Canadian Outdoor YouTubers: Outdoor Adventure Without Leaving Home

As I write this, many of Canada’s parks and trails have closed because of the Covid19 outbreak. To satisfy my longing to get out, I’ve been binge watching past videos from Canadian outdoor YouTubers. I’ve made a list of my favourites here, so that you can also tune in.

In this list, you’ll find YouTubers documenting their experiences in backcountry travel, camping, bushcraft, and foraging. Some of the channels centre on long expeditions, others on educational content, and some on both. I hope the creators on this list help you experience nature and outdoor adventure without leaving home.

Check out Part 2 of Canadian Outdoor YouTubers.

Justin Barbour

Justin Barbour is an outdoorsman, filmmaker, and author from Newfoundland. His YouTube channel is my go-to for epic adventures. He’s taken several arduous trips through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Check out Justin’s docuseries, 68 Days Across Newfoundland Wild. It’s a 700km long expedition with his dog, Saku. In this adventure, Justin’s skills in bushcraft, survival, padding, and wilderness camping are all put to the test.

Once you’re done that series, check out 83 Days Across Labrador Wild by Canoe and Journey Over 10,000 Year Old Fjords.

KC Happy Camper

Kevin Callan is the creator of KC Happy Camper. He’s an avid paddler, outdoorsman, and author. On his channel, you’ll find a mix of backcountry camping vlogs, fireside interviews, and educational content.

Since the pandemic began, Kevin has uploaded some of his instructional content online. Check out his identification videos on mammals, fish, owls, birds, and frogs. He’s also uploaded presentations on canoes routes in Ontario and Algonquin Park.

Kevin is a great storyteller, which makes for excellent vlogs. One of my favourites is his video re-creating the tent dwellers trip in Nova Scotia. It’s an adventure taking place in and around Kejimkujik National Park.

The Wild Yam

Jen, the creator of The Wild Yam, makes excellent educational and instructional videos about flora, fauna, and outdoor skills. You’ll also find gear reviews, cabin adventures, and trail cam footage on her channel.

Now that spring has arrived, check out Jen’s video, Foraging at the Off Grid Tiny Cabin. In it, she identifies common spring edibles like wood sorrel, wild violets, horsetail, cattail, spring mushrooms, spruce tips, yarrow, strawberry, and basil.

Last winter, Jen made her own hot tent and tested it out in a snowstorm. If you’ve ever considered hot tenting, give this video a watch. You might be inspired to make your own!

Canadian Bushcraft

Caleb Musgrave is an Anishinaabe outdoorsman and bushcraft instructor. You’ll find him teaching bushcraft workshops throughout the year in Hiawatha, Ontario. Caleb shares some of his outdoor skills on his YouTube channel, Canadian Bushcraft.

In time for spring, see his videos on spring edibles and tools for foraging. He also has videos on building natural shelters, fire making, harvesting cattail leaves, hunting and trapping.

Since the covid19 outbreak, Caleb has been offering free workshops on wilderness living skills on his Instagram live. Give him a follow, so you don’t miss the next one!

The Baird Brothers

Jim and Ted Baird are the winners of Alone season 4. They survived for 75 days on Vancouver Island with little supplies. If you’ve seen the show, you know that it’s a gruelling challenge where contestants have to rely on their knowledge of bushcraft, fishing, trapping, and foraging to survive.

Lucky for us, the brothers’ adventures continue on their YouTube channels. Check out Jim Baird’s epic trip across Baffin Island with his dog, Buck. It’s a ten part series featuring brutal weather conditions, dwindling food supplies, and the constant threat of polar bears. For another thrilling adventure, check out 14 Days Solo Camping in the Yukon.

Head over to Ted Baird’s channel to learn how to make natural shelters, like this winter lean to shelter made from tree bark. Or, this cool winter shelter he made with his partner, Heather, and their dog, Bella. I’ve learned a lot about bushcraft from his channel and I’m sure you will too!

The Baird brothers also starred in a series called Baird Bros: Temagami Wilderness.

Chris Prouse

Chris Prouse is a talented filmmaker who vlogs about her outdoor adventures with her wife, Julia. I enjoy watching their backcountry canoe trips in Algonquin Park and tree-house adventures in Mont Tremblant.

If you’ve ever wanted to try backcountry camping, Chris has made an excellent how to video all about canoe camping in Algonquin Park. It covers all the basics; selecting a route, bookings, gear, meal planning, navigation, setting up camp, and bear safety.

Also, check out Julia’s peanut “better” s’mores. I’ve been meaning to try them since watching the video.

Joe Robinet

Joe Robinet is famous for his bushcraft style camping trips. He has hundreds of hours of content and over a million subscribers. If you’re into natural shelters, tarp camping, fishing, and canoeing, this is the channel for you.

Check out his series Stranded in the Wild. It’s a classic misadventure story. Joe and his friend are trapped in the remote wilderness of Woodland Caribou Provincial Park as a wildfire blazes through.

You might also enjoy Joe’s “challenge videos.” He has a 10 days, 10 items challenge, a $10 supershelter challenge, and a Walmart gear challenge.

Alexis Outdoors

Careena Alexis Belnap is a passionate outdoorswoman and bushcrafter. She’s also the creator of the YouTube channel Alexis Outdoors, where she films her camping trips and bushcraft projects.

Last winter, Careena built a natural shelter from tree boughs which she later camped in. In the fall, her husband, Ryan, and their dog, Grizz, did a 40km wilderness trip in Algonquin Park. It’s an exciting adventure that includes rescuing some capsized paddlers.

Careena also makes videos of her daytime excursions with Grizz. Here’s one with her and Grizz when he was a puppy!

Camper Christina

Since 2015, Christina has been blogging and vlogging about her adventures in the backcountry. She’s inspired me and countless other women to begin solo camping. She’s paddled in Algonquin, Georgian Bay, Killarney, Haliburton Highlands, Massasauga, Temagami and a handful of other places.

Christina also makes instructional videos about wilderness cooking. Check out her video showing how to catch, clean and cook a pike. Also, try her yummy prosciutto, basil and tomato pasta.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Christina began solo tripping, she did an interview with Kevin Callan explaining it.

Other Resources

I have some other blog posts recommending podcasts, books, and other resources that might interest you:

Canadian Outdoor YouTubers Part 2

Tell me your favourite Canadian outdoor YouTubers in the comment section below!