Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Top advice for novice BWCA trippers
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GoSpursGo |
1 - get good rain gear, 95+% chance youre gonna wear it 2 - get good boots, I hate having wet feet / socks so Ive got knee high boots for those trickier portage landings 3 - maps, try your hardest to memorize your planned route before you hit the bwca, but make sure you keep those maps close, dry, and referenced often. Good luck and have fun! |
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BnD |
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Thisismatthew |
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schweady |
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unshavenman |
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quark2222 |
Fishing - Just bring a spinning reel and rod, some Rapalas, and some twister baits for your first trip. Paddle slowly and troll around the shores. If you catch fish, that is great. If not, "oh well". Get/Use a tarp. If it is raining for a few hours, there is nothing better than having some conversation underneath a tarp with a fire going. Bring bug dope. Probably don't need it in September or later, but it doesn't weigh much. Get/buy sleeping bags that are rated about 20 degrees less than the worst case temps you may encounter. More trips across a portage are better than trying to do a single portage if anyone is struggling. Alone time for all is a good thing. You don't have to all be together all the time. Let people do what they do. Each will find an equilibrium with the trip if you do this. Camp chores - Most will find an affinity for something they prefer doing. No one likes cleaning food stuff, but you can rotate that. Entertainment - Brandy works well with cards, UNO, etc. Bring paperback books for entertainment. You can rip pages to help start fires, or exchange the books with other trippers. It seems best to use packs that have a chest strap such as those made by Granite Gear, CCS, and a few others. Get/rent Kevlar canoes. There is no substitute with respect to the weight. Most BWCA trippers complain about portaging the canoe(s). I actually like portaging my Prism compared to my main gear pack. The main gear pack is about 60 lbs - a Granite Gear. I portage a 20 lb food pack (CCS) and my 34 lb Prism canoe on my second trip. I call the Granite Gear main gear pack, "The Beast". Don't push things. If it is really hot, or if people are getting tired or pissed off, just find a decent campsite and call it a day. Swimming is awesome for cooling things down and getting people's attitudes elevated. Make sure you use a rope to tie your canoe to a stout tree at night or during the day so the wind doesn't blow it away. Never had an issue, but I would feel really stupid if my canoe was blowing around a lake a mile from my campsite. Probably more, but I will stop here. Tomster |
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Bannock |
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gymcoachdon |
1. Be organized on portages. 2. Bungee Dealee Bobs 3. Trolling size 7/9 Rapalas really works! Shhhhhh...Firetiger is the color! 4. Pack like you are backpacking! 5. Take the time to explore, it's not all about the destination campsite 6. Have a waterproof point and shoot camera that will float. Then you will always have it ready when the picture opportunity arises. 7. Eliminate loose items in the canoe. Helps at portages, and think "What would I lose if I dumped the canoe?" the answer should be "Nothing" |
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SimbaHasani |
This will be my second trip to the BWCA, and the first time for my other 3 traveling companions. The last time I went, I was much younger, inexperienced in the outdoors, and going with a time-tested veteran of the Boundary Waters. As a result, I didn't have to do much planning, and don't remember nearly enough about the trip. The four of us are experienced backpackers, having spent our college years together exploring the natural features of the American Southwest. However, we haven't done any canoeing/fishing trips as a group, but are really excited to finally be doing this trip. I'm looking for everyone's top piece(s) of advice for: 1. Gear 2. Fishing 3. General success on a trip to BWCA Thanks a million!! |
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boonie |
(1) Gear: lightweight and compact. Your experience will help you here. Resist the urge to take a bunch of "convenience and comfort" items just because the canoe will carry them most of the time. It will, but you'll have to carry them and the canoe across all portages while you're "backpacking with a canoe". Just take the stuff you really need. You didn't ask about food specifically, but I also like to keep it light and simple. (2) Fishing: I can't help you; I gave it up. And saved 6 lbs. :). (3) General success on a BWCA trip: Learn as much as you can, consider all the variables. Be flexible. Have a plan and options. |
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bwcadan |
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Grandma L |
You might think to ask specific question so we could give you better answers. Route - # of days? Ely or Grand Marais? Base Camp or Travel? Time of year? Easiest food? water flitration? tents? pads? bags? Outfitters? permits? canoes? packs? Check out the other forums here. Lots to read and easy to ask as questons come up. We love to help and share so - ask away........ My "tips of the day" - Take Less Stuff! Prepare for a turn in the weather - windy, colder, hotter...... Be patient and work together...... Oh, and thanks Gymcoachdon for the Rapala advice! |
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Northwoodsman |
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SimbaHasani |
