Into The Heart Of The Wilderness: Berens River Solo part 2

[@jldc1759]

This is how I wish all “reality shows” would be and why I can’t stand watching them on TV. Fabrication of drama is boring. We’re enjoying you living these experiences and learning at the same time.

[@MCQBushcraft]

A pleasure to watch this series from you Paul. The trip itself must have been challenging coupled with the filming which is greatly appreciated. Its great to see a video like this from someone like yourself with your level of experience. Looking forward to more and thanks again.

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Mike, it's good to hear from you. I'm glad you are enjoying this series: I appreciate your feedback in particular. It was something of a challenge to film and complete a solid wilderness journey like this but it was a challenge I enjoyed. I also set myself the challenge of moving away from doing lots of POV GoPro filming like I have done in other videos (which appeals to paddlers but perhaps not others), and to do more talking to the camera. I'm glad this seems to be coming off positively, judging by the reaction of most viewers commenting here. Hope all is going well for you in the frozen north :-) Cheers, Paul

[@eriktaylor5704]

Love the set up of your camp kitchen with the stones and grill.

[@lsdunlop]

Thank you for taking us with you! These videos are a Godsend during this pandemic!

[@paulevans-u2o]

great episode paul looking forward to the next one. amazing place i bet your in your element there bud .thanks for tbg5fv4raking the time to film all this

[@WyeExplorer]

Nice Lemon and Ginger tea Paul in camp. Makes a whole lot of difference. This was a real sound adventure with some decent challenges - enjoyed you taking on Moos Rapids. Very proficient. Well, roll on part 3. All the best. Mark

[@jampuppy]

Enjoying my introduction to your work. Would love to see you invest in a selfie stick. Lol A bit close. 👁 And would love more scenes of the areas around you while you narrate - maybe identify plants and tell us their usefulness. Love the maps and place names. Thanks for the great instruction!!

[@mjallenuk]

This is such a treat to come back to ... covid has made me rethink plans for the future and learning more so I can do this is much higher up the priority list. Perhaps taking my son with me when he's old enough in a few years.

[@funnyeh]

Thanks Paul, lots of effort to bring the Canadian wilderness to KZbin viewers.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Robert. It's my pleasure to bring this magnificent river to the screens of KZbin viewers. I'm glad you liked it. Warm regards, Paul

[@alphapatriot8405]

Truly an epic adventure into the pristine wilderness Really enjoyable !! Thnxs

[@SwampDonkey530]

I have done this exact same trip. We have, undoubtedly walked the same portage trails. My trip began on the Gammon/Bloodvien system, then the full length of the Berens, then all the way down Lake Winnipeg and into the Red River. We were a month at it, and covered more than 800 miles...good times.

[@shaunallen7436]

14 mins in...nature is awesome! Even when no one is looking. Thanks Paul it was my pleasure to join you.

[@jonholmes1464]

This series is shaping up to be the finest thing I’ve watched on KZbin for quite some time. Between this, and the TBF podcast over Christmas, you’re firmly on the radar Mr k!

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Jon. This praise means a lot. I'm very happy you are enjoying the films so much. It's great you also caught the TBF podcast. Were you already a subscriber to their podcast? Cheers.

[@jonholmes1464]

Yes I already subscribed, I’m a fan of podcasts in general, yours of course included. (You’ve answered a couple of my questions 😊) Also being a long term, and fairly active member of Living2learn community, it’s natural I should support Joe and Padraig.

[@MaxSafeheaD]

REgarding around minute 38 when you where complaining about the wind being in the opposite direction, just from my persoective, not having to paddle against it, it is SUCH a beautiful sky so in a way, you get to see more of it than if you where moving in the opposite direction. Plus, think of the guns you'll be building!!! ha ha

[@MRPBDB]

Really enjoying this series Paul. Excellent filming quality. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@ezel1954]

Hi Paul, Cees here. Man what a beautifull video a lot of effort in filming and different vieuwpoints. Keep the good works up and looking forwards to the next one. gr

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Cees. Nice to hear from you as always. I'm happy you thought the video was beautiful. Episode 3 coming soon...

