This is to go along with fun4dad2's topic --You forgot WHAT?

What is the most ridiculous thing you have seen brought into the BWCA/quetico?

One person in my group in 2011 brought in a splitting wedge and a metal working hammer. How much split wood did he think we would need? He also brought in 2 two liters of mountain dew, that only lasted 2 days!

On a very hot year, many years ago, we put in at Baker Lake. I brought a small battery powered fan. The entire unit wasn't more than six inches on each side, but it was heavy, running on four C or D cell batteries. The amount of wind it produced was not worth the weight. But I had to give it a try.

Mike

On a trip to northwest Ontario, a guy brought a trunk for all his gear, a trunk like you would have taken on a steamer a hundred years ago.

I did a women's trip one time where I told everyone over and over again we do not wear blue jeans they will get wet and not dry. Went on trip and one women only brought blue jeans.

I once planed a BWCA trip with a bunch of women I had met on a forum. We all got along great but one lady who knew I am conservative, purposely wore a big pro-choice button on the outside of her shirt the entire trip. I never mentioned it but thought it was ridiculous bringing politics on a trip.

Once days deep in the BWCA I saw a women doing a 300 rod portage in a ball gown and really long high heals. Her husband was carrying everything.

See this thread.

My buddies were big drinkers (not that there's anything wrong with that), but they decided it would be a good idea to bring a 16 gallon keg to the boundary waters. Well, by the time you drive up a curvy north shore, and Gunflint trail, and 3 or 4 hours of chop on Saganaga, that keg was all warm foam by the time we got to camp.

My sister once brought salmon. In my opinion, that's not a whole lot different than bringing fire wood, or bottled water.

I've often (hypothetically) thought it would be fun to bring a box spring, queen size mattress, big flat screen tv, and a recliner, and portage them back and forth across a busy portage, with cameras set up to catch other people's reactions. I guess I'll leave the reality tv for the professionals, and keep it out of the boundary waters.

It seems to me, one of these threads, someone brought a live chicken, or was it a pig? I can't remember. Maybe that was hypothetical too. I'll have to go find it.

Back in the 70's my dad used to bring us to the boundary waters every year. We would come up for 18 day trips. My poor mom, can you imagine packing food for 18 days for a family of 6? And freeze dried wasn't much of a thing back then. Either way, my dad would rent a big 18 foot aluminum boat from Blankenberg, and tow 2 aluminum canoes behind it. We would base camp on Sag, and then make day trips. Dad got tired of trying to haul packs up a tree (we used pulleys back then), and decided he would build this big wooden bear-box cabinet to put the food in. I think it was like 4' x 4' x 1', and had shelves in it. Whatever size it was, it fit perfectly in the aluminum boat. That thing was a heavy monster. It had hinges, and the whole front of it, would swing open. He could close it and lock it, when we were gone on our day trips. Crazy. But that was back in the day of big canvas tents ,and big screen tents. Weight was never a consideration. Just whether we could fit it in the boats. Some campsites on Sag, even had picnic tables back then.

16oz aluminum water bottle. I didn't want to bring multiple cups, so the plan was that this would also serve as my "coffee cup".

You ever put a hot beverage in an aluminum container? Yikes!

Bone head decision on my part.

analyzer: "My buddies were big drinkers (not that there's anything wrong with that), but they decided it would be a good idea to bring a 16 gallon keg to the boundary waters. Well, by the time you drive up a curvy north shore, and Gunflint trail, and 3 or 4 hours of chop on Saganaga, that keg was all warm foam by the time we got to camp.


My sister once brought salmon. In my opinion, that's not a whole lot different than bringing fire wood, or bottled water.


I've often (hypothetically) thought it would be fun to bring a box spring, queen size mattress, big flat screen tv, and a recliner, and portage them back and forth across a busy portage, with cameras set up to catch other people's reactions. I guess I'll leave the reality tv for the professionals, and keep it out of the boundary waters.


It seems to me, one of these threads, someone brought a live chicken, or was it a pig? I can't remember. Maybe that was hypothetical too. I'll have to go find it.


Back in the 70's my dad used to bring us to the boundary waters every year. We would come up for 18 day trips. My poor mom, can you imagine packing food for 18 days for a family of 6? And freeze dried wasn't much of a thing back then. Either way, my dad would rent a big 18 foot aluminum boat from Blankenberg, and tow 2 aluminum canoes behind it. We would base camp on Sag, and then make day trips. Dad got tired of trying to haul packs up a tree (we used pulleys back then), and decided he would build this big wooden bear-box cabinet to put the food in. I think it was like 4' x 4' x 1', and had shelves in it. Whatever size it was, it fit perfectly in the aluminum boat. That thing was a heavy monster. It had hinges, and the whole front of it, would swing open. He could close it and lock it, when we were gone on our day trips. Crazy. But that was back in the day of big canvas tents ,and big screen tents. Weight was never a consideration. Just whether we could fit it in the boats. Some campsites on Sag, even had picnic tables back then."

