Rob Stevens
Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Some come late to these realizations/practice;
After using modern materials and equipment, I gradually returned to using equipment from the classic era of wilderness canoe travel, i.e. the period from the first half of the 20th century. By studying how our predecessors used them and the techniques they employed, I have come to find that this equipment is just as functional, often better suited to life in the forest, more robust and aesthetically superior to modern equipment.
My canoe is made of cedar and canvas, my traditionally shaped paddles are made of wood and my equipment is carried in waxed canvas bags.
For our three-week trip to Quetico last summer, we added a wannigan. This wooden box turned out to be our headquarters - the centrepiece of camp life; it stored some of our food supplies and our cooking equipment.
In this video (in French but English subtitles are available) I explain what a wannigan is, what it contains for a canoe trip and how it is carried.
After using modern materials and equipment, I gradually returned to using equipment from the classic era of wilderness canoe travel, i.e. the period from the first half of the 20th century. By studying how our predecessors used them and the techniques they employed, I have come to find that this equipment is just as functional, often better suited to life in the forest, more robust and aesthetically superior to modern equipment.
My canoe is made of cedar and canvas, my traditionally shaped paddles are made of wood and my equipment is carried in waxed canvas bags.
For our three-week trip to Quetico last summer, we added a wannigan. This wooden box turned out to be our headquarters - the centrepiece of camp life; it stored some of our food supplies and our cooking equipment.
In this video (in French but English subtitles are available) I explain what a wannigan is, what it contains for a canoe trip and how it is carried.