My wife and I are going to be experiencing a few over the road trips in the near future and I am looking for podcast channel recommendations. Canoe/camping focused please and, thank you.

I enjoy the podcast Tumblehome. It is hosted by two fellas, Erik and Adam, with years of BWCA insight and experience. As one relatively new to the canoe/camping world, I found their shows very informative and also entertaining. With over 200 shows, you will have more than enough content to enjoy on your road trips! Tumblehome

Fishman53: "I enjoy the podcast Tumblehome. It is hosted by two fellas, Erik and Adam, with years of BWCA insight and experience. As one relatively new to the canoe/camping world, I found their shows very informative and also entertaining. With over 200 shows, you will have more than enough content to enjoy on your road trips! Tumblehome "

I second Tumblehome.

OgimaaBines: "

Fishman53: "I enjoy the podcast Tumblehome. It is hosted by two fellas, Erik and Adam, with years of BWCA insight and experience. As one relatively new to the canoe/camping world, I found their shows very informative and also entertaining. With over 200 shows, you will have more than enough content to enjoy on your road trips! Tumblehome "

I second Tumblehome. "

I will third Tumblehome. Great 1st hand information about the BWCA and they are goofballs so they make me laugh.

I really enjoy the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley do a great job...it's an award-winning podcast!

Jodi Middendorf

I will cast a fourth vote for the Tumblehome podcast. The fellas do a great job and are definitely entertaining.

BigFlounder: "I will cast a fourth vote for the Tumblehome podcast. The fellas do a great job and are definitely entertaining."

Mark it a 5

I'll go with 6 for the Tumblehomies


WTIP is pretty decent too but a different look at things.

I would be interested in some alternatives to those mentioned already. My primary goal is to learn something and a lot of podcasts are so long on banter and so very short on actual content... I don't want to listen to 35 minutes or more of BSing before they even get to the topic that is the title of the episode. Maybe I'm just ranting about podcasts in general... The podcasters mentioned do seem like great people to hang out with.

brulu: "I would be interested in some alternatives to those mentioned already. My primary goal is to learn something and a lot of podcasts are so long on banter and so very short on actual content... I don't want to listen to 35 minutes or more of BSing before they even get to the topic that is the title of the episode. Maybe I'm just ranting about podcasts in general... The podcasters mentioned do seem like great people to go hang out with."

Not canoeing/camping related but if you're looking to learn something I very highly recommend Ologies So many fantastic science topics you never knew you wanted to know

brulu: "I would be interested in some alternatives to those mentioned already. My primary goal is to learn something and a lot of podcasts are so long on banter and so very short on actual content... I don't want to listen to 35 minutes or more of BSing before they even get to the topic that is the title of the episode. Maybe I'm just ranting about podcasts in general... The podcasters mentioned do seem like great people to hang out with."

Nah I agree, that podcast has way to much rambling nonsense for my liking.

Check out some Joe Rogan Experience episodes featuring some outdoorsman like Donnie Vincent (Conservationist/Biologist/Hunter from Wisconsin), Glenn Villeneuve (Life Below Zero), & Jordan Jonas (winner of Alone), Ash Dykes (Extreme Adventure Athlete), Adam Greentree (Australian Bow Hunter), Forrest Galante. All A+ Episodes the one with Glenn Villenueve an all time great episode.

MacCamper: "My wife and I are going to be experiencing a few over the road trips in the near future and I am looking for podcast channel recommendations. Canoe/camping focused please and, thank you."

Dirtbag Diaries is a well put-together podcast. While not specific to camping and canoeing, the Dirtbag Diaries embraces outdoors adventure as its subject matter. There are a few BWCA stories. A lot of rock climbing, mountaineering and skiing adventures detailed as well.

There are Dirtbag Diaries podcasts dating back to 2007 and all are great for road-trip entertainment.

This episode highlight a local Minnesota legend Rod Johnson, founder of Midwest Mountaineering.

Widge is an episode about the perfect adventure partner. It might make you tear up a little at the end.

Enjoy Paul's Boots is a short film by the same company "Duct Tape Then Beer". Watch this first 2 minutes and you will get a feel for the podcast and again, I'll warn you may tear up a little.

I like the Boundary Waters Podcast from WTIP. Nice job with trip reports, real time reports, gear and BWCA news.. Sometimes a bit too much social issue commentary and social issue promotion for me, but that's just my personal preference. Overall very good stuff.

brulu: "I would be interested in some alternatives to those mentioned already. My primary goal is to learn something and a lot of podcasts are so long on banter and so very short on actual content... I don't want to listen to 35 minutes or more of BSing before they even get to the topic that is the title of the episode. Maybe I'm just ranting about podcasts in general... The podcasters mentioned do seem like great people to hang out with."

