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bigdada6186
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06/17/2013 09:19AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have been to the BWCA at least once a year for the last 10 years, but this weekend I will be going on my first solo. Is there any gear that you may not think of for a group trip, but becomes extra useful once you are on the lake alone?
 
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SevenofNine
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06/17/2013 09:58AM  
A small gravity filter lets you gather water and forget it. No pumping time. Which allows you to do other things around camp.
 
armydaddy
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06/17/2013 11:06AM  
quote SevenofNine: "A small gravity filter lets you gather water and forget it. No pumping time. Which allows you to do other things around camp."

+ 1
 
06/17/2013 11:20AM  
I can't think of things I specifically take on my solo trips that don't come with on my group trips, but there are a few that I DONT take on my solos:

Hatchet, saw, frisbee, extension cord to hide in my partners pack....

JD
 
06/17/2013 11:52AM  

quote jdevries: "I can't think of things I specifically take on my solo trips that don't come with on my group trips, but there are a few that I DONT take on my solos:

Hatchet, saw, frisbee, extension cord to hide in my partners pack....

JD"


As JD mentioned, it's more of what you DON'T bring on a solo trip versus what you do bring. Also, with less gear there's fewer items to keep track of and less weight in the pack(s).

The gravity water filter is a great suggestion though, because you'll have plenty of other camp chores to attend to. Although it should seem obvious, I don't think most first time solo trippers realize how much additional work is involved when you're solo tripping until you're actually on the trip.

Unlike a group trip, there's no one else to share the chores. At the end of a long day of paddling and portaging, you're the sole cook, dishwasher, firewood gatherer, fire-keeper, and so on. Anything that can aid in the efficiency of a solo trip is good. In which case, less is sometimes more.

Hans Solo
 
armydaddy
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06/17/2013 12:20PM  
quote HansSolo: "
quote jdevries: "I can't think of things I specifically take on my solo trips that don't come with on my group trips, but there are a few that I DONT take on my solos:

Hatchet, saw, frisbee, extension cord to hide in my partners pack....

JD"


As JD mentioned, it's more of what you DON'T bring on a solo trip versus what you do bring. Also, with less gear there's fewer items to keep track of and less weight in the pack(s).

The gravity water filter is a great suggestion though, because you'll have plenty of other camp chores to attend to. Although it should seem obvious, I don't think most first time solo trippers realize how much additional work is involved when you're solo tripping until you're actually on the trip.

Unlike a group trip, there's no one else to share the chores. At the end of a long day of paddling and portaging, you're the sole cook, dishwasher, firewood gatherer, fire-keeper, and so on. Anything that can aid in the efficiency of a solo trip is good. In which case, less is sometimes more.

Hans Solo"

+ 1 Well said, Hans Solo
 
06/17/2013 12:51PM  
Hans sums it up. Time savers are as important as weight savers.

I would however bring a book. Extra useful IMHO. Perhaps a journal to jot notes on your trip.
 
06/17/2013 01:32PM  
quote jdevries: "I can't think of things I specifically take on my solo trips that don't come with on my group trips, but there are a few that I DONT take on my solos:


Hatchet, saw, frisbee, extension cord to hide in my partners pack....


JD"
It depends on what time of year I'm going, when cooler I bring a saw, in the middle of summer you probably won,t need one. How many feet of extension cord do you bring, couple miles worth!
 
ZaraSp00k
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06/17/2013 03:10PM  
just remember that if you don't bring it,
you cannot count on the other guys to have it
 
DaBurgh
member (25)member
  
06/20/2013 11:54AM  
Probably too late, but my outfitter had me use ultra-violet light for H2O purification. Definitely bring an axe or hatchet.
 
Minnesotian
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06/20/2013 02:20PM  
quote DaBurgh: Definitely bring an axe or hatchet."


Well, that is a can o'worms there. Many disagreements and agreements with your statement. I think it all depends on your skill with a hatchet/axe.
I bring a good saw when I am on a solo trip. Something like this: Irwin Saw But for winter camping I bring the saw, hatchet and axe and am extremely careful.
 
06/20/2013 04:55PM  
A book to read by the shore or campfire! I'll bring it on group trips also, but on a solo I'll bring a few.

butthead
 
06/20/2013 05:47PM  
I don't know where you live but if you have a long drive alone to the BW you could take an audio book or educational course for listening to in the car. I never waste long alone stretches in the car.
 
06/20/2013 07:34PM  
I bring a rite-in-the-rain journal. I find writing in the journal to be a surrogate for conversation.
 
