I have wandered the wilderness for as long as memory serves. It is a place of great mystery and wonderment. This Blog will help me to share some of the many lessons I have learned while wandering and paddling the forests and lakes I call home.
Clay Pot Heaters are comprised of four or more clay planting pots separated by washers and nuts forming a multilayered unit.
The idea behind these heaters is heat absorption then dispersion via radiant heat. The space between the pots captures the heat of the candles which then heats up the clay. The clay then radiates this stored heat into the surrounding air.
I have watched several YouTube videos of this heater and found myself compelled to test the idea out.
This post highlights my conclusion about the viability of the so called "Clay Pot Heater."
When temperatures drop well below zero, the forest becomes quiet; very quiet.
The sound of your passage echoes off trees and spreads deep into the surrounding woods. When you stop moving, silence fills the air and you stand alone, immersed in the wonder of the woods.
The cold is relentless as it looks for ways to seep into your skin. Walking helps to generate heat; however, the speed at which you walk must be carefully controlled, for if you should begin to sweat, the water will dampen your garments and hypothermia will stalk you.
Learning how to create and maintain a fire in the dead of winter is a skill which must not be taken for granted. Without it, you are at the mercy of the cold which surrounds you.
Hiking in the winter is an activity which is invigorating and challenging. Being prepared to face the bitter cold is a necessity.
If you have the skills and are prepared, there is nothing like a long snowshoe hike through the deep silent woods of winter.
When canoeing in Algonquin country, you will pass many ancient walls of granite which rise high above the lake over which they preside.
Most of the time, it is well worth the effort to find a way to ascend to the top of these monoliths to catch a birds eye view of the world through which you paddle.
Portage trails are as much a part of a canoe trip as a paddle. Some trails are easy to navigate as you trundle along with your supplies, other trails; however, are brutal on the body and mind.
Boulder and root strewn with steep inclines and declines, these trails will test the most experienced trippers.
A misstep on a portage trail could potentially end your trip or worse, leave you wondering how you are ever going to get out of the bush.
There are other hidden dangers though, like the camouflaged wasp nest shown in this video. These nests are made from the pulp of dead trees. Wasps and hornets masticate the pulp into paper which blends perfectly in with the forest.
The nest shown in this video was built at the exact height of a canoe bow if it were being portaged, that means you could bump into it and find yourself running for your life from hornets which have awesome eyesight and can fly at well over 30 kilometers per hour - you will never outrun them.
The secret to having a great trip is to be aware of everything around you. After all, that is why we do what we do.
Please don't destroy these nests when you find them, take some photos and keep on walking, the paper makers will not bother you.
In the 1800's, people moved into the Algonquin region hoping to find employment at lumber camps. These homesteaders cleared land and attempted to grow crops in the shallow soil. Their homesteads were built on stone foundations; the beams and wood of the home were cut from the surrounding forest.
Heating the home was done with wood and their cookstove was the heart of the kitchen.
There is an old foundation which fascinates me on a quiet piece of land close to where I live. I look at the flat rock, piled, row upon row, to form walls and I wonder at the perseverance of the people who built it. This foundation formed the basement of what was once a homestead.
A water well, hand dug and lined with round boulders, sits just to the west of what was once the front door of the home. The ground is still, to this day, cupped from the passage of humans who once dragged cool water from the well and carried it in a bucket to the kitchen.
I was digging around in the detritus in the basement and discovered the old cookstove. It had fallen through the now non-existent floor of the home and lay buried by leaves and dirt. I decided to make use of the old relic and dragged it home.
The stove was in bad shape; however, I was able to convert it to a serviceable firebox for my tipi.
I had no idea that this old stove, which had serviced a family long ago, would prove itself to be still useful one hundred years later.
As I sit on my bunk and watch the flames within the old stove, I wonder who the person was that used it to cook their family's meal. I wonder if they are watching me as I use the stove to simply live, out here.
What is the key to setting up a good camp? There are many factors to be considered when setting up camp. Number one; Be sure to set the site up to provide efficiency of movement when the wilderness turns the lights off.
You would not believe how dark it can get when the sun drops below the tree line and disappears beyond the horizon.
Guy lines and tent pegs seem to reach out and grab you as you fumble and stumble your way to the privy box or to check on your canoe. I can't tell you how many times I have tripped on a tent line I simply didn't see.
The second ingredient required for a comfortable camp is a bug mesh shelter. This will allow for the enjoyment of eating a well deserved meal without the need to expend energy swatting at the mosquitoes and other biting insects which have found you to be delectable. The shelter in this video is perfect; easy to set up and packable enough to fit into a tripping bag without adding too much weight.
