I chuckled at the mention about aluminum pots and dementia. I remember my grandmother learning this and asking that all her pots be replaced. All good except she was 92 at the time...

Lets get Jon's subscribers up to 100,000. Good content Jon!

Although monotonous for you, I feel as though this video series will be helpful for others. I’ve noticed a big bump in folks taking interest in these types of camping activities since COVID took over. Very detailed, thorough, and helpful points I haven’t heard mentioned before. Try not to go crazy in lockdown John!

BTW we enjoy ALL Lost Lakes vids. No crappy filler at all. Lay it all out have at it. We will watch.

Your cat is becoming a star, demanding a speaking role.

Love the kitty.

I love that your cat has to put her/his 2 cents in! Lol I learned so much in this video! Well , honestly I love your channel because I honestly learn something new in every video even if I go back and rewatch some on my favorite camping trips and being stuck in the hosp I been rewatching ALOT of your video I am like ohhhhh I did not know that but know I do! Even if you think you videos are short ridiculous nd why would ppl want to see this stuff. Well new ppl like my husband and I appreciate you taking the time to do these! Your room in your house looks very cozy!🐾🐾👍

Good discussion Jon!

I really like the dry bag for the scotch idea, so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it myself! I have the same issue with trees out here in Arizona. I just got an Ursack (Kevlar bear bag) for the times I can't find a proper hang or even just a questionable one. Small animals or birds not being able to get into my food bag is also a bonus when using an Ursack. Keep your spirits up best you can right now, the videos are interesting and helpful so thanks for doing them even tho I know you would rather be out in the wild.. take care and be well.

A separate channel for your cat might be an extra revenue stream.

One thing I've noticed watching these videos and want to start implementing in my set up is the use of various bags. Also I found out about Billy Bellows from you guys, my girlfriend got me one as a Christmas present and I absolutely love it!

You are killing it! :-) Actually this is useful content as to your gear selection based on your location and experiences. We can always learn something. Channel is doing great. Waiting for your next trip.

thanks Jon, you are so great at explaining why you use your gear. Some oldies we’ve seen time & time again. Good to hear all your comments. Like the cat too.

Another one, keep em coming sir & I'll keep watching!

Omggg your cat is adorable! 😍

I just discovered your channel and have spent several hours the last two days enjoying your work. I believe it was in this video that you (John) mentioned the difficulty of using conifers, firs in particular, to hang your food container off the ground and bear safe. I have something to add here. During 30+ years of (usually) solo backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, I learned a simple and highly effective technique for safeguarding my food. After losing almost all of a three day supply suspended 10 feet out from the trunk of a red cedar and 25 feet above the ground on Ililouette Creek in Yosemite in 1976, I ever after used two 35 foot (or more) fir trees12-15 feet apart. Tying off one end of a 100 foot length of paracord (I always carried this much) head high on the first tree, I attached 12 oz. round lead fishing weigh to the other end of the cord, stepped back from the trunk 10 feet and chucked the weight over an upper branch close to the trunk and heard it crash to ground on the far side of the tree. I then took my food bags (two tied together) and, after pulling the paracord over the first tree and down into the intervening space, hung the bags over the cord sitting on the ground and chucked the weight over the second tree in similar fashion. When done with the food bags, I would simply hoist them into the space between the trees, usually at least 12-15 feet off the ground, and tie the weighted end off on the far side of the second tree. I never spent more than 5 minutes accomplishing this and I never had my food interfered with again.

Good informative video. One tip I give to people who cant hang their barrel is to bring a tie down strap (not ratcheting due to bulk) and strap it to a tree. I have seen scratches on my barrel but it was never run off with by a bear or a gang of raccoons :D

Loving these deeper dives into the gear Potential future topic: the weight principle you apply to the gear… ever considered ultralight? Firmly “of the bush” ? Inquiring minds want to know!

