Super Good Camping Podcast

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Nine paddlers drift through a stunning Algonquin Park corridor and barely anyone is wearing a PFD, and that’s where we start. From the shoreline at the top of the Lower Barren, Tim and Thomas check in on day six of our Barren Canyon canoe trip with the kind of honest trip reporting you only get when you’re living it: cold hands, quiet mornings, day-tripper traffic, and the granite walls that make this route feel unreal.

We talk through what the last stretch of the trip actually feels like when temperatures drop close to freezing at night and your sleeping bag is “good enough” but not exactly comfortable. If you’re planning shoulder-season backcountry camping in Algonquin, we dig into the small choices that keep you warmer and happier, from dry layers to smarter camp rhythm. We also share what we’re seeing on the water this weekend, plus why a capsize can happen fast even on flatwater when a breeze, a lean, and inexperience line up.

Then we get practical with a campsite review for this final site: the thunderbox location and the windy walk to it, the reality of punky shoreline firewood, and what to expect from the approach with two short portages. We wrap with a clear warning about the terrain: hilly ground, roots, rocks, and a strong case for boots and a headlamp as soon as the sun drops. If you love canoe tripping, paddling safety, and real-world Algonquin route notes, you’ll feel right at home with this one.

If you enjoy the trip updates, follow along, share the episode with a paddling buddy, and leave a review so more campers and canoeists can find the show. What’s your one non-negotiable piece of canoe trip safety gear?
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CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

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Getting older changes your camping trips, whether you admit it or not, and we think that’s good news. Pamela and Tim talk through how we keep canoe camping in Canada fun, safe, and realistic as our bodies rack up a little more mileage. The spark for this conversation is our friend and paddling legend Cliff Jacobson, plus his reminder to “follow your passion” after a heart scare. That line about not being saved so you can sit around and watch TV stays with us for a reason. 

We get practical fast: simple strength training for paddlers, keeping hips and shoulders mobile, and why technique matters more with age than it ever did in your 20s. We also share how our trip style has shifted from big kilometre days and constant moving to shorter days, more stay days, and more time actually enjoying the scenery. If you’re looking for senior camping tips, canoe camping for seniors, or just a smarter way to plan portages, this is the kind of planning talk that pays off on day three of a trip. 

Gear is part of the puzzle, but not in a gimmicky way. We discuss lowering pack weight with better tents and sleep systems, using properly fitted portage packs, considering a tump line, and choosing routes with manageable landings and safer portages. Then we zoom out to backcountry safety: always wearing your PFD, leaving a trip plan, carrying first aid, monitoring weather, fuelling properly, and using a satellite messenger or other communication device you trust. We also talk about balance, vision, hearing, and medication side effects, because those details can matter a lot in the bush. 

If you want to keep paddling for decades, listen now, share this with a camping buddy, and subscribe. After you’ve listened, leave a review and tell us what you’ve changed to keep getting outside.
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/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin

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TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
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Five hours on the road from Toronto buys a special kind of silence: no sirens, no exhaust, just water, granite, and the small sounds you forget exist until you’re back in the bush. We’re Tim and Thomas, checking in with a Trip Log from day five of our September canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park near Barron Canyon. It’s gorgeous out here, even if we arrived on that awkward edge where fall colours haven’t fully exploded yet.

A cold snap rolls in and suddenly the forecast matters a lot more. We talk about shoulder-season camping in Ontario, what it’s like sleeping when nighttime temps flirt with freezing, and why unpredictable weather feels like the new normal. If you’re planning an Algonquin backcountry camping trip, you’ll hear the practical side of adapting on the fly: layering, sleep systems, and accepting that the best timing is often only obvious after the fact.

We also get into the fun details that make a canoe trip memorable: spotting a strange purple-ringed mushroom (and why we absolutely do not eat it), putting together satisfying backcountry meals from dehydrated ingredients, and the very real problem of cooking instructions rubbing off Ziploc bags. We finish with a paddle toward the canyon’s west end, turning back when moving water and a portage make themselves known, plus a few hopeful casts that do not pay off.

If you like honest camping talk, Algonquin canoe route vibes, and the simple motivation to get outside, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who needs a reason to plan their next trip. After you listen, leave us a review and tell us what you always pack for cold September nights.
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/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin

FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperGoodCamping/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
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A solo canoe trip can feel like freedom right up until you picture the first portage, the first night sound outside the tent, or the moment you realize there is no one to delegate to but yourself. We sit down with Kirsten Graham May, a solo backcountry canoeist and veterinarian, to get honest about what it really takes to travel alone in the backcountry and actually enjoy it. From early family trips to hard-earned skills like loading, lifting, and carrying a canoe safely, she lays out how confidence is built one practical decision at a time.

We also talk about the parts of solo canoe tripping that get brushed aside, especially for women. Kirsten explains the extra safety calculations, the uncomfortable moments that can happen on route, and why representation matters in paddling culture. Her “Church of the Single Blade” started as a joke about single versus double blade paddles, but it has grown into a clear message: get yourself on the water, find your own pace, and don’t let gatekeeping shape your idea of who belongs outdoors.

Then things get real with a backcountry emergency in Killarney Provincial Park. Kirsten finds an injured solo hiker who has activated a SPOT device, helps with first aid and pain management, and ends up coordinating with an air ambulance helicopter that can’t easily reach the patient. That story leads into a grounded conversation about satellite communicators like the Garmin Messenger, simple check-in routines, and building gear systems that reduce risk without turning a canoe trip into a tech project. We finish with her bucket-list plans for Quetico, the French River, and favourite paddling zones across Ontario.

If you care about solo canoeing, backcountry safety, portaging, and smart canoe camping gear choices, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this with a paddling partner, and leave us a review, then tell us: what would make your first solo trip feel doable?
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/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin

FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperGoodCamping/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
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A stay day can feel strange if you’re used to measuring a canoe trip by distance, but that’s exactly why we hit record from Brigham Lake near Barren Canyon in Algonquin Provincial Park. The temperature drops, the fire starts early, and we let the quiet do what it does best: bring us back to ourselves. If you’re craving a realistic backcountry camping Ontario check-in, this Triplog is the sound of two campers choosing “nothing on the schedule” and meaning it.

We get into the practical stuff too, because camp life is made of details. Lunch is freeze-dried shepherd’s pie, supper is Tim’s dehydrated tuna casserole, and we talk honestly about the trade-offs of dehydrated meals that include dairy. We also share a couple of classic Algonquin moments: following the sound of running water near the thunderbox, slipping on a root, and ending up butt-first in a small river, then hearing an ominous rip while chopping wood and discovering torn pants that need a patch.

From there, the conversation widens into why we trip at different paces. We pass travellers, hear about student outdoor education groups, and reflect on how we used to go hard with big portages every day. Now, we’re more protective of the decompression side of canoe tripping, especially when work and the city have been loud. We also look ahead to a Teslin River to Yukon River canoe expedition where silty water can change everything, including whether filtering is even an option.

You’ll also hear a few wildlife notes, including geese hanging around camp and hawks circling overhead, plus where to find us online if you want the video version. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a stay day, and leave a review with your own best tip for slowing down outside.
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/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin

FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperGoodCamping/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
Support the show