Text the show!

You might be wondering what canoe camping and backpacking have in common and why I’d be covering this on a “backpacking” podcast so to answer that question outright - they have ALOT in common.  You’re required to plan, pack, stabilize a load, and bring what you need to get the job done safely and efficiently.  Some canoe trips might be a day or two while others could last months on end if you’re on a large expedition.  

Canoes have been around since the dawn of time and it’s a hobby I’ve always wanted to get into, but never knew where to begin so I decided to reach out to Old Town Canoes to see if they’d give me a crash course on canoeing.  They put me in touch with Ryan Lilly and the rest is history.

Ryan Lilly works for Old Town, lives in Maine, and knows both backpacking and canoeing.  He walks me through the basics of canoeing like how to choose a boat, materials, styles, and what a typical canoe camping loadout might look like.  He does a great job of breaking everything down and uncomplicating a somewhat confusing topic (at least for me).

I firmly believe that by exploring other outdoor activities, you can get better at your own.  Cross-pollinating skill sets is the only way to grow and expand your understanding of how everything works and this episode is a great example of that.  The outdoors has endless possibilities and who knows, maybe after this one, you’ll take interest in canoeing.  At the very least, you’ll know the basics.

Show Notes and Links

• Introductions
• How to choose the right canoe
• Understanding canoe materials
• Stability and how to improve ballast
• When you may need a canoe that tracks better
• What’s so great about canoe camping
• Ryan’s typical camping loadout
• The importance of proper planning and safety 
• Common canoeing mistakes
• Ryan’s canoe suggestion for Emory
• Parting thoughts
• How to learn more about Old Town
• https://www.oldtowncanoe.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/oldtowncanoes/
• https://www.facebook.com/OldTownCanoe/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/oldtowncanoeandkayak

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• www.byland.co
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