CANOEING

The art of canoeing takes all the outdoor elements of backpacking but instead of using your lower body to do most of the work, you are using your upper body to pull a paddle through the water so you can propel your canoe forward.

Typically you are far enough away from civilization so you can hear and see what nature is all about. Like backpacking, you take the necessary gear that you need to survive for 2 to 3 days but you could easily turn into several weeks if you wanted to just by adding a bit more food. So in addition to a canoe, life jackets, some paddles, you essentially need a tent, some clothes, sleeping bag, some packs and food.

Now portaging is part of canoeing and it seems to mystify some people but one only needs to look back to our ancestors in the 1600s to see the true meaning of endurance and why portaging was necessary. Portaging is the act of carrying all of ones equipment (canoe included) from the end of one lake to the start of another. The one advantage we have over our ancestors is that more often than not, there is clearly defined a trail to follow instead of having to hack trees/brush down in order to get your gear through.

My hard rule for life to regular trips is that if you cannot make your portage in one trip, then you have too much equipment. For safety reasons, there should be at least two of you (the buddy system applies to most aspects of life) and typically one person will carry a backpack and the canoe. The other person will carry another backpack, the life jackets, paddles and a small waterproof bag that typically contains “the important stuff”.

I highly recommended that you try this and WHEN you do, I suggest going with either someone who has done it before or with a guide who will show you the ropes. If you do go, I highly recommend that you bring a portable hammock (nylon). Not only is it the best way to relax at the end of the day, you will be the envy of the camp.

List of Canoeing adventures


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Benjamin Franklin
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Mark Twain
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Erica Jong
There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.
Steven Wright
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David Allen
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Ted Turner
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Jack Handey
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Plato
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Plato
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Anonymous
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Forbes Magazine
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Benjamin Franklin
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Winston Churchill
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Mark Twain
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Mark Twain
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Winston Churchill
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Benjamin Franklin
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Mark Twain
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Will Rogers
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Mark Twain
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Thomas Jefferson
Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away
Benjamin Franklin
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Aristotle
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
William Arthur Ward
He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas.
Benjamin Franklin
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
Mark Twain
History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.
Winston Churchill
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
Albert Einstein
Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand.
Kurt Vonnegut
If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.
Mark Twain
History is written by the victors.
Winston Churchill
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Cale Yarborough
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Mark Twain
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Benjamin Franklin
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Aristotle
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Mark Twain
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Harry Truman
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Groucho Marx
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Benjamin Franklin
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Oscar Wilde
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Albert Einstein
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Native American Proverb
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Benjamin Franklin
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Maya Angelou
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Jackie Robinson
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
Ovid
Poet (43 BCE - CE 17)
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Mark Twain
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Gandhi
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Benjamin Franklin
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Benjamin Franklin
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Benjamin Franklin
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Winston Churchill
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Yoda
Jedi Master
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Benjamin Franklin

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