Not surprising how so many outdoorsmen and women know instinctively the ideas that Richard Louv posits in "Last Child in the Woods."

Want healthier, balanced, confident and engaged kids? Let them roam outdoors.

The way we feel in my extended family, every kid should know how to paddle a canoe, shoot a gun, use and sharpen a knife, field-dress an animal, build a fire and pitch a tent. That doesn't mean they have to adopt these as hobbies, but they should know how.

Having said that, I haven't had the courage to take my kids to Quetico yet, primarily because the guys in the group I go with aren't into the family thing.

At some point, I'll have to break off ....

-- kypaddler