Pt 11: Fire-craft: Rocks and Black Spruce: 17 day solo canoe trip, August 2013 Wintertrekker 2026-09-21 | Pt 11: Fire-craft: Rocks and Black Spruce: 17 day solo canoe trip, August 2013
Canoe Portage Chat and Walk-Along - Pt 10, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2020-05-07 | Portages beyond the road-accessed lakes and rivers are what make back-country canoe routes. Without portages, its front country. Join me for a 500m portage carrying my canoe, with a monologue about stuff relevant to solo canoe tripping.Part 10 in this series from June 2019: Day 3 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Trip was cut short due to a severe pinched nerve issue that was becoming unsustainable. Sorry for taking a year to get the editing and posting done! Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more to come.#canoeportage #solocanoe #canoetripping
Paddling Out Chat About Solo Safety and Stuff - Pt 9, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2020-05-03 | Chatting about solo canoe tripping safety, while paddling out from an unexpectedly early trip end. The Canadian stroke in classic leaned-up canoe style is how I am paddling. Safety topics such as: drinking water straight from the lake vs. maybe not due to the seasonal tree pollen dump on the water; taking one's time, portage safety especially when alone. Due to a pinched never issue that was causing severe pain in my arm, and lack of sleep, I had to end the trip earlyPart 9 in this series from June 2019: Day 3 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Sorry for taking a year to get the editing and posting done! Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more to come.#solocanoe #canoetripping #solocanoesafety
Trip ends too early - Pt 8, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2020-04-28 | Part 8 in the series – I had to cut short this 7-day solo canoe trip from June 2019, due to an issue. The trip was planned for a week, and my plan was to use my new Silky saws to clean up more portage trails on the route, and create a new campsite on the next lake over. But those plans were cancelled by end of day 2.Please stay tuned, I have more footage from this trip to edit and upload, and sorry for my year’s delay in finishing the editing – its been an off year for me, for many reasons.Part 8 in this series: Day 2 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more to come.#solocanoe #canoetripping #solotripping
My best fire lighting method- Pt 7, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-12-27 | I show my best firecraft design/method for fire lighting on wet ground: A dry platform is made with a mini wind tunnel underneath, which creates a bottom draw oxygen supply for the igniting tinder and kindling. I use my favourite fuels: black spruce splits, branches and twigs, and birch bark. The draw is enhanced by the fire rock set with the high chimney rock. This fire size and rock set is designed for a summertime low cooking fire, using my Purcell Trench grill. The grill is set low, and splits and branches are fed underneath as needed. The inside ends of the fuel sticks burn faster, and the unburned ends can be pushed in as they burn. Without a grill you can rig pot hanger sticks. In winter with snow when rocks are not available, I scale up the fire size for throwing a lot of heat to me for warmth and drying. In winter the stringer logs chosen for the bottom are thicker to make the starting platform higher to stay out of the snow. Part 7 in this series: Day 2 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more videos in this trip series.#tindertube, #firecraft, #cookingfire
Black Spruce Harvest - Pt 6, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-12-27 | Black Spruce (Picea mariana) is my favourite tree and firewood source in the Boreal Forest. The very fine twigs are the world’s best kindling IMO. The dead branches of the biggest trees are thin and can be collected easily by hand, or quickly by saw or axe. The tree grows straight, narrow and tall, and in stands there are usually abundant dead standing stems in the understory, easy to harvest, cut and split. For tarp poles and shelter building the long poles are the best, easily trimmed of their thin branches. Part 6 in this series: Day 2 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more videos in this trip series.#BlackSpruce, #Silkybigboy, #BorealForest
Brunch on the FeatherMoss, with Trangia - Pt 5, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-08-22 | Having slept in late, in no rush for today, I share brunch with you under the tarp, during light rain, on a beautiful bed of feather moss, and talk about camping stuff. Brunch first course is OvaEasy eggs, and second course is hot cereal, with a lot of hot coffee (instant coffee...ya I know). Feather moss is a multi-species group of terrestrial mosses that form everywhere on the Boreal Forest floor under a pine and spruce tree canopy. Pine and spruce needles are acidic, and provide the acidic conditions that favour feathermoss dominance over the herbs and grasses/sedges. If the tree canopy was poplar and birch, that leaf litter is slightly alkaline, and the herbs would dominate over the feather mosses. Me, I prefer the pine and spruce forests, and the feather moss forest floors.Link for research to get you started: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather_moss(Conservation note: There are no earthworms here. All earthworms in Canada are introduced exotics, and invasive, and are spreading. Earthworms eat and destroy feather mosses and other native forest floor plant communities, churn the soil, destroy the mycorrhizal fungi that connect all native plant roots here, eat layers of organic matter, and ultimately change the ecology of our forests and wildlife here. You can do your part to prevent invasion of exotic earthworms. Please don't bring worms for fishing bait here, or any live bait - they escape, establish, and then invade the forest soils, destroying our native forests.) For the Trangia fans, you will note that I added a loop of thin wire onto the simmer ring tab. This allows the use of the lifter stick to avoid getting burned by the hot simmer ring or flames inside the burner stand.I always get questions about my custom pot set: Pots are Evernew Titanium "deep" model. 1.6L and 2.0L. These nest. (I don't think they make the 2.0L deep anymore). I drilled and riveted on two offset aluminum tabs on each pot to bend around the outside lip of the pots so that the lids still fit, and drilled those tabs to wire on bail handles."TexMex" seasoning from Club House brand.Day 2 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Crustacean image credits:Daphnia: Attribution: Photo: Paul Hebert. [Creative Commons BY 2.5 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)]Page URL: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daphnia_pulex.pngCyclops:Creator: U.S. Government, EPACopyright: Public domain.Location: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclops.jpgThanks for watching, please stay tuned for more videos in this trip series.#Feathermoss#Tangia#solocanoe
