As my kids have been getting older I decided to buy a prism and start to do some solo tripping with my dog. I booked my entry point for East Bearskin and I figured I would do a loop hitting Johnson falls and will be doing some fishing. I'm new to solo tripping and was looking for any advice on solo tripping. examples: canoe setup's, things a person should know, any suggesting on a back rest setup in prism, ect.

Thanks

This is a great place to get the information you need on soloing. I use a Bell Rockstar for my solo trips. I usually take two packs, two paddles and the standard assortment of fishing gear. I use a GSI canoe seat, a CCS thwart bag and a Granite Gear under seat bag. Keep the rain gear, snacks and incidentals in the bags. Balance the canoe as evenly as possible. That's going to require that you move the packs forward and back to get the right trim. Portages will probably be done in two trips. Maybe more if you bring lots of stuff. Practice your paddling before you go because the strokes you use for tandem canoeing are different when soloing. Not real different but different none the less. Remember you are the crew so you do everything. Come up with a plan for setting up camp. For example set the tarp up first if it's raining or get the tent up first if it's not. Then unpack some of the gear into the tent and sit back to relax a bit.

One other thing... Take your time and think things through. It's just you up there and if you have an accident or make an unwise decision you're on your own...

You picked a nice area for your first solo trip. I did that same trip solo last October. I spent my first night on Pierz Lake, and portaged back out to Alder to head to Canoe Lake. It is a good idea to enter Pine from Canoe Lake rather than the other way around. The big portage into Pine is less painful going that way. The campsite on Little Caribou is really nice if you can get it. I didn't... so I found a great site on Caribou. A great little loop..Enjoy!

Alder Lake

Johnson Falls

Sunrise on Caribou Lake

Oh... this is such a good question. I am looking forward to all the answers. I haven't solo tripped yet but the one piece of advice that I have taken to heart from this forum is to keep in mind that everything takes longer when there is only one set of hands to do one task at a time.

I am used to having my kids help set up, break down, clean up, etc. and I know I am going to have to get into my camps earlier when I solo in order to get everything done on my own.

many things do take longer, for one, you will most certainly be double portaging. i really can't see anyway around this. headwinds may be an issue if you are not familiar with solo paddling, you will quickly learn how to place your packs in your canoe depending upon the wind conditions, and hopefully acquire the basic solo paddling stokes. loading and unloading your canoe at portages is another issue that requires experience. you must always be sure that your canoe is in your control, never think that your canoe will just sit there waiting for you to unload the next pack. this is the most important thing that you should understand. if you are at a portage landing, having tossed most of your gear ashore, including your pfd, and you look out and see that your canoe is drifting happily into the quetico, you have a problem. avoid this.

for me, camp time is minimalist time. food should be easy to cook and easy to clean. the tent, or in my case, bivy sack, should be quick to set up and take down. a fire is not necessary, collecting wood is a huge effort, you don't need this. plus the ax and saw are really about the most dangerous things you will find in these forests.

my solo trips in the Bw are usually in the off season. but not always. i like to spend time talking with the people i meet on my trips. there was a time that solo trippers were a rare occurrence, not so anymore.

Well, I've only done two, and now that I am double nickels in age, I think of several important things. First off keep your pfd on. Know one is around to save your bacon, but you. Second, take it easy on the portages, the bwca has some traffic, so someone could show up, sooner or later if you slipped and broke an ankle or something, but taking it easy and experiencing the "trail" is better then getting hurt. Figure out your ballast, and mess around with it, shifting packs for optimum paddling pleasure. If you take a saw or axe or when your using a knife, be a little extra careful, know one is around to fix "stupid" mistakes. I always pack a little liquid courage, so I sleep a tad bit easier. I bring my reflector oven, because pizza and muffins, are fun to make and help pass the time for me making them on the trail. Nothing better for the soul then a solo trip. It get's the cobwebs cleaned out of the grey matter, and helps you to focus on your life. Send your wife some flowers and tell her how much you love her, have those arrive the day you leave.
Enjoy yourself, it ain't a sprint it's a marathon.
Enjoy the dog, my dog Molly is a great friend of mine, I love her to death, and she never argues with me...although she gives me some dirty looks from time to time :)
Have Fun....SunCatcher

I recognize that spot MP...
Nice loop....see my Trip report on it.

second that the biggest and most import difference is approaching/putting out a landing. Although some routes allow dry footing, mostly I wet foot it. Work out a system that works for you and your gear, tough to say what it is because everyone travels a little different. I enjoy the portage, double, and sometimes triple them. No need to single portage with a fast boat. The other major difference is that you will likely find going without a campfire makes soloing more enjoyable. One less chore and being solo, your companion is the sky, enjoy it!

