Family Camping BASECAMP | LITTLE EXPLORERS | BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW | GET-AWAY | BUBBLE STREET


—Basecamp, con’t. from pg. 27 It would take me only a few hours to finish this


job. A trip to Home Depot to buy the trim and a couple hours measuring, cutting, gluing and nailing everything into place. But it’s not going to happen. Today is June 26 and it’s National Ca- noe Day. We’re going to join paddlers from coast to coast to coast in canoe-related activities in waters of our own choosing. We’re spending our National Canoe Day paddling to a place my son calls Bunny Island. Last week, June 13 to 21 was Bike Week in the


United Kingdom. My daughter Kate just turned three years old and with her chocolate cupcakes came her first two-wheeler. As a former colony with the Queen still on our money, it seems the only right thing to do is ride our bicycles. National Fishing Week kicks off July 4. As the publisher of Kayak Angler, one of Canoeroots’ sis- ter publications, it would be irresponsible for a


[ little explorers ] » BY VINCE PAQUOT


Gimme Shelter


Debris Hut


Squirrels are kings of survival in the forest. Have you ever wondered where squirrels sleep? Next time you’re in the forest, look high up in the trees and see if you can spot a ball of dry leaves and twigs nestled in the branches. This is a squirrel’s nest—an insulated home that uses leaves to keep the temperature inside comfort- able, just like a debris hut. You too can be a king of forest survival with this fun-to-build shelter that serves as both a tent and a sleeping bag. Each hut is unique and perfectly sized for the person building it.


Materials


• One long, sturdy stick roughly twice your height


• Rope—about one metre • Lots of smaller sticks—half to one metre long • Lots and lots of debris—leaves, grass, cattails, hay and/or straw


Instructions


1. Find a flat spot next to a sturdy tree. Tie one end of your long stick to the tree at waist height and rest the other end on the ground so it makes a ridgepole above the flat area.


2. Lie underneath the pole with your head at the trunk and use some sticks to mark out your body’s outline on the ground.


28 SUMMER/FALL 2009 Survival Word Search


Look across, up and down to find all these handy items for wilderness survival.


Quinzhee Whistle Poncho Debris Hut Campfire Water Signals Knife Compass Matches Headlamp Map


K D E W H W A S N B E


E E I P A E A F


N S L C


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H R O S D H A Y C T


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M M O M P U S C D C M P E


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3. Lean all of the smaller sticks that you found against your ridgepole with the base of each stick just outside your outline. Place enough sticks to cover your debris hut on both sides and around your feet like a tent. Leave an opening on one side of the tree trunk big enough to crawl through—this will be your door.


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4. Cover your new home with all the leaves and debris you can find. A 30-centimetre-thick layer of debris will keep out the rain; an arm’s length will provide insulation for survival through a cold night.


5. Block the door with your backpack or anything else you can find—this will seal in the warmth.


guy like me to not take my kids fishing, besides “recreational fishing is a heritage activity that pro- vides an opportunity for people of all ages and from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds


i swore i wouldn’t be that guy with tyvek siding and plywood floors.


to get outdoors and enjoy both the excitement and serenity of fishing.” Sold. Who should argue with the Canadian National Sportfishing Foun- dation and deprive their kids of true cultural ex- periences and their heritage. In the United States they have National Camp- ing Month and to celebrate we’ve lined up two


family canoe camping trips down the Petawawa and Dumoine Rivers. At this rate, I can’t see me getting at the Cheerio gutter until early fall or maybe even winter—but then there’s National Jump in the Leaves Month and the entire alpine ski season to look forward to. The Outdoor Industry Association’s 2008 Out-


door Recreation Participation Report suggests that from 2006 to 2007, there was a 12 per cent decrease of participation in outdoor activities among American children ages 6 to 17 years of age. The same is probably true in Canada. When it comes to home renovations Bob the


Builder says, “Can we fix it? Yes we can!” But first let’s tackle the more important project of re- versing a potentially deadly trend and get kids outside. “Can we fix it? Yes we can!” Sometimes all it takes to get a job done is writing it on the calendar. —Scott MacGregor


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