Settling In, Dinner, End Day 1 - Pt 4, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-07-25 | Its late when I get to my campsite in a lake one portage in from my starting lake. What I thought was my "secret" campsite where almost no one ever travels to for many years, was in fact visited by others since I was there last. I comment on how different their bush camping style is from mine, and a small note on bush etiquette.I discuss my favourite 1-pot meal. The audio provides the ingredients and how I cook it. It is on my video to-do list to show you how I de-fat and dehydrate the dried ground beef at home so that it travels unrefrigerated forever and never spoils, and how I dehydrate the tomato sauce.Wearing my MEC 1990's vintage purple and teal windbreaker (Yuk! I hate purple and teal colours for gear! Blechh!)....but structurally its actually the best, most awesome-est windbreaker I have ever owned, it fits generously for layering perfectly, totally windproof, breathes very well, light and dries superfast, so I reserve it just for canoe trips and keep on using it for over 20 years now. (Use what ya got!) Fabric is "Supermicroft". What ever happened to Supermicroft anyways, it is AWESOME!I always get questions about my pot set. This pot set is Evernew Titanium 1.4L and 1.9L "Tall" pots. (Evernew unfortunately no longer makes the 1.9L Tall version). I installed wire bail handles by drilling and riveting on hanger tabs. It is on my to-do video list to show you how I make these pot bail hangers and handles. The food barrel is a 30L barrel with steel rim clamp, and old Blackfeather harness.Audio-Video link to White-throated sparrow call (common in the Boreal Forest): Note that this one is the descending tone in the song, but the species also has an ascending song with different notes: allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/soundsDay 1 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Thanks for watching, please stay tuned for more videos in this trip series.#solocanoe #canoetripping #canoecamping
KATANABOY & BIGBOY Clear Portage - Pt 3, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-07-01 | I brought the Silky KATANABOY 650 and BIGBOY 2000 to help me clear blowdown on the portage trails. I planned to clear two trails on this trip, and Day 1 shows what I found on Day 1. First time using the Katanaboy. AWESOME! (of course!). I had some struggles with sawing logs from underneath, but I am sure that with practice I will figure out that technique. I finished the underneath cuts with the Bigboy no problem, which I show. Obviously the Katanaboy is rather heavy to take for the average solo canoe trip. But this is no manicured park. Where I was travelling on Crown (public) land, true backcountry where no government is clearing the blowdown on the portage trails, and so its up to us travelers to clear trail and maintain these historic and culturally important canoe routes. Canoe portage trails are what makes lake to lake canoe routes possible in this thick bush and rugged terrain. Shout-out to Lars at his "Awesome" Youtube channel: "Survival Russia", youtube.com/user/Moscowprepper It was his awesome videos demonstrating the Silky saws who convinced me to spend the money for two of these great saws. Day 1 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. Please stay tuned for more in this series.#canoeportage #silkykatanaboy #silkybigboy
Canoe-side Chat Paddling in the Rain - Pt 2, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-06-29 | Canoe trips are slow, and often involve hours of paddling in the rain and not so fun conditions. I thought I would show the real life of the slow experience of solo paddling through our northern lakes when it is raining, and just chatting about stuff that matters at the moment, such as rain gear, hypothermia, bilge water, and of course the weather. The paddling style shows J-stroke and Canadian stroke, and a few stern draws.Please let me know if these slow-paced "canoe-side chat" videos are too long and slow, and if instead I should edit them down to keep things moving with more variety.The real light is indeed that dull gray and the water looks black. In post processing, I could have added artificial light and colour, but I prefer to keep it real. Its not always sunshine and rainbows. Its often wet, cold, dull, dreary for hours or days on end. Solo canoe tripping requires a strong attitude to adapt to work and conditions that are not always pleasant, while keeping a positive outlook on things, focusing on the long-term rewards. Poor weather especially can get you down very fast if you don't learn to deal with it and stay warm and dry. Otherwise it is easy to get discouraged or depressed, and that is when accidents can happen for solo trippers. So I thought I would show you a sample of the long, slow, rainy experience. Day 1 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. #solocanoe #canoetripping #raingear
Paddling In - Pt 1, Solo Canoe Trip, June 2019 Wintertrekker 2019-06-27 | Day 1 of a planned week-long solo canoe trip, Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario, mid-June, 2019. All the footage is on the water, so I hope you feel part of the canoe, lake, waves, wind and weather. More to come in this series, please stay tuned!I always get many questions about my canoe, so here is the basic info: The canoe is a classically shaped Prospector 16 (a small 16 length at 15' 8"), 34 inch beam, 14 inch depth, with about 2 inches rocker, with classic tumblehome, ash gunwales; hull is composite of Kevlar + S-glass, weighs about 54-56 pounds; originally sold by Trailhead out of Ottawa, Canada, where I bought it about 30 years ago. This particular canoe model is no longer made to my knowledge.#solocanoe #canoetripping #solopaddling