06/20/2013 07:37PM  
quote Merganser: "I bring a rite-in-the-rain journal. I find writing in the journal to be a surrogate for conversation. "

agree
 
06/20/2013 09:15PM  
quote kanoes: "
quote Merganser: "I bring a rite-in-the-rain journal. I find writing in the journal to be a surrogate for conversation. "

agree"

+1
 
mr.barley
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06/20/2013 09:43PM  
Never go without your 12 inch terra cotta warrior
 
06/20/2013 10:13PM  
I also do a lot of writing, so I bring a notebook and pen.

I'm also in the "cut weight by leaving it behind" group. I rarely bring an axe or even saw, since I rarely have a fire and when I do it's small enough that I don't need to "process firewood" - just break up some sticks. I prefer to just sit in the dark and "stargaze". It's also a timesaver. You may have a different preference.

No chair, no lantern, etc.

My food is geared towards saving weight and time also. It's a very simplified approach that works for me, but may not be agreeable to everyone.

 
OBX2Kayak
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06/20/2013 11:04PM  
quote dprochef: "
quote kanoes: "
quote Merganser: "I bring a rite-in-the-rain journal. I find writing in the journal to be a surrogate for conversation. "

agree"

+1
"

+2 or 3
 
06/21/2013 05:14AM  
quote boonie: "I also do a lot of writing, so I bring a notebook and pen.


I'm also in the "cut weight by leaving it behind" group. I rarely bring an axe or even saw, since I rarely have a fire and when I do it's small enough that I don't need to "process firewood" - just break up some sticks. I prefer to just sit in the dark and "stargaze". It's also a timesaver. You may have a different preference.


No chair, no lantern, etc.


My food is geared towards saving weight and time also. It's a very simplified approach that works for me, but may not be agreeable to everyone.


"


Yeah, it's nice to just keep it all simple. I'll never forget the time I ran into an older guy who was solo and had the portage landing all blocked up with just loads of loose crap. On top of that his canoe was broadside. I just remember thinking how not fun that looked. He was really frazzled too.

 
06/21/2013 09:16AM  
i never bring an hatchet or saw unless i am winter camping. in the summer i save time and energy by not having a fire. on a solo trip the fire drags you in like a moth to a lamp. you'll just sit and stare at the magical flames and miss the whole point of being on a solo trip.
 
06/21/2013 10:05AM  
quote jwartman59: "i never bring an hatchet or saw unless i am winter camping. in the summer i save time and energy by not having a fire. on a solo trip the fire drags you in like a moth to a lamp. you'll just sit and stare at the magical flames and miss the whole point of being on a solo trip."
I would think every body's point of being on a solo is different, every body has different agendas.
 
06/21/2013 12:59PM  
quote housty9: "
quote jwartman59: "i never bring an hatchet or saw unless i am winter camping. in the summer i save time and energy by not having a fire. on a solo trip the fire drags you in like a moth to a lamp. you'll just sit and stare at the magical flames and miss the whole point of being on a solo trip."
I would think every body's point of being on a solo is different, every body has different agendas."




I agree with housty... I don't always have a fire, but enjoy them when I do. It's nice to have a hatchet when it's wet out and a saw is nothing to bring. I leave the extension cord at home though.
 
06/21/2013 01:09PM  
Never use a hatchet or saw for firewood and frankly don't see the point. I can collect plenty without either, break it up by striking it against a sharp edged rock. Quicker and does not add weight to the pack or the risk the digits. On the other hand I do bring a frisbee on solos- a cutting board with a rim and great bellows for the fire.
 
06/21/2013 09:07PM  
I only bring a saw but it's mainly back up in case my stove gives out which happened back in 2000.

 
06/21/2013 09:19PM  
A titanium frisbee? :)

I bring a gerber gator collapsible pack saw. For me, a fire is an integral part of a canoe trip. Solo or group. In group trips we cook exclusively off it...except for morning coffee.
 
06/22/2013 12:39AM  
If I trip right after ice out or in the fall after a stormy summer I'll bring a saw- but it's for making camp sites or portages useable. For fires I just break it by banging it on a rock, can't imagine taking the time to cut through it.
 
06/22/2013 01:38AM  

quote Exo: For me, a fire is an integral part of a canoe trip. Solo or group. "


I whole heartily agree!

A campsite without a campfire is like the 4th of July without Fireworks, or tail-gating without Beer and Brats! I'm not talking a roaring bonfire, but a small intimate campfire is just a camping tradition IMHO.