quote Grandma L: "Simbahasani, Welcome to the board! Route - # of days? 7 days, EP 16 to Iron Lake/Crooked - we have our permit already, so hopefully this is a good route. Anything we should make sure to see beside the two falls on Iron lake? Ely or Grand Marais? Ely! Base Camp or Travel? Bit of both, hopefully - considering a basecamp at Iron Lake, then later on in the week basecamp at Crooked... Thoughts? Time of year? Late May. Outfitters? Way to Go Outfitters - They have been fantastic so far, really nice, flexible, and pretty helpful! And thanks Gymcoachdon for the Rapala advice, very appreciated - we want to catch walleye, tips for that? This forum is incredibly helpful, thanks everyone for being so great! |
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BigCurrent |
Extra socks. Plan on getting your feet wet while portaging. It's inevitable unless you are wearing waders. Dry shoes for camp. Dry Bags or portage packs. Pack sleeping bag in waterproof stuff sack. Keep travel plans loose. A lot can change throughout the day. Quality rain gear (including pants). Leave the ponchos at home. Tarp big enough to sit under if it rains. Packable camp chairs like the helinox chair are worth the weight. |
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BuckFlicks |
quote Wables: "quote overthehill: "Zigzags can add many miles over a week. May the wind be at your back." I'll second this post. Flexeril or Soma, whichever muscle relaxer you might have an Rx for will also help you sleep. I never sleep well whilst camping, especially on the first night. Go easy, though... don't want to OD out in the woods, or if you need to wake up at night for an emergency, you'll want to be able to gather your wits quickly. My buddy took Ambien one night and he was out in just a few minutes. Fortunately, we were in the Grand Canyon, but up on the Esplanade (sort of a long plateau midway between the river and the north rim) in December, so we weren't likely to have any sort of weather or wildlife emergencies, but I was concerned if something were to happen and I needed to get him awake and reacting to crisis in a hurry. Neat picture from/of the Esplanade... my favorite part of the Grand Canyon. Another medicinal suggestion: anti-inflammatories are great, but they work even better if you take one tablet of Tylenol with them. Tylenol's greatest attribute is that it enhances other pain killers, far better than it works on its own as a pain killer (that's why it's one of the two chief ingredients in Hydrocodone/Vicodin as well as Excedrin Migraine.) I usually take one aleve and one extra strength Tylenol in the morning and repeat in the evening when I'm backpacking or paddling. Ibuprofen works well, too, but I prefer the convenience of one pill ever 12 hours instead of 2 pills every 4-6 hours. That's the only reason for my preference. Check with your doc first to make sure you are ok to take both meds. I was told by my doctor that they are perfectly safe to take together as long as you don't exceed the recommended dosage for either, and don't take the cocktail over a prolonged period. Some people with blood issues are recommended against taking either. |
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KarlBAndersen1 |
quote SimbaHasaniThe bungee Dealee Bobs looked cool, although a bit expensive for what they seem too be." By a 100 foot roll of shock cord on Ebay and a hundred barrel cord locks. No brainer. Keep them EVERYWHERE!! On your gear, in the canoe, in the tackle box, on your tarps/hammocks/tents/etc. |
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Xand |
1. Bring something to sit on. Doesn't have to be fancy but one of these will do wonders for your back. 2. Don't overextend if you are unsure on your capabilities. Plan a reasonable route. If you get there in record time you can always press on but there's no point in burning out on day 1. 3. a tarp is a lifesaver if it rains (and it probably will). It will keep you from being bored and stuck in your tent. Also bring a couple lengths of rope. People have their preferences and their fancy bear hanging ropes which are probably great but paracord works just fine as an all-purpose rope. 4. Put some thought into your food. I still have a hard time not bringing too much. You don't have to be nearly as weight conscious as you do with backpacking but you still don't want to be carrying around an extra 5+lbs you won't touch. I'm sure your backpacking background will help you out here. On the flip side: remember that you won't be hauling it over too much land so a few luxuries won't slow you down too much (just be reasonable about it). For example we always bring steaks for the first night. 5. Diversity of booze is good (if that's your thing.) 6. Random useful stuff I recommend: -head lamps. Bring a few, they're that useful. -A small camp saw is hugely valuable. -A camp hammock for lounging is amazing. You will inevitably get sick of sitting on the ground. -Permethrin your clothes. Can't stress how useful this stuff is. It will make ticks an afterthought and also help with skeeters/flies. Make sure to put it on your socks and focus areas like cuffs/collars. -At least two pairs of wool socks and some boots to wear in camp. There may be no better feeling than taking your cold, shriveled feet out of your water shoes after a day of paddling and sticking them into wool socks and boots. No joke. Regarding fishing: I highly recommend bringing two rods/reels per fisherperson in case something happens to one. Seems silly but I snapped a rod on day 3 last year and was very happy to have my backup. I like 6-7' 2 piece medium-action rods with 6-8lb line as that will handle just about anything you run up against in canoe country but YMMV there. For tackle you can keep it pretty simple: if you bring a selection of crank baits for a variety of depths (shad rap type cranks will catch just about everything), a few slip bobbers, some jigs/twister tails (or live bait if you can swing it), basic terminal tackle and a few spoons you'd be pretty well covered. I bring about 5x that much and don't touch most of it. Trolling shads or floating leeches under slip bobbers anywhere near dropoffs, narrows or points at dusk will give you a good shot at the walters. There is almost always a magical moment where the bite turns on and if you're in the right spot you'll start reeling them in. Get out an hour or so before dusk to look for likely spots and troll around to see if there's any action. I like to switch to jigs or bobbers once I know where the fish are but trolling is always viable. |