Canoe Portaging Out - Solo 4-day Canoe Trip, Part 13, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-08-17 | Portaging my canoe out through a classic example of pure stands of black spruce forest, my favourite boreal forest stand type: black spruce trees, and ground cover of feather mosses and sphagnum, and Labrador Tea low shrubs. A few white birch scattered throughout. As I portage I chat about some stuff.Last part in this solo canoe trip series. Thank you for coming along. If you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you! Link to "The Wabakimi Project", http://www.wabakimi.org/projectR.I.P. Phil Cotton - you are missed. Your accomplishments will live on.Link to Greenstone Wilderness Trails canoe routes: greenstonetrails.weebly.com/municipal-brochuresThanks Rob!Watch the entire series on this playlist: The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip - Spring 2018": youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8Tp
Drinking Lake Water Unfiltered? Wintertrekker 2018-08-11 | I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered.Staying well hydrated in the heat and when working hard in the bush is critically important, especially when traveling solo in remote back-country. I show drinking the water straight, unfiltered, from the open area of a pristine lake in the northern Ontario boreal zone. I have been drinking the water unfiltered from lakes for over 40 years without a single incident of being sick - BUT I pick my locations very carefully. This is a totally natural watershed with no agriculture, no industry, no cottage development or outhouses or septic systems. This is as natural as it gets and the water is very clean in the aerated open water - but it still contains live organisms, animals live in the water, so there is risk. One of my most valued experiences in back-country travel and living is being able to drink the water straight from the lake, unfiltered, as our ancestors have always done. In the video I show the area of the lake I drink the water from unfiltered (which involves risk), and areas of the lake where I use a filter or boil the water. I also state that each person is different, and one's gut flora can become adapted to local conditions, and other people may get sick drinking the same water in an area they are not adapted to (as international travelers well know). I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered. I do this at my own risk. But after 40 years I have a consistent record of successful adaptation and no illness.If you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Fish + My Canoe Food - Dinners Pt 3 - Solo 4-day canoe trip, Part 12, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-08-05 | This is the 3rd in the May 2018 solo 4-day series, showing my 1-pot meals using dried food mostly dried at home. (And I had a walleye meal appetizer). This one is dried chicken, jasmine and wild rice, with the usual ingredients of dried onions, mushrooms, olives, and my standard dollop of olive oil. The dried chicken is dried from flaked chicken from the can. Simply mash it up to re-flake it, then place on the liquid trays in your dehydrator. I store it in mason jars in the freezer until I need it for a trip. Unrefrigerated, it remains perfectly fine for well over 2 months in my experience, and I have tested that many times on long trips with packing food weeks before the trip. The wild rice is pre-cooked at home, then dried on the dehydrator liquid trays. The wild rice I purchase takes 3-4 hours to cook. Water to rice is 3:1. I bring it to a boil, then simmer as low as possible for about half an hour to an hour. Then I turn the heat off and let it sit and absorb water. Occasionally I might turn the heat on for a few minutes, then shut it off again. This slow method seems to avoid the mush effect when wild rice is cooked too fast under too much heat. Easy to dehydrate on the liquid trays. Again as with all my dried food, I store it in mason jars in the freezer until needed for a trip. For rehydrating, I find it takes roughly 5 to 8 minutes on a simmer, or in a cozy. Wild rice is "wild" and diverse, so its cooking time may vary between brands and packages, and within the same package. Expect soft grains and firm chewing grains in the final product. If you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you! Watch the entire series on this playlist: The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8Tp
Fire Grows Boreal Forest! Wintertrekker 2018-08-01 | The Boreal Forest is born in, and recycled by fire. I show the remnants of forest fire charcoal in the root mat of pine and spruce trees. The forest I am standing in was all burned about 100 years ago, and is now old, trees rotting at their base, falling down, building fuel loads, and is ready to burn again. At the end of the video is a music slide show of the forest, showing how freshly burned forests grow back - I think you will enjoy it!If you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Pit & Mound Micro-Topography. Part 10: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-07-23 | I walk back into the bush to show the phenomenon of "pit and mound" micro-topography. Pits and mounds are part of the 3D structure of the forest floor that is constantly being re-arranged via the energy involved in tree blow-down events. Boreal Forest pine and spruce trees are shallow-rooted with no tap root, and are routinely blown down. When this happens often their entire root mat is ripped up and out, pulling boulders, stones and dirt out with it, which form the future "mound". The hole from this event is called a "pit" which, unless filled in from other events, becomes permanent, adding to the rugged micro-topography. Pits can sometimes fill with water.All natural, long standing forests will have some degree of pit and mound micro-topography. The degree of pit and mound formation increases with the prevalence of species that are shallow-rootedness with no tap root. Deeply rooted tree species when wind damaged, often tend to snap off above ground, and do not create the "pit" because their root mat stays intact in the ground. But when deeply rooted trees are ripped out by their roots, the resultant pit is often massive. This is part 10 of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, spring, 2018.More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip - Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Food/Bear Barrel: Overnight Placement? - Part 9: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-07-13 | Part 9, of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: I show where I place my food/bear barrel, relative to the tent location, and discuss reasons why I place it so that I can see it and hear if an animal may be messing with it. Hanging food barrels or packs from trees in this boreal forest is almost impossible, due to the branch structure of the spruce and pine here. White birch is about the only tree species here with an open enough branch structure to throw a weighted line over and hoist and suspend a food pack between two trees. There were no large enough white birch trees close enough to this campsite. On the treeless tundra further north in grizzly range, barrels always have to be on the ground anyways.Keeping the food barrel absolutely clean and never touching it with food residue on my hands, is my way of reducing risk of a bear deciding it will try to open the food barrel. The barrel lid rim is plastic and a big bear could rip it open if it really wanted to. By keeping the barrel clean and with no food scent on the outside, that minimizes the risk.More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
