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Acorn Whistle
In this fun article learn how to make a whistle from an acorn. Might be handy someday.
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The Lightweight Secret
Most paddlers would sit up and listen when told they could actually travel the same distance without working any harder in less time. They'd lean in much closer when told that there was a secret that could allow them to travel an additional 24 miles in a ten day trip without any additional hours on the water, and most would be surprised to learn the secret is actually simple. Learn the secret in this article.
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Cell Phones in the Wilderness
For several years a debate has raged between two camps of people: Those who feel cell phones should be left home, and those who feel they should come on wilderness trips. People in the anti-phone camp cite everything from distraction from the trip, to a simple annoyance, or even a lack of respect and common courtesy. They go to extremes to make any philosophical point that they can to make sure cell phones stay out of the woods. The pro-phone camp cite many reasons to carry them, but it seems the biggest justification they use for cell phones in the woods is that they add safety to the trip. They…
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Forward Paddling in a Kayak
Forward paddling seems easy, but there is room for improvement. Forward paddling is probably the most under-appreciated and under-practiced kayaking move. However, as you might imagine, this is the most important move that you can learn. Depending on where you’re going to be kayaking, and how long of a kayak tour you intend to go on, good forward paddling may end up saving you a lot of time, effort, and muscle strain. The most important thing to remember about your forward paddling, however is that you should only work on improving it if you feel that you can’t do everything that you want to be able to do while you’re…
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BWCA: Insider Tips
Three tips that will make your next couple of trips to the BWCAW easier on the wallet and then mind.
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Lost and Found: What to do when you find something in the Woods
When you find an expensive item in the wilderness, you may be tempted to claim salvage rights, but to learn what you really should do, read this article.
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How to Use a Padded Food Pack
Updated February 2026 Padded food packs are becoming a popular alternative to traditional Duluth packs and olive barrels for canoe trips. They offer barrel-like protection while conforming better to a canoe and taking up less space. In this guide, I walk through practical, field-tested methods for waterproofing a padded food pack, organizing food efficiently, and using the pack’s insulation and shape to comfortably carry fresh food into the wilderness—especially on multi-day trips. Much of this advice comes from real backcountry cooking and food management on canoe trips, including trips in places like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Making it Waterproof Opening your food pack to discover that the bag…
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How to Solo a Tandem Canoe
One of those perfect morning dawns, the dew is fresh, there is a nip in the air and the mist rising off of the mirrored surface of the water calls you out. After cooking oatmeal over a small fire you wait for your paddling partner to wake up so you can go paddling. Unfortunately, she is a constant over sleeper and a bear to force out of her slumber. The only way onto the water is if you get into your 18-foot tripping canoe and paddle it solo. Solo canoe paddling is a rewarding experience that opens you to more time on the water when you can’t get a paddling…
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Get Bent: Using a Bent Shaft Canoe Paddle
A couple of years ago, I paddled down the Turkey River in Iowa with two friends for two days. They were in a tandem canoe, and I paddled my solo. The first day of the trip, we enjoyed small riffles, quick turns, and swift water, but they out paced me, so, while they took numerous breaks from paddling, I worked hard to make gains on them. Without these small gains, I would have been left far behind. We paddled all day, and well into the night, finally pulling out around midnight when we noticed lightening and heard thunder. During the night, a strong storm blew in. My friends battened down…
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