[@duncanbrown7160]

Fantastic! I think I like the authenticity of the journey and production the most. Many thanks for taking the time to produce this content.

[@retiredoutside]

When I saw your whisky fireside chat with Kevin Callan on his KCHappyCamper channel, I immediately thought that anybody who knew about using a Lotka-Volterra model to describe the dynamics of the lynx-hare system was somebody I needed to watch. I've really enjoyed the first two episodes of your Berens River solo trip and have looked through some of your other videos and found them useful and informative. I like that you used a firesteel to start your first fire on the trip, and then used matches and lighter for subsequent fires. I also appreciated the safety consciousness you displayed when you explained why you weren't running a particular set of rapids near the end of the day. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series, and to learning more from the other videos on your channel. It looked like you took two pairs of trousers on the trip; was the second pair so you'd have a dry pair in case you dumped?

[@zoenewman7369]

Fab episode once again Paul. Thank you and looking forward to the next! Great journey. Great filming.

[@medrup1025]

Love the format! Beautiful filming, thanks for all the extra work running back and forth to film yourself. I am really looking forward to coming episodes. Greetings from Germany

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you. I'm so happy you are enjoying the format, as well as the efforts I made to capture some of the shots. Episode 3 will be coming soon. Glad you are looking forward to it! All the best, Paul

[@JohnC2009Edin]

Exceptional series! The decision making explanations are very interesting to hear. Look forward to viewing part 3!

[@andreborsch2266]

Hi Paul! Such a great episode. And what a beautiful landscape. Looking forward to the next part. ATB André

[@kayakmaccaz9256]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧Always good to be safe with white water😳👍🏻

[@chadchapman1852]

Loving this unscripted, real adventure series.....next level stuff!

[@pyreneanparaphernalia6619]

The filming work doesn't go unnoticed or appreciated, neither does your caution and knowledge of your stunning surroundings. What a camp spot at the end. Looking forward to more. Cheers Wayne

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Wayne. I'm happy you are appreciating the filming as well as what I filmed. The camp spot at the end was great. One of the best on the trip. Cheers!

[@eriktaylor5704]

The last campsite of the video was quite a find.

[@ADVENTUREISMADE]

Another fantastic watch Paul, that last campsite was epic. Lookin foward to getting stuck into episode 3, atb Matt 👍🏻

[@projekctx8646]

4th day morning - magnificent! Smoke on the water ;)

[@consonantsandvowels1]

Absolutely stunning ❤

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks!

[@robertgriffiths6985]

Wonderful video, Paul: thanks for sharing. Right now I'm deep into social isolation with everyone else as we weather the Covid 19 pandemic. Seeing this record of better times helps to restore hope. It has also made me determined to renew my canoeing skills, get out there and make the most of every year from now on. I hope that you and your company are back in business as soon as it is safe. Keep the podcasts coming and thanks again for all you share with the online community.

[@rwtwpg]

Brilliant series Paul. As a Manitoban, seeing our natural wonders on display makes me feel almost prideful (as if I had something to do with it). This is one of your best efforts to date. Thank you!

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Richard. You should have pride to be Manitoban :-) Manitoba is a lovely province and the people are friendly. I'm glad you appreciated this film and I appreciate your feedback. All the best, Paul

[@chalakhonwan3085]

Hi Good job👍👍👍

[@citizenx1602]

Awesome footage! Thank you Paul, my favorite outdoorsman.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you. I'm grateful. Warm regards, Paul

[@mainetripper]

Fantastic series! Incredible area and your adventure is very informative! Question....at 1:09:18 do I hear a dog bark? Sure sounds like a dog!

[@TheSir713]

I heard it too and was wondering where it came from?! Maybe some kind of white noise from an old ghost Dog who is trying to find his old goldmining owner for decades and still wandering around this area?! Who knows... However... I‘m realy enjoying to watch this episodes right know! Thank you paul for this great content! But It makes it even harder to know that travelling is not allowed in this crazy times. I lost my heart in the canadian north west a couple years ago and came back a couple more times since then. I‘m realy looking forward to explore more of this majestic country and it‘s breathtaking landscape!!! 🍁❤️

[@daveagar5594]

Hello my friend. I love this adventure. thankyou.

