Lifestyle and Leisure
Camping in Canada
Whether you want to head out in a vehicle, or choose to hike the highways and byways with just a sleeping bag and a tent, Canada has everything an ardent camper could ask for
Although most Canadians live within a few hundred kilometres of the southern border, writes Nick Clark, they have a deep affiliation for their country's wide-open spaces. Canada's land mass is 9,093,507 square kilometres, making 35 times larger than the United Kingdom. The country encompasses six time zones and has coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Ocean. There is, then, no shortage of land to explore in Canada, and most Canadians enjoy heading out into the wilderness. Indeed, for many would-be emigrants, the woods, mountains and lakes of Canada are one of the major reasons to go in the first place. After years of living in the cramped UK, the opportunity to drive on empty roads and stay in beautiful campsites is a major attraction.
If you plan to join the many Canadians that pitch a tent or hook up a trailer, you should be aware of the similarities and differences with camping in the UK. Perhaps the most obvious difference is the popularity of 'RVs'. RVs (recreational vehicles) come in all shapes and sizes and tend to be far more ambitious in size and scope than their British equivalent – the humble caravan. Something about those big, empty roads and spacious campsites seems to have encouraged Canadians to think outside the box. RVs can be up to 13 metres in length and the more luxurious come with all mod cons. You want showers, televisions and double beds. You've got them, or at least in Canada you have.
The most common type of RV is the travel trailer. A travel trailer can be towed by car, van, SUV or pick-up, and the sizes, features and prices are seemingly endless. Indeed, trailers can now come with garages, roof-top patios, bay windows, fireplaces and offices. Travel trailers range in size from 3.6 to 10.7 metres and can sleep up to eight people. They start in price from about CDN$12,000 and go up to... well, the sky's the limit really. RVs offer a great way to explore Canada's great outdoors with a fairly hefty degree of home comfort. There are are numerous organisations and websites dedicated to RV-ers. To find out more try visiting sites such as Go Rving or Camping Canada. Of course, you may not like the idea of driving around Canada with a 13-metre house strapped to your towbar. What you enjoy about camping might be precisely a lack of creature comforts. If you want to get a bit closer to nature, you can eschew RVs in favour of the good old-fashioned tent. Whether on foot, bike, or by car, you can tour Canada's beauty spots and enjoy them without paying out for an expensive mobile home.
If you are going to hike and camp you will need to think carefully about equipment. Take a good sleeping bag and make sure you have appropriate boots and clothes. You will need protection from biting insects such as mosquitoes, blackflies and 'no-see-ums' (infuriating tiny biting flies which appear from nowhere and have an unpleasant tendency to congregate in your tent). In addition, be sure to consider the weather. Unlike mild old Britain, Canada experiences real extremes of temperature which mean that you have to think ahead and plan trips carefully. However, unless you are heading out in the winter months, a three-season tent should be sufficient for most of your needs.
Whether you travel in an RV or tramp with a tent, there are some basic camping rules which you should follow. In areas where the is even any doubt about water purity, it should be boiled or treated with iodine (don't use iodine for long periods of time, or if you are pregnant or have a thyroid condition). Be careful about camp hygiene and watch out for how you dispose of food. In the UK, if you leave out a tin of old food, the most frightening creature you are going to get rummaging around is a fox or a hedgehog. In Canada, though, there is always the chance that your will pull in a bear to camp. They may look cute, but they don't act it, and the days when banging a spoon on a pan lid will scare bears away are long gone. It's best not to encourage them in the first place. Store all food that is not canned in a sack suspended between two trees at least three metres from the ground, 1.2 metres from a branch and three metres from the trunk. If you are camping in a tent, cook food away from the tent so that lingering odours don't attract bears.
However you choose to camp, you will be faced with a wealth of places to explore. Canada is covered with national parks, and camping sites. Visit the Canadian Tourism Commission to get an overview of what's on offer. For more specific guides, go to provinces' own websites. The National Association for Campground Owners has a useful website which has links to campgrounds rated by the Camping Select Rating Program.
If you move to a country as beautiful as Canada it would be a shame not to explore the wealth of natural sites on your doorstep. Whether you choose to head out in a RV or hike with a tent, camping is a great way to explore your new home. You will get to see the spectacular landscape of the second largest country on earth, and share in a passion that drives many Canadians.
Register for your FREE emigration starter pack