UpNorthica

Like a first time paddler launching into a vast island-dotted lake, the world became a lot bigger for me as I viewed “This is Canoeing,” the latest project from paddler/filmmaker Justine Curgenven. Gathered into this 2-disc set are 12 film featurettes, each bringing a fresh and memorable viewpoint of what it is to canoe today.
A [...]

Duluth Pack has been making their Moose Hide Choppers since infinity ago. For so long, in fact, I’d heard a rumor that they actually hold a patent on the moose itself.
As with their canoe packs, Duluth Pack’s choppers have maintained a certain loyalty among outdoorsy types. While most outerwear brands have chased after ever-newer materials [...]

Aspire to go winter camping, but have cold feet? Backpacker has posted a fairly comprehensive ‘winter camping essentials’ guide to help allay your fears and warm you up to the experience.
The collection of articles covers how to dress, what to bring, and how to do what you need to do — all without losing precious [...]

I’ve never done a stellar job with knots, myself, but I’d give almost anything for the full story behind this one.
Recently posted in the Duluth News-Tribune:
“FOUND: Canoe on I-35. Call [# omitted] to identify.”
Awesome. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

Ah, snow caves and igloos: Bringers of warmth and shelter amidst Winter’s deepest cold. Symbols of welcome and hospitality — perhaps never more so when they’re spared for the next weary winter camper who comes along.
So why do we have to drag them into the Leave No Trace debate?
There’s an interesting discussion over [...]

When considering the topic of winter survival, I’m compelled to believe that snow forts just SO ROCK!
In what feels like a page stolen from a modern architecture journal, Wend Magazine has posted a number of unusual igloo creations.
Igloo construction tools (like Grand Shelters’ ICEBOX) are becoming more widely used in winter camping. So it’s [...]

We may have spent a lot of time in the cold during our Choose Your Own Adventure vacation in the Alleghenies, but our hearts are warm with good memories and new friends.
Big thanks (and an open invite to visit the BWCA) go out to Jean-Luc, Tom and all our buds at Appalachian Outdoors; Eric and [...]

Spend a few days with the Gear Junkie, and you’ll become inspired to experience the outdoors actively, to accept challenge eagerly, and to live your life superlatively. Kinda like how they do in them crazy 80’s Mountain Dew commercials (see this, this, and O yes Lord! this.)
The final day of our Choose Your Own Adventure [...]

On this second day of my Choose Your Own Adventure vacation with the Gear Junkie, I got to catch exactly *no fish* and go swimming in a frigid trout stream. And yes, as a matter of fact, it *was* fun. I’ll post the full report on that later, but first, I need your help.
Tomorrow we [...]

Word mighta leaked out that yours truly had won a vacation getaway to the Alleghenies, courtesy of everyone’s favorite gear junkie… uh, well, The Gear Junkie. Good news, right? Well, the better news is that you’ll be a part of that adventure.
As grand prize winner of the Choose Your Own Adventure Sweepstakes, I got to [...]

A toasty, warm balaclava will ward off the cold. It’ll also repel most females. That’s a darn shame, ‘cause the ladies need to stay warm too, right? So what’s a girl to wear, without looking as creepy as you do?
Luckily, we found a decent selection of handmade women’s balaclavas on Etsy. Here’s the clincher: They’re [...]

With your Fall chores out of the way (oh wait, it never came this year,) you oughta have a few slots open for some hard-earned fun. So why not check out these events, sponsored by Midwest Mountaineering.

Winter Camping: Traveling
Thursday, October 29, 6:30pm, in the Expedition Room
If you’ve only winter camped a little, survived it, and [...]

I took my life into my own hands last weekend, when I lured an unwitting group of testers to a cabin in Wisconsin and made them all try… instant coffee.
Before you, too, cringe, consider this: Starbucks VIA just may be the best solution for coffee on the trail. It comes in small pre-measured packets, [...]

SPOILER ALERT: You won’t see Voyageurs National Park in Ken Burns’ new documentary. Or the St. Croix Scenic Riverway. Or any of the other worthy NPS sites in Minnesota. You can, however, be one of the first to catch them all tonight, at a special screening of Minnesota’s National Park Legacy.
Fitting that it’s premiering [...]

I like to tell my non-outdoorsy friends that the BWCA is *always* like this commercial for Timberland’s Mountain Athletics shoes. Little do they know, you only get chased like this when you don’t seal up your beef jerky well enough. Suckas. Via The Adventure Blog.