My Canoe Food - Dinners Pt 2, and more stove side chat - Part 8: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-06-26 | Part 8, of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: By popular request, I show another of my standard one-pot meals for my summer and winter trips. This one is my all-time favourite: dehydrated and de-fatted ground beef with tomato sauce, pasta, onions, mushrooms, olives, garlic and olive oil. Due to the Fire Ban imposed throughout the region, I cooked everything on the Trangia burner and Clikstand, and I show how I work with 2 modified Trangia simmer rings. I dehydrate much of my own food, and I will show more delicious one-pot meals and fry pan meals this series. Dehydrated food reduces pack weight and bulk. My dried food will not leak into a pack and cause bear attractant problems. I show how I handle olive oil so that it will not leak nor contaminate other food pack contents. Hope this gives you some ideas for your back-country trips!Some more stove-side chat about the Spring Peeper calls on the audio and some biology, which I talked about before, but the peepers were calling very loud and clear this evening.More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
My Canoe Trip Food - Fried Breakfast - Part 6: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-06-19 | Part 6, of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: By popular request, I show one of my standard breakfasts. This one is fried OvaEasy eggs, and fried "Power-Packed" pancakes of my own recipe, and slathered with raspberry jam. Everything is fried in olive oil, and the pancakes have lard shortening. Fat is good on canoe trips and when out in the bush. This breakfast sticks to the ribs and only a light lunch is required. This breakfast is slow. For a long travel day, another quicker breakfast is preferred. But for a base camp trip, this slow fried breakfast is awesome.Due to the Fire Ban imposed throughout the region that prohibited all fire at that time, I cooked everything on the Trangia burner and Clikstand.My Power-Packed Pancake recipe continually evolves. For this trip it was made of the following: STEP 1: The base is my home-made bannock mix that I mix up in bulk:6 cups whole wheat flour6 heaping teaspoons Magic Baking Powder1 cup lard, cut in finely into the flour so it disappears (requires a lot of work by hand to cut in the lard with a shortening cutter, but it's worth it).6 level teaspoons freeze dried egg crystals, or egg powder.2 tablespoons brown sugarSTEP 2: Add the bannock mix to these ingredients to make the Power-Packed Pancake mix:3 cups bannock mix1 cup 2-minute oatmeal1/2 cup flax flour1/2 cup hemp hearts1/2 cup bran buds.The pancake mix is infinitely variable depending on your tastes and what ingredients you have on hand. You can add more oatmeal to the flour ratio, but that will make it more crumbly. I am experimenting with adding corn starch to make it less crumbly, because more oatmeal makes the pancakes better IMO, but I am still experimenting. I don't use milk powder because I am lactose intolerant. I don't add salt because there is a lot of sodium already in baking powder (that contains sodium bicarbonate).More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip - Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
My Canoe Food - Dinners Pt 1, and Stove-side Chat - Part 5: Solo 4-day Canoe Trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-06-15 | Part 5, of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: By popular request, I show one of my standard one-pot meals for my summer and winter trips. This one is dehydrated and de-fatted ground beef with dehydrated baked beans from the can. Add olive oil dried onions, some garlic and herbs and spices, and this makes a hearty and nutritious dinner. Due to the fire ban imposed throughout the region, I cooked everything on the Trangia burner and Clikstand, and I show how I work with 2 modified Trangia simmer rings. I dehydrate much of my own food, and I will show more delicious one-pot meals and fry pan meals this series. Dehydrated food reduces pack weight and bulk. My dried food also won't leak into a pack and cause bear attractant problems. I show how I handle olive oil so that it will not leak nor contaminate other food pack contents. Hope this gives you some ideas for your back-country trips!Some stove-side chat about the Spring Peeper calls on the audio and some biology.More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: "Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018", parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Widow-maker Impaler! Part 4: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-06-06 | Part 4, of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: As I cleaned up the blowdown in this campsite, I found this jack pine tree top that had snapped off and come down like a big dart, impaling itself over a foot into the ground. Branch shrapnel was also strewn about. Imagine if this had come down on people sleeping in a tent! It can be scary camping in an old, senescent boreal stand that is falling apart. Boreal trees are short lived, and usually the old ones are even-aged, having been born in the same fire, in this case somewhere between 100 and 120 years ago. When the stand starts to fall apart, it can be very hazardous. I forgot to insert this clip into Part 3 of this series: “Blowdown Hazard Campsite”, link here: youtube.com/watch?v=E4ir5HDTa-IMore to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: “Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018”, parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Blowdown Hazard Campsite - Part 3: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-06-04 | Part 3, Day 1 of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: The traditional campsite I have used for years on my secret no-name little lake has experienced