Paddling Education
Holiday Gift Guide for Kayak Anglers & Canoeists
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Bending Branches
If you’re making a list and checking it twice, we’re here to give you some holiday gift ideas. We have lots of friends in the paddle industry we’re happy to recommend, as well as some gear of our own that your family and friends will love.
Bending Branches’ Explorer Plus Canoe Paddle
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Bending Branches
The Explorer Plus wood canoe paddle is one of Bending Branches’ most popular paddles due to its reliability and ease of use in any flatwater paddling environment.
Use Paddle Planner for Your Next Canoe Trip
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Bending Branches
Paddle Planner is a unique online toolkit that makes planning your canoe and kayak trips easy and fun. “It’s Google directions for the Boundary Waters,” says founder Ben Strege.
Gear Strategy for River Canoe Camping
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Bending Branches
Canoe camping trips on rivers are somewhat different than in flatwater environments like the Boundary Waters or Quetico. Bending Branches’ long-time President and owner, Ed Vater, takes us through his gear list for river canoe camping.
Wilderness Canoe Tripping: Minnesota vs. Maine
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Bending Branches
While canoeing in Minnesota and Maine are very similar in many ways—both have plenty of forests, lakes and rivers—the wilderness canoe cultures in these two US states are quite distinct from one another.
How to Transport a Canoe on Your Vehicle
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Bending Branches
It’s important you learn how to transport a canoe properly to avoid damaging either your canoe or your vehicle…or risk damaging other vehicles while you’re on the road.
Canoe Camping with Kids: Top Tips from Parents
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Bending Branches
Starting a family doesn’t mean you have to stop canoe camping. And it doesn’t mean you can’t start canoe camping if you haven’t done it yet. But there are some different ways of thinking that will make canoe camping more successful with kids—especially very young kids.
Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Retired Paddle
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Bending Branches
Do you have a beloved canoe or kayak paddle that’s served its years faithfully, but you just can’t see it go? Repurpose it!
Stay Healthy on Long Canoe Trips
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Bending Branches
Whether your definition of a “long canoe trip” is a weekend, a week, a month or six months, you want to stay healthy throughout your trip. The longer the trip, the more important it is that you’re aware of and practice those things that will keep you healthy.
Do these 4 Things to Maintain Your Wood Paddle
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Bending Branches
Your paddle won’t need any special care except to protect it from the elements between trips. If the finish of the paddle does become scratched or worn through, you can repair it. Here's how:
Canoeing Gear Ideas for Older Adults
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Bending Branches
One of the best things about paddle sports like canoeing and kayaking is that they’re low-impact, healthy activities we can continue to do well into our older years. Here are a few gear ideas that will make canoeing and kayaking easier as you get older.
Is Canoeing Harder than Kayaking?
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Bending Branches
If you’re a new paddler, the short answer is: yes, canoeing is harder than kayaking. In no way does that mean you shouldn’t give canoeing a try, though…and learn to kayak, too! But if you must choose between the two, most beginners find kayaking easier to learn.
Adaptive Kayaking and Canoeing Get More People on the Water
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Bending Branches
Here at Bending Branches, one of our main goals is to get more people out on the water in canoes and kayaks. That’s why we believe in adaptive kayak and canoe programs and equipment.
The Golden Rules of Portage Etiquette
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Mikaela Ferguson
With another season of increased interest in canoe camping, Mikaela Ferguson shares the Golden Rules of Portage Etiquette to get through any portage without incident.
It's Never Too Late to Start Paddling
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Mikaela Ferguson
A few years ago my dad vocalized that he’d always wanted to paddle the Nahanni River. He’d done a little canoe tripping in his youth, but he always reminisced about 5-day canoe trip on the Moose River when he was a Boy Scout. At this point, it had been almost 40 years since he’d held a paddle. This is how my dad and I worked our way up to paddling the Nahanni River, plus advice on how to start canoeing!
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Les Voyageurs: Using Canoes to Turn Kids into Leaders
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Bending Branches
Les Voyageurs is a Minnesota-based non-profit organization that provides the adventure of a lifetime for young people—a month-long canoe trip into remote areas of the US and Canada.
Canoeing the Wilds of Scotland’s Lochs
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Bending Branches
Ian Finch and Jamie Barnes, both UK natives, partnered with two others for a winter canoe trip in the wilds of Scotland’s lochs. As often happens, their trip didn’t go quite as planned, but the changes brought them to a magical “hidden glen” they wouldn’t have wanted to miss.
How to Purify Water when Canoe & Kayak Camping
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Bending Branches
No matter how clear and clean backcountry water looks, there’s no guarantee it’s safe for people to drink. Microorganisms in wilderness waters can cause an array of nasty consequences, from mild to severe.
Best Canoe Camping Spots in America’s Upper Midwest
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Bending Branches
Backcountry canoe camping is a pretty amazing way to spend a few days. You always have a lakeside campsite. You can fish, swim, relax. You can paddle from site to site or stay in one spot.
Canoeing and Kayaking Safety in Stormy Weather
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Bending Branches
Let’s look at some of the weather hazards canoeists and kayakers may encounter, especially if you’re in remote or wilderness areas with no chance of getting to shelter.
For International Women’s Day: Meet Our ProStaff Women
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Bending Branches
Let us introduce you to some of the women on Bending Branches’ ProStaff team, in honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022.