My longest stay in the BWCA was 5 nights, which was my first trip. Since then, I've taken annual trips that only last 3 or 4 nights. How many nights was your longest trip in BW or Q? Do you have plans to do an even longer one in the future?

10 or 11 days. I like at least 8 days. Shortest was 3 days because it was a first trip for very small children.

Longest was 17 days, may do a longer one sometime. My first trips were short like yours. I'd drive there one weekend, in on Mon., out on Fri. drive home. I like 10-12 days better than 4-5 for sure.

Most trips are 8 days and 7 nights. One was 10 days and 9 nights for the longest. A long drive from St. Louis basically reduces the odds of ever taking a shorter trip.

My longest trip?
Not long enough. haha

10 days, but most trips I take are from 2 to 5 days. I'm lucky to live close enough that I can work in several short, spur of the moment trips throughout the year.

14 days. Because a BWCA/Q visit requires two days drive time in each direction, we like longer trips, and in recent years have made a 10-day trip our standard. Had to cancel our Quetico visit this year, so are considering a longer trip next year.

TZ

My wife and I did 15 days in the Quetico summer before last. That's probably my last long trip. The food pack is just too stinking heavy at the start of those long trips.

Last year, with my son, brother and his son 16 days total. Other members met us at day 9 with a refresh of food. Amazing time. I know other folks on here have done 30+ - I hope when the kiddos go off to college my wife and I can sneak in some trips with that many days to kill, and I'm lucky to have a wife who WANTS to!

5 days, 100 miles 3 Rivers loop. Started and finished at Lake One

I've done a number of 10 day trips, and 8 is probably average. I have twice planned 12 day trips but cut short due to bugs/weather. I have been scheming on doing a 14-21 day.

BWCA with a group: 12 days
BWCA solo: 8 days
Quetico with a group: 18 days
Farther north in Canada: 36 days

15 days, we usually do 10-14 days in Quetico, and often travel a lot. Food can get heavy, but if you are going that long and traveling, you can get plenty of food for 2 weeks for 2 people at well under to near 40#, which isn't too bad. You just have to stick to dry goods, dehydrated, or freeze dried. Eating fish regularly helps. I think that 3 weeks would still be very doable without a resupply. That is our plan for next year, guess we'll see. It takes at least 5 days to really settle in to the wilderness groove, after that, it gets a lot easier. If it doesn't, imo, you are doing something wrong. Plenty of people have done multi month trips, but long trips are all about planning, and living in a sustainable fashion.

6 nights. Not long enough.

straighthairedcurly: "BWCA with a group: 12 days
BWCA solo: 8 days
Quetico with a group: 18 days
Farther north in Canada: 36 days"

Where for 36 days?

1998 15 days. In at Beaverhouse, out at Nym. Still ranks as our favorite trip.

Longest trip was out of Kawishiwi Lake to Malberg and beyond for 9 days...it was great. Most trips have been 5 to 6 days for many years. 5 days and 4 nights is the shortest ever due to time constraints.

My buddy and I are likely both retiring by next summer and have talked about a 10-14 day trip, I think there is a very good chance that happens. Balancing our preferred tripping style and the time available I would guess that it would be a hybrid basecamp/travel trip. Maybe two days travel in to get away from the crowds and then basecamp 2 nights and travel one, etc until we make our way out. This would allow plenty of time for exploring, fishing and photography which are the main reasons we go there - we kind of like the solitude and the scenery too:)

Too me the sweet spot so far is 6 days and 5 nights which is enough to get in the rhythm but not enough to get bored or homesick. In many cases longer would be better, don't get me wrong, but for many folks that have a "week" of vacation this is a good amount of time that leaves a solid half day at least of travel time on each end.
At that point I am willing to leave if that's what must be but are generally more than willing to stay another couple nights too.
As I am sure you will all agree, any time in the BWCA is better than no time.

22 days in the BWCA. June-July of 1992. My favorite of all of our trips; didn't want it to end! Most trips were 6-12 days, and we had our last canoe trip in 2013.

The Long Trip

7 days for me would love to go longer.

Four trips out of Sommers Canoe Base: 9 days 8 nights (BSA)
Of all my trips, these were the longest
This Sep, I will break the record: 10 days and 9 nights.

Next year...hope to stay longer!!

So far the longest trip my group and I have been on is 9-days... of a planned 11 that got cut short due to us being sick of the rain. It rained every day of the 9-days. Not all day long, but usually storms would roll in just after we got to our next camp site. We finally got sick of it and went into Grand Marais for our last 2-nights so we could at least eat food we didn't have to prepare. LOL

I have a sabbatical from work coming up next year and I have not yet decided it I want to do a 3-week solo trip in the BW or a long motorcycle ride in the Rockies.

13 days. I was really missing the luxuries of life towards the end. You know, things like fresh meat, fresh vegetables, soda pop, and a bed.

Six day solo, but I would love to go longer, ten or so days. My only issue now is that my fiancé came with me this year on a short two nighter and loved it, but I don’t think she’s ready for a long trip. So it may be a few years yet!