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 temp...

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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: s...

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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 mo...

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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...

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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...

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You do not need a tent to have a real outdoor day. We’re talking about Ontario Parks day use, the easiest way to get beaches, trails, and that “we went on an adventure” feeling without sleeping on the ground, hauling heavy gear, or stressing about camp cooking. If you’ve ever thought camping sounds fun but the overnight part sounds like work, this is your on ramp.

We walk through what day use looks like in provincial parks in Ontario, including how day use hours and seasonal closures can affect your pla...

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Your paddle is the one piece of canoe gear you use thousands of times a day, so when it changes, everything changes. We’ve been running a RippleFX carbon fibre bent shaft paddle in the backcountry, and the difference isn’t subtle: it feels so light you almost forget you’re holding it, and the canoe responds faster with the same effort. 

We talk through what stood out on the water, including the very real caution that carbon fibre and rocks don’t always mix in low water. That led us to swap b...

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Day three hits different when the noise finally drops out. We’re camped on Brigham Lake during an eight-day canoe trip through Algonquin Provincial Park, tucked into a secluded site near the Barron Canyon area, and you can hear the trip settling into our bones. The goal is simple: trade screens for water, trees, and the kind of quiet that makes you notice fish jumping and the shape of the shoreline under your boots.

We walk through the real on-the-ground details that make or break a backcountry canoe trip in Ontario: po...

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Eleven days solo in a canoe sounds peaceful until the wind decides it doesn’t follow the rules. We sit down with Sean Rowley from Paddling Adventures Radio to relive his 11-day solo canoe trip around Manicouagan Reservoir in Quebec, the massive circular “Eye of Quebec” formed by an ancient meteor impact. Sean shares what big, exposed water really demands: patient decision-making, smart timing for finding campsites on rocky shorelines, and the ability to change plans fast when waves start wrapping around points.

From there, we zoom out into trip planning and pa...

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A sleeping pad can look great on a spec sheet and still ruin your night with cold spots, awkward valves, or that maddening squeak every time you roll over. We put the Nivora X inflatable sleeping pad through a real first-night test at camp, starting with full disclosure about receiving it for review and what that means for how we judge it.

We walk through the numbers that backpackers actually care about: the claimed R-value of 6.4, the listed weight of 432 grams (about 15 to 16 ounces), the inflated size (183 cm by 51 cm by 10...

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Day two in Algonquin can feel like a reset button: the rush of getting in is over, the lake starts to slow you down, and you finally notice what’s working and what isn’t. We’re recording from our September 2026 canoe trip on Lower Barren as we settle into a stay day before heading upriver toward the Barron Canyon. From glassy morning reflections to a breeze picking up with the sun, it’s one of those classic Algonquin Provincial Park moments that reminds us why we keep coming back. 

We rewind to...

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You can plan a better camping trip in five minutes with one simple habit: check the park’s events calendar before you pick your dates. We dig into the seasonal programs happening across Ontario Provincial Parks and why they can turn a basic overnight into a weekend you’ll actually remember, whether that’s Thanksgiving, Halloween events, fall colour hikes, or winter festivals and outdoor skating.

We talk through real examples, starting with Bronte Creek and the way a quick e-bike camping plan led us down the rabbit hole of park progra...

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Whitewater can look like a wall of noise and consequences, right up until someone hands you the map, the language, and the habits that make it feel possible. We’re joined by Jacob, Stefan, and Tim from Split Rock Outdoors, a Southern Ontario paddling crew with a deep love for rivers like the Madawaska and a mission to help more people get outside safely.

We talk about how the three of them met, why “Split Rock” is more than a cool name, and what it feels like to go from anxious scouti...

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Forgetting a water filter in the backcountry sounds like a small mistake until you’re staring at a lake and realizing every sip is a gamble. We share the real story of arriving at camp, reaching for our usual gravity filter setup, and finding out it’s not coming to the rescue. From there, we walk through what actually worked, what tasted terrible but kept us healthy, and how to think clearly when clean water suddenly becomes the most important task of the day. 

We get practical about boiling as the most...

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A hypothermia scare on a winter mountain. A “routine” knife slip that turns into major blood loss. These are the kinds of outdoor moments that cut through ego fast, and they are exactly why we wanted bushcraft educator and author Ryan Marshall on the Super Good Camping Podcast. Ryan joins us to unpack what actually keeps you safe and confident outside, especially when conditions change and mistakes stack up.

We talk through his near-miss hypothermia story, the early warning signs many people ignore, and why survival priorities start with fire, water, and...

