Ian Merringer

Southern Ontario doesn’t get the credit it deserves as a hotbed of outdoor activity. Not only does it cozy up to three Great Lakes, it’s riddled with rivers and home to one of the country’s most expansive hiking...

Whitewater paddling demands more of its acolytes than, say, hiking or biking. First there is the wet (often accompanied by the cold). Then there is the humbling force of the river. The gear required is also significant. And so is...

East Liquid Skills: Provides all levels of kayaking instruction on the big and relatively safe waves of the Ottawa River. Madawaska 
Kanu Centre: High-calibre instruction and comfortable lodging downriver from Algonquin...

The first question of paddling is, one blade or two? Though the closed-cockpit design of kayaks steers some claustrophobes to the open embrace of canoes, the truth is that kayaks have advantages over canoes for those who are just...

1. Lay out a big pile of cash for a thin drysuit. The rubber gaskets at the neck and cuffs exclude all water, leaving you dry inside (as long as the material is breathable). Models with integrated booties instead of ankle gaskets...

1. Don’t give the current anything to grab. Lean downstream when crossing current to keep your upstream edge high and dry. 2. Your head should (must) be the last thing to leave the water when rolling a boat upright. 3....

Throw bag For getting a rope from point A to point B, while keeping an end at point A. Whistle You can’t shout louder than Old Man River. Spare set of car keys Pity the paddlers who have to break into the downriver shuttle...

Each year, more than 1,000 people around the world are killed by lightning strikes. But what most don’t realize is that you don’t need to be directly under a storm to be in danger. Lightning bolts can extend for 16...

As Erin McCloskey details in the recently published Bear Attacks in Canada, defending yourself against an attack depends on what species of bear is doing the attacking. But some basic principles do apply to encounters with all...