This is a beautifully shot video.

Also a commercial, so for me that detracts... still its gorgeous.

my biggest question is, how did they get those aerial shots in the BWCA when drones are illegal? Can you get a permit for a drone in the BWCA?

https://youtu.be/ZR_69AnAg1Y

Thanks, beautiful video.

Very well done. Some really great shots in there! I must admit that I was distracted by that wood ribbed Merrimack canoe though.

Here’s a bit more detail about this:
Merrimack blog
Patagonia blog

I just sent a complaint in to recreation.gov about this. Im fine with the video but even if they didnt bring a drone in (looks to me like they did) they are going to encourage others to bring them in. What a shame. Especially from folks who should know better.

Gorgeous imagery, factual message. Once the purity of the wild is gone it's gone for lifetimes and sometimes forever. Thank you Patagonia

dhfish: "I just sent a complaint in to recreation.gov about this. Im fine with the video but even if they didnt bring a drone in (looks to me like they did) they are going to encourage others to bring them in. What a shame. Especially from folks who should know better. "

Look at the route in the “Patagonia blog” link that I posted. There’s a lot of the route outside of the BWCAW. There’s also a lot of footage that is clearly outside of the BWCAW. Unless you can clearly identify the offending locations in the aerial footage, it seems that the benefit of the doubt would be more appropriate.

They claim it was outside the BWCA but I get the point.

Seems like some here are missing the point of the video.

dhfish: "I just sent a complaint in to recreation.gov about this. Im fine with the video but even if they didnt bring a drone in (looks to me like they did) they are going to encourage others to bring them in. What a shame. Especially from folks who should know better. "

What does recreation.gov have to do with enforcing BW regulations?

dhfish: "I just sent a complaint in to recreation.gov about this. Im fine with the video but even if they didnt bring a drone in (looks to me like they did) they are going to encourage others to bring them in. What a shame. Especially from folks who should know better. "

It's called a Special Use Permit Permit.. With agency review and stipulations, you can do a lot of things not normally allowed on federal lands. How do you think they film in national parks, etc.? In Wilderness, they also have to go through a separate wilderness review. Everything is tightly controlled.

MReid: "

dhfish: "I just sent a complaint in to recreation.gov about this. Im fine with the video but even if they didnt bring a drone in (looks to me like they did) they are going to encourage others to bring them in. What a shame. Especially from folks who should know better. "

It's called a Special Use Permit Permit.. With agency review and stipulations, you can do a lot of things not normally allowed on federal lands. How do you think they film in national parks, etc.? In Wilderness, they also have to go through a separate wilderness review. Everything is tightly controlled. "

This is interesting to know. Thanks.

I do agree that they should at least put a disclaimer in the credits of this video to say something like "Aerial filming in the BWCA and Wilderness areas is prohibited"

It does feel like Patagonia creating a video implying that the aerial shots are in the BWCA is ethically questionable because is blurs the lines of if drones are ok to use in the BWCA...

If you have concerns please reach out to Corey.Simpson@patagonia.com
I've been emailing him discussing how they should at least add a disclaimer that the video was not shot in the BWCA and drones are illegal to fly in the BWCA and Wilderness areas.

Thanks for the video. Most of us understand the rules and will follow them. You can't drive over the speed limit and even after I watch Fast and the Furious, I still do not speed.

CityFisher74: "Thanks for the video. Most of us understand the rules and will follow them. You can't drive over the speed limit and even after I watch Fast and the Furious, I still do not speed."

This is a silly comparison. Fast and Furious is clearly a work of fiction, where this Patagonia video purports to be a documentary.

Also Fast and Furious surely has numerous disclaimers in the credits that all street racing and stunts were done on closed courses, etc.

Why the push-back on requesting an "ethical" company who's reputation is built on "authenticity" to let people know the video was not shot in the BWCA and that drones are illegal in the BWCA?

Nice to see a big company with a broad audience and experience with environmental policy lobbying take up the BWCA cause. Lets hope this helps spread the message that Save the Boundary Waters has been pushing to new ears.