NAC Newsletter 201 - 300

Seasons are changing and it's likely many of you are putting your gear away for the year or transitioning to your winter gear. Either way, you have a lot of gear to clean up before putting it away in storage. The way you clean and store your gear could be the difference between a lifetime of geat adventures or a lifetime of constantly replacing expensive gear. This week let's look at some great tips for cleaning your gear before packing it away. Splashing and melting snow dro

It is Autumn, a magical time of year where we are regailed with a wonderous display of colour from Mother Nature. Hiking in Autumn is a special treat, but it also poses some new challenges, especially here in Canada where the weather and tempuratures are very unpredictable. So without further adieu, here is a great article from Ontario Parks  with some helpful advice for Fall hiking. Fall is our favourite hiking season. It’s not too hot. The bugs are gone. Solitude is easier

For the past year, NAC has been enjoying our partnership with Climber's Rock Indoor Gym  by hosting many indoor climbing events. Climbing is a great form of entertainment and exercise, but requires some basic knowledge of techniques. In the past, I gave you an article on the different types of climbing holds , and today we will look at the best ways to use those holds. Enjoy this video from Boulder Movement Singapore  that will help you improve your climbing skills. THIS CHAN

For the past year, NAC has been taking full advantage of our fairly new partnership with Climber's Rock Indoor Gym  by hosting many indoor climbing events. Quite a few of you have become regular climbers now, and so today, I offer you this great video that will guide you on your way to becoming a better climber. If you haven't joined us at Climber's Rock  yet, watch this video, then register for our next climbing event  for your free lesson and free day pass on your first vis

As I mentioned above, we have just returned from completing the Northern Traverse in Gros Morne National Park. It was the most difficult trek I have ever completed and quite frankly, it kicked the s**t out of me. Moving at only 1.9km/h for most of the trek, it took us 9 hours straight to complete our 12-14km days. Recovering from such a hike is a long process, and it's not always easy, so this week, let's look at some tips for recovering from a long hike or thru-trek. Video p

We are only seven days away from the official end of Summer and the Fall hiking will begin. As always, you will always pack the 10 essentials for any hike, but in the Fall, you need to be prpepared for a much wider scope of weather and terrain. This week, take a few minutes to watch this short but very informative video to make sure you are prepared for all possibilities on a Autumn hike. Video posted to YouTube  by NYSDEC , posted on October 7, 2022 N.A.C. NEWS (Sunday, Sept

In a eight days, NAC will be heading to Gros Morne National Park to guide 8 brave and excited backpackers through one of Canada's most remote backcountry experiences. On our first day, we will be fording a deep and wide river to get to our first camp before climbing up into the Long Range mountains where we will spend the next 5 days and 4 nights. River crossings can be very difficult and dangerous, currents and cold waters can quickly swallow you and push you deeper down str

Did you know Canada has the longest coastline in the world! At 224 000 kms, it is completely unrivaled. We have ben talking a lot about orienteering and navigation and here in Canada, many of our hikes require a detailed knowledge of Ocean Tides. Some trails are impassible during high tide, and it can be extremely dangerous to be on a trail when the tide comes in. Reading tide chartsis an absolutely necessary skill, so let's dive in... Whether you’re a coastal hiker, fisher o

Knowing how to read a topo map and use a compass to navigate the backcountry is absolutely vital in wilderness expeditions. However in the last 20 years or so, Handheld GPS units have become very popular and in the last 5 years many have come to rely on smart phones for navigation. (NAC never, ever recommends relying on a smart phone for backcountry navigation!) Neither of these are a replacement for a map and compass. All backcountry travellers need to always carry a proper

If you have been keeping up with the most recent Adventure Weekly Newsletters, then you should now know how to read a Topographical map and how to use a compass. In order to use your compass with your Topo map, you're going to need to set the declination on your compass. It's a pretty straight forward task, but every comapss is a little different, so make sure you refer to the instructions that came with your compass. Then read this week's article to set up it up properly. An