[@bmc2266]

Very interesting series Paul! That spot at the end is quite amazing. Looking foward the next video!

[@Scotland_my]

This is brilliant. Really appreciate it. 🤘

[@jdright1157]

All I can say is... You went to an awful lot of work to bring this video to those of us no longer able to make such a journey!! Thank you, Paul!!

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi JD, thanks for your comment and for your appreciation of me making this film. Yes, it was some work to record and edit these films, but it makes all the difference for me to know that people are enjoying the end result. Thank you. Warm regards, Paul

[@saraskold9631]

Very lovely thank you again for taking the time to film all of this adventure.

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Sara, you are very welcome. It's a pleasure sharing this adventure with you and others watching my channel. I'm so glad you liked it. Warm regards, Paul

[@WayPointSurvival]

Been looking forward to this episode and it didn't disappoint! Beautiful scenery, excellent narration and true wilderness. This is a great series and I am eagerly anticipating the next installment of your canoe and Bushcraft saga!

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked all the different aspects of scenery, canoe, bushcraft and how the video was put together. I really appreciate your feedback. Episode 3 is in the works... Warm regards, Paul

[@Trailtraveller]

Can't wait for part 3... excellent series Paul. Also the psychological aspects are very interesting.

[@benmustard1351]

I'm always paddling solo in the backcountry and it's not the bears, bugs or difficult portages that I fear the most, it's that GD wind! Haha. Absolutely great work Paul. Keep it up.

[@PaulKirtley]

Haha, yeah, there speaks the voice of experience :-) Cheers Ben. Glad you liked it.

[@neilb1089]

Am really enjoying this journey with you albeit vicariously Paul. Really interesting to have an insight into the thought processes at the various twists, turns and camp stops. Looking forward to ep3! cheers Paul.

[@LundysWildcampBushcraft]

Another great video Paul your seeing some great wildlife that water full you stood next to looked strong wouldn't like to fall in there looking forward to seeing next part atvb Jimmy 😎😎

[@ericchilver9113]

Surprised to hear a dog bark at 1.09.19 ......what a trip, at that point in the video you sound distressed. That would be an awesome journey, my fitness level would restrict me somewhat...very happy to have found your channel👍🇦🇺......pretty good spot yeah A+👍

[@PaulKirtley]

Haha yes you should be surprised. There were no dogs there. It was a sound effect I used to cover over a cuss word KZbin might not like on a non-age-restricted video :-) I'm happy you have found my channel too Eric. And glad you are able to enjoy this journey with me. Yes it was an A+ camping spot. One of the best on the trip actually. Cheers!

[@getsmart3701]

That...looks...like...a...stunning...trip, jealous mate, real jealous.

[@PaulKirtley]

Yeah it was stunning.

[@reddeercanoe]

I had to stop the video to give you a suggestion from a Canadian paddler. I would strike camp as soon a I awaken in the morning and paddle hard in the morning calmness ? Then stop when the wind comes up for a long breakfast in the wind which will help keep down the biting insects. If you know the route you can paddle in evening as it!s also a good time take advantage of the calm. I would caution that you don't want to find a campsite in the dark on a new river though.

[@warwickshireoutdoors]

Really enjoying this series. Best thing on TV this year along with The Last Igloo and Worzel Gummidge🏕

[@PaulKirtley]

High praise indeed! Thank you!!

[@mackhughson3722]

Really well done Paul, I could see this channel really taking off if content like this accompanies it!

[@DannyBoyOutdoorsTravel]

Awesome solo trip in Manitoba!! I can tell how heavy is your gear by seeing the layout of your cooking items, that's a lot of stuff, lol

[@joejoejoejoe1672]

Fantastic video paul👍

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you!

[@kevinbungles]

What a great series. Paul, I would love to do this ... at the end can you do a video on how you planned it, cost, which companies you used etc..

[@bmbpdk]

That would be interesting to know!

