Gear Up

Remember when Mom packed the old wicker hamper with sandwiches, apples and a carton of milk and Dad drove the family to the riverside for a picnic under a shady willow? Neither do I. In fact, I’ve never seen anyone use one of those hampers for anything...

By Alec Ross Before you stride up the gangplank and hoist anchor on your next nautical excursion, make sure your steamer trunk includes all the essentials for a comfortable and leisurely trip. Here are some useful items to consider: DRY AND WARM The Gulf...

Get the shot, get around and go under By Alec Ross When someone says they’re ‘going south,’ they usually mean someplace warm, sunny and scented with salty ocean breezes. But even if your destination isn’t a tropical paradise, you still might consider...

The right footwear and accessories will protect you from the elements and bring bliss, not blisters By Alec Ross Whether you’re hiking the rocky beaches of the West Coast Trail or exploring the cobblestoned streets of Old Québec, you want properly fitting...

All-weather boots that’ll take the trudge out of your next trek By Shawna Wagman Moving to ottawa after several years spent living in larger urban centres required a major shift in footwear mentality. I now find myself a mere 15-minute drive from glorious...

A cross-country ski primer to get you back on the track By Marty McLennan THE BASIC SKILL SET behind the classic style of cross-country skiing has changed little since its inception millennia ago in Scandinavia. The tradition, however, has expanded not...

The bike you use for a dash to the corner store isn’t the bike you’ll need for a trip across the country By Shawna Wagman AS THE IN-HOUSE editor for a luxury bicycle-tour operator, I was once invited to experience one of the trips for which the company...

Going camping this summer? Here are some tips on what to look for in a portable abode By Alec Ross I SPENT A SLEEPLESS night many years ago squashed between two very large Americans in a one-person pup tent on a 5,000-metre Himalayan mountain slope. Another...

With a GPS receiver in your car, you can finally lay that tattered road map to rest By Douglas Hunter APPROACHING Ottawa from Montréal as twilight and rush hour set in, I surrender to a firm yet maternal voice not unlike that of Mary Poppins. “In 500...

How to find the blades you need to get the game you want By Steven Threndyle WHEN THE FIRST skin of ice appears on the nearest pond, it is time to start thinking about winter blades. Although there is an ever expanding variety of skates available, if...

Fast and furious: The Nikon D200 is ideal for the amateur who wants to shoot like a pro. A digital primer to help you break the celluloid habit By Marty McLennan RARELY IN THE LAST decade have I boarded a plane with less than three cameras strung around...

Tips to protect your hide from the buzzing critters that vant to drink your blawd! By David Smallwood A love of camping, canoeing and the outdoors played a major role in my decision to move to northern Saskatchewan in 1988. The region is renowned for...

Coverage that protects you from the slippery slope of a holiday casting call By Tracy C. Read Perhaps there were no accidents in Sigmund Freud's life. It's also safe to say, however, that the father of modern psychoanalysis never spent a week in the remote...

A first-time buyer's guide to life under the Big Top By Conor Mihell Top Tent for 2006 THE BIG AGNES SEEDHOUSE SL1 The Seedhouse is the backcountry hermit's shelter of choice. Big Agnes has created one of the lightest single-person shelters around, featuring...

State-of-the-art light hikers that will help you put your best foot forward By Tracy C. Read The trail is littered with tales of hikers who made the wrong turn when selecting footgear. Slips, falls and twisted ankles — even an unsure gait — can ruin an...