significant blowdown. The pine and spruce are old, full of root rot, and coming down in wind storms. I had to use the saw and axe to clear the tent site, but I was lucky it was not worse. Now I have to sleep under a forest that I know is coming down with big wind storms. But its late, I have no other site, so I decide to stay.More to come in this series!The entire series will be linked in my playlist: “Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018”, parts to be added as I get them done: youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Portage Trail Blowdown Clearing - Part 2: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-05-28 | Part 2, Day 1 of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: Using my bowsaw and axe, I clear blowdown from the canoe route portage trail. The boreal forest here is plagued with continuous blowdown of portage trails and campsites. This is public land in Ontario, Canada, and the government does nothing to maintain the ancient and historic canoe routes. So it’s up to us private citizens to maintain the portage trails and campsites. A saw that can handle boreal tree log diameter sizes, and axe for de-limbing, are necessary on a backcountry canoe trip here. I should have brought a larger saw on this trip.Other parts in this canoe trip series are linked in my playlist: “Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018” youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the “Like” button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Back on the Water - Paddling In! Part 1: Solo 4-day canoe trip, Spring 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-05-27 | Part 1, Day 1 of this 4-day solo canoe trip series, first canoe trip of spring, 2018: In this video I share a lot of footage shot from inside the canoe, and I let the camera run for the scenery, ending at the first portage. I am using my first ever GoPro camera for the first time, the Hero 5 Black, so the footage is an experiment. Very pleased with the video quality, but the audio is poor - to be expected from a GoPro. The audio has a clunky tone to it, and the camera casing and mount seem to amplify vibrations from the boat, e.g. the paddle bumping against the gunwale makes an irritating sound, and post-processing required some filtering. But despite the audio issues, I hope you can bear with the sound and enjoy the imagery of paddling across a small boreal forest lake in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Next trip, I will attempt to record some audio with a separate audio recorder. More from this trip series is on its way, (with better sound from a different camera too), please stay tuned!Other parts in this canoe trip series are linked in my playlist: “Solo Canoe 4-day Trip – Spring 2018” youtube.com/watch?v=28lYHA7OKuI&list=PLAy7lnVQVxjMEU6SxBrZa4LhUWwNOz8TpIf you liked this video, please hit the “Like” button, and please consider sharing and subscribing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
Tarp Ridge Line Reaching Stick Hack Wintertrekker 2018-04-29 | Instead of a throwing line to raise your tarp ridge line high over a branch, you can often find a forked stick to reach the ridge line up and over a branch. A little trick, or hack that took me a long time to learn. On very branchy trees it can be impossible to throw a weighed line up and through branches and foliage. Threading the ridge line up and over with a stick often works better for me. Give it a try!The tarp is a 10’x10’ Cooke Custom Sewing Tarp. CCS makes superb tarps and I have been using CCS tarps for many years. Thanks for watching, and If you enjoyed this video, please click Like, and please consider Sharing and Subscribing, and clicking the Bell for notifications, thank you!
Tripod Breaks Twice! Wintertrekker 2018-04-02 | This is an old Slik U5000 tripod that, up until recently, served me well on many winter and summer trips as an ultralight travel tripod. The 3-way (spider) arm joints are made of plastic. Two of the three totally failed in a complete break, twice. I guess it was cumulative plastic fatigue, and the cold temperature finished it off. No more plastic joint tripods for me. I am purchasing a more expensive (an heavier) carbon fiber lightweight tripod.If you enjoyed this and other of my videos, please click "Like", and please consider Sharing and Subscribing, and clicking the Bell for notifications, thank you!It will greatly help me out if you do, thanks! :-)
Gathering Stovewood for the Hot Tents Woodstove Wintertrekker 2018-03-29 | On a solo hot tent trip, gathering optimum stovewood-sized firewood for the hot tent’s woodstove. I look for a safe snag to cut, preferable diameter of about 4 inches of the driest dead-standing black spruce or jack pine I can find, (black spruce preferred), and minimal branches. This size means I can carry it easily in pieces, and it will yield no-split long burn stovewood for my little woodstove, and it will be easy to split once into halves, or twice into quarters and therefore minimize splitting work. Minimizing work is a big consideration for solo winter camping, because there is a lot of work to do. :-) Thanks for watching!If you enjoyed this video, please click "Like", and please consider Sharing and Subscribing. It will greatly help me out if you do, thank you!
Caching Resources, and Packing up the Hot Tent Camp - Pt 6: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-25 | In Part 6, on day 4, I pack up the hot tent camp and haul out. I show how I cache valuable natural resources like the stove skids, pipe bipod poles, firewood poles, split kindling, and spruce boughs which I can re-use this winter if I return. (Note that where I am in northern Ontario, on public land, tucked into the bush, not near any campsites or trails, it's legal to use spruce boughs to float on top of the deep packed snow. Without the boughs support, the deep snow tent floor will post hole). I regret skipping the filming of actual gear break down and packing, but its hard work solo, and my fingers were freezing! In the closing scene of me hauling the toboggan, at about -15C, I mention that the new sharp-crystal snow created incredibly bad friction, and the toboggan was not sliding well at all. It was a death march hauling out, requiring me to stop sometimes every dozen or so paces, to rest, and prevent a heart attack. The sled friction was that bad. Sometimes that happens with new snow and colder temperatures. The haul in was completely different, sled friction was much lower, and the toboggan slid very well. One has to be prepared for big variations in sled friction depending on the snow and temperature conditions. Thanks for watching!If you enjoyed this video, please click “Like”, and please consider Sharing and Subscribing, thank you!Link to Part’s 1, 2,3,4,and 5 here: Part 1: youtube.com/watch?v=pp1wHy4JIgUPart 2: youtube.com/watch?v=vP0CW6_eqqsPart 3: youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa_jDI2Gg8Part 4: youtube.com/watch?v=4895_FkF-oAPart 5: youtube.com/watch?v=8r7GKrGJJv4
