In 2012 Kevin Callan and Kip Spidell went on two seperate two-week canoe trips in Quetico Provincial Park asking paddlers if they thought wilderness still exist. Watch to see what they said.
If you live in a region with tough winters, the paddling season can seem far too short. It can take a few weeks to get back into the rhythm after ice out. Muscles need to return to their once paddle-ready strength. Systems and logistics for transporting your kayak need to be locked in. New gear needs to be purchased, and old gear repaired. Then before you know it, the leaves seem to be changing.
But what if the paddling season didn’t need to cease come fall? If you want to try paddling through the coldest and darkest months of the year, you will need a few solid pieces of gear to make it happen.
This is the big ticket item, but also the key to making cold water paddling a reality. A well-cared for drysuit will last, and due to its ability to extend your cold water paddling missions by hours and days, it is priceless. And we’re not being hyperbolic—cold water kills paddlers every year, so don’t paddle on cold water without one. Make sure to layer underneath and tuck into a ball with the zipper partially open to remove excess air before fully zipping.
There is nothing more satisfying than peeling off paddling socks or shoes and pulling on down booties at the take-out. Their weightless, cushy quality makes your feet feel like they are being hugged. Many come with soft soles so you can walk around the take-out organizing your gear without damaging them. Combine them with some fleece pants and you are all set.
[Cold Water Safety: What Every Cold Water Paddler Needs To Know]
Dry bags are essential for cold water paddling because they allow you to store extra clothing and insulation, making you safer on the water. Fill a dry bag or two with warm layers, gloves and hand warmers generally used for skiing. Also make sure you have a first aid kit and a communication device safe in a dry bag.
Spending time in cold water can cause your body to burn significantly more calories than a June mission. Even if you are just going out for a few hours, plan for the worst by packing emergency food in case something goes wrong. Choose calorie dense food that travels well, like Snickers bars, dried fruit, nuts, beef jerky and peanut butter sandwiches.
A thermos is super important for cold water paddling days because it allows you to pack a hot lunch or beverage to enjoy on the water. If you are feeling cold and unmotivated, a lunch of hot stew or chili and a hot chocolate is a sure-fire way to get the stoke back. Pack a few mugs and make sure you buy a thermos that is durable enough to handle some banging around inside your kayak hatch.
You can have the best drysuit in the world, but without gloves, all you will feel is the biting cold with each paddle stroke. Slip into a pair of paddling gloves or pogies and thinking about your numb digits will be a faint memory.
Make sure you know what your destination and estimated time on the water will be, and leave that information with a friend. Cold water can turn incidents that would be minor mishaps in summer into more serious issues, so having someone know where you are is vital.
Not sure where you should go on your next canoe trip? Let us help! Take our detailed quiz and figure out which amazing canoeing destination is right for your 2017 paddling adventure.
In a 17th-century fortress high in the Pyrenees Mountains near the Spanish border is a sea kayak. It’s a beat-up folding model from the 1930s, and rests on a stand in the Room of Honour at France’s National Commando Training Centre, where the country’s special forces learn the ropes. The battered wood-and-canvas boat offers a window into the little-known military use of kayaks.
In 1943, two young Frenchmen named Michel Brousse and Georges Schlumberger headed south from Paris. In the midst of the Nazi occupation, they left their reasonably secure existence as university students to make their way to Algeria and join the French Resistance. Schlumberger had trained on the Creuse River four years earlier with French adventurers Genevieve and Bernard de Colmont and Antoine de Seynes. He knew of the trio’s 1938 descent of the Colorado and Green rivers—a pioneering journey documented by Ian McCluskey in the 2015 film, Voyagers Without Trace—and asked de Seynes to borrow the 17-foot kayak he’d paddled through the whitewater canyons.
Brousse and Schlumberger managed to sneak the kayak to France’s southern coast. From there they paddled at night and ate raw fish to avoid campfires and evade detection until they reached Spain. After a run-in with Spanish authorities that ended in their arrest and the kayak’s confiscation, the pair eventually made their way to North Africa to join the Resistance. Schlumberger died fighting in the Battle of Vosges in 1944; Brousse survived the war and returned to Spain in 1948 to reclaim the kayak that had helped them join the fight.
