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A rusty mug that cuts your lip. A wood stove without a door. Eighty days on Great Slave Lake will make you grateful for the little things—and will redraw your map of what matters. We sat down with winter guide and Alone Season 7 alum Kielyn Marroni to unpack how survival clarity and traditional craft can turn deep cold into deep comfort.

Kielyn traces the path from competitive athlete to outdoor educator to co‑founder of Lure of the North, guiding everyone from first‑timers at a cozy base camp to hardy travellers on committing northern routes. She breaks down the traditional winter system—canvas anoraks, big snowshoes, hot tents, and freight toboggans—and why breathable, natural materials outperform heavy “cold camping” in real wilderness. We dig into her DIY roots: teaching moccasin, mitten, and anorak workshops; launching gear kits and videos; then intentionally splitting the retail side to protect the expedition focus and avoid burnout.

The conversation travels home to their off‑grid homestead built from a prospector tent and a leaking aluminum boat, now powered by a 12 kW solar array with diesel backup. Kielyn shares the unglamorous but essential systems—rotating compost, a bear‑proof garbage cage, a simple thunderbox—and why modern conveniences can live alongside primal solutions. As camp chef, she reveals how single‑ingredient freeze‑dried staples make lighter, healthier meals at scale, retaining nutrients and rehydrating fast in subzero temps.

Hear about a 73‑day snowshoe traverse from Lake Superior to James Bay, the art of pacing ten‑hour days, and the quiet headspace of walking in winter rhythm. If you care about winter camping, hot tenting, DIY gear, off‑grid living, survival lessons, or planning remote expeditions, this one is packed with field‑tested insight and hard‑earned laughs.

If this story moved you or taught you something new, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves wild places. Got a winter question we should tackle next? Send us a note at Hi at Supergoodcamping.com.

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Think you can camp anywhere for free on Ontario’s Crown land? We dig into the real rules, the best regions, and the prep that turns a risky guess into a confident adventure. After a quick year-five milestone shoutout, we map out what Crown land actually is, why so much of it sits north of the French River, and how local restrictions shape where you can pitch a tent, light a fire, and stay legally.

We walk through the Crown Land Use Policy Atlas and the 21-day rule, including the must-move 100 metres requirement. Then we tour standout regions with very different vibes: Temagami’s classic canoe routes and remote islands, Algoma’s quieter lakes and fewer crowds, Killarney-adjacent granite shores like Philip Edward Island when reservations vanish, cottage-country pockets near Bancroft that demand careful boundary checks, and the wild northwestern stretch around Dryden and Vermilion Bay where water access and fly-ins raise the stakes. Along the way, we call out the no-services reality—no toilets, no bins, often no cell service—and what that means for wag bags, food storage, navigation skills, and first aid readiness.

This conversation is for campers who crave solitude and can handle self-reliance. We’re honest about who should embrace Crown land now—experienced paddlers, anglers, and backcountry travellers—and who should build skills in managed parks first. Expect practical, respectful advice on fire bans, Leave No Trace, logging roads, and why good etiquette keeps spots open for everyone. If you love freedom, pair it with responsibility and you’ll find the wild corners of Ontario that feel like your own. Subscribe, share with a camping friend, and tell us: which region are you planning to explore next?

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A last-minute curveball from VIA Rail threatened to kill a long-planned Spanish River trip. We refused to pack it in. Instead, we pivoted north to the lower Temagami River, launching from Red Cedar Lake and finding warm days, calm nights, and a crew that just clicked. That shift became a reminder that great canoe trips hinge on nimble planning, weather grace, and teammates who keep it light when logistics go sideways.

We dig into what made Temagami shine, then map out Spanish River Take Two this June with a moving water certification led by an ORCKA instructor. Bill shares how becoming an ORCKA instructor transformed his own paddling—turns that used to feel “fine” suddenly needed cleaner torso rotation, tighter stern work, and better trim. Efficiency becomes the real safety net when rapids stack up. We talk guiding on the French River, especially the South Channel and five-mile rapids—quieter stretches where boat traffic fades and the landscape opens up. The theme is consistent: seek solitude, read water, and save energy for the moves that matter.

The trail talk widens to hiking windows along the Bruce Trail and Niagara Escarpment, a late-light glacier hike in Iceland, and the growing appeal of crown land access near Georgian Bay and Philip Edward Island. Overlanding gets a nod for freedom and a caution for cost. We share fishing highs and humbling blanks, including the fly rod cameo after a spinning setup sank in the French. Fly casting shines as craft and meditation, even when the net stays dry. Bill explains the cheeky origin of Thunderbox Diaries and why storytelling through images still feels like a living logbook.

Gearheads will appreciate the shoutouts: compact lights and pumps from Flextail, backcountry meals from Wanderlost Kitchen and SLY Foods that taste like real food, and a fresh collaboration with Ostrom Outdoors. Watch for a prototype debut at the Hamilton Adventure Expo at the Organic Boat Shop booth. If you love canoe tripping, whitewater progression, better trip food, and hearing how a busted plan turned brilliant, this one’s for you. Enjoy it, then share it with a paddler who needs a nudge. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: when did your plan B beat plan A?

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Support the show

CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:

Support the podcast & buy super cool SWAG: https://store.skgroupinc.com/super_good_camping/shop/home

EMAIL: hi@supergoodcamping.com

WEBSITE: www.supergoodcamping.com

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqFDJbFJyJ5Y-NHhFseENsQ

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/super_good_camping/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin

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TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping

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