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A Word in the Woods

A city-dweller's outdoor travels, gear reviews and field tests, survival tips and tricks, camping and canoeing.

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Backyard cedar strip canoe: Part 1, Introduction

January 26, 2015 by Michael Zimmermann 2 Comments

Canoecraft cover

So, I’ve done it! [The Story so far] This is the first in a series of posts about building a backyard cedar strip canoe. Follow along as I research, cost, plan, schedule, and possibly fumble my way through an urban build of one of the most loved forms of backcountry transportation.  Well, to clarify, I haven’t done a…

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Filed Under: Backyard cedar strip canoe series, Canoe, Courses and Education, DIY, Front Page, Gear, HowTo, Things to try Tagged With: Backyard cedar strip canoe, boat building, building in the ciy, Canoe, canoeing, construction

Norway PakCanoe trip report by Cliff Jacobson

August 18, 2011 by Michael Zimmermann Leave a Comment

I’ve been thinking of trading in my folding PakCanoe for a lighter, more maneuverable vessel (I have the 17-footer, but I would be fine with a 16-, or even 15-foot), but not because it has let me down in any way. For any of you who are unsure as to the viability of the PakCanoe…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Gear, News, Trip Reports Tagged With: folding canoe, pakcanoe

A Day with Pinock Smith

July 20, 2011 by Michael Zimmermann 3 Comments

On January 15, 2011, I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with Pinock Smith, a master builder, known for his traditional canoe-building methods. I first heard of Pinock in the second season of Ray Mears’ Bushcraft, where he and Ray built an authentic birchbark canoe in a week. They worked on screen again in…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Front Page, HowTo, Personal, Uncategorized Tagged With: algonquin, building, Canoe, first nations, native, pinock smith, ray mears, traditional

Time for a wanigan

September 20, 2009 by Michael Zimmermann Leave a Comment

  I’d like to talk about one decision I’ve made when it comes to kitchen on a canoe trip. There’s a part of me that wants to go as ultra-light as possible, knife and a flint striker and some rope, and improvise from there, but there’s another, more obsessive side that wants to bring every…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Front Page, Gear, HowTo, Things to try, tips Tagged With: Canoe, food, kitchen, tips, wanagan, wanigan, wannigan

Trip report: Little Hay Lake

August 13, 2009 by Michael Zimmermann 4 Comments

So, I’m long overdue on the trip reports. I started a new job last year, and I’m coming up on my first anniversary in a week. The time has flown by, and the crunch of new responsibilities has died down a bit. I’ve gone on a few trips, and I’m ready to start keeping up…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Front Page, Gear, Trip Reports Tagged With: algonquin, Canoe, canoeing, Entrance Point 16, flickr, Gear, Little Hay Lake, summer, Trip report

Trip Report: SittingMan Lake

July 18, 2008 by Michael Zimmermann 2 Comments

This was a good trip for my friend Keith’s first time into Algonquin, in terms of what to expect for canoeing, since the Tim River to Rosebary, and then on from Longbow to Sitting Man Lake (our final destination) is a good mix of winding rivers, grassy marsh, ponds, and nice, open lakes with deeper…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Front Page, HowTo, Trip Reports Tagged With: algonquin, Canoe, canoe pack, injuries, Moose, portage, Sitting Man Lake, Tim Lake, Tim River, Trip report

Off to Algonquin for the first canoe trip of the year

July 11, 2008 by Michael Zimmermann Leave a Comment

I’m off to Algonquin for the first backcountry trip of the year (actually, I’ve done some winter hikes, so it’s the first canoe trip of the season). I’ve taken the canoe out for a quick spin already, but I find the first trip always to be the toughest… I spend all winter forgetting what it’s…

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Filed Under: Canoe, News, Personal Tagged With: Canoe, canoe pack, newbie, trip

Assembling the Pakcanoe

June 10, 2008 by Michael Zimmermann 3 Comments

I live in a small apartment in downtown Toronto, Canada, so I had a few challenges to deal with when deciding which canoe to buy. I needed flexible storage and transportation options. I ended up with a Pakcanoe, a skin-on-frame canoe that comes apart and stores or travels in a bag about the size of…

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Filed Under: Canoe, Front Page, Gear, HowTo, tips Tagged With: assembly, Canoe, pakboats, pakcanoe

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