The Happy Camper: Top Canadian Outdoor Companies I Know and Love
Proud Canadians are now heading out shopping by the droves, armed with “Made in Canada” apps and flyers in hopes of defeating the US President Trump’s tariff war. Whether it’s McIntosh apples bought at Metro or a maple hockey stick purchased at Canadian Tire, this crusade-like zeal is hopefully sending a strong message to the American leader in charge.
To be blunt, however, it’s not all that easy to shop 100 per cent Canadian, especially when it comes to camping gear. I recently got slammed by some social media friends the other day after posting a quick clip on my Instagram page when I found a fantastic sale of a three-pack Ben’s Tick & Insect Repellent at Costco. It’s my preferred insect spray to battle bugs on trips. It always has been. The issue they had was that it’s an American brand.
It’s a given that there are some fantastic companies across the southern border. It’s also a complex issue trying to figure out where the product was actually made, and where it’s distributed.
At the end of the day, it’s still worth giving it our best shot to keep shopping for Canadian camp gadgets while we wait out the next four years of this tariff conflict. So, here are Canadian companies that I have always supported, and highly recommend.
Agawa
A group of Canadian canoeists’ trip down Lake Superior’s Agawa River gave birth to Agawa Canyon Inc. Their flag ship product is a truly superior folding Boreal Saw. The Canadian company was launched out of a garage in 2014, and they have excelled ever since. They continue to head out on canoe trips to this day, paddling rivers across Canada’s North and tinkering with new and improved product ideas.
Esker
This Canadian company focuses on all four seasons of wilderness travel, designing winter hot tents, axes and wooden bucksaws. Their main mission statement is to support the local economy by sourcing local materials, supporting local manufacturing facilities and providing local jobs. The company’s manufacturing facilities are located in Ontario, Canada, where they maintain quality control, manage supply chain stability, adhere to strict safety standards, provide fair working conditions and work towards a better environment for all.
KIHD Products
This Canadian company was founded by four avid paddlers who have tripped together for a number of years. Ingo Hetzer and Denis Lacasse have been sharing a canoe for over 25 years, and Keith Park joined 15 years ago while Helge Hetzer is the five-year rookie. They’ve spent countless hours sitting around the campfire during their multi-day canoe trips in Algonquin Park to improve a simple stick stove design that could be greatly reduced in weight. This led to what is now the KIHD Stove. They are proud to say that it has a Canadian design patent and is entirely fabricated in Burlington, Ontario.
Salus Marine Wear Inc.
Salus PFDs have been making paddlers safe on the water for more than a couple decades now. Their main goal was to produce Personal Flotation Devices that fit so comfortably, that people would actually wear them while out in the water. It’s now one of the number one award-winning PFD brands sold in the world. Salus Marine Wear Inc. came from humble beginnings. In 1999, in the basement of his home in Waterloo, Ontario, Steve Wagner designed the first Salus PFD, focusing on comfort, quality, function, style and attention to detail. Every Salus PFD is made in Canada, in their Waterloo factory. Each PFD is cut, assembled and sewn by Canadians who take exceptional pride in their work. I’ve personally visited the manufacturing plant a few times and witnessed this myself.
Check out an older KCHappyCamper YouTube video of one of my visits there.
North Water
North Water has always been known for their quality products for paddlers and their customer service. Their designs and manufacturing are done in their own factory in Vancouver, British Columbia, and have a wide range of safety equipment for your next canoeing or kayaking adventure. I’ve been using their canoe skirt for a couple of decades now and love it!
Recreational Barrel Works
Andy Baxter has been a longtime friend and canoe companion. He also happens to be the owner of Recreational Barrel Works Inc., a family-owned and operated business located in Peterborough, Ontario since 2001. Andy and his wife Marion Baxter have been canoeing together since 1985 and turned that love for paddling, and their experience, into a simple goal: offer paddlers with durable, functional and affordable products. Their best-known product is the canoe barrel and harness, but they also offer a huge assortment of paddling gear, ranging from traditional canoe packs to the best map case ever created.
Nova Craft Canoe
I’m good friends with the original owner of Nova Craft Canoe Tim Miller. I am also good friends, and canoe buddies, with the new owner Chris Rath. And for decades now, I have been a huge fan of Nova Craft’s prospector—it’s the closest design to the original Chestnut prospector from New Brunswick. There’s a ton of other Canadian canoe manufacturers that make outstanding canoes, from Clipper Canoes made in Abbotsford, BC (since 1978) to Esquif made in Quebec. And the ones in between like Souris River Canoes made near Ontario’s Quetico Park and Swift Canoe & Kayak made near Ontario’s Algonquin Park. But I still prefer Nova Craft’s prospector—made in London, Ontario, since 1970.
Badger Paddles
Similar to canoe manufacturers, there’s a good number of canoe paddle-making companies spread out across Canada, from Red River Canoe & Paddle in Manitoba to Fiddlehead Canoes in New Brunswick, which has over 20 blade and handle combinations. The companies vary in size from the renowned Grey Owl Paddles manufacturer to some guy—Mike Kipp of Wilderness Paddle Works—carving a few blades in his home workshop. My preference is Badger, owned and operated by partners Mike and Fiona, a husband-and-wife team based in Muskoka, Ontario. Mike has always loved time in the outdoors. He worked as a camp counsellor in his teens and later graduated from the Seneca College Outdoor Recreation Technician program. He’s been in the paddling industry for over 25 years now. His partner Fiona is always eager to spice up special orders with her artistic flare.
Original Bug Shirt Company
The founders of the Original Bug Shirt Company—Bob Meister and Sara Callway—started up this Canadian company back in 1989 in the small northern town of Powassan, Ontario. It’s been a trusted company providing chemical free clothing to help protect campers from biting mosquitoes, black flies, ticks and other bothersome insects. It quickly became the standard for hard-core wilderness canoe trippers heading to northern Canada. Bob and Sara retired in 2019 and handed the company over to Julie and Dan Gohm, who have expanded the line of products, still made in the small northern town of Powassan, Ontario.
Explore Magazine
This Canadian magazine has been the voice of Canadian outdoor enthusiasts since 1981, and I’ve written for them since 1994. They’ve chalked up more than 200 media awards along the way, with each issue full of exclusive content, covering the best destinations, the latest gear, the most useful advice, the deepest news, the intriguing profiles and the most compelling opinions. If you love the outdoors, and if you love Canada, then you’ll love Explore Magazine.
Thank you, great article. Delta kayaks proudly made in Maple Grove, BC is yet another good option. We love our Delta’s and the local support if you live in the lower mainland is second to none.
With a view to hitting various national parks of Canada, I am already filling my spring, summer, and fall outdoor wardrobe with everything made in Canada.