To this day, trainees in the French Commandos eat a dinner of raw sardines and then reenact Brousse and Schlumberger’s 115-mile night paddle from Canet-en-Roussillon to Mataró, Spain.
The Frenchmen weren’t the only ones to recognize the wartime potential of kayaks’ stealth and silence. On the night of December 7, 1942, the British submarine H.M.S. Tuna surfaced 10 nautical miles off the French Atlantic coast. Five tandem kayaks slipped into the water. Their mission: blow up German supply ships in Bordeaux harbor, several days’ paddle into occupied France.
Strong crosswinds, tidal currents and five-foot seas made for a treacherous crossing, capsizing one of the kayaks and blowing another off-course. A third kayak became separated from the others later in the night. The remaining marines worked their way 60 miles up the Garonne River, paddling at night and hiding during the day. On the fifth night, they reached Bordeaux and attached limpet mines to six German ships, then set out on foot to escape to Spain. Only two men survived. Six were captured and executed by the Germans, and the capsized duo succumbed to hypothermia.
Churchill believed Operation Frankton shortened the war by six months. The Combined Operations commander hailed the raid as the most “courageous and imaginative” operation carried out by the Royal Marines. Folding kayaks are still used today by British and French Special Forces.
The stories of Brousse and Schlumberger and Operation Frankton remind us that we’re fortunate to paddle for pleasure. We have the luxury of slipping stealthily across the water because we enjoy spotting wildlife, not because we have to sneak past patrol ships in the dead of night.
As Captain Quevarrec of the French Commandos says of the war-torn kayak in the Room of Honour, “The pen allows the philosopher to deliver his thoughts, the sword allows the samurai to protect the emperor, the kayak allows adventurers to go somewhere.” Where we go, and why, will vary.
Neil Schulman celebrates kayaking’s diverse heritage in Reflections.
Brousse and Schlumberger in 1943. The pair used a kayak to sneak out of occupied France and join the Resistance in North Africa. | Feature photo: Courtesy Voyagers Without Trace
For many paddlers, the bitter cold and frozen waters of winter herald the end of the boating season. But don’t swap that paddle for a shovel just yet—instead, invite your friends over, pass the popcorn and queue up our list of the best kayak films. Think of it as a celebration, and a visual motivation until the warmer months return.
“In the end, you want to inspire people,” says Paddle to Seattle filmmaker Josh Thomas. “That’s the goal of our films, to give people hope.” Thomas is speaking to the environmental message that runs through many of his projects, but these films are just as effective at keeping the paddling passion ablaze through long winter nights.
The heart-wrenching story of Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley’s Tasman Sea crossing, which tragically ended when he disappeared just a day from completing his journey, was our no-contest pick for Best Documentary Film at the 2011 Paddling Film Festival (PFF).
55 minutes, 2008 | National Geographic
A charming story of friendship, discovery and humor in the face of adversity, Paddle to Seattle claimed Best Sea Kayaking Film at PFF 2010. There are none of the post-trip voiceovers so common to this genre—you feel like you are truly along for the ride: cold neck rain, musky whale breath, close calls with bull kelp lassoes, and everything else the fellas run into. Filmmakers J.J. Kelley and Josh Thomas are natural storytellers—their wit and wonderful on-screen rapport make Paddle unlike any other sea kayaking film then or since.
85 minutes, 2009 | Vimeo
Struggling with the recent paddling death of his friend, Zac Crouse finds healing through kayaking, cycling and strumming a banjo from Ottawa to Halifax. The soundtrack to this 2014 PFF Best Sea Kayaking Film winner features Crouse’s own spirited folk music.
61 minutes, 2013 | Vimeo
Justine Curgenven reinvented the sea kayak film by mounting cameras on boats and turning her lens on rough water playgrounds and the paddlers who ply them. This is the Sea blew the sport’s conservative image out of the water and cemented sea kayaking in the adventure realm. If you’ve never seen these feature-length films, pick up the box set. A quintessential series for sea kayaking junkies—enough said.
2004–2013 | CackleTV
The first sea kayaking DVD from acclaimed director Bryan Smith scooped awards (including Best Sea Kayaking Film at PFF) for its luscious cinematography and inspiring storytelling, and raised the bar for all paddling films to follow.