[@cliffordwright1603]

Best series on KZbin. I’m loving the scenery and wildness with one of the best outdoorsmen on KZbin. Looking forward to the next instalment

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank your for your positive words Clifford. I really appreciate you liking this series. Warm regards, Paul

[@wayneknight7107]

Great video following part 1 Paul, perhaps if you're stuck again for a muffler try a spare sock?? may muffle too much but always worth trying.

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Wayne, unfortunately it was an internal mic on a fairly compact camera so I need something to glue over it. Would have been easier to cope with an an external shotgun mic I agree. Cheers, Paul

[@Kozu604]

Great Videos Paul, really enjoying watching the trip. Thanks for taking the time to make and upload these videos for us. I hope to one day have the skills, confidence and opportunity to undertake trips in the wild. - John

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi John, I'm glad you are enjoying this but that it's also inspiring you to develop your own skills and experience. Keeping building little by little, and you'll get there. All the best, Paul

[@RedOwlBushcraft]

Great video Paul, I wish you all the best for 2020. ATB Kurt

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Kurt. And to you. I hope your year is getting off to a good start. All the best, Paul

[@CBOutdoors79]

Well Paul..... that didn't disappoint. You were right, I really enjoyed this episode. Really, really good content! Onwards to episode 3.... 👏👏👍

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you! I'm happy it didn't disappoint. I'm glad you thought so highly of this content and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Episode 3 next indeed, and I think there will end up with four episodes in total. Watch this space! Cheers, Paul

[@markmatheson603]

I'm a long time podcast listener. Always meant to check out your you tube channel. Really glad I did! Tripping videos are my favorite. Thanks for sharing

[@Tim8o1]

I was going to watch it in two + sittings, simply because I get bored with youtube vids after a few minutes. Watched it in one. Happy that I was mentally pointing things out to myself "I would do that; that way," or "I would camp there" and you did :)

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Tim, that's good feedback. I'm glad it kept you engaged through the whole film. :-)

[@thepollenjock]

Another fantastic episode, Paul. Cool to see you go for the rapid just before you mentioned the map changeover. Really enjoyed this. Looking forward to your rant in the next one! ;)

[@dhayes1541]

We used to pick gallons of pin-cherries and chokecherries to make pin-cherry jelly and chokecherry jelly and syrup for pancakes. They are much more plentiful further south.

[@PaulKirtley]

Mmmmmm that sounds so good! :-)

[@nickhulley8941]

Another fantastic episode, thank you for all your input, it is wonderful to see such scenery - cheers

[@richlander5874]

going by the map you have it looks like we are spoilt here in the uk with the os maps👍

[@nancymills5993]

Another outstanding video and beautiful country. Thank you for taking us along on your journey!!

[@justindawson3428]

Another great video Paul. This area looks like the lakes Joe R. did with his friend. I agree with not taking unnecessary risk when by yourself, there is a time and a place fr risk taking. You are lucky to have some great natural foods about, some of the bush tucka around here is not very pleasant to eat. I look forward to your next installment.

[@woodpecker066]

Another fantastic episode! The red squirrel warning you off is a sound I heard frequently on two great trips I had to Quetico & the Boundary Waters. Thanks again Paul for such a great series of films. Wish I was there!

[@PaulKirtley]

I love how vocal the squirrels are. And I'm glad that, in a small way, I transported you there as well as bringing back some good memories from your own trips. Warm regards, Paul

[@dogmandoug1715]

Thoroughly enjoying this series Paul. Thank you for all the hard work your putting in. Greatly appreciated. God Bless you and your Boat 🚣‍♀️

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks for the appreciation. And yes, let's not forget about Ruby the Red Boat. I wouldn't have gone very far without her! :-)

[@MrMjt888]

Some great cinematography Paul. Another great vid. Really good for newbies like me to hear the decision processes. And you said “Hey diddle diddle” which completes my catch phrase bingo from the Spey trip. 😀

[@PaulKirtley]

Hey Mikey, I'm glad you are liking both the visual aspects as well as the cerebral aspects. Yes, the decision-making is easy to gloss over but critical to the trip succeeding without too much trouble. Cheers, Paul

[@rshoemaker61]

Another fantastic video, appreciate all the hard work that went into making this possible. Epic struggle against the wind. Really beautiful country. ATB

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks Randy. I'm glad you appreciated the video and the country. All the best, Paul

[@kravist518]

Great second part the scenery was fantastic and the wild rice was a cool find looking forward to more and I’m liking the free canoeing lessons 😁

[@PaulKirtley]

Haha glad you are liking the free canoeing lessons :-) I'm glad you are enjoying the scenery and nature too. Thanks for your comment.

