can rather than a cooking pot to melt the wax in. Melted wax makes a real mess to clean up. If you don’t want to spend the money on paraffin then simply gather all the half-burned candles in the house (or go to a bargain store). Sawdust, shredded paper or even cut up pieces of the egg carton top work well as filler. Also, try dipping in rolled up newspaper tied with string (don’t use nylon string) or pine cones into the wax to make fire starters.

Cotton balls and vaseline

Cotton balls are my favorite. Their light weight and when Vaseline or “petroleum jelly” is worked into the ball, it becomes highly flammable. I’ve even dipped them in paraffin wax or even melted Vaseline and stored them in my pack in a Ziploc bag. If you’re on trip and you don’t have cotton balls or Vaseline but you do have Q-tips and lip balm, try those together.

Hand sanitzer

Squeeze a good supply of hand santizer on the wood and it will burn long enough to dry things out. Make sure the product you are using, however, contains alcohol. Some companies are now making alcohol free sanitizer and that won’t work.

Charcoal in an egg carton

Place a chunk of charcoal in each section of cardboard egg carton. Light the carton—you might want to squeeze hand sanitizer or bug repellent on it first to help get it going.

Waxed paper and dyer lint

Waxed paper burns fantastic on its own but you can also wrap up dryer lint or sawdust, twisting both ends of the paper to hold the contents. Remember, it may look like a doobie—but definitely doesn’t get you high.

Potato chips

The greasier the better when choosing which potato chip will burn the best. But trust me, they do burn. Pringles Hot and Spicy, Doritos Spicy Nachos and Fritos Corn Chips are my choice. And once the fire is going, its snack time.

Duct tape

Yes, one more thing you can do with Duct Tape. Use it for a fire starter. It’s highly flammable and burns for a good chunk of time. I’ll spray bug repellent or squeeze some hand sanitizer on it as well, just to get things going.

Rubber rubing

It’s probably the most toxic fire starter on the list but it’s still effective. When your bike gets a flat, keep it and cut it into strips. Just don’t breath in the fumes when its ignited.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not only do I like the films Frank Wolf has produced, I admire the reasons he produces them. It’s all about awareness of an environmental and social issue. His latest – On The Line – does exactly that. Frank, and his friend Todd McHGowan, set out last summer to determine how the Northern Gateway Pipeline would affect ecosystems and communities along its path. So, they walked, hiked, cycled and paddled 2,400 kilomters along the proposed pipline route from the oil sands to Kitimat, on B.C.’s northern coast.

 

The film can’t be timelier. It’s an insightful look at this 5.5 billion dollar pipeline project. After viewing it, I’d have to guess that none of the interviews were set up – something I think adds a great deal to the project. They were “normal” people met along the way who shared they’re true feelings. And their definitely were strong feelings. – especially between the two provinces (Alberta and British Columbia). The other key point highlighted was the rugged terrain the two traveled through; scenes of Frank and Todd dealing with the harsh elements emphasized how disastrous a leak would be if (or when) it happened.

 

Watch this film. It’s available on-line but I purchased mine at Mountain Equipment Co-op.

 

 

Campers in Canada and the United States are fixated on petroleum-based stoves. The majority of us use either pressurized white gas or butane/propane stoves. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that. I love my MSR Dragonfly stove. But everywhere else in the world it’s alcohol stoves that rule.

I remember back in the mid-1980s exclusively using an alcohol burning stove – Trangia – while working at a kids camp. My boss insisted on them – and they worked great for our multi-day hiking trips. But somewhere in between I switched to petroleum – so did my past boss. So last week I wanted to give the Trangia another try. Trangia stoves are one of the top selling alcohol burning stoves across Europe. In Canada, however, it was difficult to even find a store that sold them. Canadian Outdoor Equipment came to my rescue. I’m totally addicted to this store. It sells outdoor products you won’t find in any other outdoor store – like the Trangia.

