Kinda laughing, my dental hygienist said she was the one who broke her wrist when I asked if Kim had taken them on any adventures... Like I was supposed to know. So first thing I see is the article in BWJ about the "adventure". I was glad she was fully recovered cause she does such a good job cleaning teeth. And the article is a good reminder of things that can happen out there.

I snapped my fibula between Phoebe and Grace on my way out about 4 years ago. Slipped on a slippery sloping granite flat rock. Walked it off and made it back to Sawbill. Went to see the doctor a couple of days later, had an MRI, and wore an inflatable boot for 4 weeks because I didn't want him to put a plate and screws into the bone.

Tomster

Slippery rocks can be a pain, literally! I went down when I was wading to cool off on my trip a few weeks back. thought I had everything scouted out and next thing I knew I was laying on my side. Lucky that nothing other than my pride was injured. :)

Lots of slick surfaces out there. I have always prided myself on seldom falling and being quite nimble in the woods. But age and urban living has caught up with me. Now I use my head and have become less dependent on practiced motor skills which just react correctly.

I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them.

I found woodland caribou park to be a bugger in wet times. The lichen can be slick on the rocks. Good footwear is very important... as is slowing down in certain spots.

nctry: "I found woodland caribou park to be a bugger in wet times. The lichen can be slick on the rocks. Good footwear is very important... as is slowing down in certain spots."

I find in my older age I have slowed down in ALL spots.

About 15 years ago the afternoon before we went in we were exploring the Kadunce river . I slipped on the shale came down on my left arm and cut it from the elbow to the wrist.

My son did 98 percent of the paddling that trip my arm became infected because of improper cleaning at the Grand Marais ER.

But we make the trip and a round of antibiotics took are of the infection when we got back home.


So the moral of the story be very careful it happens very fast.

In 2010 I slipped off of a rock trying to find a portage along the shore on the first day in Quetico. When I fell, a sharp limb on a downed tree went through my leg. I was in Ranger Bay of Basswood. I slipped right into the sharp limb and my partner asked if I was alright. I told him it didn't look good. You could just see a big gash above my ankle. I ripped up my shirt and made a tight bandage on it until we got back to camp. My partner put too much Neosporin on it and the butterfly bandage could hardly hold. Then a storm comes in from the south, no way we could evacuate the camp and try to make it back to Prairie Portage. So I drank some vodka and took some Advil and tried to sleep as my leg thumped all night. The next morning we headed to Washington Island hoping to catch one of the tow boats. All the boats coming into the island were going fishing and not heading back any time soon, so we paddled back to Prairie Portage that morning. My friend Cathy was working at PP and she called Williams and Hall and they came and got us. Then we drove into Ely looking to get it stitched up. The Dr. didn't stitch the wound though. I said to him are you telling me I don't need stitches. He says I didn't say that, I'm just not stitching it. Why not? He says it had been longer then 24 hours and he didn't want to stitch in any infections. They cleaned it up, put new bandages on it and then we headed back into the Boundary Waters for another 8 days :)

concrete boat landings on local lakes can be a bugger....can be on your back before you can think about it...'

Low water levels with rocks at portages...them aren't no fun either....

dr bob

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?

These are all good reminders for me to slow down and Be Careful as I will be quite gidddy to be back in the BW for first time in 3 years. I don't want to slip on the first portage and ruin the trip! I'll actually be more "agile" this trip ( well as agile as 250# 56 year old can be) since I have a new hip and no pain.

Blue Skies!

cc

deleted duplicate post

mjmkjun: "

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?"

The Astral Brewer kayaking shoe is the best camp shoe I have ever seen. I had stopped in at a kayaking specialty shop to take a look around and just for kicks decided to try a pair on..........I wasn't about to drop $100 on a camp shoe. But once I walked around I knew I had really found something special. They are ultra light but yet provide superior traction. They are a pleasure to wear in and of themselves and at the end of a day I look forward to wearing them. They are a true water shoe but I don't wear them for swimming or wading. They would get you out in the event a portage boot went missing. Dry fairly quickly and with the water ports ventilation is good. If it's cold out just slap on some wool socks.

5 or 6 years ago, I was fishing from shore barefoot and got what I deserved. I slipped and cut up my right foot on sharp gabbro at Gabbro. ER, whole bit. Wear shoes.

mastertangler: "

mjmkjun: "

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?"

The Astral Brewer kayaking shoe is the best camp shoe I have ever seen. I had stopped in at a kayaking specialty shop to take a look around and just for kicks decided to try a pair on..........I wasn't about to drop $100 on a camp shoe. But once I walked around I knew I had really found something special. They are ultra light but yet provide superior traction. They are a pleasure to wear in and of themselves and at the end of a day I look forward to wearing them. They are a true water shoe but I don't wear them for swimming or wading. They would get you out in the event a portage boot went missing. Dry fairly quickly and with the water ports ventilation is good. If it's cold out just slap on some wool socks. "

+1 - I have a pair of Astral Brewers and am incredibly impressed with how grippy they are and the overall level of comfort. Only had them wet a couple times, but they dried out very quickly. Not a fan of the price tag, but you definitely get what you pay for.

lundojam: "5 or 6 years ago, I was fishing from shore barefoot and got what I deserved. I slipped and cut up my right foot on sharp gabbro at Gabbro. ER, whole bit. Wear shoes. "

Ouch! Bum deal.

I have "baby ass feet" and while they can go all day I absolutely have to wear some kind of shoes pretty much all the time.