Good, sensible kit review. I started out with a big, heavy waxed canvas Duluth pack when I started canoe tripping (in the 70’s), which wasn’t water “proof”, really. I replaced its with a rubberized Duluth pack in about 1990, which had a Baja bag seal and really kept things dry, but was still heavy. I bought a barrel like yours about 20 years ago and never looked back. Truly waterproof unless you dump in heavy water and it hits a rock (I’ve seen it happen, not to me thankfully), and really light. So much better than a Baja bag or Duluth. Bear hangs are hard to make when you’re backpacking above tree line, but I’d you rig a loop around a tree trunk and push it up with your paddle you can use it to hang your barrel 6-8’ off the ground, which gets the scent higher and less likely to attract scavenging bruins. Anyways, lots of good content here.

Totally agree about NOT using barrel lid for cleaning fish, VERY BAD!

Once again, great tips! I have the same water filter. It’s great.

Great content! Don’t forget that lots of us are stuck at home too, so this is keeping us entertained in the meantime 😊 By the way, love the cat interaction!! We take our Rag-doll cat on canoe trips! Her first time last year, she’ll be with us again this summer... Look forward to your next vid! 😊😊

Great stuff. After watching a lot of your trips and now some of your equipment videos, I think I have answered my own question. Like everyone who uses a stick stove, my stove and cookware are covered with soot. Cleaning the soot is a PITA and having everything in my pack covered with soot plain sucks. The soot is my ONLY gripe about the stick stove. For a while I wondered how you deal with the soot, but in time I came to realize that anyone who can deal with the hordes of black flies, days of heavy rain, long portages through dense growth, soggy pants, socks and boots, freezing drizzle, deep snow, and all that you endure to be out there where the beauty lives is simply not deterred by a little soot. For better or worse, when I look in the mirror, I see a guy who has to find a solution to soot on a wood stove. Thank you.

Thats why your Kiitty Cat was screaming at you. Kitty must of thought you were going to fillet some fish. Don't you know how to read a Kitties miind? Ha Ha.

I've never had any problems with bears before , I think they are more a problem around organized camp sites rather than in remote location where they dont have the experience of dealing with humans . I like that little series on gear , it's kind of a "hors d'oeuvre " before the real trips . Thanks Jon

"And this is the most important bag of all. This is scotch" lmao. I agree.

love this. great ideas and tips. it is very different camping at national parks than crown land. food supply, shelter can make a huge difference.

I’ve heard the same thing about aluminum pots, not sure the science backing the claim but it freaked me out so I switched to titanium or stainless steel. Also I have the same Sea to Summit skillet and love it!

Just a thought, I use a 12 oz throw bag to set my food barrel/bag (arborists use these to set their climbing ropes). They are very small and sleek but enough weight to go through thick branches. You can buy them at most arborist supplies stores for $25-30 CAD

Thanks for these videos....I like your thought process...and Very Practical

Great idea to protect the scotch. I was taught to put a pin in the barrel ring to make it harder for a bear to pop it open.

You’re the first person I’ve heard say that about using the kid for cleaning fish, serving food, etc. I’ve been saying for years this is a terrible idea. Thanks for putting that out there.

Yep, aluminum and Teflon fastest way to get lost in the woods! Where we going?!😂 Switched to steel decades ago and cast iron at the remote cabin. Informative video again.👍

Nice bit of kit.

Thanks Buddy, very important points and great tips here, much appriciated!

Doritos and Naan calzones and I havent even watched the video yet:)

Great information. This will take my solo tripping to the next level. Thanks Jon

We attach a wrench to the carbeener < sp 😂 to throw, just enough weight. Great vid 👍

Oooooh i love the huge carabiner!!! I need one.

Interesting video with lots of info and options. Not boring at all and looking forward to the upcoming ones!

Great info job. Really enjoying these vids. Just picked up a barrel and harness looking forward to using it for sure. Hopefully we can all get out and do some camping starting on may 24 long weekend. Cheers

I love all the content, including gear loadouts, but.... I can litterly feel your cabin fever lol, can you guys still get out on day trips up there, maybey a quick fish and shore lunch 😃🐟😀🌲🔥🌲

Jon, my new favorite pots are made by a company called Tatonka (German?). They are 18/8 stainless and come in 1.6, 2.5 and 4.0 liter. I purchased them from a German company called Exxpozed. I think they are worth checking out next time you need a new pot.