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SimbaHasani |
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jcavenagh |
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Savage Voyageur |
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Canoe42 |
quote jcavenagh: "Pack all your food and then take out 25% of it and leave it home."+1 |
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bobbernumber3 |
quote SimbaHasani: "Best way to portage fishing poles? " Tie fishing rods under the thwarts before you portage. They will be safe and secure. Rod tube is very much over-kill. Make your own straps for tying the rods. |
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lindylair |
With a late May entry the water up there will be extremely cold. Wear your PFD at all times no matter how good of a swimmer you are. If you should tip the cold temp of that water will begin to affect you quickly. On big water, which you have some of on your trip, paddle close to shore, even if it makes your route a little longer. For obvious reasons, it could be the difference. Build in an extra day and if windy conditions come up that make paddling uncomfortable or unsafe, just sit back and enjoy the surroundings - don't make a decision to go on a day that could lead to a problem. Tipping is unlikely, but it happens and HAS happened to many veterans on this site. Be prepared, think about it and talk about it - have a plan. Wet footing is the norm up there, getting out of your canoe in shallow water before your canoe scrapes and gouges on the rocks. I have found that calf high lightly insulated waterproof boots work very well to keep your feet warm and dry and your canoe from being damaged. If you get them try and find ones with enough support to portage in, they are out there. |
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Grandma L |
Entry #16 up to Nina Moose and Agnes on first day then on to Iron. Take a little time and go north before heading east to Iron. Look just past Irving Island (Canadian side) and check out the pictographs. They are along the rock wall about chest height if you were standing in the canoe. There are a couple of sets and are well worth seeing since you will be in the neighborhood. And, be careful around Curtain Falls if the water level is up and rushing. I would suggest taking the little portage and not paddling up the chute on your way to the main portage. Ask your outfitter. On Iron, check out Peterson Bay on the south end. The island camp site is excellent and the fishing has been good there for our spring trips. My kids usually fish with Lindy Rig and leaches. If you go east - to Sunday Bay, evenon a day trip, the site on the east side of the bottom of the bay is pretty good too - though the fishing is good in Peterson and you might want to spend your time fishing instead of moving camp. If you have 6 days - 2 days in - 2 out and 3 at base with day trips to fish. |
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GraniteCliffs |
A positive attitude overcomes just about everything. Just decide to have fun no matter what. One of my all time favortie trips was a six day trip where it was cold, windy and rained all of the time 24 hours a day. We had a blast anyway! |
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mr.barley |
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fishonfishoff |
Try and get everyone in the planning, these meeting can be very entertaining. Borrow equipment when possible. Look in the DIY forum on making some of your equipment such as tarps, anchor bags, and BDB's. FISHONFISHOFF |
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boonie |
One of the things I learned on my first trip was that I didn't know very much about those. I quickly found out that flat-water paddling a loaded canoe into the wind across a larger lake was very different from floating down river in one. If your paddling experience is limited, it would be beneficial to get some practice ahead of time. At the very least, do some reading about the techniques. You should be aware that weather - wind and lightning - can alter travel plans when canoeing. You'll also have to stay at a designated campsite (first-come, first-served), so it's best to travel early and camp early to minimize problems with weather and finding a site. Be sure to tie your canoes up at night, especially if renting kevlar; take some rope for "painters" (bow and stern lines) for this purpose. Portaging is quicker and easier if you do not have a bunch of loose items to deal with at the landing. Minimizing loose items will also minimize the chance of leaving something there. You will have to make a decision whether you can single portage or should double portage. Most people seem to double portage, which means they carry half of their gear across the portage and walk back for the second half. This means you walk the portage three times, so you need to plan accordingly. If not single portaging, be sure to move the stuff you are not carrying the first trip off to the side out of the way of other trippers. Portages are bottlenecks in the BW. You may already use a packing list for backpacking trips, in which case you'll probably only need to add/change a few items. If not, I'll suggest you create one for everybody and use it. Have fun. |
