Ontario Winter Camping Symposium 2017

This year a group of outdoor enthusiasts planned and organized the first ever Ontario Winter Camping Symposium.  There would be speakers that have all sorts of different winter camping experiences, and they would share a little of their knowledge with the lucky 300 people who were able to get tickets.

I was one of those lucky people and bright and early, before the sun was due to rise for a few more hours, we got in our vehicle and headed to Waterloo. My other crew members do not do so well in long talking sessions, so I was attending this event alone.  I guess not really alone since I know a whole bunch of people there. I was able to meet up and join Luiza from Backcountry Custom Canoes, and Christina from Camper Christina. 

Upon arriving at the University of Waterloo campus, we were greeted by this lovely sign! It was a sold out event!

Being up so early I needed a little motivation to keep me strong, and this guy outside the theater was exactly what I needed LOL.

Once you enter the theater, there were a number of sponsors set up with all their winter goodies. It was really hard to not want to slap down my credit card and buy a whole bunch of things! I got a chance to check out the hot tents that were set up (wish I had a picture!), the sleds, the gear, the blankets, more gear, and people!  So many people to meet! I really wish I could remember all the names, but the faces I will remember for a long time.

At the far end of the sponsor displays, Kevin Callan aka The Happy Camper was set up signing his new book on winter camping. I quickly ran back to get mine (so glad I brought it with me), and he signed it! Was nice to chat with him again. Also love the photo op with him and Christina 🙂

At this point it was time to get seated. David Bain was the mc, and one of the organisers of the event and started the morning off with giving away door prizes. There were people who came from OHIO!!! get that OHIO!!! to see this symposium, as well as people from all over Ontario. Here I thought I had a long drive. 

First speakers were Marian and Duane Sonntag (The Camping Family).  They are a family of 6 + 2 dogs that got into winter camping back in the early 90s (adding kids along the way).  Their family has cold camped, yurt camped, and now hot tent.  It was nice to hear about their transition from each of these as they introduced their family into winter camping. 

Their presentation included places to start and the main focus was Mew Lake.  This was how we got our start into winter camping.  Over New Year’s, Family Day and March Break, Mew Lake is a haven for winter camping. There are many other parks that do offer winter camping experiences, but this one seems to be the one with a great outdoor community.  As Marian said “if you want information, just ask. 99% of the people camping are more than willing to share and show their camping set ups”. Don’t be afraid to ask!!

Next was Kevin Callan (The Happy Camper).  He has just finished writing and publishing a book called “Complete Guide to Winter Camping” and was sharing his information on camping in winter.  Lots of tips and tricks on  how to stay warm, what do to for water (or lack of water, or muddy water finds), fire wood, etc.  One thing I will remember is his axe story.  GAH! I won’t share it, but please be sure if you are out and using an axe, please be careful. The colder winter conditions can also hamper your judgement, and there was a lot of focus on being safe out there.

The third presentation of the morning came from Tierney Angus.  She is a student and a member of the Friends of Temagami group. Being a student, you do not have a lot of extra money, so she was discussing how to camp and enjoy winter camping on a budget, but still have that GLAMPing experience.  There are many items that you can spend money on, which are necessities, but then you can find great deal items at local discount stores.  She also focused on the fact that not all backcountry camping experiences need to feel like roughing it. 

One comment she had was that she didn’t want to boil water for tea in the pot used for greasy food the previous day.  She brings a kettle. They have also brought a hot tent and wood stove in the backcountry on a canoe trip. Again, she mentioned the fact that “So what if you have to do an extra carry on that portage”. You will be comfortable in the end.  Her presentation sparked that little bit in me that wants to get to Temagami and explore other areas.

The afternoon sessions were to start after lunch.  We quickly found a place a few minutes walk away, ate and chatted with the Paddling Adventures Radio crew. It was not a long enough lunch. Really you need hours with anyone you meet!

Back at the theater, the afternoon sessions started and first up was David Lee (The Passionate Paddler). He was sharing his winter camping experiences and his adventure to hike Silver Peaks in winter. I was amazed at how many people in the theater know about Silver Peaks and has hiked it.  There was only a handful of people who had not heard of it.  For you who don’t, this is located in Killarney Provincial Park. 

This is not the kind of hike that most beginning adventurers would be able to do in winter, but it was nice to hear about the process and planning that had to occur to endeavor this kind of trip. There are lots of map planning, gear prep, and apparently learning to pee, in a bottle, while horizontal, in a sleeping bag.  I believe only about 10 people raised their hand when asked if they had accomplished this task. LOL. I believe I’ll leave that to the males in the group.

Next up was Martin Pine talking about crown land camping.  This is a topic that I really want to investigate in the future, and he showed his process on how to find those coveted parcels of land.  It does require knowledge of GPS skills, topography map readings,  and working knowledge of the Ontario Crown land website.

He also shared some of his pictures of what crown land camping can look like.  In the summer (yes not winter pictures), the areas are lush and green compared to the brown ground in most back country canoe sites.  The same would be for winter in that the area would be undisturbed. I have little knowledge of this kind of camping, so any information I’m willing to take 🙂

The last presentation was Jim Baird (co-winner of Alone), and his dog Buck. He shared his story about travelling across the northern tip of Quebec from Kangiqsujuag to Akulivik with a stop at the Pingualuk Lake (a lake formed in a crater left my a meteor) . This was a 370km trip, across a very rugged environment in winter.  He was walking this entire distance with his dog meaning he was carrying all his food, equipment for filming, and supplies for the 30 days.  

His trip ended up being 36 days due to weather systems crossing the area.  There were days where he would have to stay in his shelter and not travel. Even one morning having to dig out of the shelter! This guy is truly an amazing adventurer.  A trip like this is one I could never consider doing in my life.  I do agree with the solitude and peacefulness he talked about on this trip. I have been known to go outside on the colder days and “smell” the air.  That cool crisp fresh fallen snow smell is wonderful.

I did get to meet Jim and take a picture 🙂 yeah!! I have to say, when my son and I were watching the show Alone, he piped up right away and said I think “they” will win. They, being him and his brother.

I was also lucky to meet Buck.  This dog was so calm and did entertain the crowd at the end of the show by chasing down a laser pointer. Kinda like what a cat would do.

During the show, there were many door prizes being drawn, from a 2 night stay in Ontario parks, a Kelly Kettle (gear from Man Camping), gift cards from SAIL, blankets from Boreal Mountain Anoraks and more.  I was so happy when they made the draw for the blanket and I had won! During the morning before the symposium, I was checking out these blankets. I really wanted one since I always find it cold during the evenings in shoulder season and winter.  Yeah!!!

A huge congrats and thanks to all the people involved with this symposium!  It was fantastic and very informative. I know there was a theater full of people leaving with lots of information and hopefully the lure to winter camp.