Thanks for your interest in our upcoming podcast, scheduled to premiere in early May 2021.

Following are 15 FAQs about what we’re doing, and why this will be different from other podcasts currently available.

01. What topics will the new weekly podcast cover?

We’ll focus on three major outdoors activities: camping (in all seasons), hiking, and paddling (canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and packrafting). There’s a lot of interplay between these three categories of activities because so many people in North America enjoy all of them – and frequently on the same trip or holiday! Plus, we’ll add safety to the mix in every episode as well.

02. Who will host the show?

The weekly host will be The Outdoor Kind’s John Van Barriger. John is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, and has been lucky to travel to a lot of great places to camp, hike, paddle, bicycle, scuba dive, motorcycle, etc. He also worked as a writer/editor and teacher for years, so he’ll bring those skill sets to the show. A lot of people know John as a correspondent and regular contributor to the Toronto-based “Paddling Adventures Radio,” North America’s longest-running paddling podcast.

03. Is John leaving “Paddling Adventures Radio” to start this new podcast?

No! John will continue calling in as a correspondent to “Paddling Adventures Radio.” We like to think of this as a “book end” to that show.

04. Who will co-host the show?

John will have several rotating co-hosts, who will bring different perspectives and experiences to the show. We’re selecting our co-hosts right now, so we’ll have more details about them in the near future. But we can tell you that they’ll be from both Canada and the United States – and they’re all people you’ll want to know!

05. What will a typical episode look like?

This is all in the planning stages now, but we see it consisting of several components: First, John and one of the co-hosts will introduce the program and discuss their recent activities, outdoors/industry news, gear reviews, and whatever else strikes their fancy. Second, we’ll conduct a feature interview with someone who loves the outdoors as much as you do. And finally, we’ll feature a safety tip to round-out the show. We anticipate each episode running from 60-90 minutes.

06. Who will be guests on the podcast?

The number one requirement for our interview guests is that they’re interesting! They may be absolute newbies who can share the joy of a first hiking or paddling experience to people who have been playing or working in the outdoors for decades. Our podcast is for everyone, and our guest list will reflect that. We want to share the voices of all types of people, and will work to encourage all types of people to get outside – and enjoy it safely!

07. How will the interviews be different from other podcasts?

First, the approach will be different. We play in the outdoors because we love it there. Everything starts from our love of the environment. Second, John honed his skills as an interviewer while working in the magazine and newspaper industries. Conducting those interviews was the favorite part of his job. He’s also curious by nature, and loves talking with people to learn more about them. Those qualities, along with his previous work experience, will make the interviews interesting for both the guests and audience.

08. Isn’t safety a boring topic?

Too often it is, but it absolutely doesn’t need to be! Safety information frequently comes across as dry “do this, don’t do that” material or is preached from the egocentric standpoint of a trainer. That’s not what we’re about. You will never hear us say, “The way we do this is the only way to do it, and you must too.”

09. How is your approach to safety different then?

Safety isn’t about the trainer or speaker, it’s about the end-user. The Outdoor Kind approaches safety from the standpoint of the enthusiast because, if you’re prepared and safe, you can stay outside and play longer! When we do our safety presentations – whether in classrooms, at club events, or outdoors sporting expos – we also like to add a lot of humor. Otherwise, someone may as well pick up a textbook and simply read it there. We like to make it fun and add a lot of real-world examples! (Besides, no one has hurt themselves as much as John has outdoors. He is a walking textbook of what not to do!)

10. Why are you interested in promoting the work of first responders?

Because the work they do helps us all. A lot of people don’t think about first responders unless they need them. In some ways, that’s only natural. But every trip you take outdoors involves first responders whether you realize it or not. It might be the fire crews that work to protect the environment. Or a Search And Rescue group that is standing by if you have a serious problem in the woods or on the water. It could be the guide or outfitter who’s taken an intensive course on wilderness medicine and first aid. It might even be the state police patrol who will help you out if you have a problem on the way to your destination. First responders do a lot for us, and should be recognized for it.

11. Is there anything that you won’t talk about?

In general, we won’t cover politics. It’s too divisive, and we’d prefer to instead see areas of commonality and celebrate the activities we all love. There will be times when we briefly discuss political or social issues surrounding a certain topic, such as water rights for example. You can’t avoid that. However, if we take a deep dive into that topic, we’ll break it out and make it a special episode. That way, those who are really interested can tune into it…and those who aren’t don’t need to hear it.

12. Will there be any other special episodes?

Yes, but not because they’re contentious issues. We’ll have some special episodes on specific topics or destinations so we go into a lot more detail on those subjects and locations. Or if we have an extra-long interview, we might make half of that interview a special “after hours” episode on its own if it follows a certain theme. We hope our listeners will find both the regular and special episodes interesting.

13. Why is the Outdoor Kind releasing this podcast?

Because at the end of the day, the most important thing we think you’ll get out of the show is the safety information.  That’s why every show will include safety info. It could be about campfire safety, an item or two you should add to your first-aid kit, blade safety, you name it! We think you’ll find our co-hosts and guests interesting enough to tune in, and the safety aspects worth incorporating into your outdoors activities.

14. What’s the name of the podcast?

We’re working on that! If you have any suggestions, let us know. (Unless you’re one of the “Paddling Adventures Radio” staff, that is. We’ve already heard your suggestions and this is a family-friendly show!)  🙂

15. How can we learn more?

Keep watching The Outdoor Kind’s website and social media. We’ll start posting regular updates as we have them! Thanks again for your interest!