Algonquin Provincial Park

Sprawling over an estimated 8000 square kilometers of rugged Canadian shield is Ontario's oldest and 3rd largest provincial park. Algonquin Provincial Park is located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario. The park is home to moose, wolves, black bears and smaller mammals like otters, fox or raccoons. Over 250 bird species have been recorded within Algonquins corridor.

Sunset on Rock Lake

By Eric Raymond Lanning, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52747316

In the fall the park explodes with colours as the leaves change, and in the spring the odds of seeing a moose at the side of the road increases as they are attracted to the left over road salt from the winter. The real attraction for outdoor enthusiasts comes from the 1,500 kilometers of canoe routes on over 2,400 lakes and all of that unexplored wilderness.

What are 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here

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Real Man Tested: GSI Pinnacle Soloist

A few members of the Real Man Travels team recently went on a four day portage trip in Ontario's beautiful Massasauga Provincial Park. This was our first real portage trip together with no coolers, luxuries or special amenities, so we had to be smart about the items we packed. The decision to mostly use just add water food for our meals made the most sense for weight and convenience. Enter the GSI Pinnacle Soloist cook set to boil all of the water for my meals. I bought this set at MEC for $45.50 + tax and put it to the test. Here are the results I found:

1. What You Get

The GSI Pinnacle Soloist comes with a 1.1L pot with an attached handle that swings up and down, a lid with an integrated strainer and spout, a 590mL cup with a removable insulation strip, a “foon” (telescopic spork), a stove bag made for an MSR Pocket Rocket style stove (stove not included), and a stuff sack that can double up as a wash basin.

Included in the set: A 1.1L pot, telescopic foon, cup with insulating strip, a wash basin and a strainer/lid.

2. Look and Feel

When I first went to MEC and looked at this set my initial reaction was that it is small... much smaller than I thought it would be. After unboxing it at home and seeing how it all stacks up within itself I realized that this was a well thought out product.

The pot feels sturdy and light and the rubberized handle sits firm in its locked positions. The plastic bowl has a little bit of flex but not too much to be nervous about squeezing out your contents while holding it. The pot lid is a hard plastic and I was skeptical about it not melting when in use. The stuff sack has a rubberized interior which allows it to stand on its own making it believable for use as a wash basin. The stove bag was a generic pouch made of canvas material. The telescopic foon (spork) felt flimsy and cheap in comparison to the rest of the superior contents.

3. Ease of Use

Unpacking and packing up the stove is a breeze as all the components fit into each other perfectly. As for actually using the product, it’s as simple as: fill the pot with water, set it on a lit stove and let the water boil, add food, fill your bowl with your cooked food, eat with the foon and clean up.

Simple stove to boil water!

4. Actual vs. Advertised

The GSI Pinnacle Soloist is advertised as a trail solution for one person, but I found that if anyone else in the group has their own mess kit it could actually be beneficial for two people. 1.1L of water is enough to make two Knorr Sidekicks or two of most Mountain House meals, two cups of coffee in the morning etc. And if there isn't enough water in the first boil, it doesn't take very long to boil another full pot.

All of the included components work as advertised, my only gripe is that the telescopic foon is flimsy, cheap feeling and retracts itself under the pressure of you scraping the edges of the bowl for the last little morsels of food.

5. Value

Priced at $45.50 CAD at MEC, I believe this was a steal as some big box retailers offer crappier products that are bulkier and don’t include everything you need for a similar price. This complete storage system allows for a small fuel canister and a stove to be packed into it so the space and bulk savings in my pack is well worth the price tag.

6. Practicality

500mL of water took, on average, three minutes to boil, and a full pot took about five to seven minutes (under perfect conditions). This meant I wasn't waiting too long to eat my meals. I ended up sharing the pot with a buddy and it worked well for the two of us. This set is small and took up very little real estate in my pack. I’d say this is a perfect set for a backpacking or portage trip where the luxuries are left behind. It could also be used on a car camping or “glamping” trip where you would want instant coffee or instant oatmeal in the morning.

Ain't nothing like a bowl of noodles after a long day of portaging!

7. Overall Impression and Final Score

Overall I am very impressed with this set. The pot boiled the water quickly, the cup held a generous amount of food and was soft enough to grip yet firm enough to not spill contents. The foon, unfortunately, was junk and I would recommend grabbing something else that is a similar size to keep the integrity of the way the set packs up. I never used the stuff sack as a sink, but it is capable of the function, even if it seems a little small. The entire set packs up tiny, and is pretty cheap. I will definitely be using this set in the future for my adventures and would definitely recommend it for your next adventure.

A well deserved score of 4.5/5 for the GSI Pinnacle Soloist

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Photo and Video Evidence: Man of the Year 2015

Another year has gone by and another one of our annual Man of the Year camping trips has come to a close. To keep with tradition we documented the struggles and hardships faced in all the challenges and feats of strengths in order to win the coveted title of Man of the Year. For the first time we also made a video, so be sure to watch it! We'd like to thank our friends at Honda Canada for powering our dreams and hooking us up with a Honda Fit to get to the Isle of Man.

A short video (make sure you watch in 720p or 1080p) followed by pictures of our weekend adventure!

Unloading our custom canoe trailer.

Unloading the Honda Fit at the boat launch.

We made it to the Isle of Man, time to set up and get fishing!

