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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 02:14PM
Trip Report - One and only trip

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
Northwoodsman 06/16/2019 12:13PM
A lot of people over pack on food. I take less an less every trip and I am finally at a point where I feel comfortable with the amount of food that I bring. For some reason I never get hungry on my paddle adventure, I have to remember to eat most of the time. It's the opposite when I'm at home. On my recent trip I was sick for about 24 hours so I skipped 3 meals. That was the only food I packed out. It was nice knowing that I wasn't portaging the extra weight.
mapsguy1955 06/15/2019 02:12PM
It's all in the preparation. I came out 3 weeks ago and the flies were just beginning. The truth is that this experience isn't for everyone. Prepare for bad bugs and be happy if they aren't so bad. We are going into THEIR home. It's just the way it is!
Frenchy 06/03/2019 05:57AM
I am glad you added to your report. Like stated by others, everyone hits a trip like that once in a while.
Next time try pre-treating your clothing with Permitrin spray. This really gives you a chance against little critters.
Keep watching this site and take notes. You will put together a great plan for future trips.
46plymouth 06/02/2019 10:58PM
One more thing to add we actually did have a fun experience overall.


46plymouth 06/02/2019 10:17PM
I better get back on here and finish story a little bit better. Bugs were a complete nuisance but for a first trip I think most things went pretty well otherwise. We had never portaged before, but got a system down pretty quickly double portaging.

Never read a map or compass before, but did ok. Got off in wrong bay once. Not too bad. Need a little more work on that. We had very minimal canoeing experience. Didn't have rough water to contend with so didn't experience that, yet otherwise canoeing went well. Just didn't feel like fighting pesky bugs and they are a nuisance!

We opted to head out and check out some things around Ely that we wouldn't have had time to do if we would have stayed the time in the BW that we had planned on.

A couple other things I would improve on - I did overpack, mainly on the food side and I'm going to have to say we both preferred a backpack to the canoe pack. That's definitely personal preference there.

I was pushing the envelope saying first and last trip. That's not too true. On the way out, we were already planning how to change up some things and going back again, maybe even yet this year.

Now I have to give credit to this website and everyone here. Probably 90% of everything we did we got from this site and it went well. I just overlooked the blackfly info. It's there, too! We had head nets, but they just weren’t enough. And as someone mentioned, the Nemo bug net will be going with next time so I can sit there, relax with my food and look out over the BWCA.


TomT 06/02/2019 08:32PM
A Nemo Bug Out Shelter may be for you. Treat clothes with permethrin, wear head nets and get this screen house. You'll be fine. Or just go in September.


Kelso 06/02/2019 08:04PM
Well this is a shame. Give it another try, my friend.
bwcasolo 06/02/2019 07:11AM
just got back, head net for me in the am and pm, other than that the breeze helped. long pants, shirt, my bandanna was treated with sawyer, no bugs on the water, life in spring in the northland, fishing was great, few people. get headnets.
CoffeeInTheWoods 06/01/2019 10:48PM
Sorry to hear that. I just got back from three days on Pipe Lake and they were bad whenever you came near shore. Not much biting, but certainly annoying. Smoke and a headnet kept me sane and aided a wonderful trip, but I've got a pretty high tolerance for bugs and hate bug dope of any kind.
lundojam 05/31/2019 09:04PM
I've been to the BWCA maybe 40 times or so. We got bugged out once. Just like your trip, it was "no way, let's go." So, the way I look at it, you're in the clear the next 39 trips.
Seriously, try August. Mosquitoes come out at dusk, but then it's bedtime anyway. Try again for your son and your son's kids.
CoachBigD 05/31/2019 02:24PM
We were up the week before and they were the worst I had experienced for sure. It is amazing what you can ignore when you are catching fish!
ozarkpaddler 05/31/2019 10:33AM
When I'm taking newbies in late May or June I always emphasize how bad the mosquitos and black flies can be. Yet a few have said "I didn't realize it would be THAT bad?" Like pain or a bad shift at work I've learned to ignore them as much as possible.


As someone said, try September and they'll all be gone.
LindenTree 05/31/2019 09:16AM
Sorry to hear about the bugs.
I went in on the 28th for two nites, and just got back. The black flies were a little bothersome, with the light variable winds it made perfect wind for a smudge fire.
The smoke/smudge worked wonders on the balck flies, I didn't have to use any bug dope or netting.
naturboy12 05/31/2019 08:36AM
Well, not much to go on here, but I will say this much- being prepared for a trip in the BW doesn't happen by accident.


Try a different season, black flies have a fairly short window where they are annoying. Late season is the answer to no bugs.
Jackfish 05/31/2019 08:06AM
Look at it this way... every trip from now on will be better than your first one. And ten years from now, you'll still be telling stories about the black flies on your first trip, only by then, the story will be embellished to plague-like status. LOL

If you like the pristine wilderness, the fresh air, the daily challenges of being self-sufficient and the pure joy of getting away from it all, you'll be back for another trip. If you don't care about that stuff? You're a one-and-done-er.
x2jmorris 05/31/2019 06:49AM
That is too bad. I highly recommend going in Sept as the bugs are gone by that time. Black flies are a nightmare to deal with. Nothing seems to work on them.
46plymouth 05/31/2019 01:24AM
New Trip Report posted by 46plymouth

Trip Name: One and only trip.

Entry Point: 25

Click Here to View Trip Report