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HighnDry |
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Bumstead |
Gear: Take a tarp for camp sitting area. It's great to be sitting outside the tent during a rainy afternoon. Fishing: 6'6" to 7' Medium light spinning rod with a small tackle tray of lures, jigs, plastics....not an entire tackle bag! 2nd rod per person, slip bobbers, hooks, and some live bait (leeches) if you are really planning on putting in some fishing time or plan on providing yourself with a walleye shore lunch or two. Success: Plan well with appropriate distances, layovers, basecamp area etc. To me, backpacking is more about the journey / distance (not often two nights in a row at one campsite); whereas in the BW, I seem to prefer basecamping or at least a couple nights at some campsites with daytrips to surrounding lakes and more fishing and relaxation. You're going to love it up there! |
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TrekScouter |
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schweady |
Perhaps you'd like to start a new thread to ask your question. And maybe start it in the Trip Planning Forum, rather than the Gear Forum. Just click on "Post New Message" near the top of that page, give it a title, and ask away. Oh, and the answer to your question is: "worse," but don't let that get you down. Treat your outer clothing with Permethrin before you go, light-weight long sleeves and pants, bring a head net, bring a spray containing DEET, and you're all set. |
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TomP |
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DCfreebird |
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Bronco |
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overthehill |
And schedule? Wind and weather and GROUP concerns......you are only as strong as your weakest link. Keep schedule flexible with extra time; not a forced March. If windy and in doubt ; play it safe and wait. Use your compass when launching on a big lake and beeline to point B. Zigzags can add many miles over a week. May the wind be at your back. |
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yogi59weedr |
I'm gonna add one I haven't seen..... LIVE BAIT. That time of year, probably rainbow minnows..... Some might think they are a pain in the arz..... My 2nd tip is quality rain gear. And my 3rd tip is what grouseguy said |
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BuckFlicks |
Good stuff already on this thread, I'll second some things: Waterproof boots. Wet feet aren't fun, and portages are too tricky/rocky/muddy for sandals. Good rain gear. It's going to rain - just put on some good rain gear and paddle away. As long as there isn't any lightning or howling winds, paddling in the rain is actually a pretty pleasant endeavor. Someone said to pack like you're backpacking. This is great advice, and I wish I had put those practices to work on my first trip. We had the exact thought: Well, the canoe is going to carry it most of the time.. let's bring all kinds of fresh food and heavy luxury items. The weight was an issue, but mostly it was space. All the "fresh" (not freeze-dried) food we packed wound up requiring an extra pack to carry. Of course, that pack was empty by the end of the trip, but those first couple days made for some strenuous portages. Use good decisions when selecting your gear - the majority of your current backpacking gear will serve you well in the BWCA. I wouldn't recommend using your backpacks, though. You can probably get away with just renting a canoe, PFD, and paddles from an outfitter, and some portage packs, if you don't buy any beforehand. Just about everything else you'll need, you probably already have through your backpacking experience. Everyone says you need a tarp, but I've never brought one... but clothes, kitchen gear, etc will probably already be in your gear. Extra socks: Yep... I have at least one pair of socks, boxers, and Teeshirt that always stay safely stowed in multiple layers of water protection so I can sleep in dry clothes at night. Don't rely on fish for your meals. As soon as you do, they'll stop biting. Don't feel like you have to cover too much ground. Enjoy your trip. Each lake is its own destination and deserves time spent to enjoy it. |
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ECpizza |
Wool and synthetic gear to stay warm and dry. Wet clothes, dry clothes, dry tent, good pad, warm bag (or hammock equivelent). A good first aid kit, and a couple of people who know how to use it. Sensible precautions taken to minimize the need for a first aid kit. I think people forget that risk is multiplied when help is hours or days away, vs the minutes away it is in our normal lives. A lightweight canoe is a must. No matter your fitness level, you will enjoy having a lightweight canoe. |
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Wables |
quote overthehill: "Zigzags can add many miles over a week. May the wind be at your back." Good advice, especially the hand rolled variety. Make sure you guys keep your heads about you, especially while traveling, setting up camp, and getting fire wood. Should be no different than hiking. One piece of advice that I haven't seen in this thread, bring LOTS of ibuprofen. Paddling requires different muscles than every day life and training. You are going to hurt for the first few days. I paddle regularly and I still get sore. My doctor also prescribes me 10 flexerol per year, as I have a bad back and spend 40+ days out of civilization per year. I need 2 days worth to get back to a doctor. My back went out at the Cache Bay ranger station last year at the start of a 9 day trip and that's a nice insurance policy! |