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A hornet sting that blisters in minutes is not the kind of souvenir anyone wants from a camping trip, but it makes for a brutally honest lesson from the backcountry. Tim is flying solo as Super Good Camping returns from a 7 to 8 week hiatus, shaking off the rust and catching up on what the crew has been doing outside while life keeps moving. If you love Ontario camping, canoe tripping, and real-world outdoor stories, this one is a quick hit of summer truth. 

We look back on recent trips that span t...

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We wrap the season by looking back at recent family trips and laying out what we’re planning for the rest of the summer and beyond. We also preview next season’s first guest, then ask you to tell us what you’re doing outside and what you want to hear next. 

• season wrap-up and a quick look ahead to September 
• Spanish River recap and an August North Frontenac backcountry trip plan 
• six-day menu planning and dehydrating shrimp, scallops, vegetables, and fruit 
• Barren Canyon plans after two cancelled attempts 
• ea...

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A “bear barrel” that is not bear proof sounds like a problem until you understand what it is really for. We sit down with Andy Baxter, owner of Recreational Barrel Works, and talk through the real-world reasons paddlers rely on barrels for backcountry canoe camping: keeping food dry, keeping smells contained, and cutting down on the critter chaos that can wreck a campsite. Along the way, Andy shares the kind of tripping stories you only earn through distance, weather, and the occasional route that turns into a bushwhack.

We trade memories from...

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A paddleboard in the backcountry sounds like a stunt until you hear the method behind it. We sit down with Marybeth from Paddle Adventurer, an adventure guide and outdoor content creator who’s been running backcountry stand-up paddleboard trips for years and showing Canadians what’s possible with an inflatable SUP and the right skills.

We get practical about what makes backcountry paddleboarding work: choosing a durable inflatable board, understanding volume and weight limits, packing so your camping gear stays secure on the deck, and using bungees, D-rings, and smart weight plac...

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The Spanish River has a way of teaching fast. On days three and four of our canoe trip, we went from “pretty comfortable on lakes” to getting humbled by rockered whitewater boats that love to wander. With about 25 kilometres on day three, we felt every little twitch in the hull, zigzagged more than we’d like to admit, and learned how much energy it takes to find a clean rhythm when the boat is built to turn. The good news: moving water gives back. Once we started trusting the current and making smarter choice...

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Smoke-choked skies, waves breaking over the canoe, and a plan that has to work even when there’s no cell signal. That’s the reality of the kind of wilderness canoe tripping Eric and Hillary from Tailwinds North love most, and they join us to share what it actually takes to travel farther off the beaten path without turning every day into a crisis. 

We start with how their story grows from paddling around Bancroft and Algonquin into bigger routes like the Yukon River, the Snake River, and a fly-in canoe trip...

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A train drops us at Cartier, we heave canoes and packs onto the gravel, and suddenly we’re committed. No road noise, no easy exits, just a rail stop, a portage, and the start of our Spanish River canoe trip. We’re Tim and Thomas, and we’re recording from camp on a cool, overcast June day in Northern Ontario with rapids behind us and a whole lot of bug pressure in the air. 

We break down the travel day in plain language: the train timing, meeting other riders, unloading fast, and pad...

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The internet makes backcountry adventure look effortless, but the real story is usually messier, colder, and a lot more human. We sit down with Marty Morissette to talk about what happens when the season of life that built your outdoor identity shifts under your feet and how you choose what to carry forward.

We dig into the Hamilton Adventure Expo, the outdoor community that keeps people coming back, and why Marty builds his talks around storytelling instead of “perfect” trip reports. He shares how a mentor’s stories lit the spark when h...

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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 b...

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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 s...

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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...

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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 b...

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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...

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A carbon fibre canoe paddle can sound like something meant for elite racers, but Chris from Ripple FX Paddles makes a convincing case that the right design is actually about making paddling simpler, smoother, and less punishing on your body. We’re live at the Hamilton Adventure Expo as he shares what it’s like to bring a new gear business into the real world, talk face-to-face with trippers, and watch people’s reactions when they pick up an eight-ounce paddle for the first time. 

We get into the story behind Ripple...

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Your meals can make or break a camping trip and most problems start before you even leave the driveway. We walk through the no-drama way we plan and prep food so we can spend more time hiking, paddling, swimming, and hanging out with the kids, and less time digging through a soggy cooler. Tim shares his old-school grid method for mapping breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks by day, plus how that single sheet of paper prevents overpacking, forgotten ingredients, and last-minute “what’s for dinner” stress.