+1
I really appreciate the generally positive and supportive exchanges on this site. With this in mind I offer this opinion as constructive criticism. Tumblehome has too much sophomoric humor for my taste. I’ve subscribed and unsubscribed to this podcast far too many times. Maybe I’m just too old, SNL used to be funny when I was in my 20’s. WTIP is better especially when they interview knowledgeable guests.

I’d love it if there was a BWCA centered podcast that was more focused on sharing tips on trip planning, gear selection, trip stories, history etc and had less goofy banter. Like Brulu said, I’m sure the hosts are nice guys and their hearts are in the right place.

A couple podcasts whose material and format I like are “Curious MN” and “Nature Guys”. Not BWCA stuff but I’m always learning something.

Canadian Canoe Podcast
Dirtbag Diaries

I'm a big fan of Tumblehome, but I won't pretend like they don't have way too much banter sometimes. They know it--it's a running joke with them. A lot of their episodes are also largely just reading from their subreddit and providing their own remarks. They are also aware of this as they've called attention to it. The thing is: there is only so much about the BWCA or canoe camping that you can cover before you've covered it all. If you're efficient, it doesn't take long before you've covered all the bases, and then what? Podcast over. It is clear that they're trying to set a certain pace and to look at the subject from as many angles as they can think of over time--entry points, trip reports, animal spotlights, book reports, how-tos, etc

If all you want is to just learn what there is to learn about the area or the activity, there are better ways to do that than podcasts, so podcasts must provide something else to make listening worthwhile. Most often, this takes the form of banter and tangents which may or may not be to the liking of individual listeners. Hopefully with enough options, there is a podcast with the right "fluff" for you.

99% of the time I love Tumblehome (the 1% is when they get a little too hammered while recording). However, I have to be rather desperate or in a specific kind of mood to really enjoy the slow, saccharine--almost Mister Rogers--vibe that the WTIP BW podcast guys have. They've chosen to present their content in a very different way than Tumblehome that just doesn't work for me most of the time. I'm also far less interested in topics they choose--often spotlights of specific people.

Canoe camping is tremendously niche among podcasts, and there aren't many to choose from. More loosely related podcasts tend to slide into Buzzfeed-style list shows, gear-obsession, or diverse arrays of different spotlights of grand adventures that are super unrelatable (to me at least; I can't even begin to relate to unicycling across Patagonia or packrafting the Amazon)

Thank you all for your help. I have downloaded many hours of entertainment. Hopefully my wife will enjoy it as much as I expect to.
Mac

Thanks for posing the question as I logged in to ask the same. I listen while I walk the dog and am burned out on true crime.

When I first learned of the BWCA I searched the podcast app and found a nice story by a guy from the New Yorker, "A Trip to the Boundary Waters" via the New Yorker Radio Hour. Perfect for an intro into the BWCA.

Canoehound Adventures is my favorite. I guess its a podcast. Kevin Callan along with shugemery are hilarious but i guess not technically podcasts and not strictly canoeing.

Another one is FAN OUTDOORS the KFAN outdoors show they do every Saturday morning. They have a wide variety of guests and topics. Very knowledgeable people.

Armchair Explorer is great outdoor adventure stories. The Friends of The Boundary Waters Podcast covers several BWCA-related topics. OutLANDish podcast are all wilderness tripping related.

907Tundra: "I’d love it if there was a BWCA centered podcast that was more focused on sharing tips on trip planning, gear selection, trip stories, history etc and had less goofy banter."

That's what I was thinking, and I'd add science to that list as prettypaddle brought up. And some goofy banter is great, just not so much that it outweighs the discussion of the topic.

I meant my criticism constructively too, and I definitely want to like their show. I guess I was just trying to temper all those +1s a bit with my "review". I know not everyone is looking for the same thing in a podcast as I am. I don't actually have much time or many occasions to listen to one so I guess efficiency is more important to me. They are all definitely worth a try.

Lots of good ideas here to check out!

907Tundra: "

brulu: "I would be interested in some alternatives to those mentioned already. My primary goal is to learn something and a lot of podcasts are so long on banter and so very short on actual content... I don't want to listen to 35 minutes or more of BSing before they even get to the topic that is the title of the episode. Maybe I'm just ranting about podcasts in general... The podcasters mentioned do seem like great people to hang out with."

+1
I really appreciate the generally positive and supportive exchanges on this site. With this in mind I offer this opinion as constructive criticism. Tumblehome has too much sophomoric humor for my taste. I’ve subscribed and unsubscribed to this podcast far too many times. Maybe I’m just too old, SNL used to be funny when I was in my 20’s. WTIP is better especially when they interview knowledgeable guests.


I’d love it if there was a BWCA centered podcast that was more focused on sharing tips on trip planning, gear selection, trip stories, history etc and had less goofy banter. Like Brulu said, I’m sure the hosts are nice guys and their hearts are in the right place.

A couple podcasts whose material and format I like are “Curious MN” and “Nature Guys”. Not BWCA stuff but I’m always learning something."