I also like to let the fire burn out and enjoy the night sky before turning in. But not to not have the sights, sounds and the smell of a campfire just doesn't seem right to me.

Then again, to each their own.

Hans Solo
 
06/22/2013 07:36AM  
I see campfires that aren't being used for cooking as "social things".

I just don't make them while solo for this reason I guess. I seem to have loneliness issues around the sunset hours anyway and to have a fire just for the sake of it brings that on even more.

No, I just like to hang out on a nice rock shelf and watch the stars come out. Now, if I'm not solo we will almost always sit by a fire in the evening.

One other point - it almost seems wasteful to have a fire with no other purpose than to see and smell the wood burn, unless it serves a social purpose. That's what goes on in my head anyway.

 
gnegard
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06/22/2013 08:26AM  
As stated earlier, a canoe trip either group or solo, is something different to everyone. Most evenings on a solo trip I don't have a fire, mainly because its been a long day, and I usually am in the tent before 9:00. Then up early. But when its raining, its really nice to get warm, dry off things or just relax sitting next to it. I am very conscious of weight, but can't imagine not bringing a saw and a small axe or hatchet. Even if I don't use it for firewood, I've had times when they have come in handy to clear a portage so I can get through.

As for food, I usually go overboard. I like to experiment with different recipes, and can go a little overboard. To me, its not a time savings matter, I go into the woods to enjoy myself, and unwind, I'm not really interested in how much time I can save at that point. If a breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, or pancakes takes an extra hour, then that is my time. I'm not on a canoe trip to punch a clock.

Everything we do has trade offs, solo tripping takes me more time around camp, but I like that, it keeps me busy. I choose to trade my time doing what I want. Back in the real world, I don't always have that option.

 
06/22/2013 10:36AM  

quote gnegard: "As for food, I usually go overboard. I like to experiment with different recipes, and can go a little overboard. To me, its not a time savings matter, I go into the woods to enjoy myself, and unwind, I'm not really interested in how much time I can save at that point. If a breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, or pancakes takes an extra hour, then that is my time. I'm not on a canoe trip to punch a clock.

Everything we do has trade offs, solo tripping takes me more time around camp, but I like that, it keeps me busy. I choose to trade my time doing what I want. Back in the real world, I don't always have that option.

"


Well said gnegard!

Even though I like to travel a lot when solo, I'm not one to break camp early though. That is unless I'm camped on a large lake that necessitates an early start to avoid getting wind bound.

I also like to make a big breakfast and mull around camp in the morning. The one thing I'm excessive about is food. Due to the fact I don't fish much, or at least count on fish to supplement my meals, I pack along a good amount of food. I like eating well when camping, then again, who doesn't.

BTW gnegard, your profile picture seems to support your statements regarding food and cooking. :-)

Hans Solo
 
missmolly
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06/22/2013 12:19PM  
quote nctry: "
quote housty9: "
quote jwartman59: "i never bring an hatchet or saw unless i am winter camping. in the summer i save time and energy by not having a fire. on a solo trip the fire drags you in like a moth to a lamp. you'll just sit and stare at the magical flames and miss the whole point of being on a solo trip."
I would think every body's point of being on a solo is different, every body has different agendas."




I agree with housty... I don't always have a fire, but enjoy them when I do. It's nice to have a hatchet when it's wet out and a saw is nothing to bring. I leave the extension cord at home though."


One time I left an extension cord at home to save weight, but then I spent a week staring at a dark tv screen. Still, I was glad to not carry my 37-mile long extension cord.
 
Minnesotian
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06/22/2013 02:02PM  
quote HansSolo: "
quote gnegard: "As for food, I usually go overboard. I like to experiment with different recipes, and can go a little overboard. To me, its not a time savings matter, I go into the woods to enjoy myself, and unwind, I'm not really interested in how much time I can save at that point. If a breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, or pancakes takes an extra hour, then that is my time. I'm not on a canoe trip to punch a clock.

Everything we do has trade offs, solo tripping takes me more time around camp, but I like that, it keeps me busy. I choose to trade my time doing what I want. Back in the real world, I don't always have that option.

"


Well said gnegard!

Even though I like to travel a lot when solo, I'm not one to break camp early though. That is unless I'm camped on a large lake that necessitates an early start to avoid getting wind bound.

I also like to make a big breakfast and mull around camp in the morning. The one thing I'm excessive about is food. Due to the fact I don't fish much, or at least count on fish to supplement my meals, I pack along a good amount of food. I like eating well when camping, then again, who doesn't.

