BWCA So... is it a solo trip if.. Boundary Waters Group Forum: Solo Tripping
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      So... is it a solo trip if..     

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06/20/2017 05:02PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Some say if you bring a dog it's really not a solo. What if you have a new fangled InReach and can communicate with people? . I've been enjoying being able to message hobbydog Bill. No speed records, but he's having a good time.
 
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Whatsit
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06/20/2017 07:43PM  
I think it would be the best kind of solo. So to me this is a solo and lucky you that you have a dog you can take with you
 
06/20/2017 09:40PM  
quote Whatsit: "I think it would be the best kind of solo. So to me this is a solo and lucky you that you have a dog you can take with you"



No more dogs for me... and hobbydog is Bill. I don't think he has a dog with. I was commenting that he's up in Manitoba with his InReach. I'm at home unable to paddle. It's been fun for me to text back and forth. He was eating fresh walleye tonight on the gammon river. My mouth was watering when I heard that. Lol.
 
06/21/2017 04:16AM  
I'm saying no it isn't a true solo. Maybe physically but not emotionally. A solo with a dog is closer to a true solo than having an inreach. A dog can occupy your time and distract you from yourself but having an ability to text and receive texts? That's a solo physically only.

 
06/21/2017 06:22AM  
Well if I can solo with all my alternative egos, I should have no trouble with dogs/pets/com devices, should I?

I was talking to the group in my head there. We do agree, I think.

butthead
 
06/21/2017 08:37AM  
Yes. :)
 
HappyHuskies
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06/21/2017 04:12PM  
It's all good. Dog, electronics, or the most spartan kit ... it all sounds like a solo to me. I wouldn't get too hung up on labels. Just do what makes you smile.
 
06/22/2017 08:02PM  
I was just having fun with it. But now I know who butthead is talking to during the night at our wing night campouts. Haha. Bill has had a nice trip so far. He hadn't seen much of anybody until today. Then a group of nine young gals...
 
06/22/2017 08:18PM  
Is he in WCPP, Ben?
 
GraniteCliffs
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06/23/2017 06:21PM  
With or without a dog it is a solo. Ditto for a device of any sort. There is a safety and security dimension to a dog or device but it is still a solid solo in my book.
 
06/24/2017 09:39PM  
On the border he's mostly doing Atikaki.
 
06/26/2017 05:06PM  
I think he's going to get to Aikens Lake tonight. Talking about making our wingnight up here by Friday or Saturday. If he asks if he can bring anything I'll say a stringer of Walleye.
 
hobbydog
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07/02/2017 08:38PM  
I hope you enjoyed the updates Ben. Good question. The main use of my inReach was to check in with my wife twice a day. I had strict rules that I did not want to be notified of anything happening in the world unless it was an emergency where I needed to get out asap.

I know Ben wanted to make this same trip pretty bad this year so I offered to send him a daily update. Just enough for him to visualize the spot or a moment in the day, maybe an emotion.

Any trip is what you make it or want it to be. This one was supposed to be physically challenging. It lived up to expectations.
 
07/03/2017 05:23AM  
I'm looking forward to the trip report, hobbydog.
 
07/04/2017 02:54PM  
Boy, that was one of the best trips I've ever been on. Haha. Following Bill was a lot of fun for me. Bill, I need pictures to see where I'd been. Haha. Thanks for coming to my place for some food and fun.


 
07/05/2017 05:31PM  
I think it is...... I could never leave Echo behind. He would be crushed ;)

One of the many things I miss about Jan is him ribbing me about needing to go on a real solo without Echo along.
 
07/05/2017 06:46PM  
I think it's still a solo if you take navigation and safety gadgets with you.

Years ago I road tripped cross country in my car with only a map.
Now days we have many other gadgets to help us navigate, but we are still driving solo.
No different than canoeing solo with a GPS, or InReach. Yes psychology it may be slightly different, and perhaps our safety margin is wider with those gadgets, but it's still a solo in my book. (I'm not a purist)
Same way with taking a dog. I sure wish I had my pup with me in AK now.
 
gymcoachdon
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07/05/2017 09:49PM  
I took an InReach with me to Quetico, and it was a nuisance. The only reason I have/take it, is so my wife won't worry at home. Then one day, for some reason, my messages didn't go through. I could receive her txts, but she wasn't getting my replies. Then she starts texting "I'm starting to get worried", and I'm pissed because the only reason I took it was so she wouldn't worry! Next day everything functions normal, I send a "I'm starting here" message in the am, and an "I'm stopping here" in the pm. She sends back "ok". All good!

And yes, it was a solo! And I had a ball, great fishing, and met several people...
so was it really a solo?
 
07/06/2017 05:48AM  
Here's the way I look at it (with all due respect to K :). It's a solo. A solo is defined by the person taking it, whether they take a dog, a SPOT, or a dog named "Spot". :)

I don't take any of those things. I do take a PLB and one of several reasons I take a PLB instead of a SPOT is the situation you ran into, gymcoachdon.
 
hobbydog
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07/07/2017 08:20AM  
I did bring Jack along so guess it wasn't a true solo.He was good company around the fire on a chilly night.

 
07/07/2017 09:48AM  
Yeah, it's a solo when you have a pooch or a device. Not a solo when you have a group who all have their own solo canoes.
 
07/07/2017 11:05AM  
Yeah call it a solo if you take a dog or have a device that allows you to communicate to the outside. But- there is a difference when you go alone and DONT have the ability to communicate. I've done them both and it's much different. Both types are solos, one you're in your own head without a break. The other you are not.
 
07/07/2017 11:29AM  
"Both types are solos, one you're in your own head without a break."

Some people might have a problem with that, others might like it :)
 
07/07/2017 01:38PM  
quote hobbydog: "I did bring Jack along so guess it wasn't a true solo.He was good company around the fire on a chilly night.


"


I agree...... Jack enjoys a bwca sunset and is a good listener
 
07/08/2017 05:44AM  
quote hobbydog: "I did bring Jack along so guess it wasn't a true solo.He was good company around the fire on a chilly night.


"




Btw hobbydog, that was one heck of a trip you and Jack did. I enjoyed following you. Knowing pretty much the things you were encountering I felt like I was almost there. I keep hoping to be able to go again. And you know, that's where I'd most like to be.
 
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