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CHEAP Campfire Right all along
My husband is claustrophobic in a tent, afraid of bears and allergic to campfires. However, I grew up in a family of canoe trippers, so I drag him out camping every few years or so. Last year I decided to share the paradise of
Three Narrows Lake in Killarney with my hus- band, two children and our non-swimming dog Hershey [see Campsights photo below]. The first night, we couldn’t find our site and
ended up hurriedly setting up one of our tents on a none-too-flat point as darkness fell. Bea- vers kept us up all night with their tails slapping and our tent made its way downhill with us in it, thanks to a poor pitching. The beavers soon had my husband convinced
we were surrounded by bears after our food pack. As rain began to fall we had to scramble out of the tent and haul it back up the slope so it would not collapse any further until morning. It proceeded to rain every day from then
on. The last night I slept with my legs and feet wrapped in my raincoat then stuffed into my soggy sleeping bag. In the end, my daughter chose to do her
grade-eight speech on the pros and cons of camping as a family vacation… she decided in favour of it! I guess I was right all along. NANCY HILBORN London, Ontario
Of cowboys and elegance
I thoroughly enjoyed the last issue of Cano- eroots, especially the editorial, “Rock of Ages,” but I couldn’t help smiling when I read how to make cowboy coffee. I appreciate that there are many ways to skin a cat, but I would never do it the cowboy way. Here’s a less barbaric, more elegant method:
1. Start with good regular-grind French roast coffee—not the cheap canned stuff.
2. Bring cold water to a rolling boil, then re- move the pot from the heat.
3. Add one heaping tablespoon of coffee for each cup. Stir the coffee, cover and set aside for five minutes. Do not continue boil-
ing after you add the coffee or you will kill the flavour!
4. After five minutes you can add a dash of cold water to settle the grounds or simply pour slowly into the cups. We pour through a spoon-sized strainer so no one has to chew grounds.
5. To keep the coffee warm for seconds set the pot next to the fire (don’t let it boil!) or use a pot cozy and heat pad as described in my books.
This way you get superior coffee every time and no burned taste.
CLIFF JACOBSON River Falls, Wisconsin
Praise for Palmer Fest
It was through a link to I Speak For Canadian Riv- ers that I began my digging and ended up at a promotion for your new Palmer Fest weekend for canoes and sea kayaks. As soon as I read it I decided I’d be there. Maybe I don’t get out enough, but this in-
augural celebration of all things related to self- propelled watercraft even made the hour-long
C A M P S I G H T S
Holly Hilborn with Hershey the sinking poodle giving a weather report in Killarney. PHOTO BY DAN HILBORN, LONDON, ON
Send us your best canoeing or camping photo. In each issue we’ll print a few and award the winners a free online subscription. Go to rapidmedia. com/campsights for entry rules.
www.canoerootsmag.com 5 7
EARLY SUMMER 2009 Vol 8 No 2 • Display until August 15, 2009
CANADA $5.95 US $5.95 MAKES YOU CRY
canoerootsmag.com Canadian Publication Agreement #40033446
Kevin Callan
GIMME SHELTER Simple Tarp Tips
SOLO PORTAGE
www.canoerootsmag.com 1 Master the
WEEKEND
Sunny canoe trips for any budget
QuicEkS GeCtawAPaESys
SEVEN PADDLES you needNOW
Fast, Fresh and Easy THREE-DAY MENU
CATCH DINNER Ultimate Trip Tackle Box
COWBOY COFFEE Brew Perfect
struggle to break free from Toronto’s Friday after- noon grip worth the effort. My 15-year-old son and I had registered for
tandem flatwater classes. I would finally get some formal technical instruction and my son would receive pointers from someone he was unlikely to sneer at. The band and crazy films of the Reel Paddling
Film Festival were terrific, but it wasn’t long before a group of us gathered to keep warm around the fire pit, taking turns telling stories, jokes and learn- ing new songs in both official languages. What could be better than a bug-free evening sitting around a campfire with like-minded people? I’m happy to say that my son and I are still talk-
ing and that we both improved our basic canoe- ing skills. Thanks to Rapid Media for organizing this event. I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open for the second annual Palmer Fest Canadian Ca- noe Symposium.
MIGUEL HORTIGUELA Toronto, Ontario
WRITE US Canoeroots wants to hear from you. Send comments and questions to
editor@canoerootsmag.com. Letters may be edited for style and length.
BUYER’S GUIDE
STRANDED! High and (not so) dry on James Bay
TIMELESS GEAR TODAY
SKILLS DRILL Paddling the English Gate
ULTIMATE
VACATIONS Hold On Tight!
7 EXTREME FAMILY
SPRING 2009
Vol 8 No 1 • Display until May 15, 2009 CANADA $5.95 US $5.95
SUPER MODELS Sexy Canoe Secrets
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Tripping 101
HOW TO: » Bake Better Bannock » Survive a Bear Attack » Stay Safe Solo
» Be the Guy Who Keeps a Journal
BEST CANOE GAMES How to Kick Butt
BUSHCRAFT GONE BAD With Kevin Callan
141 f the
CanoesBest o Year
2009
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