343 days left until Canoecopia!     March 7 - 9
Canoecopia is presented by


Presenting Sponsor





Location
Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Way
Madison, Wisconsin

Show Hours
Friday: 3 PM to 8 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 10 AM to 4 PM

Tickets
1-Day: $15.00
3-Day: $30.00
Ages 17 and under are FREE
Cash or check only for tickets purchased at the event

Parking Fees
1-Day: $8.00
Cash or credit, fees collected by Alliant Energy Center

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2024 Presentations by Category
Canoeing

Benjamin Berthiaume, Isaac Dana
 Ely To Hudson Bay
   Sylvania - main floor Sun 1:30pm-2:15pm 
What is it that makes an expedition valuable? Is it the miles traveled, rapids run, cool pictures taken, or the remote tracts of land?

Ben Berthiaume and Isaac Dana set off on an expedition with one goal: Reach Hudson Bay by canoe! The idea of Hudson Bay is almost mythical. It calls the adventurous even through the dense bush and many obstacles. Ben and Isaac couldn’t have known what they would experience through these travels.

Their journey is one of grueling challenges,
... Read More



Trevor Braun
 Preparing for a Yukon Canoe Expedition
   Algonquin - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm 
Join long time Yukoner Trevor Braun to learn about preparing for a Yukon Paddling Expedition. The Yukon has many Wilderness Paddling journeys that you can choose from, to suit your level of adventure ranging from lakewater to advanced whitewater. Trevor has 30+ years of guiding and instructing paddling journeys throughout the Yukon. Learn where to paddle, what resources are available to you, and how to ensure you have the right skills and equipment.



Trevor Braun
 The Braun Backferry
   Pool - Clarion Hotel Sat 2:00pm-2:20pm 
   Pool - Clarion Hotel Sat 2:30pm-2:50pm 
Join long time Yukoner Trevor Braun to gain some valuable insights and tricks to mastering your back ferry. The back ferry is a quintessential river tripping skill when the rivers are tight, small, and fast. Trevor has developed some unconventional techniques to build your backferry confidence and effectiveness with a few tricks. Join Trevor at the pool to learn these tricks, so you can practice them up for your next northern river expedition. Learn how to assist steering from the stern; learn ... Read More



Kevin Callan
 Happy Camper Canoe Tripping Tips and Tricks
   Quetico - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm 
Kevin Callan (a.k.a. The Happy Camper) will present on a number of tips and tricks he’s learned over the years of canoe tripping in the wilderness. Kevin will touch on: staying warm and dry, making a one-match fire, having a lighter pack, portage etiquette, choosing a good campsite, making a good camp meal, proper canoe strokes, navigation, dealing with bugs and bears, first-aid, how to make a good bush martini... and many, many more. If you’re a novice or an experienced tripper, you’ll ... Read More



Camper Christina
 Portaging in The Canadian Wilderness
   Bear - upstairs Fri 6:30pm-7:15pm 
   Quetico - main floor Sat 1:30pm-2:15pm 
Camper Christina is known for going on remote wilderness canoe trips in rugged and unmaintained areas of Northern Ontario, solo. In order to complete these adventures, she has had to overcome a wide variety of obstacles and challenges, including a lot of crazy portages. In Christina’s presentation, she will go over all aspects of portaging, different types of terrain, how to find the elusive ones, and, tips and tricks to overcome them. She will also share some of the most interesting and insane ... Read More



Will Collins
 America By Canoe - Stories and Lessons from 4,300 miles on the Yukon & Mississippi Rivers
   BWCA - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm 
Big rivers, wild country, and two adventures of a lifetime. Join wilderness guide and podcast host Will Collins as he shares stories, lessons, and insights from two trips on Americas largest rivers: 103 days solo canoeing the Mississippi and 70 days canoeing the Yukon River.

Learn about exploring America from the low-down view of a canoe, including seeing barges, wolves, salmon runs.



Cliff Jacobson
 Canoeing Secrets
   Quetico - main floor Sat 3:30pm-4:15pm 
“Tune” your canoe for casual and wilderness travel. Install “blind” lining holes at cutwater; choose and safely store tracking lines; select and install knee-pads and foot-braces; shock-cord decks and thwarts; correct the seat height; re-position thwarts to increase space for gear; select straight and bent-shaft paddles; correctly fit a life jacket and portage yoke; make a canoe tumpline and spray cover; pack the canoe efficiently for a wilderness trip; safety procedures and concerns; essential ... Read More



Cliff Jacobson, Kevin Callan, Pete Marshall, Rob Kesselring
 Q&A With the Experts
   Quetico - main floor Sun 10:30am-11:15am 
Got questions about canoeing and camping? Join Cliff Jacobson, Rob Kesselring, Kevin Callan, and Peter Marshall in this lively, fun-filled panel discussion. Together, these experts have more than 200 years of collective outdoors experience, so they really know their stuff. Last year’s panel was filled to overflowing, so come early if you want a seat. Submit questions beforehand to chloem@rutabaga.com with subject line: EXPERT Q&A. These experts will do the rest.



