SwiftyPaddler's Reviews & Views

When heading out on my longest trip of the year, I wanted a medium sized bag for all of the miscellaneous loose things that I have with me in my canoe: granola bars, map, first air kit, a wide angle lens, camera batteries and more.   It needed to be rain proof and easy to carry on portages.   This Bowman Gear Nomad Pack   was exactly what I was looking for and has since become one of the standard bags I bring with me on all my trips.   A great purchase - well made and super versatile! Bowman Gear Nomad Pack After many an uncomfortable night camping, I decided I needed a new sleeping pad, one that was wider than what I had been using and didn’t crinkle every time I moved on it.   After much research and feedback from folks at Canadian Outdoor Equipment, I settled on an EXPED Dura 5R LW (Long, Wide).   It gives me lots of room to stretch out, is nice and thick with a solid 5R rating, and   fits perfectly in my MSR Hubba NX tent .   I’d be lying to s...

About a year ago,  I decided it was time to replace one of my favourite old tents, a 16 year old MEC Wanderer 2.   After years of use and abuse, it was pretty much finished! The only reason I had kept that tent for so long was that it almost perfectly met my specific needs.  So when I went looking for a replacement, I did my homework, studied a lot of specifications and gathered feedback from the amazing outdoor community.  My decision? A Hotcore Products “Mantis 2” tent.   Hotcore Products Mantis 2 I’ve now used the Mantis 2 for three seasons.  Am I happy with my purchase?  Did the tent fail me at the worst possible time?  Should you consider a Hotcore tent?  Read on for answers to these pressing questions! First, a few caveats.  I do a variety of camping and already own multiple tents.  The tent I use most often is an MSR Hubba NX, a small, very lightweight but versatile solo tent.  The one I use the least is a Snowtrek...

There are days when I’d love to be out in my canoe, exploring somewhere I’ve never been before, but for whatever reason I’m unable.  On days like that I like to either go though photos from past trips, look at maps, or best yet, get ideas for new places to go and canoes routes to explore. I live in Ontario, a province with more lakes, rivers and canoe routes that I can hope to see in my lifetime (but I’m trying)!  Thankfully I have just the book, a bible of sorts really, that both inspires me and gets my imagination going; a book that anyone who paddles and lives in Ontario or visits the province should have: Kevin Callan’s “Top 70 Canoe Routes of Ontario”. Top 70 Canoe Routes Of Ontario What Kevin has put together is so impressive.  When you first hear the title of the book, you might think it rather dry; some kind of reference that you use’d use a few times before a trip, but generally sits on a shelf gathering dust.  This book is about as dry as the bottom of my ...