Ski Exploring on a Windy Lake - Pt 5: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-18 | In Part 5 of this 4-day solo hot tent base camp series, on a very windy day I spend the afternoon back country skiing on the frozen lake. Several snow conditions are encountered, from windpack crust where the skis stay on top and glide well, to softer deep snow where it's a ski-trudge with no glide. Temperature was only -5C, and I was able to not have to use any wind shell and vent steam with open wool and fleece layers. Boreal Forest scenery as usual. On a base camp there are great opportunities to go ski and snowshoe exploring if the weather is good, and this was good weather despite the high winds.Please stay tuned for part 6 of this series, and thanks for watching!Link to Part's 1, 2,3 and 4 here: Part 1: youtube.com/watch?v=pp1wHy4JIgUPart 2: youtube.com/watch?v=vP0CW6_eqqsPart 3: youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa_jDI2Gg8Part 4: youtube.com/watch?v=4895_FkF-oA
Lake Ice Snowshoe Hike - Pt 4: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-12 | In Part 4 of this 4-day solo hot tent series, I spend the day snowshoeing across frozen lakes in the Boreal forest, exploring, just to see what there is to see. I discuss some ice travel safety issues, and ID some hazards to avoid. The day was not that cold (about - 12C), but the wind chill required me to wear the anorak over my insulating layers all day.Please stay tuned for part 5 of this series, and thanks for watching!Link to Part’s 1, 2 and 3 here: Part 1: youtube.com/watch?v=pp1wHy4JIgUPart 2: youtube.com/watch?v=vP0CW6_eqqsPart 3: youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa_jDI2Gg8
Winter Camp Morning Routine - Pt 3: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-08 | In Part 3 of this 4-day solo hot tent series, it's the morning of day 2 at -25C (-13F). I show my usual routine for opening the water hole, splitting wood, and my standard breakfast. In winter in the morning, it is good to have a no-drama routine.Please stay tuned for part 4 of this series, and thanks for watching!Link to Part's 1 and 2 here: Part 1: youtube.com/watch?v=pp1wHy4JIgUPart 2: youtube.com/watch?v=vP0CW6_eqqs
Setting Up Winter Camp - Pt 2: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-04 | In Part 2 of this 4-day solo hot tent series, I show the setting up of my hot tent base camp. All the usual routines: cutting and splitting firewood, cutting the water hole on the lake, and boiling water. Simple stuff, and time spent on the set-up for a safe and cozy base camp will pay off for the rest of the trip where I can get out and explore.My tent and stove were purchased from Snowtrekker Tents years ago, link for more info: snowtrekkertents.comPlease stay tuned for part 3 of this series, and thanks for watching!Link to Part 1 here: youtube.com/watch?v=pp1wHy4JIgU
Hauling Toboggan In - Pt 1: Solo Winter Hot Tent Trip, Feb 2018 Wintertrekker 2018-03-03 | In Part 1 of this 4-day solo hot tent series, I haul the toboggan in with a full load of hot tent gear, along with my skis which I plan to use for day-trip exploring later.The toboggan load is explained, and yes it's a big load. I had packed the trail about a week earlier, the link to that video is here: youtube.com/watch?v=Gs3PXY2uLKgThe snow conditions were ideal for hauling a toboggan, with a crust on top from a rain a few days ago, and the temperature was now about -8C. The toboggan was sliding very easily on this melted and re-frozen surface - its not always this easy hauling. Please stay tuned for part 2 of this series, and thanks for watching!
Winter Campsite Prep: Wood Supply and Spruce Boughs Wintertrekker 2018-02-10 | A scouting day-trip to an old winter campsite of mine, to prepare it with resources for a near future winter camping trip. I collect firewood by cutting standing-dead trees. And for the tent snow floor, I collect fresh black spruce boughs from blown-down trees. I plan to return soon for a multi-day winter camp.Although this is a simple, relatively short distance scout in from the road, this method of snowshoeing ahead to pack a trail, and prepare a camp in advance, is emulating the traditional way people traveled and lived in the Canadian bush in winter when there is short daylight, and deep snow. They maintained a packed trail system and series of connected camps in their hunting and trapping home range area. With trail and resources maintained, then they could spend a long day hauling heavy sleds, or re-breaking trail on fresh snow on top of their packed trail, sometimes in extreme cold, knowing they had a campsite already prepared with resources. Their life was very hard, my life is easy compared to theirs, so its always humbling to think about what it must have been like for our ancestors who lived outside in winter and had to hunt and trap to survive.
Parking: Winter Campings Nemesis Wintertrekker 2018-02-08 | Safe parking is one of the barriers to winter camping, especially solo winter camping. Without safe parking off the plowed roads and highways, it's impossible to find a location, or to start, unless you can arrange a vehicle shuttle drop-off/pick-up. Without a shuttle, you have to shovel out a safe place to park your vehicle, which means finding an un-plowed road or other solid flat area. In this video, I show how I solo shovel out a parking area for my truck, safely off the highway. Some tools and tricks of the trade are shown, including the no-lift method of sliding snow up a ramp using a sliding snow scoop. Much easier, and far safer than lifting and tossing heavy snow. Its very hard work, and you sweat a great deal. Temperature this day was approximately -18 to -20C, with a harsh windchill, and I am wearing totally breathable layers of fleece and wool on top, and heavy wool trousers, and this keeps me reasonably dry with my wicking layers underneath. Wearing a shell would result in rapid overheating and soaking clothing layers with sweat, which in deep cold is a bad start to a trip. You want the wind to cut through the wool and fleece a little to dry you as you work. My work mitts were soaked after this task, and I reserved my trekking mitts for after the task.