The stove itself has many advantages. First, it’s extremely light weight. It fits in the palm of your hand. It also comes with its own cook set and is quite compact, which is why we used them for our hiking trips at the kids camp years ago. They’re also very simple. What I mean is, there’s nothing much to them and nothing much can go wrong with them. To me, the Trangia resembles a fancy Fondue set. And most of all, they’re unbelievably silent. My MSR Dragonfly is so loud when turned on that some of my camp mates refuse me to pack it along.

There are some disadvantages though. Depending what fuel you use, it’s difficult to see the flame when its on. Mythel-hydrate is the worst for this. It also has a longer boiling time then all pressurized petroleum based stoves. And, because they’re such a rarity in Canada and the U.S., it’s a tad confusing to know what fuel to purchase for them and where to buy it.

To help explain all this, here’s a blurb [below video] I got from the gang at Canadian Outdoor Equipment. It helped me a lot when trying the stove for the first time since the 80s.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

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Trangia Stove Fuels In Canada

There’s a fair bit of confusion out there about what exactly can be used as fuel in Trangia cookstoves, what that fuel is called, where to get it, burn times, etc..This post is an effort to clear up some of these questions.

 

Out of the box, Trangia cookstoves burn alcohol and derivatives (see below).  Attachments are available to allow the stoves to operate with isobutane canisters, or petroleum fuels and derivatives (white gas, gasoline, kerosene and diesel), making it a very versatile system, compatible with a wide range of available fuels in Canada, and around the globe.

 

Alcohol: A Fuel by Any Other name

 

I have a feeling that the naming of alcohol compounds was accompanied by much imbibing of the substance, as there are a myraid of names for alcohols that are actually the same thing. Add in the conundrum of some being available only in Canada, and others only available states side, it can make your head spin – even while sober.

 

In Canada you have 4 basic fuel choices (referred to here by their colloquial names)

 

METHYL HYDRATE:  known also as methanol, wood alcohol, or wood spirits, or gas line anti-freeze. No longer distilled from wood, but instead reformed from the methane in natural gas, this clean burning fuel is widely available at hardware and paint stores across the country, and provides the best power density of all the fuels we tested. It is however poisonous (don’t drink it, or spill it into waterways) and can be absorbed through the skin, so care should be taken when handling it. Trangia’s 500 ml or 1L bottles are perfect for storage of fuel (alcohol or petroleum) and refilling of the stoves, as the push button on the spout ensures there are no spills or drips.

 

MARINE STOVE FUEL: also known as denatured alcohol, it’s ethanol (the alcohol in booze) mixed with methanol. The methanol is added to prevent people from heading down to the local marina on a Friday night instead of the liquor store. This burns cleanly as well, and had nearly the same burn times as methyl hydrate.

 

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: also known as rubbing alcohol, can be used in the stoves provided it’s 91% or better (lower concentrations will NOT burn). While probably the most ubiquitous fuel source, widely available in drug stores, it produces a lot of soot, so should be considered a “2nd string” fuel, when others are not available

 

GEL FUEL: generally used for fondues, it can be used in a Trangia stove, but I would only use it if i had absolutely nothing else. The burner cup has small holes designed to improve the burn of fluids, so gels don’t take advantage of this. In addition to the slowest performance, gels also leave a residue in the burner that needs cleaning. Having said that, it is comforting to know that I could take some of my alcohol hand cleaning gel and make a cup of tea with it if I had to.

 

Burnin’ Ring of Fire

 

For our burn time tests, we used a 25 series windscreen, the stock alcohol burner cup, and the stock aluminum 0.9 L kettle. Tests were conducted at Algonquin Park in Ontario (approx 289 metres above sea level) in July (summer) at temperatures in the high 20′s, low 30′s. Test consisted of time it took to boil 750 ml of water, including set up of cookset from it’s packed state. We did not test petroleum fuels in this run, as this will be a separate post later in the season.

