My favorite trail stove is the long defunct Optimus 111B. Known for its power, simplicity and reliability, the B still

Littlbug Stove TREK STOV EmberLit Stove Most of today’s self-propelled campers rely on liquid-fueled (propane, butane, gasoline, alcohol) stoves for

My first job after college was as a forester for the Bureau of Land Management in Coos Bay, Oregon. One

Book Review: “The Devil’s Grin”, by Toni Harting by Cliff Jacobson Paddlers who are familiar with Toni Harting’s earlier books,

North Knife River, Manitoba: the water is very high and shore-line eddies are washed out. It is 45 degrees and

Sometimes a product comes along that’s done “just right”. The new Exped 30/40/50 series Torrent dry packs are one of

Cliff (L), Larry Rice (R). Both Phoenix canoes. Yellowstone River. CCS spray covers. Bear Paulson, Phoenix canoe Cliff, Phoenix canoe.

This is from Caitlin Looney, a wilderness therapist in Colorado. Caitlin was guiding a group of teenagers and turned a

Newcomers to camping are often put off by the all the things they “think they need” to have a good

Quick! You’re going on a wilderness trip. What tool do you value most? If you said “a good sharp knife”,

If you haven’t tried FITS socks, you’re missing something special. I’ve been wearing them (exclusively) since I discovered them three

At the outset, I should make it perfectly clear that I’m a “wool” man, and it would take an act

At the outset I should make it clear that I love my GPS. I bring it on every canoe trip.

Cliff Jacobson has been a great mentor to me for years. I first saw Cliff speak at Canoecopia in the

Camping out has changed considerably since the good old days of pine bough beds, bonfires and fresh-cut trail shelters. Camps

ABOVE: Gransfors Axes: Top to Bottom: Small Forest Ax, Wildlife Hatchet, Mini Belt Hatchet. BOTTOM: Lennart Petterson making a Mini

I like to eat well on canoe trips. Pre-packaged, freeze-dried meals, like the ones you buy at camping shops don’t

Everyone who canoes the Boundary Waters knows that the maximum group size is nine people and four watercraft. The rule

Above Knives: (Top/left to right): Grohmann #1 flat-ground carbon steel “Camper”, Gerber Shorty, Victorinox large Swiss Army Knife, Forschner #40614,

The subject of canoeing footwear has been largely beat to death by canoeing writers, including me. There’s no agreement as

Stuff happens as we age, and it’s not all good. Darrell Foss, 75, one of my closest friends, has Alzheimer’s

Hamburger and beans form the basis of dozens of outdoors meals. Examples include spaghetti, lasagna, beef and been burritos and

San Juan River, Utah: Cliff Jacobson, Bell Yellowstone solo canoe Tumplines are magical, more so when going uphill as they

Mention guns and canoe trips in the same breath and some folks are apt to go ballistic. Still, if you’re

IF IT RAINS HARD ENOUGH AND LONG ENOUGH, WATER WILL GET INTO YOUR TENT! FLOODED TENT: NOTE HOW THE INTERIOR

The WeatherWool anorak: It’s at home in the woods or at a fine restaurant! Check this if you think that

Kopka River, Ontario Adirondacks, New York At the outset, I should make it clear that I am an environmentalist. I

Point Lake, Nunavut, Canada. Start of our trip down the Hood River Muskox! Cliff Jacobson and Sue Harings. Hood River

Newcomers to camping are often put off by the all the things they “think they need” to have a good

Cliff, age 39 Cliff, age 39 In October,1980 I took my family on a canoe trip into the Boundary Waters

Eastern and midwestern waterways are generally clear and inviting. Not so in the far west. Desert rivers like the Colorado,

Bob O’Hara: One of North America’s most experienced Arctic paddlers Since 1969, Bob O’Hara has spent every summer canoeing in

Larry Rice (L), Cliff Jacobson (R). Northstar Phoenix canoes (IXP layup) Some of the “smaller” waves on the Yellowstone River

INUKSHUK Wilberforce Falls, Hood River, Nunavut, Canada My first Arctic canoe trip was on the Hood River, Nunavut (formerly, Northwest

Thirteen year old Justin Cody stared at the huge waterfall below him. He marveled at the power of the rushing

Wilderness users are an aging group. The U.S. Forest Service recently reported that the average age of those who go

A properly equipped family canoe. EVERYONE is wearing a life jacket! Hardly a year goes by when there isn’t a

Much as I love canoeing wild, fast rivers, I can’t escape the lure of the Boundary Waters. And every year,