We get practical about the differ...

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A long haul trip can hand you the best view of your life, then toss you onto an overnight bus that makes you question every choice you’ve ever made. We sit down with Toronto author and Fly Travel Radio host Melissa Rodway to talk about the kind of travel stories that don’t fit on a postcard: chaos in Southeast Asia, the strange kindness of strangers, and the moments that turn into the memories you keep for decades.

We also get practical. Melissa shares how she builds meaningful adventure into a re...

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Ontario camping can be magical right up until the black flies find you. We get honest about what really happens from May to mid-July and beyond, then lay out a simple, workable bug plan you can actually use on your next canoe trip, backcountry route, or family car-camping weekend.

We start with a few shout outs from the broader camping community, including a lightweight carbon fibre paddle we’re excited to test on an upcoming Spanish River trip, and an epic Canada By Canoe challenge aiming to break the world record fo...

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A good wilderness trip can change your mood in a single day, but planning one can feel like a puzzle: where do you go, what’s realistic with kids, and how remote is too remote? From the floor of the Hamilton Adventure Expo, I’m flying solo while Pamela rides out a storm at home, and I sit down with Robin Sutherland of Northern Skies Resort to talk through a northern Ontario getaway that blends real backcountry energy with practical comfort.

Robin walks me through Northern Skies Resort in Algoma Country, set...

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Your phone shows a dot on a screen until it doesn’t and that’s usually the exact moment the trail splits or the shoreline stops making sense. We’re Pamela and Tim from SuperGoodCamping.com, and we’re on a mission to help families get outside with more confidence. Map skills aren’t old-school trivia; they’re the difference between a stressful guess and a calm, clear choice when you’re hiking, camping, or paddling with no service.

We dig into why paper maps still matter, especially in places where coverage is do...

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A canoe trip can be a quick highlight reel, or it can be a true short film that feels like you’re sitting in the boat, hearing the water, and watching the light change minute by minute. We sit down with Pete Park from Latitude Wilderness Films to get the inside story behind The Canoeist, his new cinematic wilderness film built around a solo paddler’s journey for peace, solitude, and meaning far from cell service and noise. 

Pete shares why he wanted to go beyond the usual first-person canoe tripping forma...

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The difference between a good camping trip and a great one is usually a few minutes of research. We’ve both shown up thinking we made a smart choice, only to learn the hard way that “quiet” depends on where your site sits, what the washrooms are like, and whether you accidentally booked beside the generator crowd.

We walk through how we research a camping destination step by step, from choosing the right park based on driving time, crowd levels, dog friendliness, and the best season to go. We share where we act...

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What if camp food didn’t taste like compromise? We sit down with Camp Kitchen’s trio—chef-driven recipes, camera in hand, design chops at the ready—and trace how a home-based certified kitchen turned into a thousand-meal launch at the Hamilton Adventure Expo. This is a ground-up build: dense proteins cut to rehydrate on time, short noodles that won’t pulverize in a pack, and breakfasts that greet you with a wave of berry aroma the instant hot water hits the bag.

Tyler walks us through the freeze-drying science that keeps flav...

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Frost on the tent, mist on the lake, and a quiet trail all to yourself—edge-season camping can be magic if you prepare for it. We break down how to stay warm, dry, and confident through early spring, late fall, or a surprise cold snap, drawing on decades of trips and a few hard-won lessons.

We start by defining what shoulder season really looks like: freeze–thaw cycles, mud and slush, shortened daylight, and the way wet gear can turn a good plan sideways. From there, we dive into practical systems. You’...

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The show floor is buzzing, but we carve out a quiet corner to trade notes with Will from Bowman Gear—a maker who turns fabric and stubborn ideas into gear that actually solves trail problems. From the first cut to the final stitch, Will walks us through two and a half months of prep for the Hamilton Adventure Expo, including a two-week, all-in push and a smart shop setup that brought his family into the flow. This isn’t factory talk; it’s real-world craft where every seam has a reason and every pocket...

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The forest is never silent; it’s full of signals that make camping safer and more meaningful once you know how to listen. We unpack a clear, field-ready approach to wildlife tracking that swaps fear for understanding—reading prints, scat, and soundscapes to predict movement and avoid conflict. From deer edges and coyote straight-line trails to the unmistakable hand-like raccoon prints that circle docks and campsites, we show how to piece together clues and build a picture of what passed by, when, and why.

We also get into the messy but usef...