I had the same twig stove you used to use and always hated having to pick the pot up to feed it. That Kelly Kettle Hobo looks NICE. Might need to get one. Thanks for sharing!

So so helpful! Thank you

Enjoying these very much!! thank you for going into detail about your choices. And I 1000 % agree about the cutting board barrel tops. Me no get it - but to each his own.

I canoed in brown bear country for years and never hung my food, out of ignorance. Never saw a bear until building a cabin and anchoring the food contamination in one spot. They were black bears and once they get a feed they are your friend for life or their death as it turned out.

I am so ready to go canoeing and fishing. You’ve motivated me to start getting my gear out...but I started with rods and reels.

Your cat has some serious attitude...

Thanks for Sharing more of your load out Jon, I am sure many will find this useful! May the 4th be with you and Erin! 🙏

Ha! I just watched the video where you spilled the scotts and poured it back, like.. the other day. few days ago. :)

I bring a cast iron frying pan on canoe trips and everyone makes fun of me for hauling it around, but I like that its indestructible and easy to clean.

I have so much Pathfinder stuff, it's borders on ridiculous. However, NOTHING from Dave has ever let me down. Typically in life, in general, you get what you pay for. Anyone that would actually clean a fish on their food barrel lid, well, let's just say that they are probably better off binge-watching something on their couch! Love your vid's, thanks for what you put out there!

Thanks once again, Jon. I am always learning from you, despite being an old (stuck in his ways) canoe tripper. LOL moment right at the start about folks who use their barrel lid as a fish cleaning station. Is there a better way to attract bears? We use barrels too but we line them with thick plastic bags for odor control (overkill? probably). From backpacking we have plenty of bear cannisters and use them as insurance against food lose. I even line these with plastic bags. They go in a Granite Gear food bag, with a hard foam base underneath them. So far, no food loses with this system.

I seen a guy use two trees and hang the barrel with one rope on each end while I was in the bwca last week being a tree guy by trade I thought that was a cool application of span rigging

I learned the hard way about booze and cooking oil leaking, and both on the same trip. Luckily the cooking oil was contained in a dry bag, but it was with all my food so that was a mess. Moving forward both will be put in a dry bag together.

Im from the UK and moved to Toronto at the end of 2019, I really want to do my first canoe trip this spring and your channel has been an inspiration as well as being hugely informative. These videos are invaluable. Keep up the good work!

Good video Jon, if only i had waited 24 hrs hehe, you certainly answered my question on a food bag lol

Thanks!

1:53 - Titanium is NOT better for cooking. You want stainless steel. Aluminum leaks toxins, btw. Stainless steel is best because it cooks evenly, and with less spot-burning. Titanium for everything else, no question. EDIT: 4:30 - Uses a long utensil due to high heat on the fire bottom, that's because you're using titanium cookware (see above).

LOL@"most important bag"

Another great video.

I like to keep my mesh bags in a mesh bag so I can easily see they are mesh bags. Top tip...

We have watched hours of your content. My wife is ill and finds your videos very comforting. My question is your take apart rectangular metal fire pit. I have spent hours searching for that and can't find one. Is this a commercial product, and if so, where can one be purchased?

More cat please

the thumbnail makes me think the answer is "SECRETS"

I just hope we are able to go camping this yr.

Great video as always,

Hey Jon. Great Video. Now can we do a deep dive into your cat situation. I feel like the little attention seeker in this video would be kind of a star.

Great video. What about using a bear vault?

Great insight 🤙 thanks for sharing.

Completely off topic comments. 'Closed to camping' hasn't happened here, and if it did I wouldn't obey that. I didn't stay inside during the 'official stay inside quarantine' either, nor did plenty of other folks. If I were you I'd just go on as planned, especially if it stopped you from making vids, which just might make you go a bit nuts under the circumstances. Have Erin drop you off and pick you up. Imagine a hundred years ago the 'man' saying "Nope. You can't camp in the forest.". fwiw I DO obey fire bans. There ain't a chance in hell I'd ever start a forest fire safe as I am, but hey, it would be jail time nowadays.

I store my olive oil in a Nalgene and have never had a leak either.

