Take Aways A couple of take aways from this trip. For married couples that take a trip, while the temptation to share a pack or pack in two separate bags is real (i.e. one person carries the food, the other carries the shelter, etc.…) it is easier and more time efficient if everyone packs separately (except the shelter if sharing one). The second was the gravity water filter. Instead of wasting time pumping water, you can fill the gravity filter and hang it and let it do its thing while paying attention to the other camp chores. I will be picking one of these up for future trips.

Conclusion With the conclusion of this trip, Nate and I surpassed 100 miles of canoe travel in the BWCA in 3 yrs. Thinking back to our first trip in 2019 that started out as a pipe dream has morphed into an annual event while introducing multiple first timers along the way. Every single trip has been a unique and challenging experience in and of itself. Each trip has presented unique challenges to solve and overcome allowing personal growth to become a better human. It doesn’t matter how far you go, where you go or who you go with. There is something really special about the true wilderness. In the wilderness, the quiet, the lack of distractions, the landscape with its raw beauty and subtleties that require your attention lest a lesson be learned through pain and suffering. These trips always leave me with a sense of accomplishment as well as a need for more. However, I think the days of pushing to do miles are behind me. The downside is I will need to take longer trips to get deeper into the BWCA where I enjoy the solitude and comradery experienced with family and friends. Next year’s trip will be shorter to allow more time for fishing! But that’s also what I said last year……