Hi all!

I will be going up Sept. 29th thru Oct. 2nd this year at Mudro for a 4 day solo. I am incredibly excited and have almost everything for gear nailed down on the trip. Except for clothing....

With average highs of 55 and average lows of 25, I'm still wondering what the best combination of clothing is to bring. As of now, here is my current loadout I'm considering:

1 pair of lightweight merino wool top/bottoms
1 pair of Under Armour Coldgear top/bottoms
1 synthetic long sleeve UV protective shirt
1 fleece jacket
1 packable down jacket
1 pair of convertible nylon pants
1 fleece stocking hat
1 boonie hat
1 pair of mechanics gloves
1 pair of goretex overmittens and wool liners
1 synthetic buff
2 heavyweight wool blend socks
1 lightweight wool blend hiking socks
1 Rainwear top/bottom

Overall, I think this should be an ok packing list, but I figured I would throw it out to see what you all think? The only thing I'm curious about is if my lower body will need more insulation... thoughts?

It will be my 3rd trip up to the BWCA, but I'm being extra cautious for the cold weather considering the solo aspect of the trip. Thanks for the input everyone!

I've done quite a few late Sept. trips, sometimes up into early Oct. It's hard to figure the clothing because the weather is so variable and you never really know what you're going to get until you get there, and then it's going to change anyway. It's not the average temps that are hard to manage, it's the highs and lows, and the other stuff that can come with it - rain, snow, wind.

weather history

Your list looks fairly good. The trip is relatively short, so the last-minute forecast should be fairly accurate and you can fine tune right before entry, but I'd say don't skimp on clothing. Hypothermia is a concern and clothing is your first line of defense. I keep long johns, socks, and hat dedicated to sleeping in a waterproof compression stuff sack with my sleeping bag. An extra set of long johns provides a lot of additional warmth for minimal weight/bulk if it looks to be cold, wet, and windy. Of course, very good rain gear is essential to ward off rain, snow, and last, but not least, wind.

Looks about right to me. Went there last year at the same time; it rained for three days. Had an awesome time.

This is darn close to what I have, for the same weekend. I use 100 wht fleece 1/4 zip top and bottoms instead of the merino layer.

My only question is to bring the Chota hippies or just go with boots and wool socks. I have been up this same time and while it snowed day one and it was A+ the rest of the way. Another trip just 10 calendar days later was snow, wind, rain, cold and cold feet. So, game day decision for me on the hippies.

Have fun!


John

Take clothing for 80 degrees, take clothing for 20 degrees... no matter what the forecast calls for....

quote walllee: "Take clothing for 80 degrees, take clothing for 20 degrees... no matter what the forecast calls for...."

+1, and for 40, wet, and windy, too.

Great time of the year to be in the BW! End of September and first of October are favorites of mine.

I don't have a lot to add that others have not said. I agree that your list looks good. I do a lot of trips in October and even into early November and my gear list is not a lot different than yours. I generally follow the rule of thumb that I should be able to layer EVERYTHING I bring. If I can't wear it all at the same time I generally think hard about whether to bring it. I will add that a lot of my trips in the BW in the fall are backpacking trips so I look at weight and bulk a little differently than someone paddling might. Still, the challenges of keeping warm and dry (and cool and dry if it is hot) are pretty much the same.

Have a great trip and be sure and let us know how it goes.

I would definitely keep my feet dry one way or another. It looks like you already have layers set up. I would pack for very cold to very warm and leave whatever you don't need in the car once you get the last minute forecast. Last summer I was heading up in early June and was set for temps between 50° and 75°. The night before I left I got a phone call from a family member in MN telling me that the temps were in the mid 90's. I changed my clothing and my sleeping bag. The day I arrived it was 93°; 2 days later the temperature dropped and it didn't get above 52° nor did it stop raining for the duration of my trip. I was cold and miserable.

A couple things I would add:
1. Are you only bringing one pair of pants?
2. A pair of pants that have a mix of nylon and cotton or wool like 5.1.1 Tactical pants because nylon quick dry pants tend to be rather cold.
3. Have you made sure you can put your rain jacket on over your down or fleece jacket in case it's cold and rainy?
4. I agree with others in that I have layered the following for my top half when it was rainy and cold in camp: Long john top, wool zippered top, down jacket and rain jacket over all of it.

All in all it looks good so far. But like others have said you may want to dry foot that time of year by using Muck boots or some system that keeps your feet dry. I use Kokatat boots.

I think you are over packing but everyone is different. You need to take a few trips this time of year to figure out your personal needs. For me I just add wool long underwear tops and bottoms along with fleece gloves and a beanie hat. Remember you will be generating heat while paddling and portaging.

Ely avg temps

if you haven't already considered footwear, then I'd suggest some Tingley overboots.

Thanks for the good advice everyone!

Like I said, I have seen a historic average of 25-55 for this time of year in Ely. I will keep an eye on the weather forecast though!