60 minutes, 2007 | Reel Water Productions
Combining clear, real-water skills demonstrations with scenic voyages along spectacular coastlines, including his native Isle of Skye, Scottish coach Gordon Brown and filmmaker Simon Willis cover skills from basic to advanced in this award-winning instructional series.
2010–2013 | Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown
When you’re used to fitting everything you need into two kayak hatches and living out of a tent for months at a time, 280 square feet of walls-and-windows comfort seems positively luxurious. Radical downsizing may be one of the founding tenets of the tiny house movement, but adventurers Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry are no strangers to doing more with less. They sketched the floor plan for their diminutive dream home while on a four-month dogsledding expedition around Baffin Island. Last winter, the couple began construction of a cozy home-on-wheels that’s as mobile as their lives: touring the Pacific Northwest one month, parked in an idyllic clearing by the river the next. “It’s our way of living where we want to play,” says McNair-Landry.
The DIYers welcomed the guidance of fellow paddler and master tiny house builder Rob Sickler, who appeared with Boomer in the acclaimed film, Wildwater. Creating an adventure-ready abode is “kinda like making a fort when you’re a kid,” says McNair-Landry, “but way sweeter.”
After purchasing an eight-by-20-foot trailer, Boomer and McNair-Landry raised the shell in snowy McCall, Idaho, and then towed their home to Sickler’s Hot Rod Housing workshop in Leadville, Colorado, to complete the interior finishes. Five months and $25,000 later, they were ready to roll. The price for a mortgage-free home is a lot of hard work, says McNair-Landry. “Just like an expedition, we had difficult moments and we had to remind each other to keep moving forward one step at a time.”
Tiny homes are all about sustainable architecture. Repurposing and upcycling old materials are key to keeping the environmental footprint and building costs to a minimum. Boomer and McNair-Landry’s home is clad in reclaimed corrugated metal panels and barn board. “In 1833, it was on a barn in Illinois,” says Boomer, “now it’s on an adventure across the Northwest.”
Every square inch of a tiny home counts, so everything from the stud walls to the sinks—and especially built-in storage—is designed with form and function in mind. This mobile adventure rig has loads of clever features including antique ammo box cupboards, sailboat-style sliding kitchen cabinets, and an eye-catching pocket door made from beetle kill pine. “A composting toilet, hot shower, good kitchen, dedicated bedroom and office space were all important features that make this house extremely livable,” says McNair-Landry. “Vaulted ceilings in the living room and huge windows keep our tiny house feeling big and open.”
It’s easy to live large in a small space. An espresso maker and scaled-down propane oven and stovetop mean cappuccinos and cinnamon rolls are still on the menu. The coolest feature in the kitchen is the custom, hammered copper countertop and sink handcrafted by Rob Sickler.
If it works on the water, why not in the home? “Repurposing materials is Rob’s forte,” says Boomer; the master builder had no trouble designing a stairway to the snug sleeping loft using aluminum tubing from Idaho-based whitewater raft frame fabricator, NRS. Ditto the rig’s lightweight, fold-down rear deck.
The tiny home’s fridge is a Yeti Cooler installed vertically in the wall. “We cannibalized a propane refrigeration unit from an old RV and put it in the cooler,” explains Boomer.
A compact propane stove and spray foam insulation in the walls, ceiling and floor make this a tiny home for any weather. “If it’s paddling season, we will be near an awesome river, and if it’s ski season we want to be near the skiing,” says McNair-Landry. A 40-gallon water tank and solar panels for generating power keep the rig self-contained.
Climbing holds provide space saving—and ultra-cool—access to the spare bunk nestled in the rear of the home. Just lay off the liquids before bed.
This article originally appeared in the Adventure Kayak Summer/Fall 2016 issue.
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My parents had me in one form of a boat or another since I was about six weeks old and I never left. I was 11 when I first pondered circumnavigating Lake Superior by sea kayak. Two family friends had completed a historically cold lap of the Lake. For the past 25 years the trip has lived in my head. I left from Red Cliff, Wisconsin on June 20th headed west towards Duluth, and returned 53 day later after covering roughly 1,300 miles. I was my own traveling companion throughout the trip but met great new friends and travel partners along the way.