I vaguely remember that thread. I'm pretty sure it was a pig. Though the pig made it into the wilderness, I can't remember if the pig made it out.

Mmmmm....bacon

Mike

My son once brought one of those mosquito zapping tennis rackets....it worked, sort of. That was until my curious 12-yr old boy decided to see how much of a shock he'd get by touching the thing with wet fingers.....ZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPPP!! He screamed, the racket went airborne and landed in the firepit, while my other son and I laughed so hard we almost peed in our pants.....

Used-to guide teens and once had a 15-year-old girl bring her electric curling iron. We asked her where she thought she was going to plug it in and she said she thought she'd just get it warm over the fire before curling her hair with it. It was her first camping trip of any kind. After day one she no longer worried about beautiful curls and the curling iron just became another useless item.

Please be gentle on those of us (me) who take in a liter of water for day one. Until we get set up in camp, it is useful to have this water for the portages or in the canoe. this is for now when I no longer drink straight from the lake and do not have a Steri-pen water filter. Since we now only take a couple of portages, one bottle is enough and each carries their own. In camp. that bottle becomes the water glass for the week. we wash it every every day. Buy a different brand for each or mark in some way to keep the bottles apart.

missmolly: "On a trip to northwest Ontario, a guy brought a trunk for all his gear, a trunk like you would have taken on a steamer a hundred years ago."

Did the porters have any trouble getting it in the canoe?

bwcadan: "Please be gentle on those of us (me) who take in a liter of water for day one. Until we get set up in camp, it is useful to have this water for the portages or in the canoe. this is for now when I no longer drink straight from the lake and do not have a Steri-pen water filter. Since we now only take a couple of portages, one bottle is enough and each carries their own. In camp. that bottle becomes the water glass for the week. we wash it every every day. Buy a different brand for each or mark in some way to keep the bottles apart."

Doesn't a Nalgene bottle hold a liter? We go in with a full water bottle too. That's not dumb or anything, that's practical and safe thinking to always stay hydrated. I would be more concerned about people who don't bring water.

My first trip, I brought all cotton, a high school backpack for my pack, and a regular pillow because I was poor and didn't have anything else. Then it turned out that one of the guy's idea of meal planning was to bring potatoes and apples, and that's it. Not instant potatoes or anything, just raw heavy potatoes to go with the fish we weren't catching. And a cast iron skillet.

bwcadan: "Please be gentle on those of us (me) who take in a liter of water for day one. Until we get set up in camp, it is useful to have this water for the portages or in the canoe. this is for now when I no longer drink straight from the lake and do not have a Steri-pen water filter. Since we now only take a couple of portages, one bottle is enough and each carries their own. In camp. that bottle becomes the water glass for the week. we wash it every every day. Buy a different brand for each or mark in some way to keep the bottles apart."

I try not to judge anyone's decisions, as we each have our preferences. I bring a full nalgene bottle on the start of every trip. if you're EP is one of those that require any significant opening portage, or is a river EP, it would be irresponsible not to have one. Can you imagine going in Stuart River without some water? 1.5 mile portage, followed by beaver loaded river for the next 9 miles or so... I'll bring some water along and filter some more when we get to Stuart Lake. I'm no snob, I still dip and sip on many BW lakes with no filter, however, I don't see the point in busting out the filter in the first couple hours of a trip when you can simply have a small amount of clean water with you. My old man uses one of those water bottles with a filter built in, which is great for these types of situations. One full nalgene isn't much to carry...I've carried a lot less useful items that weigh more than that. As a matter of fact, two of my last 5 trips, we've carried in a growler full of cold beer!

Tony

Folding card table.

Was not my group, but that was the cherry on the top of the group I saw leaving the Brule EP in August '16.

16 foot (at most) aluminum canoe. 3 adult men. Two hard-sided coolers. Proverbial kitchen sink.

Guy in the middle was perched on top of gear, butt above the gunwales.

And the card table was edge-down, sticking way up like a sail at head height for the bow and stern paddlers.

Maybe 2" of freeboard showing as they crept away from the put-in.

Maybe.

Passed a lady on a portage who had a cat on a leash.

sns: "Folding card table.


Was not my group, but that was the cherry on the top of the group I saw leaving the Brule EP in August '16.


16 foot (at most) aluminum canoe. 3 adult men. Two hard-sided coolers. Proverbial kitchen sink.


Guy in the middle was perched on top of gear, butt above the gunwales.


And the card table was edge-down, sticking way up like a sail at head height for the bow and stern paddlers.


