Kevin Callan

Adventure Is Being Planned Out Of Existence

Kevin Callan — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 12:15:42 +0000

Last fall, I was driving home from a presentation in a northern town when it became obvious my long drive wasn’t going as planned. Construction delays, traffic jams and I was getting sleepy. Very sleepy. So, I chose to check in at a cheap roadside motel for the night. It was the safe thing to […]

The post Adventure Is Being Planned Out Of Existence appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

Death Of The Campfire

Kevin Callan — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:00:10 +0000

There’s a new trend spreading in the canoe camping community. More trippers are choosing to go campfire-free. If that surprises you, let me offer a brief recap of the 2023 fire season in Canada. It was the worst wildfire season in the country’s recorded history. Over 18 million hectares of forest burned, roughly equivalent to […]

The post Death Of The Campfire appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

Is Mandatory Backcountry Education Coming To A Park Near You?

Kevin Callan — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:00:42 +0000

What the heck is going on out there? On my latest canoe trip to Ontario’s Algonquin Park, my group spotted bags of garbage left at several backcountry campsites, lined up by the shore like you’d put garbage by the curb for early morning pickup. On our campsite, the forest floor behind our tent pads was […]

The post Is Mandatory Backcountry Education Coming To A Park Near You? appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

The Bear Canoe: A Risky Way To Store Food Overnight

Kevin Callan — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 12:00:06 +0000

Canoeists love to debate camping techniques. Single blade or double. Stuffing your tent or rolling it. Ground cloth inside or outside. One of the longest-running, raging disputes among wilderness paddlers is how to properly store your food to keep it away from bears. The bear canoe: Debunking the second worst way to store your food […]

The post The Bear Canoe: A Risky Way To Store Food Overnight appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

Expert Tips To Deal With The Great Tick Invasion

Kevin Callan — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 11:00:52 +0000

I discovered a tick embedded in my crotch. Where? I was on day five of a 10-day canoe trip across Quetico Provincial Park. Ticks love to attach themselves to dark, moist places where the tissue is soft and thin. Think armpits, behind ears and knees, and, you guessed it, the vulnerable groin. Of course, I […]

The post Expert Tips To Deal With The Great Tick Invasion appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

Contentious Backcountry Spare Paddle Guideline Divides Canoeist Community

Kevin Callan — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 11:00:28 +0000

Recently, a newbie canoeist asked a simple question on a social media page dedicated to backcountry travel. “Do I need to bring a spare paddle?” At least, I thought it was a simple question. “It’s the law to equip your vessel with a spare manual propelling device,” I replied. Whomp whomp. I was wrong. My error created a […]

The post Contentious Backcountry Spare Paddle Guideline Divides Canoeist Community appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

How To Be A Happy Camper

Kevin Callan — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 12:00:36 +0000

Canoeists haven’t changed all that much over the years, but the guidelines for open boaters have evolved. Want the latest ways to be a happy camper on your next canoe trip? From gas guzzlers to gadgets, food to fashion it helps to learn from the hard-earned experiences of others. We present some new rules of […]

The post How To Be A Happy Camper appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

12 Stupidest Questions Asked By Canoe Trippers

Kevin Callan — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Outfitters have to be truly patient, knowledgeable and sometimes even psychic to answer their clients’ questions. It turns out there may be some stupid questions after all. Kevin Callan and Conor Mihell compile the best of the worst, the stupidest questions outfitters have heard about canoe tripping. [ See also: 7 Of The Funniest Canoe […]

The post 12 Stupidest Questions Asked By Canoe Trippers appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

15 Tips To Conquer Any Portage

Kevin Callan — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:00:00 +0000

It can hurt to portage a canoe. Whether you are hopping from one lake to another or avoiding a set of nasty rapids, each trail has some potentially painful characteristics: slippery rocks, steep inclines, bug-infested hollows, boot-sucking mud, wrong turns. Even legendary canoeist Bill Mason once said, “Anyone who tells you portaging is fun is […]

The post 15 Tips To Conquer Any Portage appeared first on Paddling Magazine.

Kevin Callan’s Real-Life Superheroes

Kevin Callan — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 20:53:39 +0000

The Oxford Dictionary defines a superhero as someone with abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and who uses his or her powers to help the world become a better place. My superheroes growing up weren’t the ones on television or in comic books. Spider-Man’s costume kind of freaked me out. The Green Hornet got way […]

The post Kevin Callan’s Real-Life Superheroes appeared first on Paddling Magazine.