Snowshoe Scout - Part 2: Making a fire, and a boil-up Wintertrekker 2018-01-29 | EDIT: I made a mistake in the narration and text inserts on the anorak model. It is actually the "Arctic Anorak". The link to the Empire Wool and Canvas "Arctic Anorak" info is: empirecanvasworks.com/product/arctic-anorakIn Part 2 of this snowshoe scout, (see part 1 for context), I make a fire in the regenerating cut-over, and show the lack of firewood in these silvicuturally produced stands. I got enough firewood for a snow melt coffee boil-up, and a warming fire. I show digging out a fire pit using a snowshoe as a shovel. The rest is a fire-side chat about gear, and I show some stupid mistakes I made in both fire lighting, and in almost losing my vehicle keys, but my lanyard system saves the day.I used my tinder tube for the fire. Links to the old prototype is here:youtube.com/watch?v=ZsI6H0zx0BALink to the new miniaturized tinder tube kit version is here:youtube.com/watch?v=knlCTfMOzXI
Snowshoe Scout - Part 1: Testing a New Trail Option Wintertrekker 2018-01-26 | Mid-January snowshoe scout in deep snow to attempt to find a new route in to a secret lake trout lake where I want to make a winter camp. The route is along old grown-in logging roads, and I am assessing whether or not I would be able to haul in a heavily laden toboggan with a solo hot tent rig. Many future winter camps start like this with a scout. This is generally boring work, but it's the real-life necessity of route-finding. The best lakes are often the hardest to get into, so the effort sometimes pays off, sometimes not.
Hot Glide Waxing Backcountry Waxless Skis on DIY Ski Vice Wintertrekker 2017-11-14 | Start of winter, time to hot wax the backcountry skis with glide wax on tip and tails, and to treat the kick zone scales with Easyglide wax. I show my method of hot waxing skis, but please note I am not a pro ski technician, so this is not a "how-to", it is just the way I do it. For an accurate how-to instructional video, please watch the pros who do this for a living.I also show my home-made DIY ski vice, which was designed for both narrow track skis and wide backcountry skis, fully adjustable. For this type of work and ski base repair jobs, I think it is important to have the skis secured in a vice so that you have hands free to work on the skis efficiently, and the skis don't bounce around. A ski vice can be purchased from ski stores if you don't want to make your own.Now if I could pry myself away from my computer and get out of the city, it's time to get out into the backcountry for some skiing!
A Bear was Here.... Wintertrekker 2017-11-10 | Mid October I was out in the bush looking at some recent cut-overs, and grabbed some quick footage of classic bear activity, where it had ripped open a log. Once you develop a search image for this, you start to see it everywhere. Looks like the bear had also been eating bunchberry berries. The bunchberry leaves turn red in the fall. I am not sure if bunchberries are edible for humans. If they are they sure taste awful to me! Do your research before attempting to eat anything from the bush.I also threw in some photos taken the same day, of bog cranberries that are easy to identify in their specific habitat, are abundant and sweet eating for us humans to eat, and very nutritious. The cranberries are sweeter after the first frost or two, which had happened that morning, and the cranberries were very good.Fall is OK, but I am really looking forward to winter!
My winter high-exertion breathable/venting clothing system Wintertrekker 2016-12-18 | I explain my winter clothing system of wool, canvas, leather, fleece and acrylic that works for me when doing high exertion activities such as sled hauling, firewood collecting, snowshoeing and back country skiing, where the moisture and excess heat must be vented efficiently to the outside. Staying comfortable in deep cold in winter when working hard means staying cool, not hot. I am wearing no outer shell (except for boots and mitts), and all my wool and fleece layers have no membrane to block moisture movement. Excess moisture and heat can quickly escape outside, and I like to have the wind move through the un-shelled fabrics to pull away heat and moisture. So-called "breathable membrane" outer shells do not work below freezing because the moisture frosts and plugs the membrane. If I need a shell for high abrasion activities in the bush, or for sedentary activities like ice fishing, I carry a traditional oversized cotton anorak/parka shell that has capacity for adding more insulating layers underneath. Footage is from a sled hauling winter trek hot tenting trip in Feb. 2016.Links to clothing:Empire Wool and Canvas for True North Mitts: http://empirecanvasworks.com/product/true-north-mittensEmpire Wool and Canvas for wool Camp Coat: http://empirecanvasworks.com/product/camp-coatEmpire Wool and Canvas for cotton canvas Permafrost Parka: http://empirecanvasworks.com/product/permafrost-parkaCrown Cap "Dry Ice" 4-layer acrylic toque: crowncap.com/catalog/watch-capCodet/Big Bill 28 oz wool trousers (note: I recommend sizing 1 size up for these, and use suspenders) http://bigbill.com/products/210-0
Portaging Canoe and Packs Wintertrekker 2016-06-06 | I show in slow motion how I lift my canoe and packs, with some tips on how to do the lifts. And some views of the green interior of some nice black spruce dominated Boreal forest.
Blackflies, Mosquitos: Applying Bug Repellent Wintertrekker 2016-05-13 | There is a method to applying DEET-based bug repellent to make it really work, and to last for many hours, and I will show you what works for me. I use a 25% DEET content repellent. I spray it into my hand, and then apply it to face and neck, rubbing it into the skin. Just spritzing it on will not be effective, one has to rub it into the skin to cover all areas bugs will get at. Wearing a good hat is also essential to prevent being bitten, as is wearing appropriate clothing that mosquitoes cannot bite through. This method works well for me and has for decades. I have traveled in the Arctic, Subarctic and Boreal where the mosquitoes and blackflies are the worst on the planet, and I can live comfortably by applying DEET-based bug repellent this way. For those people struggling with preventing bugs from biting, I hope this helps out. By the way, where I travel is north of where ticks are a problem - I have no knowledge or experience on tick bite prevention.