Great advice so far. I did my first solo last year and the whole way up the Echo trail I was saying to myself "WTF are you doing?". Once I dipped the paddle for the first time that worry went away. Don't let yourself mind F yourself:)

Everything does take longer but the days go by fast. Travel carefully as others said, it's just you if an accident occurs. Don't push too hard.

.I'll second easy, one pot meals, good booze(if that's you're thing; it's mine) and a book or journal. Also a trip report, loaded with pictures is always welcome post trip.

Have a great time!

One question I can't answer, but many others on this forum can. Will you be able to fit all of your gear and your dog in a Prism?

One of the issues I had on my first solo was I couldn't slow down. I rushed to get on the water (poor trim), rushed to get over the portage (triple portaged), rushed to get to where I was going (got really tired), and rushed to get camp set up (even more tired). I was exhausted and dehydrated and that voice in the back of my head was still asking what do we do next? I ended up coming out a day early and swearing I would never do another solo. That was about 6 or 7 solos ago and I still hear that voice, I just don't listen to it much anymore.

Jim

Shane, welcome to the world of "axe murderers and social outcasts"!
The Prism will do you fine unless your partner is a St. Bernard. Good volume fast and one of the more stable solos I have paddled. I do not use a backrest but have looked closely at this, Wenonah Back Band.
The rest of the trip is all decided by you! Personally I like to experiment with a lot of thing when I'm alone. Saves the embarasment if it fails!
Take your time, be safe, have fun!

butthead

the portage from pine lake to canoe lake is difficult though well maintained. make sure that your heart is in good working order. this is a portage that is on my very short list of portages to never take again.

Welcome to solo canoeing, Shane. Hopefully you'll find it's a great experience for your soul.

And a comment to Butthead's quote: "...welcome to the world of "axe murderers and social outcasts"!

Yup....that about sums it up! :-)

quote jwartman59: "the portage from pine lake to canoe lake is difficult though well maintained. make sure that your heart is in good working order. this is a portage that is on my very short list of portages to never take again."

It was a tough one...but it didn't hurt too bad. I took my time, and enjoyed the scenery. Going from Pine to Canoe would be a game changer though.

quote cowdoc: "I recognize that spot MP...
Nice loop....see my Trip report on it."

You mean this spot?

nice

I'll second what Suncatcher said about pacing yourself. I double on my solos (OK I double all the time but that's not important right now). Each trip is around 60lbs. I think managing carry weight is very important ankle protection. That and wet footing.

I like to keep moving. I did a layover on my first trip and was stir crazy by noon on the second day. A day trip would have helped but it was kinda windy so I stayed close to camp.

I too bring a little libation and some cigars. Oh, and bring a journal. I did from the start and am so glad I did. Writing in the journal, besides preserving memories, is a great substitute for conversation. Kind of like story telling. I like to combine all three with a nice little fire...

quote mooseplums: "

quote cowdoc: "I recognize that spot MP...
Nice loop....see my Trip report on it."

You mean this spot?"

Slightly different view

Thanks for the warm welcome and advice. I think I will fit in with the social out cast's but I'll have to work on the Axe murder part a bit... LOL ... I have that back band for my Champlain but I haven't been able to figure out a way to put it on the Prism with out some Mods. ... I got a question for you guys, How many pack do you normally bring with you. I normally bring two, one for gear and one for food but then I got to thinking I could get everything into my camp kitchen Duluth pack. Just making sure to put the food in the out side pocket. I'm thinking this more and likely a bad idea because of the food thing but figured I would ask you guys on your thoughts.

My dog is a Boston and it gives me weird looks to but I think that's only because it thinks its a water spaniel. I do the journal writing on all my trips to.

