Drying off after a heavy rain. Heat from the fire reflects into the twin tarps and dries wet clothes. Smoke exits through the slit between the tarps so you can sit back, and be warm and dry even during rain. See my video, The Forgotten Skills and/or my book, Camping's Top Secrets . Some years ago, at Canocopia in Madison, Wisconsin, I chatted with a young man who had recently completed a canoe trip in northern Canada. We shared our experiences and dreams for the future.

The Castle: White Otter Lake, Ontario My friend, Chic Sheridan and I discovered "White Otter Castle" by accident in 1984 while canoeing the Turtle River, near Ignace, Ontario. We'd been pinned for hours in a rocky cove of White Otter Lake by a fierce east wind which kicked up man sized rollers. We knew our tiny solo canoes were no match for the pounding sea, so we agreed to strike out after dark when the wind was down. So just after midnight, we paddled out into knee high

The Seal River is located northeast of Tadoule Lake, in a remote corner of northern Manitoba. It is one of the most beautiful canoeing rivers in Canada, and one of the more challenging. The Seal runs fast from start to finish. The closer it gets to Hudson Bay, the faster it drops. If the water is low, the final miles to the Bay are an exciting, rock-dodging run. If the water is high, it’s a heart-pounding experience, even in a splash-covered canoe! The rapids

The following life-threatening experience took place on the Turtle River in northern Ontario.* The Turtle is not a particularly difficult canoe route. The rapids are short and well-defined, and the portages are generally good. The major obstacle is a number of large sprawling lakes which you must navigate and which demand attention if the wind is up. Experienced Boundary Waters and Quetico Park canoeists--who have good judgment and basic whitewater skills--would find them

Muskox: Hood River, Nunavut, Canada. Yes, these guys can be dangerous! In 1974, I made my first big river trip in Canada. Five friends and I canoed 200 miles down a network of connecting Ontario rivers—Groundhog, Mattagami, Moose—to James Bay. It rained every day for 10 days; the river was flooded—very flooded (!); the bugs were terrible, the rapids were long and difficult and the scenery was unimpressive. One of our canoes that was not hauled well up on shore at the start

Have you priced new canoes lately? Top-end composite models begin around $2,500 and, depending on lay-up and trim, top out at over $4,000! The good news is that GOOD canoes appreciate over time; bad ones do the opposite! Canoes depreciate about ten percent when they leave the store, another ten percent when they get their first scratch. The downward spiral continues as dings pile up. Age means nothing. Condition is everything ! Ultralight We-no-nah canoe on a portage in

Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Frost River Some years ago, I presented a program for the Minnesota Canoe Association. About 150 people attended. With the exception of six teenage girls—who were there to show slides of their trip in the Boundary Waters—everyone (including me) had gray hair. Murmurs of “look at all the gray beards” bounced around the room. Gray is now largely the hair color of those who enjoy the Boundary Waters Canoe Area each summer. When, in 1968, at the age o

Old Town Tripper canoe. Hood River, Nunavut, Canada Canoeing wilderness rivers in northern Canada and Alaska is the same as paddling in the lower 48, with these exceptions: the water is bitterly cold—a capsize can be serious; the rapids are often longer, wider and much more powerful; portages aren’t marked or cleared, and many dangers aren’t defined on maps. The bottom line is that you must “get it right” the first time because there are few second chances.

FROM MY JUST-RELEASED NEW BOOK: CAMPING'S TOP SECRETS, 5th Edition. ---------------------------------------- My 90 minute video, THE FORGOTTEN SKILL S details the most important camping skills. If you can do them all you'll be a hero to your friends! *My teen book, "Justin Cody's Race to Survival" mixes a fictional wilderness survival tale with practical outdoor tips everyone should know--a first for books of this type. Adults love it too! My book, BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE

(From my new book (just released!) CAMPING'S TOP SECRETS, 5th Edition) Broken trailer tongue--near LaRonge, Saskatchewan. Destroyed my wood-trimmed Old Town Tripper canoe. My dad was a quality control engineer. A sign in his office read, “ Accidents don’t just happen; they are caused!" The villains are speed (doing a task too fast), impatience and not following safety rules. In 35 years of guiding canoe trips on some of the toughest rivers in North America, I’v