[@powerrangerlegacyfactsande6751]

Great video again really in joining it 👍

[@shortbushcraft888]

Wonderful! The area is very similar to Karelia, where I have been traveling for 25 years. Thanks!

[@PaulKirtley]

Glad you liked the video. And it looks like I will have to add Karelia to my list of places to canoe.... Thank you for the tip! :-). Warm regards, Paul

[@martinoutdoors6941]

Fantastic part 2 Paul. You can see you are getting in tune now.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks Martin. Yes, I definitely got more into a groove by day three or four. Also, my body clock was becoming better adjusted. Cheers, Paul

[@bobbyson39]

another great Vid thanks Paul

[@Canoecamper]

Love an outcrop campsite with a natural ledge for sitting! @1:20

[@phils8393]

another good episode, I am really getting into this journey with you . thanks Phil

[@PaulKirtley]

Hey thanks Phil. Glad you are getting into it. :-)

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Really enjoyed all the camp shots and thoughts. The big rapid looked awesome, almost got my old kayaker head on there looking for a line.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks Ray. I did think of you when filming some of the bigger rapids ;-)

[@leecotterill5422]

Really enjoying these Paul, absolutely stunning scenery and great decision making. 👍🏻😉

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you Lee. Glad you are appreciating the different aspects of these films and the trip. Cheers.

[@borderbushcraft9602]

great video Paul, I hope to do some paddling in Canada 2022, your video is very informative. thank you

[@DanoB71]

Looks like a great trip Paul

[@Forestowo]

I would love to watch more of this content on your channel! This is amazing! Regard from Poland :)

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you. This is good feedback and I will certainly try to bring more material like this to my channel. I'm happy you are enjoying this. Warm regards, Paul.

[@b80-s9i]

Well done!!! Consider yourself lucky you didn't run into a Great American Samsquantch..they can be a booger!

[@antaress8128]

When I ride a bicycle, it starts easy but I quickly get tired. Then when I keep going, I'm not tired anymore and I feel I can keep going for many kilometers. This is because the body changes from one energy resource to another. In your case it is different, the muscles need some time to adapt to the pace.

[@jacoborfelt8151]

Hi Paul. Great video and its an amazing trip. But how come you dont fish. I have an Ally canoe and go on week long trips in Sweden and Finland, but dream of Canada. I will proberly go there In 2023 or 24. This season im going to Inarijarvi in northern Finland. Are you not allowed to fish. Greetings from Denmark

[@tdalloutdoors4293]

Great video. I really enjoy watching these sort of vids. Canoe tripping with bushcrafting. Looking forward to May and my annual spring canoe trip.

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi there, I'm glad you liked this and it made you look forward to your next trip. Warm regards, Paul

[@marting1399]

Another Belta Paul! Roll,on part 3!

[@PaulKirtley]

Glad you thought so Martin. Cheers.

[@wrzlgummidge7663]

Nice one Paul, looking forward to the next ep. atb

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you. Episode 3 will be coming soon.

[@GreyGhostX]

Such a beautiful place.

[@PaulKirtley]

Indeed it is Justin.

[@caswallonandflur692]

Yup , there be bears, wolves, moose, lynx, deer, herons, eagles, etc. Grew up in Canada and am still here ! The shield is the real deal . Survive it or stay home is the only answer to it. Heheh If the wolves start to follow .. give em your fish and get out of there ! 😉

[@caswallonandflur692]

I really like that long handle hatchet. Winter up here can be brutally cold. But the nice days are glorious. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. That darned wind though ! Exasperating to say the least ! I sometimes wish for a small trolling motor to help with the padding ! 😓 Nice days are for fishing (as i see it) . The spot at approx 104: looks like a good spot 🙂

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks. Glad you liked vid.