Rob Kesselring
 Ultralight Canoe Camping in the Boundary Waters
   Quetico - main floor Sun 11:30am-12:15pm 
Paddling light does not mean deprivation. In fact, it can be just the opposite! Learn proven strategies to make your canoe trips easier, more fulfilling, and fun. Less is more! Learn how to travel farther and faster, without being encumbered by heavy loads and time-consuming set-ups. Nature is not a dangerous place; embrace it, don’t barricade from it. An entertaining, information-packed session from one of North America’s most experienced canoe guides.



Doris Kolodji
 Power to the Pipsqueaks: anyone can pack, paddle and portage
   Atrium - upstairs Sat 4:30pm-5:15pm 
If you’ve always wanted to pick up a canoe and portage like the “big boys,” then this energetic, hands-on workshop is for you. Don’t let the idea of picking up and carrying your own canoe be a barrier! For decades, Northern Lakes Girl Scout Canoe Base has been training women and girls to travel through the BWCAW and Quetico Park. They specialize in teaching novices to feel like pros regardless of size or experience. Learn tips and tricks for women and youth in the wilderness from a team of ... Read More



Pete Marshall
 5 Musts for Rookie Boundary Waters Paddlers
   Superior - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm 
Whether you’re thinking of paddling the Boundary Waters for the first time or want to introduce someone to this special place, this presentation will cover five essential things to do to ensure that you and others have the kind of trip that leaves you wanting more. We’ll discuss how to plan your days, what kind of activities to include, coping with common fears (bears and weather!), and more.



Pete Marshall
 How to Quetico
   Superior - main floor Fri 6:30pm-7:15pm 
Twice the size of the Boundary Waters with only a fraction of the visitors, Quetico is a canoeist’s paradise. However, the logistics of international travel as well as an intimidating reputation keeps many would-be Quetico paddlers away. In this practical presentation, we’ll go over the nuts and bolts of how to reserve a permit and reach your entry point, what makes travel in Quetico different, highlight some iconic areas in the park, and discuss a few routes.




David Meier
 Awakening Wonder - A Parenting Guide for the Boundary Waters
   Sylvania - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm 
Ever think about taking your kids to the Boundary Waters, but fear that they’ll either 1) leap from a moving canoe, or 2) complain so much about no electronics, outdoor bathrooms, and bugs, that it just won’t be worth the hassle of taking them? We will discuss how to bring your kids to the Boundary Waters. What age is right? How do you keep them safe and happy? What are potential pitfalls? With some useful suggestions, you can lay the groundwork for a positive BWCA dynamic with your family!



Kathy Nelson
 Top Tips for Traveling the BWCA as a Senior
   BWCA - main floor Sat 1:30pm-2:15pm 
Traveling the Boundary Waters (BWCAW) is an experience that makes lifetime memories. As a senior citizen, is this still possible? Join Kathy Nelson, co-owner of an Ely, MN, outfitter and senior-citizen wilderness traveler as she shares how to plan a successful canoe trip; what to pack, what NOT to take, how to handle limited mobility and strength concerns, best time to experience the BWCA, preferred routes, and more.



Mark Neuzil
 The Natural History of the Canoe in North America
   Bear - upstairs Sat 2:30pm-3:15pm 
Canoes are among the oldest artifacts found on the North American continent. The story of this important vehicle is told from dugouts, birch barks, wood, wood-and-canvas, and synthetic boats from ancient times to the present day. After thousands of years, the basic design has endured, a testament to the skills of the engineers who created it in the first place. It exists as one of only two major feats of design that was not changed upon white settlement starting in the 15th century.



Jeffrey Rohr
 Oh, What a Trip!
   Caribou - upstairs Sun 1:30pm-2:15pm 
Oh, What a Trip is a memoir of the first years leading up to how Jeff Rohr became a wilderness canoe guide for over 40 years. It is a humorous book that talks about the excellent adventures that most people would not embark on. The presentation will include some of these adventures and certainly would hope to inspire people to do their own excellent adventures and, most importantly, how to be successful and safe in the wilderness. The planning, including research, equipment, packing, and more ... Read More



Joshua Trombley
 The Adirondack Pack Boat (and beyond)
   Bear - upstairs Sat 4:30pm-5:15pm 
Adirondack Pack Boats were designed for Victorian-era explorers brave enough to venture into the Northeast wilderness. Still popular in New York’s Adirondack Park among a new generation of explorers, a 15-pound solo canoe has piqued the interest of paddlers far and wide. Joshua will share the history of the pack boat and its evolution into a craft that offers paddlers independence that only a lightweight boat can provide. Joshua will discuss different designs: the advantages of a double-bladed ... Read More