I got a kick in BWJ of the barefoot portager and for the life of me can't imagine how it could be done. I guess like anything else, they just toughen up after a lifetime of no shoes.

mastertangler: "

mjmkjun: "

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?"

The Astral Brewer kayaking shoe is the best camp shoe I have ever seen."

These will have to replace my Solomon Tech Amphibians next year. MT, I'm gonna go broke hanging around you.

Astral Brewer Video

Seems like I wind up on my back side at least once every trip. Never injured beyond a bruise. In variably it is the sloped, wet rock ledge that gets me. I don't have cheap shoes either. I wear NRS Abyss boots on the portages and Keens or something similar at camp. Probably need to work on my balance...

TomT: "

mastertangler: "

mjmkjun: "

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?"

The Astral Brewer kayaking shoe is the best camp shoe I have ever seen."

These will have to replace my Solomon Tech Amphibians next year. MT, I'm gonna go broke hanging around you.


Astral Brewer Video


"

Wait and see.......you are going to dig those shoes. I get a small twinge of satisfaction and pleasure every time I put them on. You will be shocked at how light they are but yet how confidently you walk around on almost any surface.

mastertangler: "

TomT: "

mastertangler: "

mjmkjun: "

mastertangler: "...
I also am picky about footgear. My camp shoes, Brewster kayaking shoes are super grippy and a great aid walking about confidently. Super light, I will never have anything different if I have a choice. I might even get a pair or two as backup in case they discontinue them. "

Are you referring to Huk Brewster shoe or Astral Brewer kayak shoe?"

The Astral Brewer kayaking shoe is the best camp shoe I have ever seen."

These will have to replace my Solomon Tech Amphibians next year. MT, I'm gonna go broke hanging around you.



Astral Brewer Video



"

Wait and see.......you are going to dig those shoes. I get a small twinge of satisfaction and pleasure every time I put them on. You will be shocked at how light they are but yet how confidently you walk around on almost any surface. "

Do you portage in them too?

I need to follow all your collective advice. My camp shoes are always used sneakers or trail shoes (what I call "four-wheel drive shoes".) I should take what I wear in camp more seriously, as I usually fall or slip or fall in camp on every trip. Sooner or later bad luck will find me...

Mike

QueticoMike: "... Then we drove into Ely looking to get it stitched up. The Dr. didn't stitch the wound though. I said to him are you telling me I don't need stitches. He says I didn't say that, I'm just not stitching it. Why not? He says it had been longer then 24 hours and he didn't want to stitch in any infections. They cleaned it up, put new bandages on it and then we headed back into the Boundary Waters for another 8 days :)"

Wow. Hard core!

BWPaddler: "

QueticoMike: "... Then we drove into Ely looking to get it stitched up. The Dr. didn't stitch the wound though. I said to him are you telling me I don't need stitches. He says I didn't say that, I'm just not stitching it. Why not? He says it had been longer then 24 hours and he didn't want to stitch in any infections. They cleaned it up, put new bandages on it and then we headed back into the Boundary Waters for another 8 days :)"

Wow. Hard core!"

I call the scar above my ankle my Quetico Tattoo........

MikeinMpls: "I need to follow all your collective advice. My camp shoes are always used sneakers or trail shoes (what I call "four-wheel drive shoes".) I should take what I wear in camp more seriously, as I usually fall or slip or fall in camp on every trip. Sooner or later bad luck will find me...


Mike"

I detest falling Mike. I used to pride myself on never falling in the woods. When I used to trap I was exceptionally competent. When you fall, even slowly, you are out of control and bad things can happen.

I had a bouncer at a concert put his leg between mine just to watch me land flat on my face. Good sport for a big bouncer to pick on some long haired pimply faced early twenty something. My leg hit his ever so slightly and breezed up and over without having seen the bouncers mean little trick. I looked back thinking, "what was that" and I will never forget the look of incredulity on the big mans face......he was literally astonished not to find me face down on the floor.

But such is youth. I am not so nimble these days and stiffness has compromised some of my mobility. So I need every advantage I can get. You will be pleased at just how grippy the soles are on the Brewster.

They are a dedicated camp shoe. I don't portage in them but feel good about getting out with them if I had to. Better than sandals that's for sure which I have learned to dislike for several reasons.

I take so old (beater) strong paddle as my spare and use it as a walking stick on the tricky portages and every time carrying the canoe. Having a third leg is really handy on sloping rock. The lichen up north is like soap after a rain.

Rubber compound probably matters more than tread pattern when it comes to slipping on wet rocks. After years of different hiking shoes and trail runners (I'm a lightweight backpacker) and full leather hiking boots, I've rediscovered Vibram Lug Soles as having the best traction on wet rock. Sure, some of the lightweight hikers have good grip, but which ones? In the Marketing world today the shoe designers have to keep mixing it up to add a new and desirable feature to their shoes every year so people will buy a new pair. Molded soles are made of different compounds and often three or four colors, yay!! But you don't know if they'll grip until you're on wet rock. I've slipped and fallen several times with otherwise great trail runners.

I rediscovered Vibram kinda by accident, and found that it sticks really well to wet rock. With the good old Vibram lug sole having a good grippy compound. The newer Vibram Newporter sole is made with a different compound that grips wet rock even better, but doesn't have as deep a lug. I use the Newporter sole on boots that will see lots of rock, but not much mud, and the Sierra lug sole if I think it will be really muddy. (Yes, I have too many boots...).

I haven't figured out the best way to incorporate old fashion vibram into the perfect portage boot, but I'm working on it.