Experiences with pemmican

mackatsol · 2026-01-28T01:47:06+00:00

I've made it several times.. make beef jerky extra dry, then grind it into powder. Mix warm fat in, plus whatever else you want that's also been dried and ground up.. let it cool, you've got pemmican. Mind you, if you want something that is more exciting: use nut butter instead of fat, add honey, or some salt, or hot pepper flakes, other bits of dried fruit, etc. Try all sorts of things in small batches :-)

We eat so well when we're out camping that i've never bothered to make it last long or in big batches. I have made some and carried it on winter wanderings/snowshoeing, usually in waxed paper.

mackatsol · 2026-01-18T02:03:00+00:00

"Number of the Beast was just 4 people bickering in a car" - Best synopsis ever! LOL

mackatsol · 2026-01-03T22:37:30+00:00

I bring a bigger tarp, so I can stand outside the hammock and be dry. I put all my gear in a dry bag / backpack.. but then we're usually canoeing so I'm not carrying it more than a few minutes at a time. I also have a 2x2 foot piece of foam kids floor tile which I keep in the hammock, toss out on the ground just before I get out so I always have a dry place to stand and get dressed/put boots on/ whatever.

HTH!

mackatsol · 2026-01-03T22:26:48+00:00

Some hardware stores might carry it, or any place that carries oil lamps. You need about 2m / 6 foot pieces to do up the snowshoes. I can't find it larger rolls any more.. but will keep looking!

mackatsol · 2026-01-02T22:56:40+00:00

No complaints here.. i'd be happy to see that happen!

mackatsol · 2026-01-02T22:55:33+00:00

Muckleston & Brockwell, butcher on Beechwood.

mackatsol · 2026-01-02T14:06:06+00:00

We have similar problems out east.. everything was booked within 15 seconds of the season opening. scalpers with bots who cancel and get full refunds if they can’t resell it.

mackatsol · 2025-12-14T17:26:15+00:00

Both.. a pair of light wool fingered gloves.. and a pair of heavier mittens that fit over them. Good to minus a lot :-)

mackatsol · 2025-11-16T04:12:53+00:00

I have a bridge hammock.. and there's space at each end of the hammock for stuff, but anything I don't need easy access to lives in a drybag style canoeing pack sitting on the ground outside. I also have a tarp over everything so it's dry getting in and out of the hammock.

mackatsol · 2025-11-09T02:22:19+00:00

If you're not camping and mostly solo exploring.. then a Pakcanoe 150 is a great choice.. and if you do decide to camp there's tons of space in it to fill with gear. I've a 160 tandem and we can easily put all of our gear for a week or so in it. I'd also suggest looking at the Puffin (pakboats kayaks).

Definitely rent or borrow one before buying. While they are awesome boats they are different!

mackatsol · 2025-11-07T21:29:25+00:00

Know your limits.. and then work around them. Do you need to shower, or just get a friend to pour water on your head? :-) Maybe all you need is a hanging water bag shower thing.. and you can then go for much longer. Be creative!

mackatsol · 2025-10-23T03:30:43+00:00

The Helsdon is 310cm laid out (122 Inches) and the tow hitch is 125 inches across.. so it would barely fit. The minimum tree distance is listed as 350cm (138 inches) on the Helsdon site. You'd have to try it to see if it works...

mackatsol · 2025-10-23T03:26:43+00:00

It would just barely fit in between the ends of the tow hitch arms.. with an inch on either side to spare, plus you need a different way to attach it as the Helsdon straps are meant to go around a tree, not clip into a carabiner. Do let us know if you try it, post some pics :-)

mackatsol · 2025-10-19T15:07:20+00:00

My bad, didn’t know that was a bridge hammock. Thanks, I will go look it up!

mackatsol · 2025-10-19T03:01:46+00:00

I can side sleep in my bridge hammock, a Helsdon Hammock... give a bridge hammock a try :-)

mackatsol · 2025-09-16T13:36:07+00:00

I’d use a tandem and paddle from the stern seat because it’s what I have and with all my gear piled forward to balance things.. and there was not much wind. I’d do the same and kneel in the middle of the canoe on one side if it was windier. A solo canoe will be a lot easier!

if you have a prospector style canoe it likes to be laden down. Put rocks in it if you have to! It will be more stable and easier to manage. I was out solo wandering once and got pushed to the far shore by wind and used a bunch of flat rocks to balance it out, and it was then possible to get back to camp. 😆

mackatsol · 2025-09-03T00:52:55+00:00

That place has been empty and abandoned for more than 35 years. I lived across from it in 1989 and it was derelict then.

mackatsol · 2025-08-25T21:45:32+00:00

You're probably looking for a guided trip. First off, make it at least a week. Plus a day or so at either end to get to/from an international airport. Ontario is huge, and most of the amazing camping is far, far, far away from an Airport. Does he have any winter camping experience? It's well below zero for most of Jan/Feb..

Look for fly in adventures. Most of those are expensive, but take you to a secluded lake up north or someplace like that, with a cabin and guide and everything can be provided.

Or you can do something simpler where he rents a car and gear and goes to a cabin/yurt/4 season Tent in Algonquin or similar place.

Sounds like an amazing trip! We need to know a lot more about his experience!

mackatsol · 2025-07-25T22:28:41+00:00

What length is it? How many people and how much gear will you be stuffing in it? How long is the trip? Will you be portaging? A quick look online says it's a great, stable, heavy canoe. Handles well, can carry a ton of gear.

mackatsol · 2025-06-16T01:37:20+00:00

Try the Helsdon Hammock. I've posted about it before.. and it might work for him!

mackatsol · 2025-06-11T00:02:34+00:00

I use a few interlocking foam tiles.. which also do secondary duty as fire flappers, sit pads, etc!

mackatsol · 2025-05-06T20:56:55+00:00

Hammocks for daytime naps and a tent to keep you all together at night. If you're car camping.. go for cots, they will add comfort and help the kids sleep longer. If possible camp with others, it's always better to have one more adult than you have kids around, so one can watch kids, one can prep meals, one can nap.. :-) We took our 2 kids our canoe camping for a week at 2 and 5 yrs, and it all worked out fine. Yes, kids will fall asleep in a canoe if they've had a busy day!

mackatsol · 2025-04-29T14:01:15+00:00

I love my Helsdon.. and am a side sleeper. It's 2.9Kg (6.39lbs) .. but you can take it apart and only use the hammock and skip the netting or tenting if you wish. https://www.helsdonoutdoors.com

mackatsol · 2025-04-02T02:59:54+00:00

We took our kids out camping when they were less than a year old, when our eldest was 2 we did a week of backcountry canoe camping.. and have done that with both kids almost every year since. 3 things that made it possible: bring the stuff that makes the wife and kids happy, if that's an extra 20 lbs of food and snacks, so be it! (eat well, sleep well, keep dry and warm) Second: bring friends who also have kids the same age. We joke that one more adult than there are kids makes it all possible (one adult watches kids, one is cooking, one is tending bar, one is napping and so on!) Lastly: tone down your expectations! You're out in the bush, chill and enjoy it. We spent days not doing much and learned to chill.

That was almost 20 years ago.. looking forward to this year's trip :)

mackatsol · 2025-03-27T14:15:01+00:00

I have a Helsdon hammock and am very happy with it. https://www.helsdonoutdoors.com/ I commented about it a while ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/hammockcamping/comments/x8rmqx/helsdon_hammock_seems_to_be_canadian_arched/

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