 

Our results:

 

METHYL HYDRATE: approx 9.5 minutes (includes 1 minute set up time)

MARINE FUEL: approx 10 minutes (includes 1 minute set up time)

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: approx 12 minutes (includes 1 minute set up time)

GEL FUEL: approx 15 minutes (includes 1 minute set up time)

HAND SANITIZER: approx 18 minutes (includes  1 minute set up time)

BUTANE ATTACHMENT: approx 4  minutes (includes 2 minutes set up time)

 

A burner cup full of marine fuel burned for 35 minutes. (approx 100 ml)

 

Methyl Hydrate is the least expensive fuel at about $2.60 per litre, marine fuel runs about $4.75 per litre, and isopropyl about $8.00 per litre.

 

The above fuels are only ones that should be used in a Trangia stove. Fules that should NOT be used include: Varsol, Paint or Laquer Thinner, Turpentine or Mineral Spirits (don’t let the name fool you, it’s petroleum based).

 

Conclusions:

 

If you’re a speed demon out on a camping or tripping expedition, and need hot water NOW, the butane attachment is a must have – a veritable blast furnace that when combined with the windscreen, goes from zero to hot brew in 2 minutes. Add another 2 for set up, and you’ve got morning coffee in under 5 minutes – quicker than I can do it at home. The down side is that isobutane tanks in Ontario are non-refillable, must be disposed of properly (i.e. a special trip to landfill site), and don’t function well in sub-zero weather ( when I need 5 minute coffee the most). Great for quick, fast trips where every minute counts, but aside from being in the Eco Challenge, who wants to be rushing through dinner on a backcountry trip?

 

The heat from the alcohol stove, on the other hand, in addition to being completely silent, makes for great cooking – no instant scorch like with pressurized gas, just nice, steady, even heat – perfect for sautéing veggies, or making frybread. Alcohol fuels will work in winter weather, (but must be lit with a flame, as opposed to a spark) are cheap, and readily available in smaller towns where other camping fuels may be in short supply, making the Trangia stove one of the most versatile cookstoves available today.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Being bowlegged has its advantages. I excel at the art of the snowshoeing. The passion for the craft (and my disability) began when I won a race against my arch-nemesis and public school bully, Tommy Baker. I then went on to win races at college, competing in the Timber Sports games. I even had a forest inventory job where I spent my day wandering the northern boreal forest measuring trees and balancing on snowshoes.

I knew my shortcomings would come in hand eventually. Of course, one doesn’t have to be bow-legged to snowshoe – but it does have its benefits. Lately, the main disadvantage of the sport – other than the fact we have limited snow this season – is choosing the right style; especially between the traditional and modern day designs.

When dealing with traditional there’s four main categories. For walking across flat, semi-open terrain the proper style would be the Michigan or Algonquin snowshoe. It’s the most common model and is shaped like a teardrop with its tail lagging behind to track a straight line and keep the tips out of the snow.

In hilly or mountainous country, the standard bear-paw style is more commonly used. With no tail it makes walking easier. I also use the bear-paw in early Spring for walking through deep, crusty, corn snow.

The other main styles of snowshoe are the Ojibwa and the Alaskan. The Ojibwa is used for open areas, with its long length and upturned toe giving extra support and stability. The shoe’s tip is pointed, looking like the back end of the Michigan or Algonquin style, and can actually help cut through the hard crust of snow or push away small saplings when walking in dense bush. The Alaskan is quit similar, except the toe is rounded.

