Just got back from first solo. Had a great safe trip. I learned a lot. I took to much stuff. It was a 4 day fishing trip. 42lb pack 20lb pack and 36lb canoe.

Questions
1) total pack weight you would have?
2) do you have campfire or stove cook?
3) I took steak,potatoes,onions,summer sausage and other real food. Do you use freeze dried only?
4) 1 or 2 rod reels?
5) # of pots and pans?
6) stove and how much fuel/day?

Thanks for your replies.
I'll be planning next years solo for the next 300 some days.

I just came off an 8 day solo. Mine was for sightseeing not fishing, but maybe I can help a bit. I also took too much stuff, but I think most of us do.

My total pack weight was about 85 pounds plus a 35 pound canoe.

I cook on a stove only.

I use freeze dried food for dinners, oatmeal if I want a hot breakfast, plus granola bars and trail mix for cold breakfasts and lunch.

No fishing gear.

All cooking was done in one pot.

My stove is an Optimus Plus and burns about 45ML per meal.

Good luck with your plans!!

And I just came back from my first solo and track very closely with solotrek. 6 days/5 nights and an MSR Dragonfly. My packs might have been slightly less - like a 35 and a 40.

Up until this trip, I took more fresh food on my tandems and foursome trips - and may do that if/when I solo again - but dehydrating yourself is above packaged fd and not far under fresh. I left out the bacon and eggs so I could get going quicker with less clean up in the morning. I found the main difference is the take down time. Set up didn't seem to take longer than with two - but breakfast and packing took a lot longer.

If I can figure out how to include pictures in my trip report - grrrrr - I have more in there.

quote chesapeakes: "Just got back from first solo. Had a great safe trip. I learned a lot. I took to much stuff. It was a 4 day fishing trip. 42lb pack 20lb pack and 36lb canoe.

Questions
1) total pack weight you would have?

Main pack 35 lbs with 3 qts water. Daypack for food/kitchen gear, less than 20 lbs.

2) do you have campfire or stove cook?

Both.

3) I took steak,potatoes,onions,summer sausage and other real food. Do you use freeze dried only?

Store bought dried foods, and home dehydrated ingreedients.

4) 1 or 2 rod reels?

1

5) # of pots and pans?

Depends on what I plan to cook.

6) stove and how much fuel/day?

MSR Dragonfly or Windpro. About 3 oz per day, augmented with campfire.

Thanks for your replies.
I'll be planning next years solo for the next 300 some days.
"

Enjoy the planning!

butthead

Congrats on completing your first solo. Something you'll always remember. I lost count of how many solos I've done over the years, but I learn and try new things every time. Part of the fun and challenge. My solo mode for now is usually 10-17 days. I bring more stuff than I should.

1) total pack weight? 100+. One large pack, 2 smaller packs. Canoe with rods/reels, paddles, chair, vest, about 55 pounds.

2) Campfire or stove cook? Both. Stove for eggs, bacon, fried fish. Fire for foil-baked trout. Fire and reflector oven for pizza and muffins.

3) Freeze dried only? No. Some FD, some fresh food.

4. Usually 2 rods and 3 reels.

5) # of pots and pans? 8" alum frying pan, 2 liter titanium pot w/ lid, 2 liter alum pot, 2 alum plates, alum coffee mug.

6) stove and how much fuel/day? Basic Primus butane/propane stove. Fuel bottles last about 4 days each.

There's some pics of my gear in my recent trip reports.

1. Frankly, when canoe camping I don't think about this. I'm more often a backpacker, so when canoeing it's "oh sweet, I can toss in this unusual luxury this time on top of my usual". I don't mind carrying a little extra on portages, since that's still way easier than carrying it all day.
2. Almost always stove cook. Campfires are primarily just for sitting around, with the occasional exception of doing a sausage on a stick, foil dinners, or S'Mores.
3) Never freeze-dried. We do own a dehydrator, and so make our own dehydrated food, but never store-bought prepared stuff like that.
4) If I'm calling it a "fishing trip", 2 if not 3. If fishing is just a secondary time-killer, 1 would suffice.
5) For a solo, 2 pots with lids that can double as a pan, maybe a nice frying pan depending on menu.
6) I usually just fill a bottle and never use it all... Probably 4oz a day ish?

Congrats, Chesapeakes, on your first solo.

I don't know pack weight, but try to keep it down.

I stove cook - it's faster, easier, cleaner, and there's always the possibility of a fire ban. I don't usually carry a saw, axe, or hatchet. I use a small Coleman canister stove (like Pocket Rocket). A small canister has 60-minute burn time. It takes a few minutes a day to boil the water needed for two meals plus a couple of cups of coffee. Multiply that by the number of days to get the total time. divide by 60 to get the number of canisters. I eat dehydrated foods right out of the pouch. I have found several that I am content to eat. The advantages: they are light, there is no clean up, it requires only 1 small pot to heat 8-12 oz. of water, which requires a minimal amount of fuel. So it keeps the weight down and takes less time. My kitchen consists of the stove (a few ounces), the necessary fuel to boil a cup or two of water (only takes a couple minutes), one very small pot, a spork, a cozy, and an insulated mug. When I'm done, I close the food pouch, put it in the garbage, wipe the spork clean, and I'm done. Preparing and eating gourmet meals in the wilderness is not the focus of my trip.

I rod, 1 reel, a small box of lures and equipment. But fishing is not the focus of my trip.

These things may or may not work for you. You have to do your own trip, but that's what solos are for ;).

quote chesapeakes: "Just got back from first solo. Had a great safe trip. I learned a lot. I took to much stuff. It was a 4 day fishing trip. 42lb pack 20lb pack and 36lb canoe.