Maybe 2" of freeboard showing as they crept away from the put-in.


Maybe."

Not quite the kitchen sink, but close.

Base camping on Brule allows one to bring all kinds of things.
In was invited to do one such trip 4 17 foot canoes packed to the hilt.

17 coolers screen tents ect ect.
paddled to cone bay set up camp, fished, drank for a week

Think I gained 5lbs fresh walleye as much as one could eat every night.

Base camping on Brule allows one to bring all kinds of things.
In was invited to do one such trip 4 17 foot canoes packed to the hilt.

17 coolers screen tents ect ect.
paddled to cone bay set up camp, fished, drank for a week

Think I gained 5lbs fresh walleye as much as one could eat every night.

My first year as a camp counselor...gave the "lecture" to the 13 year old girls about what to bring and not bring. Explained that we only brought 1 set of day clothes, one set of evening clothes. Basic toiletries like toothbrush/toothpaste allowed...but NO makeup! I inspected their pile of items...good, no makeup.

Get out on trail and after breakfast the first morning, suddenly all of the girls are wearing makeup! Groan!

My traveling companion on a solo trip several years back. Terra cotta warrior.

mr.barley: "My traveling companion on a solo trip several years back. Terra cotta warrior. "

Where can I get one?

straighthairedcurly: "My first year as a camp counselor...gave the "lecture" to the 13 year old girls about what to bring and not bring. Explained that we only brought 1 set of day clothes, one set of evening clothes. Basic toiletries like toothbrush/toothpaste allowed...but NO makeup! I inspected their pile of items...good, no makeup.


Get out on trail and after breakfast the first morning, suddenly all of the girls are wearing makeup! Groan!"

So . . . did you start bringing a Halloween mask on the next trip?

Cooking tongs... 3 sets of them. And 4 kitchen knives. And 3 coffee cups (one for hot, one for cold, and one just in case). And... well, just far too much camp kitchen stuff.

A buddy of mine, who was on his first trip back to the BW in over 20-years, brought enough cooking gear that he could cook without fear of cross contamination. Darn boy scouts. There is such a thing as "over prepared" you know. LOL

years back in Quetico we repedely crossed paths with a pennsylvania group that had Coleman plastic canoes, 6 extra large Coleman plastic coolers with handles, I had no idea that they came in sizes that big, not one pack. One of them was out on Agnes and dumped in a short while all three Coleman canoes were dumped. One of the guys came drifting by belly floating on one of the coolers. They were actually a great bunch of adventurous guys, they just tried to reinvent the canoe tripping wheel without asking for advice. On the first portage we were on with them, one asked where do you keep your ice. Two days later all of their ice was gone. We had ice tea on that trip, it hailed on that trip and we captured enough with our fly to make iced tea for every body.

We went int Fall lake once. A group of four two men two girls. The girls were both wearing fancy high hilled shoes, dresses and carrying little suitcases with their make up kits and ladies stuff. And no they did not help carry, paddle or much of anything else.

PineKnot: "

mr.barley: "My traveling companion on a solo trip several years back. Terra cotta warrior. "

Where can I get one?"

This one came from China

LDB: "We went int Fall lake once. A group of four two men two girls. The girls were both wearing fancy high hilled shoes, dresses and carrying little suitcases with their make up kits and ladies stuff. And no they did not help carry, paddle or much of anything else. "

oh my!!! lol.

Not BW but car camping....wanted my sis to get to camp. Because of health issues she could not sleep on the ground or on a cot, only in a lazy boy recliner. We tent camped for a week with her sleeping in her lazy boy. Live life to the fullest with no regrets.

Sandals

analyzer: "I've often (hypothetically) thought it would be fun to bring a box spring, queen size mattress, big flat screen tv, and a recliner, and portage them back and forth across a busy portage, with cameras set up to catch other people's reactions.
...
Some campsites on Sag, even had picnic tables back then."

I once watched a queen size mattress being schlepped to a backpacking site at Crosby-Manitou State Park, long before the days of YouTube. It was not intended as a joke, but it was pretty damn funny to see.

And you must have some years on you - you probably even remember when most of the Gunflint Trail was a gravel road. ;-)

gravelroad: "

analyzer: "I've often (hypothetically) thought it would be fun to bring a box spring, queen size mattress, big flat screen tv, and a recliner, and portage them back and forth across a busy portage, with cameras set up to catch other people's reactions.
...
Some campsites on Sag, even had picnic tables back then."

I once watched a queen size mattress being schlepped to a backpacking site at Crosby-Manitou State Park, long before the days of YouTube. It was not intended as a joke, but it was pretty damn funny to see.


And you must have some years on you - you probably even remember when most of the Gunflint Trail was a gravel road. ;-)"

Was that back when the old cabin was there?