By nature I am a list-maker and if you saw my 16-tab Google planning sheet entitled “Ben’s Trip Brain” you’d laugh. So 16 spreadsheet tabs later, I offer you my five essentials to circumnavigating Lake Superior.
The injury I most worried about was over-usage. I chose the Werner Cyprus bent shaft paddle. I’m right handed but played around with left-hand control and varying degrees of feather. I only almost flipped 8.5 times while figuring it out.
I did all of my navigation by map and compass. One piece of tech I did bring along was a SPOT device as an additional safety precaution. A feature I grew to love was the nightly blurb I would send out to a short list of friends and family with my GPS coordinates. It was a one-way street so no one could contact me but they could get a glimpse of where I was and that I was off the water safely. It turned out to be a fulfilling way to keep contact that protected my wish for being unconnected and others’ wishes to follow along with my trip.
You plan and prepare to the best of your ability so things run smoothly. However, I like to leave lots unplanned, especially routes. One has to be open to the serendipity of passing up a freshly groomed lawn as a campsite and instead sharing the overgrown bush of an abandoned marina with two other kayakers you’d never met who also happened to be circumnavigating the Lake. Also, if someone in a powerboat offers to catch you fresh lake trout, fries it for you, and makes you a margarita—do that too.
Wind. Weather. Waves. Water covered. What’s next? Whatever else. These words were what started my daily reflection each night. I charted my progress, listened to the weather radio, planned the next day and jotted down highlights and expectations—a must for any journey.
Friends willing to scour the depths of Google Earth and Weather App Land to imagine your life that day, one friend willing to cross the Atlantic and meet you in Sault St. Marie for six days of paddling companionship, family willing to drive hours on end to cook you a meal, deliver a re-supply, or swap out a boat because you snapped your skeg, and countless others to help create the right chemistry for you to even imagine the trip.
With this trip I expected and sought a mental and physical challenge. Over the course of 53 days you experience all that the Lake can offer. Day 28 while paddling through Lake Superior Provincial Park was that day—a heavy headwind, strong seas, cold air, intermittent rain, lunch with a local guide, a mother and two bear cubs, the peaks of my paddling skill, the depths of my exhaustion, hot tea under a tarp while listening to the rain, chatting with a few overland hikers, creamy polenta, 6Ws, read, rest, repeat.
A sunset shot of Pukaskwa on Lake Superior. | Feature photo: Ben Herman
Whitewater paddling is one of the most exciting and fun activities you can do, in our completely unbiased opinion. Close calls, bad swims and river mishaps can take the enjoyment out of whitewater faster than a runaway kayak on a steep creek. To maximize good times on the river and mitigate the consequences of things not going to plan, it’s imperative to take a river rescue course and ensure you feel comfortable in the areas you paddle. Over the years at Rapid, we’ve compiled an extensive collection of key whitewater skills we think everyone should know.
This is a skill you want to have worked on before it matters. Don’t be caught making ineffective throws on the river bank to a panicked friend—practice your toss each time you hang the bag up to dry. See how here.
A flip line, or guide belt, made with a length of webbing and a locking carabiner, has many different uses for kayakers, rafters and canoeist. In addition to helping flip an overturned raft, you can use it to make a rescue anchor, boat tether and rescue harness. Watch how to make one here.
Ideally, your throw bag hits its target the first time. Even so, there are situations when throwing a coiled rope is called for, like multiple swimmers or a failed first attempt. Learn how to do a coil rescue here.
A PFD is key for your own personal safety, but it also a piece of gear that can be equipped with essential safety gear. Find out what you need and how to set it up here.
Getting caught in a hole is terrifying, especially if it’s the first time. Learn how to get out as fast as possible here.
Sometimes your first throw doesn’t go as planned, and you need to coil your rope as fast as possible. In rescue situations, each second is valuable. Learn how to coil your rope ASAP here.
When you see a boat-less body swirling down a river, it may not look like there is much technique involved, but controlled body position and motion can have a serious effect on how you fare in the big water. Learn how to swim properly in whitewater here.
Check in with yourself before each season and evaluate which rescue skills you need to work on or refresh. Being aware of your blind spots or weaker skills will help you focus on what to improve and aid you in making decisions. Learn more improving your skills here.