Last week, if you read the article, you learned how to read a TOPO Map. A TOPO Map shows a lot of detail, but is useless for orienteering unless you have a proper compass and the knowledge to use it. So this week we will continue on along that path and learn how to properly use a compass to find your way home. Finding your campsite, a spectacular viewpoint or your way back out of the wilderness won’t always be simple tasks. That’s why a magnetized compass, a paper map and the

Orienteering is a lost art. The good old map and compass has gone the way of the Dodo and been replaced with high end GPS Handheld Devices, incredibly advanced GPS watches and the very unreliable smart phone that the majority of people use. And as many have learned, none of these are of any use when that battery runs low or it gets dropped from a cliff. I always encourage all hikers to carry a map and compass and take the time to learn how to use these devices efficiently. Ov

As I have mentioned a few times, I am fairly new to kayaking. I have a little experience from my youth and a few years back, NAC along with some club members visited our friends and NAC Partners at Ontario Sea Kayak Centre  for a Basic Sea Kayak lesson and Certification. As I am getting out on the water more, I am always looking for good sources to learn from. This week I will share two videos with you that I believe are very helpful.   10 Rules of Hiking Etiquette I Wish I’d

Each year more and more people are getting out and hitting the trails. As great as that is, many of them fail to get the information and education they need before doing so. Unprepared hikers can be dangerous to themselves and others. They may also ruin others experience in the outdoors and destroy trails and eco-systems without knowing they did so. So this week, let's watch this great video from Miranda Goes Outside  on proper trail etiquette.   Video by Miranda Goes Outside

Each summer approximately 6 million Canadians head out on Kayaking and Canoeing excursions all over the country, but many of them are very poorly prepared. The luck factor keeps many of them safe, but do you want to rely on luck alone? There is no substitute for knowledge, practice and being prepapred when it comes to paddling. Take a look a Rogers story, and learn from his experiences.   Roger is co-author of Sea Kayak Rescue, the Definitive Guide to Modern Reentry and Recov

Every year thousands of people decide to become backpackers. Some use guiding agencies, some spend much time nervously preparing by reading blogs and watching YouTube videos, and others just wing it. But one sure thing is, no matter how you decide to do it, you're going to make many mistakes and learn many valuable lessons. Making mistakes is how we learn to be better backpackers. I have certainly made my share! SOMETIMES IT’S JUST NOT YOUR DAY. If you’ve spent any time in th

We are all very much aware that water is life but in the backcountry obtaining clean drinking water is not always straight forward. We have rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, all of which are acceptable water sources, but may also very well be contaminated with deadly bacteria and viruses. Backpackers must use some sort of device to clean the water before consumption and there are a plethora of devices available on the market. All these devices can be broken down into two cate

Climbing is an amazing past time. It's a great form of exercise, teaches balance and coordination and is just over all fun. At the same time it's challenging for new comers. So challenging in fact that it tends to be a little discouraging for many. But with a few insights and a little practice, anyone can be a great climber and learn to truly enjoy it. Let's start with the most basic tips to make your climbing adventure more enjoyable. If you're new to rock climbing, learning

You or others may ask, "Why do you hike?" Well, hiking provides incredible exercise, refinement of skills and a great balance of physical and mental health. But it's much more than just that. It provides access to a world of amazing views, experiences and scenery that will enhance your quality of life, create long lasting memories and improve your general well-being. This week we will just scratch the surface on how hiking increase one's overall happiness. The benefits of hik

It's that time of year! Although ticks are out and about in all seasons, the warmer summer months increase their numbers and makes them more active. Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not jump, they are opportunistic. They hang out on leaves and branches, arms outreached waiting to latch on to passing prey, so avoiding ticks is as easy as avoiding shrubbery. As hikers, that's impossible, so let's look at the many ways to avoid ticks and the diseases they carry. Do ticks and