7. 7. 2. T
welve months, a dozen countries and a nearly lost art learned in each. It was a dream come true for Cincinnati-native Will Meadows. Last year, 23-year-old Meadows finished a yearlong quest to visit indigenous master canoe builders around the world and learn their traditional techniques.
“Canoes are found across the world. They lie at the intersection of human creativity and place,” he says. “They are vessels for exploration, artistic expression and sustenance.”
Meadows spent this past winter at the end of the world in Tierra del Fuego. The Yaghan culture has lived there for 6,000 years, using beech bark to craft canoes used to hunt seals. For two months Meadows lived with Martin Gonzalez, an elder of the Yaghan and the only man alive with knowledge of how to construct these canoes. “I had read that the culture of the Yaghan had gone completely extinct,” says Meadows. “Many Argentinians and Chileans talk as if this people no longer exists. My original intent was to resurrect this canoe, but when I got to Chile, I met living descendants of the culture who took me in as family and showed me their passion to regain lost knowledge and rebuild traditions. The Yaghan taught me how resilient traditions are, beyond catastrophes both environmental and social. They showed me as long as there is a person with a bent to learn, there is hope to pass on cultural heritage and sense of place.” Follow Meadow’s journey at
www.humanitysvessel.com.
3.
This fall, Esquif Canoes hopes to revolutionize hull materials when the company replaces Royalex in its canoe line with brand new, in- house-made T-Formex. According to owner Jacques Chassé, paddlers can expect the same indestructability and performance of Royalex, with the added benefit that T-Formex is 10 percent lighter and 20 times more abrasion resistant. The material innovation comes just in time—Royalex ceased production earlier this year.
tent, tin cloth rain gear and a cedar-canvas canoe.
“On all long trips, I’ve been equipped with big, Royalex canoes, Gore-Tex, the most lightweight material and top- of-the-line tents. When I read about old times, I can’t help but feel as if I’m cheating,” said Marshall prior to the trip. Much of the equipment used for Labrador Passage was handmade by local craftspeople. “We realized that we couldn’t go to REI and buy this stuff, so we reached out to people who still make it.” See a teaser for the forthcoming documentary at www.
rapidmedia.com/0239.
6. 4.
Onesies. Whether we’re talking about drysuits or cozy giraffe-inspired sleepwear, we just can’t get enough.
5.
Using only non-synthetic, turn-of-the-century equipment, Peter Marshall and Andrew Morris retraced a 600-kilometer historic route through the province of Labrador in July. Their camp kit featured throwbacks like a 30-pound waxed canvas
Adam Shoalts rewrote a tiny portion of the map of Canada when he accidently paddled over a waterfall. Last summer he returned to the remote region in Quebec to properly document the seven previously unknown waterfalls he’d discovered.
8.
Zipperless gear is showing up in sleeping bags, tents and backpacks. Because the interlocking teeth are often the first point of failure in outdoor gear, companies are touting these new products as durable and hassle-free. Clever manufacturers, such as Sierra Designs, Kelty and Big Agnes, are using roll- top closures, hooks and simple design to create revolutionary new gear that also weighs less.
8.
Two-way satellite communicators are game changers for search and rescue operators. Instead of sending out a standard distress signal and GPS info, communicators, such as DeLorme’s new inReach Explorer, allow rescue professionals to text with backcountry paddlers that are injured or lost. They can assess the situation and offer medical advice and assistance if needed. In some cases, SAR has been able to use GPS info and texting to direct lost hikers back to the trail, avoiding costly and potentially dangerous rescue missions.
9. 4.
Atikokan paddler, Mike Ranta, hopes to set a world record for the longest solo paddle ever, breaking the 2010 record set by Helen Skelton of the U.K. He set out on his 8,000-kilometer, cross- Canada expedition April 1 and expects to arrive in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, by mid- September. Strictly speaking, he’s not flying solo—Ranta’s canine wingman, Spitzy, is along for the ride.
www.canoerootsmag.com | 49
PHOTO: WILL MEADOWS
PHOTO: GEOFF WHITLOCK
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