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Frequently Asked Questions
Youth and Adult Trip Programs
Most of our trippers sleep in four person expedition tents. Some trips get to stay in 12 person Marquis tents. On all youth programs, boys and girls sleep in separate tents. We all sleep on the tent floor; so many choose to bring an inflatable mattress or foam pad to sleep upon. For a more complete list, view our Sample Packing List
The delicious and well-balanced menu contains no meat or peanut products. Typical breakfasts include: pancakes, granola, fresh baked muffins, and of course, oatmeal. Lunches are usually sandwich affairs with salads or soups. Dinners include: chili dishes, pastas, curries, stir-fries, and the ever-popular paddle-pockets. Everyone helps in the preparation of most meals. Our Backpacking trips include many freeze dried meals to reduce the weight participants have to carry. Click here to view the sample canoe trip menu.A lot of what you need, you already have. Things like T-shirts, sunglasses, a bathing suit, a water bottle etc. You also need to bring your own toiletries including sun-block, and insect repellent.Some specialized things you might not have around include a dry bag (something to put your stuff into to stay dry), 1 liter water bottle, sleeping bag, a pair of nylon hiking boots or shoes, a carabiner, a rain suit, ground sheet, a 3/4 length ultra light inflatable mattress (optional), a bug shirt (optional), and a flashlight. For a more complete list, view our Packing List Young Adventurers trips have a maximum of 7 children and two guides. Other canoe trips have a maximum of eight trippers to two guides. Safety is always first. All of PaddleFoot’s guides complete an intensive pre-season training course specific to PaddleFoot’s programs. Guides are first aid certified by Wilderness Medical Associates, and some are Wilderness Emergency Medical Technicians. On river trips, guides are certified Swiftwater Rescue Technicians. Many guides are paddling instructors for ORCA . Expeditions carry state-of-the-art dual-signal satellite beacons or satellite phones. Visit our Safety and Standards page for more information about our safety standards and our quality norms.PaddleFoot trips have a high staff to tripper ratio, so individuals receive lots of attention around the campsite, on the trail and on the water! Besides the wealth of safety qualifications, our guides are chosen for their warmth, humour, and passion for the outdoors. For more information about our staff please visit Our Staff page. We have fun. These are adventure trips, so we explore the places we go to, be it by paddle or foot. Days usually begin early, and after a hearty breakfast, we pack up all our equipment and food for the day’s journey.Throughout the day we may encounter historic sites and artifacts. Wildlife is common on all our trips. We make side trips to interesting places like waterfalls, peaks, and springs. Some bring fishing gear (ask PaddleFoot about local fishing regulations). At our campsite in the afternoon, the group sets up tents, prepares the fire and dinner. We bring arts and crafts supplies along, and some bring musical instruments for the nightly campfire. While we pack a lot of fun activity into every day, our trips are really about the participants. We focus on communication and teamwork based on respect. Each day the group meets to “debrief” the daily events. Everyone has input into what they liked and didn’t like, and can make suggestions on how to improve trip life. PaddleFoot accepts personal and business cheques, Visa and Mastercard. A limited bursary program is available for youth trips. Contact us for more information. Full payment is due any on or prior to the first day of your trip/course. There will be no refunds within 30 days of the trip/course start date. If you cancel prior to 30 days before course start date you will receive a refund of all fees except the non-refundable deposit fee that was paid upon registration. The PaddleFoot lodge is located near Dorset, Ontario. We are situated almost half way between Bracebridge and Huntsville, ON. Our full time offices are located at the lodge at the PaddleFoot basecamp.
Experiential Education Programs
PaddleFoot has multiple partner camps where our programs are hosted. We ensure that all our programs are hosted in beautiful locations across Muskoka. In collaboration with your educational team, we will arrange for a tasty menu and comfortable accommodation for you and your students while at camp. The trip portion of our programs can be hosted in Algonquin Park, in Temagami or on various rivers across Ontario. We elaborate a program for you and your students based on the needs and educational objectives of your faculty team. Contact us to discuss your specific needs as we can also customize our programs. We have fun! These are adventure trips, so we explore the places we go to, be it by paddle or foot. Days usually begin early, and after a hearty breakfast, we pack up all our equipment and food for the day’s journey. Throughout the day we may encounter historic sites and artifacts. Wildlife is common on all our trips. We make side trips to interesting places like waterfalls, peaks, and springs. Throughout the day we have many opportunities for teachable moments and group discussions. Facilitating group dynamics through group games and discussions is at the heart of all our school programs! At our campsite in the afternoon, the group sets up tents, prepares the fire and dinner. We bring arts and crafts supplies along, and some bring musical instruments for the nightly campfire. While we pack a lot of fun activity into every day, our trips are really about the participants. We focus on communication and teamwork based on respect. Each day the group meets to “debrief” the daily events and share about their learning’s. A lot of what you need, you already have. Things like T-shirts, sunglasses, a bathing suit, a water bottle etc. You also need to bring your own toiletries including sun-block, and insect repellent. Some specialized things you might not have around include a dry bag (something to put your stuff into to stay dry), 1 liter water bottle, sleeping bag, a pair of nylon hiking boots or shoes, a carabiner, a rain suit, ground sheet, a 3/4 length ultra light inflatable mattress (optional), a bug shirt (optional), and a flashlight. For a more complete list, view