With winter storms howling outside, now is the time to do those big and little repairs you’ve been putting off. Fix dings from last summer’s rocky landings, re-waterproof your tent, replace broken buckles on packs, take apart and clean camping stoves. Regular maintenance will extend the lifespan of your gear and, most importantly, make it more reliable when it counts.
Take advantage of the winter downtime to research and plan upcoming trips. Whether you’re still in the dreaming stage or ready to book your float plane drop-off, thoughtful preparation will make or break a trip. For inspiration and numerous useful paddling reports, check out Canadian Canoe Routes at www.myccr.com.
Curl up in front of the fireplace with a steaming mug and delve into the pantheon of paddling books. Choose from epic adventures like Don Starkell’s Paddle to the Amazon to more recent works such as Jennifer Kingsley’s reflective Paddlenorth: Adventure, Resilience, and Renewal in the Arctic Wild or Roy MacGregor’s unique history Canoe Country: The Making of Canada.
Take advantage of the short days and long nights with a paddling movie marathon. Whether you choose to go with a tried and true classic like Path of The Paddle or a more recent favourite like Finding Farley, paddling films will get you excited for adventures on the water. Discover many more at www.reelpaddlingfilmfestival.com.
Tired of eating the old meals on camping trips? Winter can be a great time to test and refine new recipes, and if you take the time to dehydrate chilli, sauces and veggies, you’ll have even more of a head start on creating spectacular meals on your next trip.
Unless you are a remarkably organized individual, chances are that your photos from last season(s) would benefit from some radical intervention. Mercilessly delete any mediocre, blurry or repetitive images until you have your album whittled down to a concise collection of shots you can be proud to show off (your friends will be grateful too!).
Stay in paddling shape by getting out on your cross-country skis, taking a yoga class and swimming laps at your local pool. Your body will thank you when you get back on the water for your first springtime sprint.
Brush up your toolkit of wilderness skills (or try something completely new) by signing up for a wilderness first aid course or life-saving certification. Photography, bird-watching, astronomy and painting all add a new element to tripping, while taking a boat building or paddle making course will leave you with a stunning work of art you can take on future adventures.
Spend time with your paddling friends and plan future trips while telling tall tales. “Really, the bear was THIS big!”
If all else fails to beat the winter blues, travel to a warm sunny place where you can spend quality time on the water.
This article first appeared in the February issue of Paddling Magazine. To read the entire issue, click here.
This article was part of a feature testing five compact touring kayaks while on a trip in Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands. The other boats in this roundup include the Stellar Kayaks S14-LV, the Current Designs Ignite, the Swift Saranac 14 and the Hurricane Kayaks Sojourn 135. Read the review of the Delta Kayak 12s below.
Stable and well behaved, the 12S embodies Delta’s West Coast touring design ethos—beginner-friendly, efficient and capable of hauling all your gear—scaled down in a compact package.
The multi-chine, V-shaped hull and full, flared bow confidently handle bumpy conditions, while offering satisfying—if not speedy—cruising capabilities on calmer waters.
At 12 feet long, it’s the shortest boat we tested—yet it has an enormous appetite for gear. The hatches swallow nearly 160 liters (33 liters more than the 16-foot Ignite) and are accessed by the largest hatch openings in our line-up.
Delta Kayaks 12S Specs
Length: 12′
Width: 24″
Weight: 38 lbs
Price: $1,425
The gasketed, press-fit hatch covers are bone-dry and by far our favorite to open and close—no straps, clasps, stubborn rubber or neoprene to wrestle with. The 12S is also the only kayak in our group with a day hatch in the front deck—perfect for keeping small essentials dry and within easy reach.
Delta Kayaks are industry leaders in thermoforming crisp lines and exquisite detail from sheets of ABS plastic. From its integrated outfitting adjustments to its gleaming deck and color-matching hatch covers, our demo is flawless inside and out.
“It fits everyone well,” said one tester, noting the perfect placement and positive grip of the 12S’ padded thigh braces. The 24-inch width cradles a fore- and aft-adjustable seat and low-profile backrest that’s supportive without getting in the way—making the Delta our runner-up roller behind the slender Stellar S14-LV.
Attractive, comfortable and well appointed, the 12S is also the lease expensive boat in our fleet, offering exceptional value for discerning paddlers on a budget.
This article originally appeared in the Adventure Kayak Summer/Fall 2016 issue.
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