BTW gnegard, your profile picture seems to support your statements regarding food and cooking. :-)

Hans Solo"


I concur on the food overpacking. I myself enjoy eating well out in the wild. There is nothing like eating a hearty, filling meal with a bunch of flavor after a hard, rainy, day of canoeing Really picks your spirits up However I challenge myself by seeing how light I can go as well. That means a lot of dehydrating.
 
06/22/2013 02:42PM  
I also have trouble with the "early camp breaking", generally it's not till around ten or later that I hit the water. I like to travel and seem to cover distance ok once I'm on the move [last trip I camped at Louisa (left prairie at 1:30), Kahshahpiwi, Marj, Ted, Argo and then to the car at Mudro]. What's worse is I'm up early too- just tend to get distracted and fascinated in the morning and all of a sudden it's mid-morning or later. As Hans noted it's really only a bummer when the wind kicks up.
 
06/22/2013 07:41PM  
One of the things that's fascinating about solo trip reports and posts is the different methods, preferences, and priorities of each person.

I rarely get started as early as I'd like to beat the wind, but I'm going to do better this year (yeah, sure, you betcha) ;). Really, I am (maybe, I hope).

I used to always have a fire, but got out of the habit after several trips under a fire ban/fire restriction. I had one last fall (out of 7 nights) and it was so dry and windy that the worry made it more trouble than it was worth. Like Banksiana I just break up the wood for a small fire.

It seems some people prefer to be busy, but I'm just the opposite. I'm busy enough at home, often with other people's things, that I like to keep that to a minimum and enjoy some down time. I do a lot of cooking at home so that's one of those things I simplify.

Now that I think about it, I wonder what I do out there, where all the time goes. Besides paddling, portaging, and {minimal} camp chores, I guess most just disappears into the black hole of looking at maps, writing in the journal, looking at {watching} things, taking pictures, and sitting on a rock drinking coffee.
 
OBX2Kayak
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06/22/2013 08:21PM  
quote Banksiana: "I also have trouble with the "early camp breaking", generally it's not till around ten or later that I hit the water. I like to travel and seem to cover distance ok once I'm on the move [last trip I camped at Louisa (left prairie at 1:30), Kahshahpiwi, Marj, Ted, Argo and then to the car at Mudro]. What's worse is I'm up early too- just tend to get distracted and fascinated in the morning and all of a sudden it's mid-morning or later. As Hans noted it's really only a bummer when the wind kicks up."


For me, nothing beats that first cup of camp coffee in the morning ... which leads to a second, and third, and a ...

Pretty soon its 10:00 AM and my gear still isn't packed.
 
06/22/2013 11:13PM  

quote boonie: "Now that I think about it, I wonder what I do out there, where all the time goes. Besides paddling, portaging, and {minimal} camp chores, I guess most just disappears into the black hole of looking at maps, writing in the journal, looking at {watching} things, taking pictures, and sitting on a rock drinking coffee."


Wow boonie, I can really relate to that!

It's amazing how fast time goes even when you're not doing much it seems. I think that's partially why I don't try to beat the clock to get on the water most days. Even when I've had everything set to go the night before, it still takes about an hour and half from the time I crawl out of the tent until I'm underway.

I never could understand how some people do it. You know, those people that paddle by your campsite fully loaded at 7:00 AM or earlier, and you're just having your first cup of coffee. I hate those people! LOL

Speaking of coffee, I can really relate to OBX2Kayak about that morning coffee. Years ago I'd just take instant for convenience, but that got old real fast. Now I take along some quality, freshly ground coffee and a French press. Nothing better than watching and listening to the sights & sounds of canoe-country while sipping a good hot cup of Joe in the morning! :-)

Hans Solo

 
06/23/2013 07:42AM  
quote HansSolo: "
Speaking of coffee, I can really relate to OBX2Kayak about that morning coffee. Years ago I'd just take instant for convenience, but that got old real fast. Now I take along some quality, freshly ground coffee and a French press. Nothing better than watching and listening to the sights & sounds of canoe-country while sipping a good hot cup of Joe in the morning! :-)
"


I did the same. Actually it was an article written by Banksiana on his website about coffee that got me to go with quality over convenience. He takes it farther than me as I just grind Papa Nicholas beans and use a french press but after reading his story I realized that coffee in the morning is an important part of the experience so why skimp on quality.

I too like to savor two cups while watching the morning unfold. Afterall, I am a morning person. :)

*Hey Banks, how about a link to that fine article?

 
yellowcanoe
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06/23/2013 05:35PM  
Being conscious of pack weight, I decided to leave the saw behind this last trip.