♥

I want a chewbacca chair

Beer bag :)

Ever thought of using a frisbee as a plate

Your cat has a lot to say about the food barrel compared to the Mec backpack!

I switched to barrels after racoons chewed through my bag.

Hi, John. These purely instructional/info videos are such a huge help for backcountry novices, like me. Thanks so very much! I recall seeing in at least one of your videos a small, collapsible fire grill or grate. What brand is it?

As to the aluminium debate, I have no scientific standpoint but have followed the debate. And it seems, under normal circumstances it should be okay, at least if you don't use it too much. *But* aluminium isn't bulletproof when it comes to corrosion, it just builds up a thin but normally stable layer of aluminium oxide that under normal circumstances keep the rest of the metal from corroding. It doesn't hold up all that well against acidic foods, for one. I've had to throw away food once that not just tasted horrible, it became discoloured from the metal in the cookware. And I take that as a bad sign, as you don't need that much to overdose on aluminium. So while I'm not always against using aluminium, I'm careful with it. Finding a good bush pot in titanium, however, isn't easy.. I often use a stove anyway, not to burn into the ground, so I can use the Keith pots. Meaning, the only aluminium pots I use is for my old Optimus Loke liquid fuel stove. They're shaped to fit the stove and hard to replace. As for the rubber in the pan, it's probably silicone rubber. It's known for having a high melting point (at somewhat above 300 degrees C), but it's not bullet proof. Thanks for the tips, anyhow. Especially on that food oil bottle.

Great video Jon! If I put my propane gas canister and stove inside the barrel , do you see any concerns? I will of course put them in a dry sack first.

Any updates to this list after a couple years? Thanks for the tips!

Cat Tip!: Put some delicious food in the kitchen for the cat before start next indoor video :) :)

Aluminum doesn't leave anything. In reality its the safest thing to eat out of. I find that hilarious people still think that lol

Hey Jon! You have an URL for the Barrel strap /harness you use- Thanks!

Great series so far. Are you able to do some testing and your thoughts on the URsack bear bags? Thanks. BC

You may find this very uninteresting, and believe me after 3 lockdowns I know how you feel (I even made a video in my garden, lol) but it's not. You have to look at it from the perspective of a Limey looking at a Canuck (or Rohanian looking at the Elves). Yes much of your gear is the same, or similar to what I take on canoe trips, except the barrel. I see no possible reason for one here aside from a seat, so I tend to use bags. But that aside it's interesting to see the similarities. You know, it'll be 41 years this month that I first sat in a canoe and got hooked, yet a couple of months ago I learnt something off you that left me slapping my head and wondering why I hadn't thought of that, so you're never too old to learn new tricks or pick up new gear ideas. I've been banging on about people using pots over bags for a while now, some have listened so keep doing it a big channel like yours can make a difference....just don't get me started on single use coffee sachets...

you know while you are on the mend you could always start uploading cat videos, I have heard they are pretty popular online

No biggie here. You like the sea to summit skillet. I was going to buy one from your site. But you have GSI skillet on your buy site. No sea to summit. Maybe i missed something. Thank you for video.

you are at a very basic level of barrel hanging mastery, young padawan... we use advanced techniques between trees to leverage up the barrell

Hi John! Just wondering if you guys hang your barrel? Or do you just keep it far from camp?

i own a transportation company and live in london and am going true northern ontario if you need your canoe picker up let me know

Thanks for the videos, sorry you're stuck at home. Question any worries with your food barrel being left alone, doing a double portage over a long distance, say a mile or so?

Hey John, how do you deal with cleaning your kitchen gear on site after meals? Campsuds? Cat hole for dumping water? Thx!

Jontario! do you take food items with you that may require staying cold? some videos I have seen you use cheese and other items you would think need to stay cold. what's your strategy for that?

I pack so much lighter... I would like to know, with all that gear (on a solo trip), what length of portage makes you wish you packed lighter? I'm setup for 1km single carries. One pack, 85l. 40lbs canoe.

Hi! Thanks for your great videos! Have you ever used an ursack?

Let me guess, carbs, bread, pasta, donuts, cheese, beans and in 1% of the time trout.

If you are going to hang your food would you hang the barrel or just the bag with food in it?