Cooking on an open fire is the hallmark of camping. Eating the meal while listening to the natural sounds around you imbues the food with a seasoning not found anywhere else but out here. After setting up camp, cook up a classic breakfast meal and sit back and enjoy the company the forest.
To a canoeist, the sound of the paddle as it propels the boat across an expanse of water is enough to elicit a feeling of accomplishment and freedom.
When time does not permit a long canoe trip, a simple unplanned day excursion helps to quell the incessant craving that all experienced canoeists feel.
Any day that you feel the water flowing under the thin skin of your canoe, is a good day.
I can't help feeling that the world, society, is in a free fall. Everyone is trying to escape to something other than their present situation. In my opinion, the pandemic has increased peoples anxiety to the point where narcissism has reared it's ugly head.
I have found that using your hands during times of frustration and anxiety can work magic on your overtaxed nervous system. The simple act of creating something, fulfills an ancient need buried deep within our beings.
My tipi required a simple table which I can use for many camp projects and simple tipi living.
For the table top, I used a piece of balsam fir which was ravaged by Pine Sawyer bugs (I show one of the larva in this video) and some sticks which were left behind after a beaver had a meal.
Sisal twine bound the lot together and provided me with a sturdy bench which will serve my needs and when rot begins to call the wood to the earth, I will simply use it for firewood.
In the process of building this bench, I left my anxieties. I soaked in the sounds of the woods and disappeared into the mists of the wilderness where my mind could wander; free of the bindings which society had placed on it.
After dropping my novel off at Algonquin Outfitters, Opeongo Lake, I decided to put my canoe in the water and go for a paddle.
Opeongo lake can be brutal to paddle due to the ever present wind. It always seems to start with a gentle breeze which stirs the rivulets into small waves. Then brother wind decides to show off and the next thing you know, your facing waves which toss your small boat around like a bobber.
Inexperienced paddlers would do well to pull their canoes up on the shore and wait out the wind.
Experienced paddlers load their boats heavy to the bow and drive their paddles deep into the frothy surf; keeping a wary eye out for cross waves which seem determined to swamp the humble boat known as a canoe.
This day was to put my skills to the test. As I paddled downwind, I was fully aware of my return journey which would be directly against a steady wind which seemed determined to keep me from my destination.
This video is about the short lunch break I took prior to facing - Brother Wind.
Wildlife in wilderness areas are very aware of their surroundings. Any disturbance within their sensory range will evoke an instant reaction.
The secret to remaining neutral, is to lower your energy signature by controlling your emotional state. Your excitement will trigger a flight response in all the wild ones. Unless of course your photographing a chipmunk; Those little creatures know they are cute and use it to their advantage.
I always try to carry a camera with me when I am out and about. This is simply to ensure I have the ability to capture the moments when one of the wild ones decides to make an appearance.
This video displays some of those random moments when I have been wandering and a denizen of the forest allows me to share it's space for a few fleeting moments.
I am not a photographer, most of my digital captures don't merit a second glance; but, they do rekindle memories which allow my spirit to wander when my body is trapped in the world of humans.
I decided to purchase a hammock tent primarily for use on my property. There are very few areas where I would choose to pitch a tent due to the understory plants which would be destroyed in the process.
The beauty about a hammock is the fact that there is no footprint. As long as you have two trees which are spaced apart enough to strap the hammock to, you're good to go.
It uses a very simple strap method for securing it to the trees. You can set this tent up in less then five minutes. The trees are not harmed in the process due to the web straps Eureka! has chosen for it's tent hammock.
In this video, I test out a hammock tent called the Chrysalis by Eureka!.
Come and join me to see how this unit measures up to the realities of camping.
The canoe slices through the water as silent as a shadow, it's occupants stare intently at the distant shoreline where a moose browses on succulent water plants.
Their paddles move in unison; slow powerful strokes propel the water craft toward the unsuspecting undulate.
Moving to a distance of less than 100 meters, the bow canoeist stows his paddle and raises his weapon; a fully loaded Panasonic action camera. Slowly he raises the camera and presses the record button.
The canoe drifts to within 20 meters of the cow moose as she continues her search for nutrient rich aquatic plants.
Breathing becomes hard as excitement courses through the man's body; the Panasonic trembles in his hand as he trains the lens on the largest of Ontario's wild undulates.
The canoe drifts into the shoreline, silent and unobtrusive, it now floats within 10 meters of the large mammal.
The two humans are now within the cows energy zone and she senses them. Looking over her shoulder, she sees a strange log which has drifted into her world.
The humans freeze; they are well aware that if the moose decides a threat is imminent, she could seek to defend herself. The canoe and it's occupants would have no chance of evasion.