I take two packs. CCS Explorer for gear and stuff, and CCS Rucksack.
I use Bear Vault/Vaults. I have both sizes, so sometime I take the two big ones or sometimes 1 big and 1 small. They fit perfect in the RuckSack. I double portage with rucksack on back and canoe and the big pack. My big pack weighed 55 pounds on last trip and the Rucksack was 36 pounds. I took a chair, and reflector oven, axe and saw...some folks dont take all of that, but I like the comfort.
Also included my dogs food, which will add weight, and I had some of it in my bear vault.

This is my Explorer Pack with the "stuff" I like pack organization so I use the CCS zippered bags to put my stuff in and then they go inside my pack in the plastic liner. Also, I like the kondo's zippered bags. For pack organization. It took me 3 years to accumulate all this stuff. But now I am set (wife lady says no more shit) LOL SunCatcher

I usually bring two packs for several reasons. I plan to double portage and I like both loads to be about equal weight, so I have one medium, heavy pack and one smaller, lighter pack to be carried with the canoe. A really large, heavy pack will be harder to fit in a narrower solo and will be more difficult to manage at awkward portage landings. Two packs gives more options for getting the best trim for the solo canoe, which has a significant impact on its handling in wind.

Yeah, two packs for sure. Unless it's a short trip I would never single portage. You don't want to take the chance of hurting yourself struggling with a big load. Go as light as possible unless you are basecamping.

I sacrifice fresh food for the lightness of freeze dried on solos. Also, a crazy creek canoe chair can substitute for carrying a real one. I also just bring a saw and not an axe/hatchet. It also helps to really train well before your trip to get in the best shape possible. Soloing is hard work and being pooped is not much fun.

It took me 3 years to accumulate all this stuff. But now I am set (wife lady says no more shit) LOL SunCatcher"

My wife has said the same thing so I'll have to stick with my #3's and #4's Duluth Packs and other gear I have accumulated to... Camping and canoeing stuff gets addictive and that voice in my head saying this will work nicely for this or that normally gets me to buy(unless she's there I get the other voice LOL ;0) )...

Thanks for advice on the packs everyone.

Here is my solo setup

a winter project this year was to transcribe my trip logs into the computer.the logs are hard to read in places because i would be in the canoe bouncing around in the waves or laying on my back in the tent or scribbling down something fast at the end of a portage with bugs and sweat in my face.these go back to the early 80's when i went out without much gear and a lot of that was old.
a couple things struck me.one was that i worried too much about the weather,what would it do,how long would foul weather last and could i travel in it.since then i try and take it as it comes and not let it get me down too much if i do get nasty days and wind bound.at first i would pull in and shelter someplace if it rained,now i put on the Gore Tex and move on.another was the "bear issue".while not just blowing it off now i don't assume that ever bush has Mr Big behind it and relax.
i also did a lot of point to point travel,thinking more about the next camp than the great stuff in between.i shore line most of the time now and i find that it might mean not going as far per trip but seeing more.
i have two bags and triple portage.thats a lot of walking but i felt that a easy carry three times was safer and not as hard on me as trying to carry a pack and the canoe at the same time.the canoes were never solo models,i have a 17 foot Prospector now with lots of room and it feels big and safe.safe is a big word for me.i never go out into bad water and never try to run white water,take my time on the carries and play it safe in camp.no cliff jumping for example.
food is simple and i always have a stove because dry wood can be hard to find.things like a small Gaz lamp that warm the tent on cold nights are a bit more weight but worth it.i like to take a lay over day at least once and make sure that i pick a big camp on a island.
something i can explore and take photos and walk around.i like to read so books go along and maybe some sort of project to kill time,i made a Fox Hole Radio out of a old razor blade and some odds and ends on one trip and took a kit to sew a case for my Letherman knife on another.solo was never a chore,when i worked as a canoe tripper at a Scout camp i would use my days off to take a canoe out for a couple nights.last word--don't expect perfection on the first trip,solo wilderness canoeing is "the real thing" worthy of a TV program and you will have to learn as you go and work up to what you feel is you best.i won't say good luck just have a good time---

Here was my setup last year. I would really suggest trying a kayak paddle. I used one for the first time and love it. I wouldn't dream of ever going solo without it now. Just make sure to get one at least 260 cm long.

