What are your best tips for a relaxing base camp trip?

Learn the "no place to go and all day to get there" theory. For us relaxing is an easy day trip with one or two portages all you carry is the canoe the fixings for a shore lunch and your fishing equipment. Then its back to the base camp with no set up, just pull in and relax.

Location, location, location. Despite the trip reason, fishing, the sights, or camping, research the route, lake and camp site. A great camp site can make the difference when base camping.

It is ok to travel a long distance on a relaxing day trip if you plan an extra couple of hours for other than paddling for the day. A good example is camping on North Bay in the Q and going to Louisa Falls or to McNeice Lake for the old growth trees. Really early start with a late return would take you down the Basswood River for the falls/rapids, pictographs, and table rock. Be prepared for a possible overnight should weather, wind, accident become a factor. Include the extra tent and lunch type food on the river trip.

We plan on long trips to go one half of the time going out and the other half to return Throw in an extra hour or so for delays. For a 12 hour time frame, only go out 5 hours and thus allow 5 hours back. 2 hours for quick lunch or delays. Allow for wind conditions to affect the time out or back. For the longer trips, we always start with good traveling weather. Now that we have a weather radio, the odds are we will not have any unexpected delays there, but plan as if you need rain gear or delays for severe weather.

where ever i end up, for a base camp it is set up with every consideration taken for weather, views, kitchen, etc.
when i base i take more time to get everything really comfy and cozy.
i usually tweak things along the way, but everything has it's place.
unlike when i solo, sure it is still a nice camp, but i don't spend as much time with it, it's just my camp for a night or two.

While having a 5 star site will obviously enhance any trip I dont consider not getting one a deal breaker when planning a base camp trip. Although, there is a line in the sand. I dont want to stay at a total dump either. :)

More importantly (to me) is the daytrip options that will be within reasonable reach from camp. That's why I think places like the east end of Clearwater Lake EP#62 or the mid to western end of Ogishkemuncie Lake (to name a couple) are such great places to basecamp.

Attitude is nothing and everything...

Relaxing base camps are my specialty :)

Don't rush anything in getting there. Double or even triple portage.. hell if its only 30 rods you can walk it 4 times. Slow down is my first advice.

Going off that. Are all portages under say about 80 rods? Even shorter? Well then bring some extra stuff like maybe chairs, screen house, steak dinner, towels, extra snacks, hammocks, etc.

I also like very late August or September... even October is amazing. I like to go to areas where I know not a lot of people will be. So dead end areas usually. If it's basecamping I am after then I don't care about daily trips or anything. I usually stay on the same lake, fish it and learn it and take frequent trips back to camp for snacks, naps, whatever.

The necessities are hammocks, wine or whiskey bottles, and cribbage :)