+2 Trip update.... Both my wife and I were overwhelmed by the banter and underwhelmed by relevant information as we dabbled through a wide range of podcasts that were canoe camping-centric and several that were not (Stuff You Should Know, Ridiculous History). That said, we really enjoyed multiple episodes of Dirtbag Diaries, a couple interviews on Canadian Canoe (although the host needs to enhance his microphone and articulation skills) and tried our very best to be motivated by Tumblehome. In general, we were distracted enough to make the Iowa and Nebraska miles fly by. Although I believe I may be more of an audiobook listener, I will pursue the additional suggestions made after we hit the road last week. Thank you for your help.

Thanks for the great suggestions - I am heading to Arizona next week and needed this information. WE are just escaping winter for a about 10 days. I listen to audio books too (from the library) but your ideas will be a great alternative as we drive.

Thanks to this thread I’ve stated listening to the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast and love it. I’ve listened to their first 9 episodes so far. The stories told by their guests each week are amazing. I also enjoy the guests they have each episode talking about different gear. I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes.

I'm also a member of #pbnaysh but I'd agree that there are occasions where it takes too long to get to the meat. I really enjoy their book report series, though, and like how they're more bwca-adjacent in content than purely canoe tripping.
I'd never heard of the Beargrease before listening to Tumblehome, nor had I expected to kick up a hornets' nest with bringing up a certain restaurant known to some for their pies.

I hope the hiatus is just winter. I love the subreddit and all the memes.

(u/paddle-faster)

I like the Tumblehome Podcast. Adam is the best. When they are on a good topic, it's a great podcast. When they are droning on and on about dragonflies for two episodes, it's time for a break.
Adam has done some solo episodes that are ok, but don't listen to the solo Eric episodes (shudder).

mirth: "I'm also a member of #pbnaysh
(u/paddle-faster)"

Nope, can't say I've ever heard of you ;)
(Phasmata)

Check out the many vlogs on YouTube, Shugemery, MNmostly, Hermit's Outdoor Adventures, Mama's Basecamp and Lost Lakes are a few good channels to start with. Always fun planning for the trips coming up and the info from these channels are great help.

ducks: "Thanks to this thread I’ve stated listening to the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast and love it. I’ve listened to their first 9 episodes so far. The stories told by their guests each week are amazing. I also enjoy the guests they have each episode talking about different gear. I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes. "

3 months later now and I have pretty much listened to all of the WTIP and Tumblehome podcasts. I like them both for different reasons and will continue to listen to each as new episodes pop up.

WTIP is definitely more structured and organized and they have had some pretty big names in the canoeing world on as guests. If I had to pick one over the other it would be WTIP. I also like how some of their episodes are recorded out in the BWCA.

Interestingly, on one of the WTIP episodes they met up with the Tumblehome guys on Duncan ice fishing with the idea to make sushi from their catch. They discussed how different their podcasts are and how much they enjoy listening to each other’s episodes.

As another poster mentioned KFAN outdoors is really good for fishing/hunting, but specifically BWCAW they have at least 3-4 shows over the years specific to the BWCAW that you could search and listen to.

One episode the host Hildebrand took his first BWCAW fishing trip…had so much fun he bought a canoe immediately after the trip.

T

Here is one I just came across. Put out by the Friends of the Boundary Waters. Really enjoyed the interview with the musher who works with the NFS projects. It's called Big Red Canoe.

Big Red Canoe Podcast

wxce1260: "Here is one I just came across. Put out by the Friends of the Boundary Waters. Really enjoyed the interview with the musher who works with the NFS projects. It's called Big Red Canoe.


Big Red Canoe Podcast "

Was just going to add this one. They're doing some great podcasts and I know the host, he's a cool guy. I have also been listening to the Canadian Canoe Podcast which has some solid interviews with canoe people.

More of a one-off thing, but this is the story of a backcountry whitetail deer hunt in the Boundary Waters...

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/wired-to-hunt/ep-317-our-backcountry-boundary-waters-whitetail-hunt

I've been listening to (and enjoying) Paddling Adventures Radio (I get it on Google Podcasts); it's from Canada, but they frequently discuss paddle destinations in the US as well plus are just a generally fun duo. The other day I also happened across the "Night of Adventure" podcast, also from Canada (Nova Scotia). This isn't canoe specific, but host Dave Greene does extended expeditions throughout Canada, and some of his podcasts (it is still new) cover canoeing: https://www.nightofadventure.com/podcast

Joe and Matthew from the WTIP podcast have broken off and started a new one called Paddle and Portage. The WTIP podcast now has new hosts. Not sure if it's going to be rotating hosts or it's going to be set, but Bill Hanson the retired owner of Sawbill Outfitters was the host of a recent episode.

Outside Magazine does a podcast...one of the episodes (or possibly a few, in a series) covered the Pagami Creek fire and the survival story of Greg & Julie Welch. They're interviewed in the episode...very good listen.