Intro to the Backcountry

Take the next step beyond the campground and learn to travel safely with greater skill and self-reliance. Learn Backcountry Skills with Curtis Lafleche

Ready to move beyond basic camping and into more remote places? Intro to the Backcountry is a more advanced workshop for those who want to build the skills, mindset, and confidence needed for self-reliant wilderness travel. Led by Curtis Lafleche, this course introduces the fundamentals of backcountry trip planning, camp systems, navigation awareness, gear selection, and risk management.

Drawing on a lifetime of outdoor experience — including canoe tripping, remote travel, forest-sector fieldwork, and solo journeys through places like Temagami — Curtis teaches practical, field-tested skills for those looking to explore farther from roads, campgrounds, and convenience.

This workshop is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts who already have some basic camping experience and want to start developing the judgment and preparation needed for backcountry travel. The focus is on safety, efficiency, and learning how to travel responsibly and confidently in wild places.

In this workshop, participants will learn:

• The differences between frontcountry and backcountry travel
• Essential backcountry gear and how to pack efficiently
• Trip planning basics, route considerations, and preparation
• Camp systems for comfort, safety, and self-reliance in remote settings
• Introductory navigation awareness and terrain assessment
• Risk management, decision-making, and wilderness safety principles
• How to travel with greater confidence while respecting the land

Perfect for: campers looking to level up, aspiring canoe trippers or backpackers, and anyone interested in learning the foundations of safe backcountry travel.