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Four Day Solo Canoe Trip with my Dog and a Nasty Cold
This is a trip I did with my Jack Russell Terrier buddy, Toby. I managed to get sick during this one but my cold kept pretty well out of my way once I got my days started.
Sorry about the audio quality in areas. My new camera had a defect which caused various audio issues. I’ve since returned it and the replacement is working great.
I do some product reviews here including the CNOC 2 litre bladder, Gomboy Silky 210 folding saw, Trekology ultralight inflatable pillow and others. Please keep in mind that I have no affiliation with any of these companies. These products have simply worked for me and I enjoy sharing what I’ve found.
I also demonstrate my water filter system which includes some 3D printed parts that I designed myself. I’ll have a link to those models before too long so come back and check soon if this is something you’re interested in.
I hope you enjoy the trip, Toby and I had a blast!
Shepard’s Pie
This is a fantastic stick-to-your-ribs meal. It’s surprising how good it is for something you can whip up easily at camp. After a hard day of travel, nothing fills you up better!
| Serves: | 2 |
| Storage: | Keeps for months in a ziplock bag. I’ll often keep servings from season to season. |
| Prep Time: | 25 Minutes (at camp) |
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups potato flakes (I use the Idahoan brand)
- 5 1/4 oz water (for potatoes)
- 1 tbsp powdered butter (I use molly McButter) or ghee
- 3 tbsp powdered milk
- 2/3 cup dried corn
- 2/3 cup dehydrated hamburger (aka gravel)
- Powdered gravy (I use the Club House brand)
Preparation
At Home
- Dehydrate hamburger and package it with the corn.
- Package together the potato flakes, powdered milk and powdered butter (if using ghee, package it separately and add it after potatoes have been cooked).
- Pack the gravy package with the rest of the meal. I usually put all the packages in a larger Ziplock or Food Saver bag for easy transport.
At Camp
- Rehydrate the hamburger and corn with boiling water (takes about 20 minutes, the corn takes longer than the hamburger).
- Boil the 5 1/4 oz water and stir in the potato flakes package which includes the powdered butter (if used) and powdered milk)
- Make up gravy according to the package details
- Combine all ingredients together with the exception of the gravy. Once served, pour gravy over top of the dish.
Bannock (Camp Bread)
| Serves: |
Two. Makes a thick 5″ patty
|
| Storage: | Keeps for months in a ziplock bag. I’ll often keep servings from season to season. |
| Prep Time: | 20 Minutes (at camp) |
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp powdered milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oil or ghee or make sure you have a good non-stick pan (I prefer ghee for the added buttery flavour)
Optional Ingredients
- Raisins
- Wheat germ
- Cinnamon
- 2 tsp vegetable shortening (makes the bannock more flaky, reminds me of biscuits)
- Anything else you might like in bread
Preparation
At Home
- Mix all ingredients with the exception of the oil or ghee (which will be used later to oil the pan if the pan being used).
- Put the mixed ingredients in a ziplock bag, it can also be handy to double bag it. By putting the zip-lock bag into another zip-lock of the same size, it helps to ensure the bag won’t pop in your pack and the second bag is great for holding the bannock for later once cooked.
At Camp
- Put the mixed ingredients in a pot and mix it up with a spoon or stick.
- Slowly add water as you mix the ingredients until you have a doughy consistency
- Once it’s all mixed, let it stand for about 5-10 minutes. This will allow time for the doe to rise a bit which will make for a lighter, thicker serving once you’re done
- Oil the frying pan and heat at about the lowest setting your stove can do. I use a MSR SimmerLite and before I make bannock I decompress the fuel (i.e. let the air out) and just pump it about 5 times. If you give too much pressure you’ll end up burning it or having to hold the frying pan higher over the stove by hand.
- Plop the doe into the frying pan and stretch it out to cover the bottom, or until it’s as large around as you would like it (I usually make it about 5 inches around)
- You’ll want to make sure the oil or ghee is covering the bottom of the bannock so just kind of swoosh it around in the pan using quick swirling motions of the pan or rotate it with a spoon or stick.
- Keep checking the underside of the bannock until it’s a golden brown and when it is, it’s time to flip it (you may want to re-oil the pan).
Lemon Shrimp Pasta
| Serves: | Two |
| Storage: | Don’t keep the sauce unrefrigerated for more than a couple of days. I usually eat this meal on the first or second night of my trips. |
| Prep Time: | 10 Minutes (at camp) |
Ingredients
- 10 ounces angel hair pasta
- 1 cup of cooked, dried shrimp
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (can adjust this to taste depending how lemony you like it)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp basil
- Parmesan cheese to taste (I usually do about 2 tbsp per serving)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Preparation
At Home
- Mix olive oil, lemon zest and juice, nutmeg and basil and put in a ziplock or vacuum sealed bag with as little air as possible.
- Pack parmesan, salt and pepper if desired
- Pack dried shrimp separately
- Break pasta strands in half and pack separately. I find it’s best to wrap the pasta in paper towels so all of the ends are covered. Otherwise, when you put them in a plastic the paste will tend to puncture it and can slip out.
At Camp
- Put dried shrimp in a container, I usually use my mug, and add hot to boiling water until they’re covered. Let sit until tender which is about 5-10 minutes.
- Boil pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes and then strain.
- Stir in oil mixture
- Put in bowls and if you brought it along, add cheese, salt and pepper to taste
2 Night Solo with my Dog – Mora Knife, Sawyer Mini Filter, Warbonnet Hammock & Fishing on Crown Land
Join me on a two night solo canoe trip, instead of a park we’re heading out on public crown land in Quebec. I venture out with my trusty dog Toby and my Warbonnet Blackbird hammock for a great weekend. In the video I cover such topics as my new Sawyer Mini water filtration system, new Mora Companion knife, fishing and lets not forget about the crazy, nasty bugs among other things. I hope you’ll join me on this one…
As promised, here’s a link to my custom ferro rod holder 3D print for the Mora Companion sheath: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2589011
You can see my complete gear list for this trip on TheGearLoft here: https://goo.gl/7odpDM
2 Night Solo Canoe Trip with my Jack Russell Pup, Hammock ‘n Hail
This is a chilly April trip I did with my dog, a lively 9 month old Jack Russell Terrier. This little guy is built for this stuff and did great in my new Hammock.
Join Toby and I on this adventure as I talk about the trip, new gear, camp tips and head home in the hail.
You can see my complete gear list for this trip here https://goo.gl/Gh7PeQ.
Wicked, Nasty, Endless BUGS! 2 Night Canoe Trip with my Son and Dog
8 Day Solo Canoe Trip
Come along on this extended cut video log of my solo canoe trip. Well almost solo, I did it with my my dog Maddy. We made our way through Algonquin Park traveling 150km in all with 46 portages totalling 26km. We got a whole lot of rain, made some great meals, and spotted some awesome wildlife. Come join Maddy and I on this beautiful solo canoe trip.
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