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The map looks simple until the trees vanish. Then the wind takes over, the horizon stretches for days, and every choice you make—gear, timing, route—has to respect a landscape that doesn’t bend. We sit down with Jim Gallagher and Brian Johnston, a two-person team with 16 years and 5,600 kilometres of Arctic canoe travel, to unpack how they keep remote trips calm, safe, and deeply rewarding.

They walk us through the real logistics of going north: choosing between floatplanes and wheel landings, why a pack canoe that fits in a hockey bag can change your budget and route options, and how to plan circle routes from communities like Yellowknife and Baker Lake when charters fall through. We talk gear that actually helps—freestanding shelters for treeless tundra, white gas stoves when fire bans and driftwood scarcity collide, and a modest solar panel that still charges on cloudy, cold days. With 24-hour daylight, they skip headlamps and sometimes start paddling at 3 a.m. to beat the wind.

On the water, humility beats bravado. Jim and Brian share how whitewater skills, lining, and smart portages open up far more rivers than running every rapid. We swap stories of caribou herds clattering across riverbanks, a distant grizzly minding its own forage, seal skulls hinting at the coast, and lake trout and grayling that turn a campsite into a feast—though never a food plan. The theme is consistency: clear routines, conservative decisions, and simple systems that avoid tent failures, canoe mishaps, and food shortages, so the focus stays on wild country and long, quiet miles.

If you’re dreaming of bigger trips—whether that’s a classic like the Thelon, Kazan, or Coppermine, or a creative link between obscure watersheds—you’ll hear practical advice on courses, clubs, mentors, and building judgment alongside skill. Come for the Arctic canoe tips and expedition planning; stay for the honest take on comfort, resilience, and why an uneventful trip can be the best kind of epic. Enjoy the conversation, then share it with a paddling friend, hit follow, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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