My first time in the BWCA.
Six days in mid-September
Going with two others who have done multiple trips. (They encouraged me to put this question on the forum.)
Using Entry Point 14
We'll have a 10'x10' tarp for camp, rain etc..

My questions...
Can I use a 5x8 tarp for a sleep shelter and go without a tent? (I'm an experienced backpacker and do this often in the American SW).
Are bugs, ticks, critters a concern?
What is the typical/standard shelter for the BWCA in September?
I want to go light, but I also want a good shelter.

If there were only one active mosquito in all of northern MN, it would be buzzing my ear at 2 AM...tent.

Tent - some insect will be active. We had swarms of mosquitos one October trip.

Mike M: "My first time in BWCA.
6 days in mid-September
Going with 2 others who have done multiple trips. (They encouraged me to put this ?? on the forum.)
Using Entry Point 14
We'll have a 10'x10' tarp for camp, rain etc..

My questions...
Can I use a 5x8 tarp for a sleep shelter and go w/o a tent? (I'm an experienced backpacker and do this often in the American SW)
Are bugs, ticks, critters a concern?
What is the typical/standard shelter for BWCA in September?
I wanna go lite but I also wanna good shelter.


"

I use a similar tarp and use a borah bivy with it if there are any bugs, which is pretty much any time outside of winter. I will add this is far from the typical/standard shelter, any time of year. Mid September shouldn’t be too bad bug wise, comparatively speaking, but I would still recommend something more than just a tarp. I do use a tent at times as well, especially if going in a group that doesn’t plan to move nearly as much.

Do you have a tent available to use? What?

I’ve never used a hammock in the bwca, so I’ll let others comment. I use a tent so I don’t have to worry about pooling water getting my stuff wet. I like a dry, clean, bug-free area when I turn in for the night.

Hammock. EP 14 is a great place to hang. We didn't have any sites where we couldn't hang. If you try camping without a bug net at least, you're crazy

Mid-Sept. is a somewhat variable term, but not nearly as variable as north country weather. It's not the American SW; don't underestimate it. I wouldn't do it because of the weather, not just bugs or critters. It may be hot, it may be cold with wind-driven rain. The first trip my brother joined me we entered with really nice weather and exited 5 days later on 9/14 with snow and 40 mph wind gusts. It's one of those low probablility, high consequence things. Besides, there might be bugs.

Unas10: "If there were only one active mosquito in all of northern MN, it would be buzzing my ear at 2 AM...tent."

Haha! Yup

Tent. Trust me.

Mike

Tent, for sure.

I slept under a tarp only set up on my first trip in 2020 and it was mostly fine. There was a tent missing in the gear. Three old farts in a tent don’t work!
So I set up a lean to on the second night and had virtually no bugs for the remaining 6 nights…. During a drought year… in the end of August.
I got lucky and probably will never get away with that again!
Last year I was safe in my bug netted hammock and heard the swarms outside wanting to get me. Not all the time but I would’ve gone nuts if I didn’t have shelter when needed. Lean to’s work great in the winter though

My humble opinion, with the massive caveat that this is your adventure, and it sounds like you know what you're doing as far as site selection:
1. I've never gone mid-September, so I can't speak on the bugs. To me, that's the biggest part of the equation by far. June through August, I'd never dream of any sleep setup that didn't include a bug net.
2. Saving weight makes travelling easier, but canoe camping is different than backpacking (I backpack a lot). Even if you're on a very aggressive route, the amount of time that stuff is on your back is so much shorter. A few pounds is not that big of a deal for the added comfort at camp. Case in point: many of us carry cast iron to cook.
3. I never want to get too preachy about this kind of thing because the challenge is a big part of the experience for many.

(Edit: I should probably mention that bug-netted hammock with a tarp has been a great setup for me my last few trips.)

Whatever way you go, I'm sure you'll be fine. Enjoy!

I say tent, and a free standing one.

You never know if you are going to have appropriately spaced trees at your campsite, or ground you can drive stakes in. So tarps, hammocks or even one pole tipi type tents could end up not being able to be deployed.

Nothing worse than setting up a tent 3 times because the first 2 sites had solid rock 2 inches underground that kept you from driving a stake.

LukeMacGillie37: "I say tent, and a free standing one.


You never know if you are going to have appropriately spaced trees at your campsite, or ground you can drive stakes in. So tarps, hammocks or even one pole tipi type tents could end up not being able to be deployed.


Nothing worse than setting up a tent 3 times because the first 2 sites had solid rock 2 inches underground that kept you from driving a stake. "

To be honest, and probably a different thread, but I wouldn't consider anything other than a free-standing tent in canoe country. So many variables, rocks prohibiting or limiting staking being number one.

Mike