[@jonahsalyers5979]

Truly loving this new content and I can’t wait for the next episode with the foreshadowed Ask Paul Kirtley rant (we need some new episodes of that on the Paul Kirtley Podcast). I definitely love the vicarious nature of watching these trips when I can’t be outside but a format I really enjoy is trips like this with skill tips and knowledge built in. Would you consider videos like this one with pauses throughout the trip for focused teaching (aside from the bit of plant ID you do in this video)?

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Jonah, thanks for your comments. I'm glad you are enjoying this new content. We do need some more questions for a Paul Kirtley Podcast. Unfortunately people are not submitting them like they did for #AskPaulKirtley. Maybe I'll have to resurrect the APK show?.... In terms of teaching within trip videos, I might do some but I don't want it to get too heavy for the general viewer. I think being able to watch me doing a lot of stuff such as splitting wood, lighting fires, setting up tarps is good tuition for a lot of people. And I try to link to tutorial videos using KZbin cards where relevant, so people can jump into that skill in a bit more depth if they want to. But what I will do in future on trips is take the time to record more standalone tutorials in context, such as this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqS7hqdum8dgi68 Thanks again for your thoughts and questions Jonah. All the best, Paul

[@sirbenedar]

Those cheeky mosquitos at 20:18

[@bushcraftsurvivalslovenia5241]

Hey, Paul. Great two videos of your trip. It is amazing to watch you go through the day and explaining how your day goes and the challenges you face. I would also be interested in seeing your full morning routine in the sense of packing everything and how you pack. Also in case of rain, how does the routine of camp setup/packing differ from the normal days? I saw you had some rain on day 4 so I was wandering. But I guess you can't film that much in the rain, also. :) Anyway, I really enjoy watching these videos and look forward to more. :D

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi! Thanks for watching. I'm really happy you are enjoying these videos. In terms of how I pack up, it doesn't change much whether it is raining or not. The tarp over the tent means I can pack everything up while under the tarp and the tarp comes down last. So the system stays pretty much the same regardless of the weather. I sometimes put a tarp up over the fire (or have a fire under where I can put up a tarp) when it is raining a lot but that's about the only difference. I did carry two tarps on this trip but rarely used both at the same time. There was more rain later in the trip so you'll get to see a bit more of those conidtions in the remaining videos in the series. I hope this helps. Thanks again for watching. Warm regards, Paul

[@bushcraftsurvivalslovenia5241]

@@PaulKirtley Thanks for the answer it was very helpful. And now I'm looking forward to those videos even more :). Thanks, for everything and keep doing the good work.

[@arnowiersma1]

Hoi Paul That is an Nice trip 2 week’s in nature I love it, I am a bit jealousy of you . but I will se you this summer that is for me an nice trip. Enjoy

[@PaulKirtley]

Hey Arno. Yes it was a lovely immersion in nature. I'm glad you are enjoying coming with me via the videos. And yes, looking forward to seeing you this summer. All the best, Paul

[@johnnyloco11]

Top quality as always.

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you John. Glad you thought so.

[@tysadventures1]

Awesome video!!!

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks Ty!

[@niteowlsully2266]

what's up with the dog bark at 1:09:18? hmmm

[@nobull-dozer3356]

Nicely done Paul :…:

[@PaulKirtley]

Thank you sir.

[@robbiesmith7386]

Another really enjoyable video, both entertaining and informative, but perhaps more importantly, I'm getting an idea of how you approach the planning and organisation for a trip of this scale. In particular, I noticed the way you annotate your maps, presumably with information gathered from the guidebook. By chance, I tried something similar on the Spey last September (with mixed results), so it's good to see someone else employing a similar, forward-thinking and methodical approach. I had started to worry that I was taking my obsession for planning too far... Although, I might have to steal your colour-coding system. 😉 Thanks, again, and keep up the great work. Really looking forward to part 3!