All these styles are made of wood and lacing. However, outdoor stores are now more opt to carry the new-age snowshoes made of light-weight plastic or anodized aluminum equipped with mini-crampon bindings. I still prefer the wooden type when it comes to deep snow, especially when you need to pack down an area in the snow to place your tent on. The new-age ones are a lot lighter, however, and most deal extremely well with climbing up slippery slopes. My MSR Explore snowshoes are fantastic. They’re light weight with an amazing binding system that doesn’t need fiddled with every few minutes. In fact, having the perfect binding to hold your foot in place is extremely critical. There’s nothing worse than messing around with an awkward binding system when your hands are numb with cold. There’s an endless assortment, ranging from the simple Native hitch to a piece of old inner tubing. The most common binding, however, is a combination of a wide toe-piece and a leather-heel strap with a cross strap over the instep. A single ski pole also comes in handy when trying to keep your balance in deep snow or drudging up and steep inclines.

After the binding comes the boot. Oil-tanned moccasin boots worn with one light pair and one heavy pair of wool socks work great. A winter companion of mine raves about his pair of moccasins with the upper section of the boot made of thick canvas material. He purchased them from a Native living in the far north where the snow is always dry and crisp. In wet snow, however, his feet soon become soaked and adding more oil just makes his feet from breathing and they sweat uncontrollably. I find a good old pair of felt-lined boots with rubber bottoms and leather tops to be adequate. Or those rubber boots with liners you can pick up cheap at Canadian Tire. They’re on the heavy side, give me blisters, and at times can be too warm to wear comfortably, but with and extra pair of interchangeable liners in my pack I haven’t lost a toe from frostbite yet.

Snowshoeing Tips:

• Walking with snowshoes lashed to your feet is little different than strolling down the sidewalk wearing a pair of sneakers, except the width of the snowshoe forces you to swing each foot around in a semi-circular motion.
• Ski poles help to keep your balance and assist you to get up when you actually do fall down.
• Lurch forward on every step and let the snowshoe sink into the snow a bit to get a firm grip for the follow through step.
• To turn, kick straight out (with the left leg if you’re going left and visa-versa if you’re going right). Then twist 180 degrees with that leg and follow through with the other leg (ski poles will help you greatly here).
• Descend a hill in a zigzag pattern and lean back a little. Make sure the binding are tight enough to keep your toes in place. And if the slope is too steep, place one foot in front of the other, sit on the back snowshoe, and slide down.
• Make sure to also zigzag uphill and make good use of your ski poles.
• Be happy you’re bow-legged. It’s  definitely a plus

       

I realize that 99% of the population is enjoying the lack of winter we’re getting this season…but I’m part of the 1% hoping it gets colder and snowier. After all, I had planned on some major winter camping trips throughout January and February. One trip in particular includes a hike up Silver Peak in Killarney in a few weeks; and if we don’t get some chilling temperatures than it wasn’t worth begging Santa Clause for a good winter sleeping bag and sleeping matt this past holiday. Under the tree (packed by a mysterious elf that resembled my wife) was a -20 degree bag from Mountain Equipment Co-op (Thor Windstopper) and Therm-a-rest’s NeoAir mattress. The winter bag is down and for the weight its amazing. I doubt the elfs could have produced another bag so light and yet so warm (thanks Alana). Santa threw in a liner as well to add to the warm (and to make it easier and cheaper to wash). The NeoAir was a huge bonus. I’ve always wanted one of these for winter camping. In the past I’ve used a three layer system of summer Therm-a-rests. Then I tried Eureka’s Air Rest last year, which worked well. But the NeoAir is far more compactable. Now, put those two major Santa items togehter with a few stocking stuffers (wool hat, socks and underwear) and I’m ready for the frigid temperatures to happen. Heck, Santa even brought me a foot cream called “Healthifeet” that warms the feet when applied to the feet a few days prior to the trip. I have to admit, however, that I was a tad puzzled at this last gift. The product works by a natural amino acid that increases blood flow – and its’s the same chemical that’s used in creams for “sexual arousel.” Oh well, if the temperatures don’t drop I guess I’ll still be a “Happy Camper.”  (sorry, couldn’t resist that one)    

Ontario Tourism's 2012 calendar is out and it looks fantastic. I'm even in a couple of shots (dog sledding in ...