You are REQUIRED to hang your food in Yellowstone NP. Note that the bear-hanging pole is directly over a prime

A bright summer morning on any river. A crowd of canoers prepare for a downstream float. It’s 9:30 a.m. and

I recently got a call from a casting director in California. She was casting for a new TV show, similar

Cliff: above center: Note LLBean boots Cliff: Right. Note leather boots. I learned fast that rubber is better! Above: Cliff

#1. Bear climbs tree, chews through rope #2 Bears climb trees. Really! Readers who are familiar with my books know

Kayaks now outnumber canoes on almost every waterway. Why are they so popular? Some years ago, I guided a group

Top to bottom: Idaho Knife Works, “Cliff” knife, Grohmann #1 Camper, Spyderco Military knife (this one is left-handed). The Cliff

Snake River, Yukon, Canada Kopka River, Ontario Point Lake, Nunavut, Canada I am often asked this question: “We’re planning a

I recently returned from my annual fall solo canoe trip into the Boundary Waters. My experience began at the Tofte

Mariscal Canyon, Rio Grande River, Texas Rio Grande River (“The Great Unknown”) I was born in Chicago and spent the

Hudson Bay Bread is really a moist, high-energy granola bar. Each piece contains about a million calories! Now that the

NOT SCOUTING A FAMILIAR RAPID Round the bend you see the dancing horsetails of a familiar rapid. Pangs of conscience

Ask folks what they fear most about canoeing a wild river where help is an airplane ride away and you’ll

An abbreviated version of this article was originally published in the 2010 Canoe & Kayak Magazine’s Dealer-marketing Guide (long gone).

Mouth of the North Knife River, Hudson Bay. Green River, Utah Blending with nature is part of what wilderness camping

Dear Cliff: I hope you will forgive the length of this email, but I must write to tell you what

Upper Wedding-Cake Falls Land of the Lost West of Lake Nipigon, in the rocky shield country of Ontario, there flows

Survival Bracelet! Compass, cord, light, kitchen sink! One of the joys of being a writer is that I get to

Boundary Waters Canoe Area, 1972 BWCA 1972 Many years ago, I outfitted and guided three wealthy Chicago men–the least affluent

Steel River, Ontario. Mad River Explorer (Kevlar) canoe Kettle River, MN. Alumacraft aluminum canoe My first remote country canoe trip

Typical late March scenery along the Buffalo River The national wild and scenic Buffalo River in Arkansas is one of

Boundary Waters Canoe Area. These canoes were on land but not tied up. A big wind blew them into the

FreeStyle expert Jim Mandle, Buffalo River, Arkansas. Bell Wildfire solo canoe; Zaveral 12-degree carbon-fiber paddle. I resisted bent-shaft paddles long

Grizzly. Camp along the Fond du Lac River, Saskatchewan 13. NOT FOLLOWING THE TRIP LEADER’S EQUIPMENT LIST Good trip leaders

Cliff: Boundary Waters Canoe Area, 1980. 17′ Grumman aluminum canoe. A recent article in an on-line magazine listed seven reasons

Final portage on the Frost River that leads into Little Saganaga Lake. Correction: not a portage; it’s a rock-jumble that

Cliff: RioGrande River, Texas. Bell Wildfire carbon/Kevlar solo canoe and Zaveral carbon straight-shaft paddle. Once you’ve used a carbon-fiber paddle,

I was recently honored (“roasted”) on The July 21, 2021 CAMPING SHOW (W4CY Internet radio) hosted by CW Goetz. I

I turned 80 in September. No matter, I continue to think—and largely feel—like I’m 29…well, maybe 39. The heart attack

Despite newer designs, the Tripper excels as well in tough rapids. Some canoes are blistering fast but don’t turn worth

Rio Grande River, Texas/Mexico border. Scenes like this are commonplace along the RioG. That’s my canoe in the foreground. When

DeHaviland Twin Otter on floats With a payload of 3,000 pounds, full instrumentation and extended range capability, the deHaviland Twin

Nice brook trout! Saturday is “turnaround” day at many fishing lodges in northern Canada. Eager to take advantage of the

Green River, Utah Blending with nature is part of what wilderness canoeing is all about—and for many paddlers, this means

FreeStyle canoeing is like ballet on the water. Wood-canvas canoe by Tom Mackenzie. Some years ago, I had the privilege

—————————————- My 90 minute video, THE FORGOTTEN SKILLS details the most important camping skills. If you can do them all

Noatak River, Alaska: Seconds before the williwaw. The canoeing literature universally recommends that landed canoes be turned belly up when

