The Berens River is a wild river, running through remote, untamed wilderness. This waterway starts in north-western Ontario, Canada and runs westwards, soon entering Manitoba, ultimately flowing into the vast Lake Winnipeg. There are several rivers in this area of the country running into the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg, including the Berens. All…
In this presentation I share practical examples of how a greater knowledge of the land through which you are canoeing can increase not only your understanding of the environment but also provide tangible benefits to your safety, wellbeing and enjoyment of the trip. Even if you are not a paddler, I would encourage you to watch the presentation as there is much useful tree and plant information in this talk which will apply to a much wider audience of outdoorspeople too…
In this blog I share a brief description, photos plus a full-length video, featuring a multi-day, wild camping canoe trip down Scotland’s longest river, the River Tay. We travelled light and put bushcraft and campcraft to good use on each overnight camp. It turned out to be an epic, highly memorable trip for a good number of reasons…
On 30th April 2017 Colin Skeath and his nephew Davis Gould-Duff set off from Loch Sunart on the West Coast of Scotland in an open canoe, aiming to circumnavigate Britain. 86 days later they completed this epic undertaking. Colin joins me to discuss the adventure, where the idea came from, the mindset required of them and what they learned from the experience…
The Eighteen Mile Island Loop on the French River takes advantage of the complex nature of the French River waterways, combined with the ability to traverse this type of river both downstream and upstream, creating the opportunity for a varied, circular 70km (44 mile) route, taking in some fine, fast moving white water and pleasant conifer-lined flat water, through archetypal canoe country, along a Canadian Heritage River of unique historic importance. We took four days to make a canoe-camping journey from Wolseley Bay down to Dry Pine Bay and back again. Here I share photos, video, a written account of the trip and campfire notes.
While the Crake is a short river, it’s definitely a worthwhile adventure in canoe. It’s a narrow, and often rocky, creek of a river, never reaching any great width. Three of us headed to Coniston Water in the English Lake District, out of which the Crake flows for a day of adventuring by water, some of which literally became bushwhacking by canoe…
Even as an outsider, as a non-Canadian, this film resonates with me, as a canoeist, as someone who loves wild places and as someone who loves other people who love wild places. Narrator James Raffan’s opening statement is bold, broad and inclusive. It sets the tone for the film ahead, highlighting five stories of people, their relationship with paddling, with the land that gave birth to the canoe and with the country made possible by the canoe, these portraits made all the more vibrant by Goh Iromoto’s lush cinematography…
With some of the Frontier Bushcraft team, Ray Goodwin and I take our canoes to the tidal water of the Menai Strait, which separates Anglesey from mainland Wales. Here we learn the meaning of differential tide and experience the treacherous Swellies…
It’s the last day on the epic Spey trip. It’s normally an interesting enough run down to the sea, particularly after Fochabers as the river becomes unconstrained and braided. But with the river rising significantly overnight and a brutal headwind, this final section to the sea becomes a real battle…
The morning after the night before, Kevin is at first a little bleary eyed and reluctant to emerge from his tent. Besides it’s cold out and has been raining all night. Justine warms herself by the fire as I make proper porridge over it. It’s the last day of the trip and time for some poignant reflection…