Noatak River, Alaska: Seconds before the williwaw. The canoeing literature universally recommends that landed canoes be turned belly up when stored for a few hours or days on land. The idea is that if it rains while the canoe is unattended, the water will simply drain off rather than flood the hull. Wind is also a factor, especially in lake country like the BWCA, where an off-shore blow can get under the canoe, lift it and blow it out to sea. Turning a landlocked canoe over

by Cliff Jacobson Nice brook trout! Saturday is "turnaround" day at many fishing lodges in northern Canada. Eager to take advantage of the morning calm, float planes begin to shuttle fishermen and groceries with the rising sun. By nightfall the airways are quiet again and everyone is tucked into a spacious cabin in preparation for a week of great fishing and storytelling. After the customary breakfast of Red River cereal and Canadian bacon, fishermen will meet their native

FreeStyle canoeing is like ballet on the water. Wood-canvas canoe by Tom Mackenzie. Some years ago, I had the privilege of taking a FreeStyle canoeing class from Karen Knight and the late Tom Mackenzie--two of the world's top instructors. There were about 50 in attendance, mostly young women in small solo canoes. Many were new to the sport; some had paddled only a few months; still, they were much better at FreeStyle moves than me. My problem was that I just couldn't sha

by Cliff Jacobson Green River, Utah Blending with nature is part of what wilderness canoeing is all about—and for many paddlers, this means dressing the part. The rule—widely encouraged by federal authorities—is to avoid bright colors that take the “wild” out of wilderness. Go instead with gentle green, olive drab and autumn brown. This is a grand plan if you’re plowing down a beaten path along a popular trail or canoe route where campsites abound. Color the tents blaze o

by Cliff Jacobson Despite newer designs, the Tripper excels as well in tough rapids. Some canoes are blistering fast but don't turn worth a hoot. Others dog it on the flats but come alive in the maelstrom of winding rapids. Still others compromise speed and maneuverability for "all around" performance. Few canoes master this middle ground. The legendary Old Town Tripper is one of them. There's hardly a river anywhere that has not felt the smooth vinyl skin of an Old Town

by Cliff Jacobson DeHaviland Twin Otter on floats With a payload of 3,000 pounds, full instrumentation and extended range capability, the deHaviland Twin Otter rightly earns the title, "workhorse of the north." This mid-fifties freight hauler can carry up to 21 passengers--or half that number and all their gear--to the most remote regions of the world without need for a groomed runway. Seasonally equipped with wheels, skis, floats or tubby "tundra tires," the Otter can lan

Cliff Jacobson Rio Grande River, Texas/Mexico border. Scenes like this are commonplace along the RioG. That's my canoe in the foreground. When someone asks me to share my favorite places to canoe, I usually hesitate. After all, one person’s treasure is another’s trash. I like my rivers brimming with wildlife and rapids. And the more remote, the better. But not every paddler shares my love of adventure. Most prefer quiet, easy routes without death-defying rapids and curio

I was recently honored ("roasted") on The July 21, 2021 CAMPING SHOW (W4CY Internet radio) hosted by CW Goetz. I was very honored and touched by the many wonderful comments. Check out the CAMPING SHOW to see the tribute and watch Jerry Vandiver perform a hysterical song he wrote for this occasion entitled "Cliff Jacobson." You can also watch the video below that my daughter put together. Jerry Vandiver is a popular world-class musician/song writer, based in Nashvill

by Cliff Jacobson I turned 80 in September. No matter, I continue to think—and largely feel—like I’m 29…well, maybe 39. The heart attack I had in 2013 hasn’t slowed me down. Early in life I became a fan of Calvin Rutstrum’s books. I read them all, over and over again. In one of his titles (I believe it was “North American Canoe Country”), Rutstrum referenced the Berens River, Manitoba, which he said was one of his favorites. I love Manitoba rivers because they're so re

by Cliff Jacobson Final portage on the Frost River that leads into Little Saganaga Lake. Correction: not a portage; it's a rock-jumble that mixes seconds of paddling followed by seconds of lining followed by... whatever! Funny, how one’s perspective on things changes with age. Trips that are easy when you’re young become challenging with age. One late September, three friends and I paddled the Frost river (Cross Lake to Round Lake) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I’ve d