Scott's tent all set up with a nice view of the lake.

Sam trying to catch us some dinner.

Scott fighting to reel in his 0.01 pound perch.

Who needs a canoe when you have a good sitting rock? Porter fishing like a boss.

The fish we couldn't keep. Scott caught a fat bass that was unfortunately out of season off the shore.

Washer toss and beer is next! Porter showing off a champion technique of tossing washers.

Chris is focused and determined to get a sewer!

Top 3 finishers. Also might be the only photo of Ed from the weekend as he was always behind the camera

The sun is setting over the lake.

The boats are packed up for the night.

The views that we really do this trip for.

Starry night.

The stars through the trees on our campsite.

Campfire with a view.

Enjoy the fire boys, tomorrow we crown a champion!

2015 Fishing Technician and Sharpshooter Champion

2015 Xtreme Challenge and Without a Paddle Champion

2015 Washer Toss Champion and 2015 Man of the Year!

Porter being knighted Man of the Year by the previous years winner Sam.

Another year of good friends, good times and memories that will last a lifetime!

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5 Reasons to Book a Camping Trip Now

Ever since I was a little kid I have loved camping. I remember my parents loading up the car with all of our camping gear, and heading north of the city to spend three days immersed in nature. Funnily enough, the town near to where we used to camp is the town that my parents eventually settled in.

When I was old enough to go camping alone I took every opportunity I could to do so with friends. We’d hike, bike, swim, goof around the campfire and take care of ourselves with no adult supervision. Now that I am an adult who has a busy schedule and limited time I cherish every chance I have to disconnect with my daily life and reconnect with nature, preferably with some of those same friends I camped with as a kid.

Here are 5 reasons why you too should disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect with nature by camping.

1. Camping Makes You Appreciate the Little Things in Life

What I love about camping is shedding the unnecessary and only bringing exactly what you need. It puts things into perspective for when you are preparing to leave and when you return.

You can’t carry everything into the woods, so you must purge your lifestyle down to only the necessities. What those necessities are will vary for everyone, but it is a great feeling to realize what you really need versus what you think you need. 

Chris – “I feel camping is real and basic. I think I like it because it humbles me. It also brings my kids closer to me when I take them, almost like an adventure!”

Camping also makes you appreciate all that you have upon your return. Everyday items we take for granted become amazing again like your washer and dryer, your bed, TV, smartphones etc. All of these things that we relied on and took for granted are much more appreciated for their importance in our lives.

2. Camping Helps You Reconnect

Camping is a time to reconnect, not just with nature but with each other. Spending a few nights under the stars with friends and family is a great way to connect in ways you normally wouldn’t during the daily grind. As well you can reconnect with nature, lay under a starlit sky and ponder how small you are or walk through a forest and realize how quiet the world is away from the hustle and bustle of a city or town.

Scott – “I remember last year [at Man of the Year camping trip] on the Saturday morning when we all set out to fish, the water was still and the park was quiet. That’s what I love, a little bit of tranquility in all too busy life. And beers and jokes around the campfire.”

You’d think that we guys at Real Man Travels see each other often, but in reality we don’t. With our busy 9-5 schedules, families and plenty of side activities we don’t spend a lot of quality time together just hanging out. Our annual camping trip provides us the time to unwind and reconnect in a way that we don’t normally have throughout the year. Our Man vs. Wild camping trip is something we all look forward to doing each summer.

3. Camping Gives You Time to Think

I always take some time to myself on a camping trip whether it is fishing at 4:30 am off the shore, sitting down in a chair for an hour in silence or just going for a short hike. Camping provides an opportunity to be alone in relative silence to think about your life and plan out some things you want to do with no outside influence.

Fun Fact: Real Man Travels was created because of Chris taking some time to think during a camping trip that people would be interested in reading about the shenanigans we get into.

4. Camping Creates Self Reliance

If you’re going on a camping trip it’s a chance to learn to be self-reliant. You are picking the best spot for a shelter (in some cases building your own shelter), you are starting fires from scratch, chopping wood, cooking in ways you didn’t know you could, fishing for a meal, learning a little about first aid on the fly, and much more.

Sam – “The real reason I like camping is it gives me a chance to escape the everyday routine and reconnect with my surroundings. The chance to self-sustain, even for a weekend gives me a sense of caveman pride.”

In my opinion this is something we HAVE to teach the next generation of kids about. The more entwined youth get with technology the less happy they seem to be away from it. Camping is a small break that creates confidence and self-reliance when given the chance. So take a weekend away with no screens and become more self-reliant!

5. Camping is a Break from the Daily Routine

Camping offers an escape from the every day. A chance to escape the grind of work, the continuous flow of email exchanges and phone calls. There are no bosses, no co-workers, no workplace jargon or etiquette to follow (well there is some etiquette, please follow all park rules!).

Justin – “Hanging out with friends around the campfire and away from the distractions of regular life brings everyone closer together.”

There is just nature, family and friends, there is silence, there is beauty beyond description but most importantly there is a break from the real world that we all could use an escape from.

While this list may seem geared to traditional camping, it can also be accomplished by “glamping” in yurts, cabins or RV’s. Don’t feel that you have to rough it to the extreme to reap the benefits of camping. So pull up the website of a place you want to camp in and book your summer camping adventure now!

Have any camping adventures planned? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

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