our Packing List. PaddleFoot provides: Well, everything else. We provide all the specialized camping equipment, things like tents, canoes, backpacks (except on hiking trips), helmets, PFD’s or life jackets, and all kitchen items like stoves, pots, pans, plates and utensils. All of PaddleFoot’s facilitator guides complete an intensive pre-season training course specific to PaddleFoot’s school programs. Guides are first aid certified by Wilderness Medical Associates, and some are Wilderness Emergency Medical Technicians. On river trips, guides are certified Swiftwater Rescue Technicians. Many guides are paddling instructors for ORCKA PaddleFoot trips have a high staff to tripper ratio, so individuals receive lots of attention around the campsite, on the trail and on the water! Besides the wealth of safety qualifications, our guides are chosen for their warmth, humour, and passion for the outdoors. All our facilitator guides have an extensive background working with youth in a wilderness context. For more information about our staff please visit Our Staff page. Safety is always first. Expeditions carry state-of-the-art dual-signal satellite beacons or satellite phones and our trip routes are researched extensively. Our 15 years of expertise in expedition planning makes us a resource for many in the outdoor industry. Visit our Safety and Standards page for more information about our safety standards and our quality norms. The delicious and well-balanced menu contains no meat or peanut products. Typical breakfasts include: pancakes, granola, fresh baked muffins, and of course, oatmeal. Lunches are usually sandwich affairs with salads or soups. Dinners include: chili dishes, pastas, curries, stir-fries, and the ever-popular paddle-pockets. Snacks are available twice a day to ensure that everyone’s energy levels and spirits stay up! Everyone helps in the preparation of most meals. Our Backpacking trips include many freeze dried meals to reduce the weight participants have to carry. Click here to view the sample canoe trip menu.Answer
Training Programs
Most of our trippers sleep in four person expedition tents. Some trips get to stay in 12 person Marquis tents. On all youth programs, boys and girls sleep in separate tents. We all sleep on the tent floor; so many choose to bring an inflatable mattress or foam pad to sleep upon. For a more complete list, view our Sample Packing List
The delicious and well-balanced menu contains no meat or peanut products. Typical breakfasts include: pancakes, granola, fresh baked muffins, and of course, oatmeal. Lunches are usually sandwich affairs with salads or soups. Dinners include: chili dishes, pastas, curries, stir-fries, and the ever-popular paddle-pockets. Everyone helps in the preparation of most meals. Our Backpacking trips include many freeze dried meals to reduce the weight participants have to carry. Click here to view the sample canoe trip menu.A lot of what you need, you already have. Things like T-shirts, sunglasses, a bathing suit, a water bottle etc. You also need to bring your own toiletries including sun-block, and insect repellent.Some specialized things you might not have around include a dry bag (something to put your stuff into to stay dry), 1 liter water bottle, sleeping bag, a pair of nylon hiking boots or shoes, a carabiner, a rain suit, ground sheet, a 3/4 length ultra light inflatable mattress (optional), a bug shirt (optional), and a flashlight. For a more complete list, view our Packing List Young Adventurers trips have a maximum of 7 children and two guides. Other canoe trips have a maximum of eight trippers to two guides. Safety is always first. All of PaddleFoot’s guides complete an intensive pre-season training course specific to PaddleFoot’s programs. Guides are first aid certified by Wilderness Medical Associates, and some are Wilderness Emergency Medical Technicians. On river trips, guides are certified Swiftwater Rescue Technicians. Many guides are paddling instructors for ORCA . Expeditions carry state-of-the-art dual-signal satellite beacons or satellite phones. Visit our Safety and Standards page for more information about our safety standards and our quality norms.PaddleFoot trips have a high staff to tripper ratio, so individuals receive lots of attention around the campsite, on the trail and on the water! Besides the wealth of safety qualifications, our guides are chosen for their warmth, humour, and passion for the outdoors. For more information about our staff please visit Our Staff page. We have fun. These are adventure trips, so we explore the places we go to, be it by paddle or foot. Days usually begin early, and after a hearty breakfast, we pack up all our equipment and food for the day’s journey.Throughout the day we may encounter historic sites and artifacts. Wildlife is common on all our trips. We make side trips to interesting places like waterfalls, peaks, and springs. Some bring fishing gear (ask PaddleFoot about local fishing regulations). At our campsite in the afternoon, the group sets up tents, prepares the fire and dinner. We bring arts and crafts supplies along, and some bring musical instruments for the nightly campfire. While we pack a lot of fun activity into every day, our trips are really about the participants. We focus on communication and teamwork based on respect. Each day the group meets to “debrief” the daily events. Everyone has input into what they liked and didn’t like, and can make suggestions on how to improve trip life. PaddleFoot accepts personal and business cheques, Visa and Mastercard. A limited bursary program is available for youth trips. Contact us for more information. Full payment is due any on or prior to the first day of your trip/course. There will be no refunds within 30 days of the trip/course start date. If you cancel prior to 30 days before course start date you will receive a refund of all fees except the non-refundable deposit fee that was paid upon registration. The PaddleFoot lodge is located near Dorset, Ontario. We are situated almost half way between Bracebridge and Huntsville, ON. Our full time offices are located at the lodge at the PaddleFoot basecamp. The PaddleFoot lodge is located near Dorset, Ontario. We are situated almost half way between Bracebridge and Huntsville, ON. Our full time offices are located at the lodge at the PaddleFoot basecamp.
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