The moose stares for a few moments at the two humans who drifted into her life; flaring her nostrils slightly, she breaths in the pheromones' released by the people within the canoe.
Deciding there is no threat, she dips her mouth into the water and ingests one more delicious helping of water lily before silently disappearing into the surrounding forest.
An opportunity to share the same air as a wild animal is rare and should be savored. Lowering your energy level allows you to blend into the wilderness.
Fear and Ego will destroy any chance you have of feeling the power of the wilderness. Learning to control those two emotions is vital to your success at becoming an integral part of your surroundings.
When you are fearful, the wild ones will not sense it as fear, they will sense it as aggression. The instinct to fight or flee will be triggered and any chance you have of interacting with them will be mitigated.
Please be aware that you must know your subject. A moose is powerful and can move as fast as a race horse when it is threatened. It is imperative that you approach any wild one with respect and without expectation.
Living life out here is full of surprises and imbues you with a sense of belonging which can't be found elsewhere.
Woodland ponds are an integral part of any forest ecosystem. Thousands of creatures live in, on and around these bodies of water.
The transition from winter to spring is slow but dramatic. The previous years vegetation begins to decay over the cold winter months. Frogs and turtles dig into the detritus and mud on the bottom of the pond and enter a state of metabolism which mimics death.
Otters, beavers and muskrats hunt and forage throughout the entire winter as deer, wolves and a myriad of other land mammals leave their tracks on the snow covered pond ice.
As the ice melts, and sunlight once again penetrates into the depths of the pond; life awakens slowly to the gentle touch of the sun.
This video is a short underwater exploration of a small woodland pond showing the difference between winter and mid spring.
Fascinated by the process of renewal in natural ecosystems, I plan to film the pond in the same fashion each month until ice once again covers the pond's surface.
I have led hundreds of hikes through wilderness and urban forests. I usually stop mid-hike and ask people to point in the direction from where they came. In other words, I ask them in what direction do we walk to return to their cars.
It's funny when fingers start pointing in every direction and people suddenly realize that they have no clue as to where they are.
Observation is the key to knowing your whereabouts out here. The average person will begin to veer off course within a half a kilometer, this is simply due to the fact of being left handed or right handed. If you are right handed, your right leg is usually stronger; therefore it will support your weight longer than your left leg giving you a longer stride on your left side. Confusing? Simply put, you will begin to circle right or left dependent upon your dominant side.
In this video I show how to use the arc of the Sun to determine the North, South, East and West quadrants.
The process is easy and will allow you to discern where you are in relation to where you have been.
If you have ever been turned around while hiking, you know it is a scary feeling. Many emotions rise up slowly and begin to engulf you in a wave of panic. Simple tricks like this will allow you peace of mind while you traverse the wonder that is the wilderness.
Winter is harsh on wildlife. Food sources are limited and therefore the animals energy levels are not optimal.
All winter wildlife have adaptions which allow them to survive during the lean months.
White Tailed Deer for example, enter a state where their metabolism reduces to the point where they can subsist on buds from trees.
Never feed deer in the winter unless you can sustain it over the entire duration of the cold weather. The food you feed them will increase their metabolism to the point where they will become dependent on you for survival.
You will help them much more by simply creating trails in the deep snow with snowshoes, skis or snowmobile. This allows the wild ones to move through their home territories with very little expenditure of valuable energy.
Of course, the wild ones do not need us; but since we live in their homelands, it suffices to say that helping them out by simply packing down a few trails goes a long way to making our transgressions feel less intrusive.
Carrying a small provisions pack is always a good idea if you wander amongst the trees. Being able to eat on the trail and obtain drinkable water is a comfort which should not be overlooked.
Having the means to boil water and cook food requires three essential items:
1. A cooking pot - easily cleaned and light weight.
2. A source of heat - fire, camp stove or a hobo stove.
3. A means to light a fire or gas stove.
Item one (1) on the list can range from a single walled stainless steel thermos to a stainless steel cook pot.
There are many camp pots on the market and most of them will serve you well out on the trail.
In this video, I test out an Oberleben Kessel 2.0 pot which I was very fortunate to receive as a gift.
After testing this cooking utensil out; I can say with certainty, that it is the best cooking pot I have used in a lifetime of being out here.
My old stainless steel pot will now reside in my tipi (teepee) as a permanent fixture and the new pot will be carried with me wherever my wanders take me.
Notes:
I put the handle on the wrong way in this video. I should have read the instructions. Oops.
I am not affiliated with Uberleben or any company that sells their gear. I simply want to share with you the equipment that can handle the reality of the bush.
