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 destination guides. I feel as though there’s enough Youtube and Instagram channels inspiring people, but not enough giving those 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 environmentally sustainable 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 45 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 8 Incredible Destinations for Backcountry Camping in Ontario
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…
Continue Reading Ultimate Guide to Canoe Camping: Everything You Need to Know
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.…
A few years back I started dabbling in the hiking and backpacking scene, and will be giving it a larger role in my schedule moving forward.
Backpacking Trail Destination Guides: Highland Backpacking Trail and Backcountry Camping in Bruce Peninsula National Park
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 like hiking, Vancouver is the place to be. There are literally hundreds (thousands?) of hikes within a short drive of the city. While many of the hikes are…
Continue Reading 10 Best Easy Hikes in Vancouver: Chill Trails with Amazing Views
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
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 safe and comfortably.
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
There is nothing better than pitching your tent below towering pine trees, filling up your water bottle in a sparkling lake and falling asleep under the stars. Camping is by…
Continue Reading Eco Camping: Your Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Camping
One of the hottest debate topics in the outdoor community is what to do about bears when backcountry camping. Should you do a hang your food? What about carrying bear…
Continue Reading How to Bear-Proof Your Campsite and Protect Against Black Bears in Ontario
I spent four months guiding in Nunavut, so I’ve written quite a lot about it.
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
So you’re thinking of a trip to Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital city. In a territory as vast and sparsely populated as Nunavut, Iqaluit is a bit of a “New York of…
Continue Reading Iqaluit Hotels: Where to Stay on your Arctic Getaway
This is my home province and where I’ve done most of my guided and personal trips.
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: Transport Options, Traffic Tips & Stops Along the Way
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
Oh, Temagami. This remarkable stretch of boreal forest has intrigued paddlers for centuries. Today, every canoeist I meet has either paddled it or has plans to paddle it. It’s an…
Continue Reading Paddling Temagami: Canoe Routes, Outfitters, Maps, Resources & More
I recently moved to British Columbia. I haven’t written too much on the province yet, but here’s what I’ve got so far.
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
I’ve visited, lived and worked in a lot of Canadian cities and Vancouver is by far my favourite. In addition to having amazing access to the mountains and ocean, the…
Continue Reading 15 Best Viewpoints in Vancouver: Skyline, Mountains, Beaches & More
My partner, Yohann, loves jet skis and he loves zooming on the ocean surface. So jet skiing in Vancouver was one of the first things he wanted to do when…
Continue Reading Jet Skiing Vancouver: Mountains and Sea Lions on Howe Sound
Although I’ve visited almost everyone province and territory, I haven’t written about all of them. I do have a few posts on New Brunswick, Alberta and Quebec.
