Cooking/Meal Planning

Bob Carlson

Brew your best cup in the woods

Atrium - upstairs Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm

Atrium - upstairs Sun 10:30am-11:15am

Aluminum Chef

Superior - main floor Sat 4:30pm-5:15pm

For over twelve years we've had our own homage to a particular reality TV competition that we call The Aluminum Chef. Our three Aluminum Chefs will test their camp culinary skills against each other in true outdoor style.

Woodswoman and dried-food aficionado Mona Gauthier and former park ranger Marty Koch go up against Kyle Kiepert, local chef with a long pedigree of fine dining restaurants.

Our trio of cooks use donated MSR stoves and cook kits, and a pantry of ... Read More

Blake Ferree, Amos Kolodji

Canoeing Pukaskwa

BWCA - main floor Sat 9:30am-10:15am

Algonquin - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm

Ontario's Pukaskwa National Park lies in the northeast corner of Lake Superior and features Rolling hills, Historical sites, white sandy beaches, and miles of gorgeous Superior shoreline. Modern travelers of the park are often on foot or in a sea kayak, but the long history of Pukaskwa as canoe country beckoned us. This past summer, four of us, in two canoes, launched from Hattie Cove and traveled the 100 miles of remote Superior shore to Wawa. We faced all of Gitche Gumee's moods and learned a ... Read More

Gillian Fitzgerald

How to Food Pack Like a Boss

Algonquin - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

BWCA - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm

Tired of packing too much or not enough food and hauling multiple heavy packs over a portage trail? Join a former expedition guide and learn how to pack a week's worth of food for up to 9 people in one pack. There are a million ways to pack your food for a canoe-based wilderness excursion, and everyone has systems and tricks to learn from one another. In this session, you will learn from Gillian on how to pack your trip food seamlessly and efficiently day by day, and get examples of meal plans ... Read More

Mona Gauthier

Food Dehydration the Basics and Beyond

Bear - upstairs Fri 6:30pm-7:15pm

Algonquin - main floor Sat 11:30am-12:15pm

Be bold. Be safe. You can dehydrate anything. However, should you? Basic and advanced dehydration techniques will be shared covering herbs, fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, and premade meals. Proper storage of these items will be addressed. Develop confidence as you dehydrate and apply methods to ward of the five enemies that impact the shelf life of your food. Time allotted for Q & A at the end of the presentation.

Mona Gauthier

Give Your Dreams the Wings to Fly

Algonquin - main floor Sat 3:30pm-4:15pm

A goal is only a dream if there is no action plan. This 24-year dream finally sprouted wings enabling a 65-year-old paddler to embark on her first solo canoe trip. A 200+ mile BWCAW trip from Crane Lake to Lake Superior following the Canadian/US border to Fort Charlotte, ending with the 8.5-mile Grand Portage. Did she finish? Details will be shared regarding planning/preparation, gear, food, logistics, lessons learned, and trip data.

Chris Gavin

Foraging from Watercraft

Sylvania - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

Bear - upstairs Sat 3:30pm-4:15pm

Join us as we explore the cornucopia of wild edible foods that can be encountered on the water during your next paddle. Whether finding an edible wild mushroom on a stream side log by chance, or gearing-up to head out in your watercraft to gather wild rice, we will cover the basics of getting into wild foods that can commonly be encountered while paddling, recommend resources to increase your knowledge and confidence, and answer your questions about how to harvest wild food safely and ethically. ... Read More

Kris Simonson

How to Go Solo at Any Age

Superior - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

Algonquin - main floor Sat 9:30am-10:15am

BWCA - main floor Sun 10:30am-11:15am

Traveling solo can be intimidating, especially as we age. When I started my attempts at solo BWCA trips, I struggled with gear weight, safe travel systems, and managing my own expectations. Came learn about the changes I made to lighten my gear and the physical and mental preparation that have allowed me to safely expand beyond entry point lakes. Learn about strategies to pare your gear to a weight that can be single portaged.