Broken trailer tongue–near LaRonge, Saskatchewan. Destroyed my wood-trimmed Old Town Tripper canoe. My dad was a quality control engineer. A

Have you priced new canoes lately? Top-end composite models begin around $2,500 and, depending on lay-up and trim, top out

Old Town Tripper canoe. Hood River, Nunavut, Canada Canoeing wilderness rivers in northern Canada and Alaska is the same as

Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Frost River Some years ago, I presented a program for the Minnesota Canoe Association. About 150

The Seal River is located northeast of Tadoule Lake, in a remote corner of northern Manitoba. It is one of

Muskox: Hood River, Nunavut, Canada. Yes, these guys can be dangerous! In 1974, I made my first big river trip

The following life-threatening experience took place on the Turtle River in northern Ontario.* The Turtle is not a particularly difficult

Kopka River, Ontario. I was once asked what prompted me to start writing about canoeing and camping. “Myths,” I replied.

The Castle: White Otter Lake, Ontario My friend, Chic Sheridan and I discovered “White Otter Castle” by accident in 1984

Drying off after a heavy rain. Heat from the fire reflects into the twin tarps and dries wet clothes. Smoke

Rio Lacnja River, Chiapas, Mexico. 16-foot SOAR inflatable canoe. Yes, they capsized! Cr. Larry Rice Dear Fearful: Rest easy; the

Alumacraft 17′, “wrapped.” Hells Gate, Kettle River, MN. This canoe is being salvaged so it won’t pose a danger (obstacle!)

Canoe camp in the Werneke mountains, along the Snake River, Yukon, Canada Some years ago, after a dangerous storm with

Dragging! This was a daily occurrence. These boats are TOUGH! When Alv Elvestad, owner of Pakboats (www.pakboats.com) invited me to

North Knife River, Manitoba. A narrow slot on river left (right of the canoe) allows safe passage. *SCENARIO Grand Rapids

Kopka River, Ontario. One of the prettiest rivers in the tree line. SCENARIO You and three friends are planning to

“Charter boat” pick-up, mouth of North Knife River, Manitoba Most Canadian Indians and Inuits who live in northern communities have

Ganesha stove. 700 ml pot on lower level. Top holds larger pots of any size. Note clean burn- barely any

Three map companies have long serviced the BWCA – Fisher (www.fishermaps.com), McKenzie (http://www.bwcamaps.com) and Voyageur (www.voyageurmaps.com). National Geographic is the

Doug Green, Colorado River, Grand Canyon Round the bend you see the dancing horsetails of the rapid. As is the

Bad stuff sometimes happens on canoe trips — and it’s not always on the river! Location: about 20 miles southeast

(With addendum that tells the fate of the two paddlers and the wrapped red kayak) Cr. Chris Baker Photography Some

Yes, we can, Justin! Thanks to the recording talent of Saige Spinney – a professional voice-over artist – your story,

This is from Caitlin Looney, a wilderness therapist in Colorado. Caitlin was guiding a group of teenagers and turned a

Renee and Ken Sebranek on a wild Wisconsin river. Reneee is totally blind! Their heart-warming story is in my book,

This guest blog, by, Tony Heck, is a great read. It’s long, but worth your time. About Tony: Tony is

Kayaks now outnumber canoes on almost every waterway. Why are they so popular? Some years ago, I guided a group

Yes! The fishing (and everything else!) is AWESOME in Northern Canada. North Knife River, Manitoba   You’ve made many successful

Steel River, Ontario When I was a Boy Scout in the 1950s, my greatest thrill was summer camp and the

I recently chatted with Joe Friedrichs, the author of Her Island.  It’s the story of Janice Matichuk, Quetico’s longest serving

Updated: Aug 22, 2024 By Eric Watt: From my book, Campsite Me mories. This true, heartwarming story will make you smile.

In the 1980s, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources became concerned about the large number of deer hunters who became

I recently returned from a trip in the Boundary Waters, and as usual, it was a good time.  But one

My Bell Yellowstone Solo Canoe. It has been EVERYWHERE! When I was much younger, I made an annual trip down

Kopka River, Ontario. Cliff prepares steam fried pizza – 10 min. prep/2 min. cook Quick! Name the most important thing

Third and final pitch of Wedding Cake Falls*Just west of Armstrong, Ontario, in the rocky shield country of Canada, lies

By Cliff Jacobson Here’s an interesting new product. RADLIGHT is a “take off” on the old Zippo lighter, but it’s