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks for your comments Robbie. I'm glad I'm managing to strike a balance between entertainment and information. This is useful feedback. I'm also glad my approach to planning and executing a trip like this is coming through in the film. In terms of annotating the maps, the information is largely from guidebooks but also finding anything else useful online - blogs, etc. Even though I will take a guidebook with me (or a photocopy of the relevant pages), I don't like trying to digest and synthesise guidebook information while I'm in the boat. I prefer the pertinent information to be on my map. Specifically I add an information about the grade of the rapid, which side of the river any portage trail starts and how long the portage is. I number the rapids the same as in the guidebook and if the guidebook has no numbering, I number both the guidebook and the map. I also mark any recommended camp spots. The other annotations is a distance count-down in kilometers from where I start to where I will finish. I usually do this in 10km intervals. This is all done at home before I leave for the trip. On the river, I use the map as my guide during the day and re-read each relevant section of the guidebook the evening before the section of river I will do the next day. This refreshes the full information. Also, as I go I add useful information to the map. So any changes to portages or differences in rapid grades at different water levels. I also mark on the map where I camp and the date I camped there. Don't worry, you are not too obsessive :-) And you are welcome to steal the colour-coding idea. I write info in black ballpoint then colour code the info using highlighting pens. I hope this helps. All the best, Paul

[@robbiesmith7386]

@@PaulKirtley I had (naively) annotated all my printed OS maps for my Spey trip last September entirely in red pen; my thinking being that there is relatively little already on an OS map in that colour, so any information I wanted to add was less likely to blend in with the detail of the map. However, I didn't have a way of differentiating at a glance between different types of information, such as significant rapids, areas more likely to contain tree hazards, recommended camp sites, possible emergency egress points, etc. By the time I'd finished my "handiwork" the maps almost had more red pen than anything else... (At least anyone in my group who might have seen them would have been set at their ease by my apparent preparedness!) I suppose the other benefit of using a highlighter, other than being able to assign various types of information a specific colour for quick reference, is that you can still see the detail on the map beneath what you've highlighted, should you need it. I also really like the idea of having a countdown of the distance still to travel marked on the map. This isn't something I had thought of before but, as both a hill-walker and a paddler, I can see how it would have its uses In all honesty, I'm unlikely to ever do a proper wilderness trip in Canada or elsewhere; despite my love for the outdoors, I'm stubborn and I have some rather unpopular views about air travel,. (But to each their own, and I certainly wouldn't criticise someone else for doing it if that's what they wanted to do.) That being said, I'm always looking for new techniques or little tricks that I can meld into the way I do things in my own part of the world, whether that's just a single day out on the water or a longer trip, like the Spey or the Great Glen for instance. So thank you for taking the time to share your planning process in more detail, I really appreciate it. I'll be sure to put your tips to good use when I'm planning my next outing. Kind regards

[@PaulKirtley]

@@robbiesmith7386 No worries and all understood. The quick reference colour-coding idea is one I learned the hard way too :-) Here's a post from when I was marking up my maps last summer: instagram.com/p/B1B6a6fhKc0/

[@joewalsh5374]

Hi Paul, without saying a word you thought me a better way to split wood. Cheers and Happy New Year's

[@PaulKirtley]

Old school teaching :-). I'm glad it worked. Cheers Joe. All the best, Paul

[@anthonyortiz7924]

Hello Paul! I saw you on a video by TA Outdoors and subscribed to your channel, love what you've put together! It's a shame that I live in the states because I would love to have me and my boy take your courses. Really appreciate all your effort putting together all the footage, as a tech guy I couldn't help but feel like this is so much work, having to set up the camera all the time and having to come back just to pick it up and repeating the process over and over, not to mention having to carry a lot of extra batteries/chargers around and editing the footage. Do you have the gear you use documented somewhere on your site? I can suggest one thing that's going to help a lot with the audio, and that's a windscreen. Get yourself an external microphone if you don't have one, mount it on the camera, and place a windscreen on it such as the deadcat... works wonders. Anyway, a big hello and goodbye from New York, take care Paul!

[@cappaslangmurderer]

You can always come visit the UK for Paul’s courses, we love New Yorkers over here