July 2023 Canlife Correspondence, Our Almost Monthly Newsletter
Haida Gwaii – Everything Depends on Everything Else
While we deliberately seek out wild places, and live in them as much as possible, there is nothing quite like the simple act of unplugging, packing up all your gear, food and clothing into a sea kayak (or backpack) and exploring an even wilder place where we’ll be off the grid, and out of touch for over a week. The daily worries of our normal life seem to fall away replaced by thoughts on wind speed and direction, weather, food, and physical exertion. It’s not that our worries disappear, they just become simpler, and more real, like trying to set up the tent with a broken pole before the impending rain storm hits. Reducing life to the pace of a human-powered vessel, every once in a while, is necessary for both of us to be happy and healthy. It had been a while since we’d done it, and it was time.
“Hayduh where?” Is exactly what we thought when a lovely young family told us about their home on the Haida Gwaii Islands. We all stood on the end of an elevated platform chatting while watching a giant brown bear dine on slowly decaying salmon in the creek below. It’s not like we’ve never been to British Columbia before and this archipelago isn’t some small town tucked along the inside passage in a backwater fjord! It’s bigger than the Galapagos Islands! I mean, you could probably forgive most Americans from the states for never hearing about these sparsely populated islands lying a full 7-hour ferry ride west of what most people consider the end of the road in Prince Rupert, but us? C’mon! We promised to rectify our ignorance by putting it on the bucket list for this summer.
Continuing our lucky streak with finding ferry reservations to accommodate Hamlet and the rest of us, we boarded the Northern Explorer in Prince Rupert for nearly 2 weeks of Haida Gwaii exploration. The adventure began with backing the trailer onto the ferry down nearly a ¼ mile of ramp!
Gwaii Haanas National Park can only be accessed by water and lies a full 2+ day paddle from the last road access. Many people take a boat to get further into the heart of the park, but since the whole area was new to us, and we’d already dropped more than a few dollars on ferries and permits, we decided to earn our visit one paddle stroke at a time. They say 2 days, but that’s if you don’t mind paddling more than 16 miles a day -- doable, but not exactly a leisurely warm up to your first kayak camping trip of the year.
There’s always so much to do before taking a kayaking trip: buy and pack the food, gather - sort - repair the gear from last trip, charge up the batteries, purchase charts / maps but Gwaii Haanas National Park requires folks to attend an orientation as a part of the permitting process to pass on the park’s values. It is a good investment of time because it sets the stage for your visit not just in how to be safer, hang your food and leave no trace, but in how to be while you’re there -- and it offers up a good reminder for how to be anywhere else. The park is co-managed by the Haida Nation and Parks Canada and was only established in 2009.
They teach four values:
- Yahguudang = Respect
- Ad Kyanang Tlaagang = To Ask First
- Tll Yahda = Make it Right
- Gina ‘Waadluxan Gud Ad Kwaagid = Everything Depends on Everything Else
Our 8-day paddling expedition took us through nearly 100 miles of wilderness where we mostly felt like we were the only two people on earth. We saw a few boats from a distance, 5 other kayakers, but more whales, seals, sea lions, intertidal sea life and birds than people. Indeed here, as in many places that we visited in Alaska, wildlife seems to not be on the back foot – we are the visitors into their home. Follow us on our social media on Instagram @freedom.in.a.can and Facebook @Freedom in a Can: Adventures with Hamlet for more fun images. The hard work of packing, schlepping, paddling, cooking, setting up camp and then breaking it down again simply becomes the rhythm of life and a new normal sets in. Whenever we finish a weeklong adventure, I always have the same thought, “why can’t we just resupply and do it all over again?”
Our adventures in Haida Gwaii were also a reconnaissance trip, we know now what we want and need to do next time we return to this island. And return we will!
Video of the Month - Battery Upgrade Installation Video, Doubling Up our Power Capacity
For years now, we’ve had a standard 12V-100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate battery to run our small camper. It was all we needed until we started our own mobile business. The power demands of video editing software, and internet, had us searching out coffee shops and public libraries when our solar gain and cell signal were too low. Renogy asked us to product test their Self-Heating LFP batteries (which addresses the main problem with this battery type) and we just installed 2 100Ah LFP batteries in parallel to double our battery capacity. Now, we have enough power to do the work we need, in all types of weather, and power our Starlink Roam, all without having to order a cappuccino. Renogy is having huge sales on batteries this summer! If you are ready to upgrade to LFP, now is the time. Be sure to use our link and promo code "CANLIFE" for additional savings!
Recipe of the Month – Portobello Mushroom Pizzas
Hutch’s favorite food group is Pizza. So, we always find new methods to cook something amazing that can hold sauce and melt cheese. This recipe is a new take on an old favorite of grilling stuffed portobellos, and our beloved OTZI Flame Grill is the star of the show. This video was filmed on the shores of Kitsumkalum Lake, in British Columbia, Canada. An amazing place to boondock, swim, kayak, and work for a few days. Get your OTZI on and get 10% off with our link and promo code "CANLIFE"!
In Front of the Mic - Hershey, PA Wed-Sun, September 13-17, 2023
America’s Largest RV Show has invited us to bring the Freedom in a Can show back to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. We’ll be speaking daily on two different topics: RVing to Alaska: Tips & Tales from the Road! & RV Solar 101. Join us for one of our favorite shows of the year!
Blog of the Month - RV Fridges & How to Power Them
Most RVer's have an electric fridge if they are going to live for any length of time on the road. There are many choices among RV fridges, and we break them down in this blog. Thinking about how you want to live -- off-grid with solar or plugged into an electrical campsite -- is a necessary step in the RV fridge you choose, as well as the power you need to keep it running efficiently.
Roadlife Hack of the Month - Bucket Separation
For years we've known the usefulness of 5 gallon buckets. We have two: one dedicated to water collection & washing, and the other dedicated to more sullied activities. They stack nicely and fit in the back of our truck but getting them apart can be maddening. There is lots of advice on the interwebs for how to get them unstuck, but little on how to keep them from sticking in the first place. Hutch finally found a lawn care professional who used super long zipties connected to the handles as a spacer between each stacked bucket. This kept the buckets stacked nicely but didn't allow a vacuum to form between the two. Not having these long zipties on hand, we used some short lengths of P-cord tied to the handle and it works so great we wonder how we ever lived without it. Had to share this one!
Upcoming Adventures in British Columbia and Alberta!
The Yellowhead Highway leads eastward from Haida Gwaii, British Columbia into Alberta and along some of the most stunning landscapes in North America. We’re heading that way now -- follow us on our social media so that you don't miss a beat!
Parting Shots – The Many Moods of Haida Gwaii
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