Questions
1) total pack weight you would have?

I think your pretty good there.

2) do you have campfire or stove cook?

Stove

3) I took steak,potatoes,onions,summer sausage and other real food. Do you use freeze dried only?

Dehydrate and store boxed meals... Like fresh the first night out. I liked salsa for spicing up meals and Chili dehydrated was a good thing.

4) 1 or 2 rod reels?

One each when fishing not a big deal. Two each when fishing is important.

5) # of pots and pans?

To many! I got a GSI set I really like and a couple other pans fit in it and are useful. Solo I like the little fry pan in my cookset... 8" I think.

6) stove and how much fuel/day?

Dragonfly and 11oz for two days. Fish take a lot more! I tend to cook breakfast as that meal is important for me.

Thanks for your replies.
I'll be planning next years solo for the next 300 some days.
"

Hope you'll share your improvements and good luck on your future trips. Have Fun!

Congratulation's also on your solo trip! YIPEE !!!!


1) CCS Explorer Pack 55#, CCS Thwart Bag 6#, CCS RuckSack with two full size Bear Vaults 33#, Two paddles, PDF,Two Nalgene's, 1 fishing pole, Crazy Creek Chair. 65# Lab named MOLLY.


2) Stove Brunton Raptor (Butane) Reflector Oven Pizza/Biscuits/Muffins
One 8 oz Canister lasts me about 5 days.


3) Fresh Food First Day, I dehydrate everything else and do all my own meals.


4. 1 rod/reel

5) # of pots and pans? 8" alum frying pan, 1.3 liter titanium pot w/ lid, 1 24 oz Thermos SS pot with lid, 600 ml Snowpeak Titanium Cup, 450 ml Snowpeak Titanium Cup, 1 aluminum plate, 1 SnowPeak Titanium Bowl. Itty bitty spautla, Plastic Spoon and Fork.





SunCatcher

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll try some on my next Sept. Trip. I think it is a process of trying new things each trip and if it works keep it. If it doesn't work dump it.
Let you know next year what worked and what didn't.

Bad picture I know... But behind me is my Kondo's Explorer pack I use for food and utility. About 45lbs. Then my #3 Duluth with Clothes, Sleeping gear including stuff I bring for the dog for in the tent... Maybe 15 lbs. Then my bucket with Gamma Lid... pretty light and a day pack with essencials like rain gear and fishing gear... This year moved to the Kondo's guide bag with pockets as my day pack was falling apart.... Pretty handy!

For a four day trip.

1) total pack weight you would have?
One pack at about 35#, canoe at 32#
2) do you have campfire or stove cook?
I'd likely have a fire, but cook on stove.
3) I took steak,potatoes,onions,summer sausage and other real food. Do you use freeze dried only?
Freeze dried only for dinners, oatmeal for breakfast, trail mix and such for lunch.
4) 1 or 2 rod reels?
Usually no rod or reel.
5) # of pots and pans?
One pot or just the jetboil.
6) stove and how much fuel/day?
One 220g would last the four days easily.

quote nctry: "


Bad picture I know... But behind me is my Kondo's Explorer pack I use for food and utility. About 45lbs. Then my #3 Duluth with Clothes, Sleeping gear including stuff I bring for the dog for in the tent... Maybe 15 lbs. Then my bucket with Gamma Lid... pretty light and a day pack with essencials like rain gear and fishing gear... This year moved to the Kondo's guide bag with pockets as my day pack was falling apart.... Pretty handy!"

That is at Mexican Hat Falls??? Correct?

1) total pack weight you would have?
I think your doing fine. I keep it under 75 lbs. The only way I'd go over that is if I was going on a longer trip (say 10+ days) and needed to haul more food.

2) do you have campfire or stove cook?
Cook on a stove. Campfire, sometimes, for atmosphere or if its cold.

3) I took steak,potatoes,onions,summer sausage and other real food. Do you use freeze dried only?
I dehydrate my own meals, stews and chili mostly. Lunch is peanut butter/honey on tortillas. Breakfast is a power bar and a cliff bar. Add trail mix/nuts for snacks. Sounds like a lot but I typically loose a couple pounds on a week long trip.

4) 1 or 2 rod reels?
One. I never got a line wet this spring and only once last year. I should probably just leave it home, I wouldn't miss it. It's hard to make that call though. It would make some room for food if I can ever get away for 10+ days.

5) # of pots and pans?
One 1.3L MSR solo pot. One X-Mug. One lexan spoon and an aircraft aluminum knife (for the PB). No bowl, I eat out of the pot.

6) stove and how much fuel/day?
Stove is a Simmerlite. Smallest white gas stove you can buy (as far as I know anyway). Always too much fuel. For a week I'll bring a 22oz bottle.

Last trip I brought a cozy for my pot. To rehydrate my dinner I just added water, brought it to a boil and held for one minute then covered it with the cozy and set it aside for a half hour. Really reduced my fuel consumption. In the morning I heat water for coffee.

quote nctry: "


Bad picture I know... But behind me is my Kondo's Explorer pack I use for food and utility. About 45lbs. Then my #3 Duluth with Clothes, Sleeping gear including stuff I bring for the dog for in the tent... Maybe 15 lbs. Then my bucket with Gamma Lid... pretty light and a day pack with essencials like rain gear and fishing gear... This year moved to the Kondo's guide bag with pockets as my day pack was falling apart.... Pretty handy!"

nctry, is that a chessie in the front? What canoe are you in?