Paddling Education

"We’re saving wood from the firebox and we’re one step closer to making this world a better place."

17-year old Emily Hanson just completed a 34-day wilderness canoe trip with four fellow campers and their guide. Her dad, Larry, couldn’t be prouder!

Alex Messenger was between his junior and senior year of high school when he went on a 600-mile canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness. It turned into a much more life-changing trip than he had anticipated…

Bending Branches recently partnered with Canoe There’s canoe-loving team for the short film “Finding Rhythm.” Join them on their wilderness canoe trip…

You may or may not have ever heard of folding canoes—but they’ve been around since the 1970s. They may be a great option for you! Here’s the scoop…

Two Minnesota men broke the “Kruger-Waddell Challenge” speed record—a 200+ mile canoe route through Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters—by more than 10 hours…

Bending Branches’ canoe paddles are made with a variety of grip designs. Each design  functions in a slightly different way. Here’s your complete guide to understanding canoe paddle grips…

Minnesota canoeist, Roy Erickson, has used the same Bending Branches paddle for almost 30 years on his trips into the Boundary Waters and Quetico…

While some canoe paddle manufacturers offer paddles with an unfinished paddle grip, here’s why Bending Branches only offers paddles with a finished grip…

Canoeist and filmmaker, Jason Eke, brings us into Canada’s beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park on a wilderness canoe trip, along with his son, Noah. Let’s tag along…

If you’ve been on multi-day canoe trips, you likely know something about how canoe tripping can teach you many life lessons. It doesn’t even have to be a long trip—like across Canada or on the entire Northern Forest Canoe Trail…

Six men will embark on a four-month canoe expedition during the summer of 2019. Their aim is to travel 2,800 miles across Canada. Here’s their story…

When we’re canoe and kayak camping, we try to keep things simple, yet tasty. That’s the trick. These are the best tried-and-true recipes we’ve found to get you out of camp and back on the water…

Join Canadian canoeist and canoe-builder, Jason Eke, as he takes us through his process for building a cedar strip canoe…

Four people and one dog spent 19 days canoeing and hiking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in July of 2018. Barb Willson, one of the four, tells us about their trip…

Canoeing isn’t rocket science! But it’s a whole lot easier and more enjoyable when you’ve mastered a few basic strokes…

Alabama's diverse paddling trails range from dark, alligator-infested bayous to raging whitewater rivers.

The world-class canoeing and backcountry camping of the Boundary Waters is a must for every canoeist’s list. Check out what makes this area so famous…

Dawn LaPointe is a professional nature photographer and co-owner of Radiant Spirit Gallery in Duluth, Minnesota. Here she gives us her top six photography tips for “paddle-ographers”…

If you don’t mind dressing for cool weather, spring canoe camping in the Sierra Nevadas means all the beauty without all the crowds…