What a bonehead deed. I was the first party on the route I took this year. In 100 rods some ten sawable blowdowns. But not moveable. Nothing though required a chain saw. Some were interlocked multiple balsams.

I ultimately made my work harder.. unload..shove through. Next time, hang the weight.. I am bringing a saw.
 
06/23/2013 08:43PM  
I can see how a saw would be useful for many things, maybe even vital under a situation like that, and I'll have to think about bringing one. Maybe I can save weight somewhere else...
 
06/23/2013 08:50PM  
quote HansSolo: "Even when I've had everything set to go the night before, it still takes about an hour and half from the time I crawl out of the tent until I'm underway.

I never could understand how some people do it. You know, those people that paddle by your campsite fully loaded at 7:00 AM or earlier, and you're just having your first cup of coffee. I hate those people! LOL

Hans Solo

"


I hate them too, Hans, but I want to be like them. I think I'll just have to take an alarm clock, set it for 5:00 AM at the latest, and hope I don't just say the hell with it and turn the damn thing off :).

My other problem is I like to have all camp chores done before dark and still have some afternoon relaxation time in there, so I don't like to travel real late either.
 
yellowcanoe
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06/23/2013 09:32PM  
I can't understand how people can sleep till ten AM! Sunrise here is at four am so being on the water at six is no big deal.

OTOH there isn't any late night carousing. It's waay past my bedtime now.

I guess soloing taught me that getting up early and beating the wind is good for me. I rarely have to wait in camp for a wind day. By the time the wind wakes, I am usually pretty well done paddling and ready to make camp about noon or one pm.
 
06/23/2013 10:22PM  

The best "alarm clock" I had on trips was our English Setter "Lady". She would always be up at the crack of dawn and demand to get out of the tent. It wasn't so much to do her business, she just wanted out to see what was happening outside and mull around the campsite.

She went on most every trip with my wife and me. On trips when we had to traverse big, long windy lakes, we'd just get up with her and be on the water within a hour or so. We'd then make camp by 1:00 or 2:00 PM. That's more the exception than the rule, but I can do it when conditions call for it.

But I'd rather get up between 7:00 and 8:00 AM, take my time around camp making breakfast, and then head out late morning. Like Banksiana mentioned, I can make good time once I'm underway. Nevertheless, my unorthodox tripping schedule works for me.

Hans Solo
 
06/24/2013 10:42AM  
I'm one of those people who like to be up and on the water by 6, no later than 7. If it is a fall trip, I will wait until the sun is up to start paddling. Sometimes that means packing up in the dark and eating breakfast after I've paddled awhile. I don't drink coffee, I like beating the wind if I can and like the silence of the water as the lakes begin to wake as well.
I can do that on my solos. On group trips, I have to wait for the sleepers and their coffee.
 
06/24/2013 03:42PM  
Thanks Tom, but my host went out of business and I've yet to rebuild the site somewhere else.

If I'm taking the "big" pack I'll throw in the Moka pot
for near espresso strength coffee. If I'm going light and small I simply take a gold tea filter that fits in my mug . MSR sells the same thing as a coffee filter for about twice the price. I dump coffee into boiling water and filter when I pour into the mug.

I do like coffee at sunrise on a lake empty of other humans.
 
06/26/2013 08:10PM  
Things I took on my first solo last year that I hadn't taken on other trips.

SPOT device. I've taken and guided many trips to the BWCA, but it was the SPOT that was the clincher for my wife "allowing" the trip.

I ditched the tent and got a hammock. That was a very comfortable way to camp, now I just need to convince my regular canoeing partner to do the same.

My menu selection was more repetitive and dehydrated than trips with larger groups.
 
gkimball
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06/26/2013 11:15PM  
Many gear practices from backpacking can be applied to solo canoeing. I have abandoned hanging my food pack and only use plastic bag lined Bear Vault canisters. First learned to use them as a backpacker and have carried them over into canoeing. Hanging a food pack (properly) is hard enough with two people even when you can find good trees. Can't imagine doing it alone at the end of a long day. Makes food management a lot easier. Also use a 10X10 light syl-tarp strung between 2 trees that is easy to put up for secondary shelter and a dry place to stow packs and gear. Makes for a lot "homier" camp. For solo trips I only use a light weight isobutane stove. Much lighter than white gas units. Backpacking food is also much lighter and more compact than what most canoeists carry.
 
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