Super Good Camping Podcast

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A canoe shop owner admitting he’s not in the “canoe business” so much as the “canoe logistics business” is the kind of honesty we love, and it’s exactly where this chat goes. We’re recording live from the Hamilton Adventure Expo with Greg Robertson from Organic Boat Shop, with a classic Ontario snow dump on the way, and somehow that makes everything feel even more Canadian: planning paddling season while bracing for winter. 

We get into how outdoor shows kick-start trip planning, gear research, and that first spark of motivation to book time off and map routes. Greg breaks down the real rhythm of canoe sales in Canada, why winter buyers move slower, and how a mid-season pause can hit your numbers hard when fall arrives and you’re suddenly “out of sight, out of mind”. If you’ve ever wondered why lead times, delivery schedules, and testing boats can be tricky, this pulls back the curtain in a practical way. 

From there we shift into the family side of building an outdoor brand. Greg talks about his wife Jody coming into the business full-time, how that changes operations, and why their French River rental and cabin-based day-trip model helps more people say yes to canoe camping even if they don’t want to sleep on the ground anymore. We also touch ORCKA courses, guided trips, and the gear details that never make it into glossy photos: composite boat storage, outfitting work, skid plates, and even a 21-foot freighter canoe that might end up on a trailer with a motor. 

If you like real talk about paddling, small business, and planning better canoe trips, subscribe, share this with a camping buddy, and leave a review with your favourite takeaway.
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Ontario just opened the door to drinking throughout provincial parks, not only at your own campsite, and we can’t stop thinking about what that changes on the ground. We’re Pamela and Tim from Supergoodcamping.com, and while we understand the appeal of relaxing outdoors, we’re worried the new Ontario Parks alcohol rules will bring more than “summer vibes.” When alcohol shows up on trails, at busy beaches, and around launch points, it can shift a park from peaceful to unpredictable, especially for families who come for quiet, nature, and a sense of shared respect. 

We dig into the government’s stated reasons like boosting tourism and supporting the economy, then pressure-test that logic against a reality most campers know well: Ontario Parks reservations are already hard to get and many parks are sold out months ahead. We also talk about what the old campsite restriction meant in practice, what “responsible consumption” looks like in a provincial park setting, and why permission structures matter even if many people already bend the rules. 

From broken glass and litter to swimming and paddling while impaired, we lay out the safety risks that can show up fast in day-use areas. Then we get into the part that really worries us: enforcement and emergency response. Park rangers are already stretched, some park offices are closing, and rural EMS and hospitals can be far away. If drinking expands but resources don’t, who keeps people safe and who cleans up the mess? 

Listen through, then tell us where you land on this change. Subscribe, share the episode with a camping friend, and leave a review so more Canadians who love provincial parks can join the conversation.
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CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

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Old growth forest, forgotten portages, and the kind of canoe routes that only exist as long as people keep travelling them. We’re live at the Hamilton Adventure Expo talking with Mike from Friends Of Temagami, a 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit founded in 1995 that works to protect Temagami’s remaining old growth and keep backcountry access from quietly disappearing.

Mike breaks down what stewardship looks like in practice: choosing where trail maintenance matters most, clearing tough routes in places like Solace Wildlands, improving campsites, and installing thunder boxes they build themselves. We also get into the nuts-and-bolts details that make volunteer time count, including winter snowmobile runs to stage heavy gear so it doesn’t have to be portaged later, plus summer maintenance trips to fix hazards like rotted boardwalk and old spikes.

The conversation widens into community and culture too. Mike shares how Friends Of Temagami supports a September changing-of-the-season ceremony connected to Temagami First Nation, and why protecting “ancient trails” is about memory, respect, and keeping routes from being lost to overgrowth. If you love Ontario canoe camping, Temagami travel, portage routes, and real conservation work, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of how the park stays wild and welcoming.

Subscribe, share this with a paddling friend, and leave a review if you want more stories from the people doing the work that keeps Temagami open.
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CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

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Your phone shows sunshine, the clouds look wrong, and you’re two days deep into the backcountry with no signal. Now imagine the one tool that could confirm what’s coming next goes silent. That’s the gut-level concern we dig into as we talk about Environment and Climate Change Canada winding down the weather radio network and pushing Canadians toward online updates like the WeatherCAN app and the ECCC website.

We get specific about why weather radio has mattered for camping safety in Canada, not just as a nice-to-have, but as a battery-powered, over-the-air backup when cell towers fail, the internet drops, or the power goes out. We also unpack the bigger impact beyond recreation: rural, remote, and Indigenous communities can be left more vulnerable when essential alerts assume reliable connectivity. Even in urban areas near major water like Lake Ontario, we’ve leaned on weather radio during messy conditions and outages.

Then we shift from rant to readiness. We share practical workarounds you can actually use: pre-trip planning with SpotWX using precise coordinates, building redundancy with satellite communicators like Garmin, caching offline radar and wind layers with the Windy app, and saving forecasts via screenshots or printouts before you lose service. We’re honest about forecast limits after a few days and why learning basic “read the sky” skills is still part of being competent outdoors.

If you care about backcountry preparedness, emergency weather alerts, and how public safety changes ripple into real trips, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share it with a camping buddy, and leave a review with your go-to weather backup plan.
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CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

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A stranger walks up holding an old canoe book and says, “You signed this to my dad 35 years ago.” Minutes later, Kevin Callan signs it again for the next generation and the whole Hamilton Adventure Expo suddenly feels like a small world. That’s where our livestream chat begins, and it sets the tone for a conversation about how canoe camping stories stick, how outdoor skills get passed along, and why community is the real reason these shows matter.

We dig into Kevin’s idea of “ultimate canoe routes” and why he opens his talk by saying the best trip is the next one. Then we get specific: Algonquin’s Brent Run, a loop around Killarney, Lake Superior’s Bustard Islands, Kejimkujik in Nova Scotia, and even Scotland’s River Spey. If you’re looking for canoe route inspiration, paddling trip planning ideas, or just a reminder that repeat trips can still feel brand new, this one delivers.

We also go behind the scenes on outdoor writing and Canadian publishing. Kevin shares what it’s like to hit 20 books, how rewarding it is when kids show up already excited about what they learned, and how printing and shipping across the Canada US border can turn sales into losses overnight. We talk honest numbers on royalties, why self-publishing can make sense, and the simple advice that matters most: write the book first.

If you enjoy real talk about paddling, camping, and making a life around the outdoors, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves canoe trips, and leave a review so more Canadian campers can find the show.
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Support the show
CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

Support the podcast & buy super cool SWAG: https://store.skgroupinc.com/super_good_camping/shop/home

EMAIL: hi@supergoodcamping.com

WEBSITE: www.supergoodcamping.com

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqFDJbFJyJ5Y-NHhFseENsQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/super_good_camping/

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