Hello and welcome to Voyageur Tripper, the outdoor adventure blog. This page will help you get acquainted with me and show you what this blog is all about!
My name is Mikaela and I’m the voice behind Voyageur Tripper. I started this blog in 2017 but didn’t do much with it until late 2019 when I made the decision to dedicate the blog to outdoor education and backcountry camping. I feel as though there are enough Youtube and Instagram channels inspiring people, but there aren’t enough giving people the resources they need to plan and execute those trips themselves.
I generally blog about four topics: canoeing, hiking/backpacking, backcountry camping and Canada travel. I’ve also been known to dabble in the occasional opinion piece and environmental sustainability is strung throughout all my posts. Below I’ve included links to some of my most popular content.
I also run Trip Reports | A Voyageur Tripper Resource which is a membership website and database for backcountry camping routes in Canada. I’m striving to create the largest collection of highly detailed and comprehensive backcountry camping trip reports. Currently, we have ~100 reports and release ~10 per month.
In addition to this blog, you can find me on posting on Instagram and or sharing resources in my private Facebook Group. I also run a monthly and weekly newsletter where I share outdoor education tips and blog updates. You can sign up here.
Canoe camping is what I’m best known for. I spent four summers guiding flatwater and whitewater canoe trips for youth groups in destinations like Algonquin, Killarney, Temagami and the Upper Ottawa Valley.
Everyone loves to hate Ontario, or as it’s often referred to, On-terrible. Whether it’s our lack of mountains or distance from the ocean (or how the entire province is equated…
Continue Reading 10 Incredible Destinations for Backcountry Camping in Ontario
Whitewater paddlers consider many factors before they choose to run a rapid. In this post, I’ll give you a brief overview of these considerations and what goes into scouting rapids.…
In the summer of 2018, six lifelong paddling friends from Quebec began a trip unlike any other. Over 65 days, Expedition AKOR traveled 1600 kilometers to connect the inland town…
Continue Reading Polar Bears and Paddling: Behind the 1600 km journey of Expedition AKOR
A few years back I started dabbling in the hiking and backpacking scene and have since been on a quest to achieve an ultralightweight backpacking setup. Now that I live in California, I’m doing a lot more backpacking than canoeing, so expect many more posts in this category.
Backpacking Trail Destination Guides:
Hiking Gear Guides:
The Ontario backpacking scene doesn’t get nearly the same appreciation as that of Alberta or British Columbia. It’s true that Ontario doesn’t have nearly as many trails as the other…
Continue Reading 10 Backpacking Trails in Ontario + The Ultimate Guide to Ontario Backpacking
If you make one investment in your entire camping/hiking/outdoor life, let it be hiking boots! If your feet aren’t comfortable walking 5 km in your boots, you’ll never want to…
Continue Reading 10 Best Women’s Hiking Boots (2021) + Guide to Buying Beginner Hiking Boots
Everyone loves to hate Ontario, or as it’s often referred to, On-terrible. Whether it’s our lack of mountains or distance from the ocean (or how the entire province is equated…
Continue Reading 10 Incredible Destinations for Backcountry Camping in Ontario
The majority of the outdoor education materials I create are centred around backcountry camping and giving others the knowledge and tools they need to get outside safely and comfortably.
Canada is a prime destination for canoe camping, with a nearly endless list of possible destinations. I’ve been canoeing all my life and still feel I have only scratched the…
I got caught in a brief, but crazy, thunderstorm last week while I was camping on the Spanish River. We were about two kilometres from our campsite when heard distant…
Continue Reading Don’t Get Struck: How to Stay Safe While Camping in a Thunderstorm
Camping is one of the best activities out there. Who doesn’t want to hike away from the hustle and bustle of the city, pitch a tent under the stars and…
Continue Reading Camping 101: The Ultimate Guide to Camping for Beginners
I spent four months guiding in Nunavut, so I’ve written quite a lot about it. It’s easier one of the most incredible places I’ve ever explored and I can’t wait to go back for more.
Recently I went hunting on my hard drive in search of one particular photo. I found it buried in the incorrect folder (and untagged, unnamed – why do I do…
Continue Reading North of the Arctic Circle: A Look Inside a Remote Arctic Base Camp
For a city of just 8,000 people, Iqaluit really punches above its weight. When I first moved to Nunavut’s capital city, I was painfully lonely. But once I started making…
Continue Reading 21 Unique Things to do in Iqaluit, Nunavut + The Ultimate Iqaluit Travel Guide
Iqaluit Hotel Reviews: Where to Stay on your Arctic Getaway So you’re thinking of a trip to Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital city. In a territory as vast and sparsely populated as…
Continue Reading 5 Iqaluit Hotel Reviews: Where to Stay on your Arctic Getaway
This is my home province and where I’ve done most of my guided and personal trips.
Over the last year or so there has been an explosion in the popularity of Ontario Crown land camping. Since so many people have gotten into camping this year, it…
Continue Reading Ontario Crown Land Camping: Your Guide to Finding Free Campsites
Okay, let’s be real. The worst part about a camping trip in Algonquin Park is the transportation to and from the park. Although the drive from Toronto to Algonquin Park…
Continue Reading Toronto to Algonquin Park: How to Make the Drive Easier and More Fun
I had long believed Algonquin Park to be overrated, but each time I visit I fall a little more in love with its lakes, forests and campsites. I personally prefer…
Continue Reading 11 Algonquin Park Campgrounds: A Helpful Guide to Camping in Algonquin
I spent the last year living in Vancouver, British Columbia. If I’m going to settle anywhere in Canada, it’ll likely be around here!
It’s no secret Vancouver is my favourite city in the world. While Vancouver has just about everything you could ever want or need, sometimes you need a little break from…
Vancouver is known for its amazing hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. But there’s so much more than that. Whether you’re not into hiking/skiing or you just…
Continue Reading 13 Outdoor Activities in Vancouver… That Aren’t Hiking or Skiing
Now that the weather has warmed and the rain has (mostly) ended, I’m reminded that it’s almost been a full year since I moved to Vancouver. The experience has been…
Continue Reading My Experience Moving to Vancouver from Toronto
Although I’ve visited almost every province and territory, I haven’t written about all of them. I do have a few posts on New Brunswick, Alberta and Quebec.
So yeah, that’s me and the blog currently. I hope you enjoy exploring the site. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram.
