We have our very first BWCA trip scheduled for late August this year and I am curious as to what the weather can be like up there at this time and also, what clothing would you recommend that I pack for my kids (both 4-years-old)?
Thank you!

I have not found a way to accurately predict the weather for our trips so I prepare for the worst and have frequently been glad that I did.

Not sure if you have girls or boys but I have 3 boys so fashion isn't a necessity. I would recommend multifunctional layers in colors that don't show dirt. We avoid white like the plague because it is filthy about 2 minutes after they put it on!

We bring long underwear on EVERY trip no matter what time of year it is. My theory is that it is light and makes for good sleepwear. When someone falls into the water (and they will) the long underwear can serve as a backup pair of long pants until the others dry.

I try to find lighter weight zip off pants but they can be pricey. Harder for your age group as they are growing so fast! Mine are older so I can buy a pair of zip-offs and they last the whole season maybe two. We do cotton t-shirts in summer with fleece and full rain suits.

So the typical outfit is pants, t-shirt, and fleece in the morning, zip off to shorts when it warms up. If it gets cold we can add the base-layer, fleece, and rain gear as needed to get warmed up.

We wear the same pants all week but change out our t-shirts, undies, and wool socks at least every other day. One lightweight beach towel, swim trunks, a hat with a brim, and sunglasses come too.

Shoes are currently Crocs for camp and hiking boots for portaging. We wet foot in summer months.

Kimmy,
I've never been in August but we went over Labor day. The only thing I can recommend for sure is layers. It was cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and kinda chilly at night. I used zip off pants for her and fleece tops and bottoms as well as a thin cotton/poly tshirt, and wool socks. We used a rain jacket over the fleece and stocking hat/gloves. We paddled out in a cold windy mist it was around 30 degrees that morning according to folks on the trail. I could have sworn it was sleet. I think kids tend to stay warmer than adults because they move around more :) We also took those instant hand warmers and had to use them for her on our paddle out because of the temperature drop. So after all my rambling...LAYERS! Your boys are going to have an amazing trip....lucky kids :)

~Kristy

Luft - when you say you "wet foot it in summer months" what do you mean by that...and what type of footwear do you wear for that?
This is all new stuff to me!
Thank you for your help!
Kim

+1 on the gloves and stocking hat! Thin knit ones "live" in the rain jacket pockets and the knit hats don't take up much room in the pack.

Kimmy, wet-footing means that you don't bother keeping your shoes(feet) dry. You wade in with your footwear and wool socks on when you are landing and pushing off in the canoe. When you get to your campsite, you swap out for your dry camp shoes and socks. The next day you put your wet stuff back on. It takes some getting used to... I only like it in the summer personally, and switch out to rubber boots in the spring and fall because I can't stand having cold feet.


My oldest son tolerates the wet boots well as it is something they teach the kids at Camp Menogyn when they canoe trip, the younger two generally beg me to give them a piggy back into the canoe :-)

We all wear hiking boots for wet-footing in the water and portaging. My guys have to carry packs so I prefer the ankle support of the boots versus lower cut shoes. We switch to Crocs with socks in camp. The nice thing with the Crocs is that they can get wet too if the kids go swimming with them on but they don't stay damp all day.

Late August trip last summer with my 11yo. We swam (quickly), but it was definitely fleece weather for much of the day and never too hot.

Agree with layers including fleece. Decent rain gear (coat and pants) can be a top layer - I wouldn't bring winter type coat yet. Enough fleece underneath and they'd be pretty warm. Hope for the best, but sleet could happen.

Good luck - I can't wait to see pictures!

Basically the same gear as for an adult that time of year.
Long john tops and bottoms, 3 pairs of smart wool socks, wool or fleece cap and gloves, Fleece top, carhartt pants and swim trunks. Most important is a good set of rain gear. Do not cut cormers on rain gear even for kids. Canyon wears bogs in the boat and takes crocs for camp. Might want to throw in a pair of fleece socks for camp. If paddling in spring and fall I add a down sweater and a pair of fleece pants as well. August should be mild but might have some cool nights. I think Luft gave some great advice on taking long johns no matter the time of year. They make great PJs and worn under a pair of rain pants will double as a back up pair of pants if you get your pants wet. Very possible with kids. Best advice I can give is about the rain gear. Get something that works, a trash sack is not rain gear!

We used rain boots for the kids last year and we loved it. Otherwise I think it's been covered.

Great advice by the others. I also like light weight long sleeve wicking shirts for the kids (and myself). blocks more sun than a tshirt and helps w/ bugs.

In August we just have the kids wear keens and merino wool socks. In Oct. we had them wear rain boots but just picked up some Bog boots on clearance.