My Waxed Jute Tinder Tube Mini Kit Wintertrekker 2016-03-27 | A demo of my waxed jute tinder tube mini kit with my ferro rod, lighting my woodstove on a winter hot tent camp. The jute is 3-strand braided, and dipped in hot wax so its waterproof, and the wax provides fuel. To light, fluff up the wick so that the fine fibers are exposed and free of most of the wax, and then hold against the striker and strike with a ferro rod.Link to original video with prototype and waterproofing test: youtube.com/watch?v=ZsI6H0zx0BA
Packing Tent & Woodstove: Part 6 Solo Hot Tent Trip, Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-03-26 | Breaking Camp: I show disassembling and packing up the woodstove, and packing up the Snowtrekker tent. The usual caching of resources for the next camp. Part 6 and last in the mid-February 2016 trip series. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks again for watching!
The Firewood Chores: Feb_2016_Solo_Hot_Tent_Part-05 Wintertrekker 2016-03-20 | The firewood chores: collecting dead standing small trees on snowshoes, sawing them into stove wood pieces, and splitting them. I spend some time showing how to split wood, end-on style, floating on snow using a stop log to protect the blade. On deep snow the stop log is not needed, but just in case there are rocks below, its there to prevent the blade from going too far into the snow. Once snow is packed, it will amazingly support the block, unless you are too tentative with the swing. The inertia of the wood block will keep it from post holing, IF you strike hard and fast. I show where I did not strike hard and fast enough, and the wood block started to post hole. Re-pack the hole with snow, and strike fast, hard and accurate, and you can split wood on snow. There are other methods such as side-on splitting style using an anvil log. Whatever method you choose, be safe and make sure the arc of the swing goes down and into the snow, well away from your feet.
Wind and Campsite Selection: Part 4 Solo Hot Tent Trip, Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-03-15 | WIND: The place I selected in the bush to make a new winter camp was protected on 3 sides from the wind - but the wind direction changed to the one side it was not protected, and blew strongly through the campsite. Fortunately, I was using my Snowtrekker hot tent, where I can be inside for all the heat and comfort I need, so it was not an issue. If I had been cold camping using an open fire, I would have had to bundle up, gather and burn much more wood, and maybe build a wind break. Wind exposure is always an important consideration when winter camping.
-30C Breakfast on the Woodstove: Part 3 Solo Hot Tent Trip, Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-03-10 | In Part 3, I woke up to -30 degrees Celsius (-22F) morning, but no worries with the hot tent rig where it is toasty warm! I show my typical 3-course meal: Pre-cooked bacon reheated on the woodstove; Toasted bagel with a new twist - dipped in olive oil with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (yum); and oatmeal and dried fruit…and coffee of course!More to come in this series!Link to Part 1 in this series: youtube.com/watch?v=Er2iZIIAssULink to part 2 in this series: youtube.com/watch?v=Wz8NdeVQ1jwLink to previous campsite scouting trip video to find this new winter campsite: youtube.com/watch?v=w8NdmW8wyZ8
Hot Tent Woodstove Set-up: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Part 2, Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-02-29 | Part 2 of my first solo hot tent trip of 2016. I show how I set up the woodstove with using skids, heat shields, and pipe bipod, and discuss some tent stove safety tips. With the slush layer on the lake ice still very deep, I show the easy way to gather water by kicking a hole into the slush layer. Link to Part 1 in this series: youtube.com/watch?v=Er2iZIIAssULink to previous campsite scouting trip video: youtube.com/watch?v=w8NdmW8wyZ8One of my most frequent questions is about the cook pot sets I use, so here is the info from this video: Evernew Titanium 1.9 L deep pot.Evernew 1.4L Titanium deep pot.Primus LiTech 900 ml anodized aluminum.All three above I drilled and pop riveted an offset tab, and installed a wire bail handle.Mors pot, 1.8L, anodized aluminum
Toboggan Haul-in and Winter Camp Prep: Solo Hot Tent Trip, Part 1, Feb 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-02-28 | Part 1 of my first solo hot tent trip of 2016. Hauling my toboggan into the new campsite back in the bush on a lake I scouted a few days ago. I show my standard initial set up of the camp, wood collection, up to putting in the spruce boughs on the packed snow floor. Part 2 to complete the camp set up will be uploaded soon.Link to previous scouting trip video: youtube.com/watch?v=w8NdmW8wyZ8
Successful Snowshoe Scout, New Campsite Created Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-02-21 | A successful scout to find a new winter campsite on a lake with slush overflow shore to shore. I travel along the shoreline, show you a "spider hole" location of overflow, which causes slush problems in large area of the lake ice. The lake will have hundreds of spider holes with the current snow load. A new camp location is found, and I prep the site for a return hot tent camp, coming soon in a new video. I collect black spruce boughs for floatation on the deep snow tent floor: note this is legal and OK conservation-wise where I travel in the bush of northern Ontario - check your local rules and please abide by the rules, this is not legal everywhere, and should not be done in or near designated camping areas or trail systems. I am deep in the Canadian boreal forest, well away from where people ever go. Gear link: Empire Wool and Canvas True North Mitt: http://empirecanvasworks.com/product/true-north-mittens
Snowshoeing Scout for a New Campsite, Mid Feb, 2016 Wintertrekker 2016-02-18 | Using snowshoes, I am on a scouting day trip to find a potential new campsite on a new lake I have never camped on. The fresh heavy snow is deep, about 2 1/2 feet (half meter) of dense powder snow that makes for slow going as a solo trekker with no one to trade turns trail breaking. I show lake ice slush, which is overflow on the ice from cracks. The ice thickness is safe, but its impossible to travel because it will bog down the snowshoes. Nothing much happens, which is the way it is in real life on bush scouting in winter. I just wanted to show a typical scout. Not filmed was the 2 km ski in and out on a packed bush road, before I switched to snowshoes.
