Open canoes, what are they? Why are they so popular? Why on earth would you want one? Simple questions and ones that I will try to answer in this article, and then in the next ones, I will divulge various titbits of skills and knowledge, which will hopefully take you a long way. 
So what is an open canoe? Think of the native American Indians…. Think of their canoes. Got it? Well that’s an open canoe. Since that time, the general shape and design hasn’t altered that drastically. There has been no need too, as this shape is so versatile as it is. Yes the materials have altered and with modern materials the ability to make smoother flowing curves, but overall the shape has remained the same for hundreds of years. Why this shape? Well as I have just said they are extremely versatile. The hull shape gives them stability whether they are loaded or unloaded, the ability to carry one person or ten people (depending on the size). The fact that they can deal with moving water, waves, wind, rocks, rapids, flat water all with consummate grace. And above all they are designed to be carried around anything that you don’t want to paddle. These design features are why they were used extensively all over the north American continent and especially all over Canada, hence they got their other name “Canadian Canoe”. The original European explorers and traders used them to get about, the local Indians and trappers used them to get about and pretty much all the native peoples used and built them to get about. The ability to be able to travel up rivers, sail across lakes, negotiate rapids down river and be carried around anything you couldn’t or didn’t want to paddle made then the de rigour possession.  The Hudson bay company that traded beaver furs for export to the European hat market used them extensively to be able to get up river to trade goods for the beaver skins, they used 25 and 30 foot long canoes with teams of 8 to 12 men paddling them. These huge canoes could be poled up river, sailed across and down wind, repaired on the go and carried easily along with their cargos.
This knowledge of the waters ways and the ability to move easily and quickly around them was passed onto the smaller traders who used smaller canoes but with similar skills to travel around. These skills were then developed and became the sport we know now as canoeing. This versatility has made them so popular as anyone with a modicum of skill can get to places that they couldn’t by any other transport. Link this with the fact that they are environmentally friendly and quiet, they are the perfect choice for a bushcraft tool.
 Being able to travel great distances relatively effortlessly and carrying a fair amount go kit makes them invaluable as a tool to really explore a wilderness. Multi day trips can be done with level of comfort, larger amounts of food can be taken with you and the areas that you can get to are opened up. Gorges that have no footpaths into them, lakes that have islands to explore, wildlife you can creep up to and observe silently.
By using a canoe I have experienced some of the best moments I have ever had out in the wilds, watching salmon and trout leaping up rapids right next to me, sitting letting the world go by, as an osprey is diving for its food, having dolphins and seals playing alongside my canoe. And all this while out camping wild. One of best things about the canoe as a bushcraft tool is that it is your transport, your gear carrier and your fishing vessel all in one. With a little ingenuity you can use it as a base for you shelter and bed.  My first introduction to wilderness canoeing was along the Caledonian canal, about 15 years ago. We were going from Inverness to Fort William, two people to a canoe (tandem) all our gear in the boats and we had put sails up as the wind was blowing the right direction. We sailed for about 3 hours and saw a gorgeous beach on the left hand side, no houses or roads nearby and we decided that though it was a short day we were going to camp there.
Fire laid and burning nicely, pots hanging over the fire, socks drying and fish being prepared, I couldn’t and still cant explain how amazing that first night felt. It changed my impressions of canoeing and camping for ever. Try Canoeing. Get the basic skills to travel where you want to go. And then take your wild camping afloat. Try it and I promise you, you will never look back again. Richard Witheridge
Chief instructor
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