For footwear I will be wearing some insulated Muck boots and have along crocs for some camp shoes to let my feet air out

I was only planning on bringing one pair of pants in the quick drying nylon variety. Is there any other recommendation for another pair of pants to bring? I'm a little leery of anything with cotton in the blend...

Also, good point on being able to fit a fleece, down, and rain jacket on all at once. I will check tonight to make sure!

Thanks again everyone! This site has been an incredible resource for me on the past couple trips!!

I only take one pair of the quick-dry nylon pants. They dry in about 15 minutes. I rely on the baselayer and rain/wind shell for warmth.

quote boonie: "I only take one pair of the quick-dry nylon pants. They dry in about 15 minutes. I rely on the baselayer and rain/wind shell for warmth."

That was my idea too... I'm thinking I should be ok.


Anybody think I should take a fleece face mask? I'm gonna bring a buff and beanie, but will I potentially want to bring more?

I probably wouldn't bother, but it's not that much more either. The problem with that time of year is it can change rapidly. One year we came out in 75-degree sunshine and a day or so later it was windy, cold, and snowing!

That scenario is exactly what has me worried about this time of year. It's unpredictable

Anybody think I should take a fleece face mask? I'm gonna bring a buff and beanie, but will I potentially want to bring more?"

I use a face mask folded back as my hat that way I can use it either way (mask or hat) while out on the water. I like having a mask as my face can get cold and it's kind of a carry over from winter camping. Certainly it won't hurt if you want to bring both.

We just got back from doing a 9 day trip in Quetico and experienced warm days where we used our convertible pants and zipped them off as it was so hot, to other days where we had our long underwear on and Nano puff jackets and gloves on as we were so cold. We had wind, rain, clouds, sun, t-storms and cold and heat. So be prepared for anything Mother Nature can throw at you.

I'm taking off next week, I was a bit worried with the highs in the 50's bit, but looking ahead it's looking like typical fall weather. I'm still packing for nasty. I've been in the BWCA the week after memorial day (back in the 80's) and woke up to a couple inches of snow on the ground, and I've been on trips where it rained to the point my dad and I were mimicking Forest Gump over the types of rain (aaand sometimes it rained up). I went out and loaded up on military surplus Gore tex jacket/bibs, fleece jacket, wool socks, etc. I am probably in the minority here, but I wear jeans on my trips....never felt the need for "quick dry" pants...but I've always kept one pair in a dry bag to wear back at camp. Just personal preference. This is my first "fall" trip- never really been up there after August, I may change my tune on the pants issue after next week, haha. I looked at several different pairs...just haven't found one pair that seemed "tough" enough to be worth purchasing for canoe trips. OH, I should mention, I wear a pair of LaCrosse green "Burly" boots, though by the way many of you talk of them, I might upgrade to a pair of Muck boots before next year.

quote boonie: "

quote walllee: "Take clothing for 80 degrees, take clothing for 20 degrees... no matter what the forecast calls for...."

+1, and for 40, wet, and windy, too."

especially for wet and windy, it can turn an october day into a cold one.

I have been pretty happy with these. I have slipped and cut my knee up twice with these pants. Even though blood was staining the under side of the fabric, no rips occurred in the pants.

I think you've got a decent list.

I've never gone to BWCA in this kind of temp range, but I've gone backpacking in the Grand Canyon (North Rim) in December a couple times with similar temp ranges. It got colder at night and it got warmer during the day, but all in all, about the same. Layering was the key. In the mornings it was frosty cold, and it seemed like all my layers weren't going to be enough, but once I got moving, I rapidly started shedding layers to keep from overheating. Then as the sun disappeared (happens very early deep in the canyon) the layers started going back on.

The big difference is that my trip was very dry, as your trip is likely to be very wet. I'd probably pay a lot more attention to clothes designed to keep my dry. Obviously rain isn't as much of a concern in the desert, but I had a rain jacket packed to keep me protected from the light rains or snow that we might have encountered. In the BWCA, I'd bring a much more sturdy rain jacket and pants.

Someone made an excellent suggestion - make sure your rain jacket and pants are big enough to pull over your layers before you go out. Put everything you would plan on layering on at the same time and see if your rain gear will go on over it. If not, take a look at the next size bigger.

I'd definitely recommend boots that keep your feet dry no matter what. That'd probably be my #1 concern.

I like silk thermals rather than synthetics. They're lighter and more comfortable... but that's just a preference. I prefer the Hot Chilys brand.

I'd prefer the quick dry nature of 100% nylon pants to a nylon/cotton blend that will hold water if it gets wet. The outer pants are more of a wind stop, and the under thermals will be more of your warmth holders. A buddy of mine has fleece tights that he wears under his hiking pants when hiking in cold weather. I like the idea, but I tend to get hot when hiking even in the coldest temps, so I think I'd hate them for hiking. I'm pretty sure he got them for skiing, though - and I could see them being more useful there.

I'm now thinking I should do well then with my list. Thanks for the advice everyone!

Now for the tough part.... devising a menu and cooking setup ha