My packs are a CCS Pioneer and a BWJ (Kondos made) guide pack.

Well if we are doing pictures I want in...

Rucksack with bear vaults inside, kitchen stuff,hygiene products and the aforementioned cigars and libation. Target weight is 25-30lbs. Carried with the canoe. The main pack is a Pioneer pack, holds everything else. I've been fond of taking a chair but didn't on this trip. Note the nice CCS canoe cover with handy attached map case and the seat cover with saddle bags, which both rock.

quote Merganser: " Well if we are doing pictures I want in...


Rucksack with bear vaults inside, kitchen stuff,hygiene products and the aforementioned cigars and libation. Target weight is 25-30lbs. Carried with the canoe. The main pack is a Pioneer pack, holds everything else. I've been fond of taking a chair but didn't on this trip. Note the nice CCS canoe cover with handy attached map case and the seat cover with saddle bags, which both rock. "

What dose a set of canoe covers runs ? I'm capable of doing the riveting but making the covers is anther thing.

quote TomT: "Here was my setup last year. I would really suggest trying a kayak paddle. I used one for the first time and love it. I wouldn't dream of ever going solo without it now. Just make sure to get one at least 260 cm long.


My packs are a CCS Pioneer and a BWJ (Kondos made) guide pack.





"

I picked up a kayak paddle sence almost everyone I talked to has recommended getting one until I get my single paddle strokes down pat. Nice looking canoe's thanks for pic's they help.

For the sake of safety, I would highly recommend that you learn how to perform a solo wet re-entry. Remember, you have nobody but yourself to rely on out there.

quote OBX2Kayak: "For the sake of safety, I would highly recommend that you learn how to perform a solo wet re-entry. Remember, you have nobody but yourself to rely on out there."

Thanks for the advice, I wet foot both ways ever since I bought a kevelar canoe. Its easer to land with and take off/push off with out scratching up the canoe... I normally wear sandals but from what everyone says, that sounds like a bad Idea. Has anyone found a good wet shoe that won't give you blisters on the portages ? I was thinking of seeing if I could find a old pair of jungle boots.

quote Puin78thdiv: "

quote OBX2Kayak: "For the sake of safety, I would highly recommend that you learn how to perform a solo wet re-entry. Remember, you have nobody but yourself to rely on out there."

Thanks for the advice, I wet foot both ways ever since I bought a kevelar canoe. Its easer to land with and take off/push off with out scratching up the canoe... I normally wear sandals but from what everyone says, that sounds like a bad Idea. Has anyone found a good wet shoe that won't give you blisters on the portages ? I was thinking of seeing if I could find a old pair of jungle boots. "

I think OBX2 is talking about getting back in if you dump, not wet footing. I usually don't get real far from shore since it might not be that easy to get back in, especially in rough conditions.

a buddy used Jungle Boots on one trip and thought the rubber used on the bottoms was too hard and did not grip very well.i did some wet footing last year for the first time using light hiking shoes,not boots,and they worked better than i expected.as an example i made a wet foot landing at the base of the Devils Cascade and made the five trips,three with gear,and it was just as easy walking as with LL Bean boots.

Both are expensive but popular footwear for wet footers. Otb abyss boots, and quetico trekkers. I plan on gettting a pair of the abyss for myself. I prefer to wear boots for the ankle support and general protection of my feet and ankles. The abyss also drain water extremely well. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes good footwear for tripping but if you are looking for boots and plan to wet foot this is the way to go.

quote boonie: "

I think OBX2 is talking about getting back in if you dump, not wet footing. I usually don't get real far from shore since it might not be that easy to get back in, especially in rough conditions.
"

Correct. I believe it is very important to be totally self-sufficient of you are going solo.

quote OBX2Kayak: "

quote boonie: "

I think OBX2 is talking about getting back in if you dump, not wet footing. I usually don't get real far from shore since it might not be that easy to get back in, especially in rough conditions.
"

Correct. I believe it is very important to be totally self-sufficient of you are going solo."

Thanks for the advice.

It was a tough one...but it didn't hurt too bad. I took my time, and enjoyed the scenery. Going from Pine to Canoe would be a game changer though."

I've been foolish/lucky enough to have done it both ways, and I will never, ever go from Pine to Canoe again!