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08/28/2010 02:43PM |
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02/23/2011 01:29PM |
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08/28/2010 07:47AM |
I also have some hearing lose. It does make the night easier.
A layover day is fine too. Afterall, it is your trip and only your's, so do as you please. Isn't that why we solo?
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08/28/2010 05:43AM |
1. I'll take a layover day or three whenever I feel like it.
2. I take a lot more pictures when I'm alone.
3. I spend a lot more time watching wildlife.
4. What ever I fix for supper is good enough.
5. If I leave the flask in the car it doesn't matter that much.
6. Every evening by the fire I feel lonely and miss my wife.
7. Every morning when I get up I have a feeling of euphoria.
8. I wonder why none of my old friends will camp anymore. (wimps!)
9. I worry less when I'm alone.
10.Since my hearing has deteriorated it's not as scary to sleep alone in the woods.
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11/17/2010 09:00PM |
1. Bring more than 1 pen, better yet, bring something non-mechanical like a pencil.
2. Practice your portage routine before your first solo.
3. Don't be afraid to triple-carry over the small stuff.
4. A little alcohol and a small fire do wonders for the soul.
5. Pack something besides dehydrated and forgettable.
6. Don't pack to much food or clothing, but do pack a hammock.
7. Fish more, paddle less.
8. Camera gear is heavy.
9. Leave the GPS at home.
10. Pack sunscreen and bugspray in something that won't trigger either in your pack.
My trip report is almost done :)
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08/26/2010 09:24AM |
A book or 2 also helps, as does being generally lazy.
Paddling in the mist, early in the morning, is surreal.
Solo is the way to learn camp baking, only you know/suffer the failures!
butthead
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01/24/2011 07:31AM |
2. A quality rain jacket with hood is a must.
3. It's better to move everyday to keep myself busy.
4. I don't need to get going super early because I enjoy the morning in camp.
5. Bringing less real food cuts weight considerably.
6. Packing my reading material in a waterproof bag is a must.
7. A good fire is a must.
8. A kayak paddle AND a canoe paddle or vice versus are both necessary.
9. Bailing early brings regrets.
10. A chair is a must for me.
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11/22/2010 07:54PM |
Dick
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08/28/2010 07:13AM |
quote Amok: "quote jdevries: "Be even more careful when on untraveled routes. I was a long way from anyone last year and sunk a treble hook in my thumb and could not get it out. Paddling and carrying a canoe were now out of the question. Now what?"
Maybe a small sidecutter, to cut off the lure, which would hopefully enable you to remove the rest of the hook. Now I'm paranoid and am going to toss one of those into my first aid kit! I've fished all my life, and I've only seen a hook in someone once: my uncle last year (he'd been fishing all his life too and that was the first time, ever, he'd been hooked! By himself, no less)"
Use barbless hooks
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08/22/2010 04:31PM |
* PFD works well to prop up pillow
* There is a right and wrong way to set up a tarp
* I hate GORP
* Beef Sticks are awesome in Kraft Mac and Cheese
* Cutting wood is work but fire makes you feel much more secure.
* The Stars are so close you can almost touch them
* The wilderness can be deadly quiet for HOURS! Could here a pin drop
* Storms can come up FAST and go just as FAST
* Dehydrated Hamburger ROCKS
* Dehydrated Strawberries Rock
* Finding your first Pictograph is moving
* You don't know how much you drink till you pump it all yourself
* It pays to be organized in the pack
* Big portages should be saved for 1st thing in am
* It's fun just to paddle around in the back bays of lakes
* Outdoors by yourself you have a lot of time to forget about "life"
and it is good for the soul.
* Nature can be gentle, kind, or Ornry.
* Always check the batteries in the Garmin B-4 you leave in the Morn.
* Maps and Compass and Garmin are INVALUABLE
* Paddling in wind all day can wear on you
* Putting on wet socks and shoes in am is bette then no shoes at all
* Titanium Cookware cleans up easy and is lite. I love it
* I like my ottertail paddle the best
* I brought too much food
* I brought too much gear
* Booze is Heavy
* Reading the Bible in the wild is a very moving experience.
Can you give some of your tips on what you all have learned like top ten or something?
Thanks,
SunCatcher
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08/22/2010 05:39PM |
dont basecamp ever again.
take alot less food.
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08/22/2010 04:58PM |
2. I find myself tuned out and tuned into life at the same time.
3. Take 3 books, might read a page or all three.
4. Sometimes take wrapped candies to leave on packs for people coming out.
5. Take time to look at the bugs, they are fascinating, just don't block the portage.
6. I consider it good luck to rescue any dragonfly found in water. Some still die, but others will recover and provide escort against deerflies.
7. Mice and rabbits purposely make all the noise they can some nights.
8. I come back from every trip with more experience, knowledge and unanswered questions.
9. Where I go and how I travel is just fine, don't need a cruise director.
10. If I missed out this trip, I will find what I meant to find the next trip.
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08/22/2010 08:34PM |
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08/22/2010 08:55PM |
2 I take way better pictures when solo.
3 I get much more feelings of accomplishment when I've met my trip goals.
4 It's hard, when you want to say "Wow! Look at that", and there's nobody there to say it to.
5 Moose are much bigger when solo, when you're half way across a huge bog and you look up to see one fifty feet away from you.
6 Rushing things is dangerous, when solo. Trust your gut.
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08/22/2010 09:17PM |
quote kanoes: "from my first solo, only two for me...
dont basecamp ever again.
take alot less food."
I've been refining my menu for years and am finally getting brave enough to bring only 'the right amount of food'. After seven days in Woodland Caribou, I only had one breakfast and one lunch left. Of course, I did only lose five pounds.
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08/24/2010 11:22AM |
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02/15/2011 07:05PM |
Wear sock liner when wetfooting. Did most of the ten days with nasty sores on the bottom of my feet. Carry Mole Skin too.
Your probably going to have to get your feet wet.
Bring maps of possible alternate routes and possibly a back up set of maps.
It is the greatest feeling to complete a good solo trip. You can say I did it vs we did it.
I think it was Sun Catcher who said something about the quiet of WCPP. I noticed that too. It was sort of erie but cool.
Oh, and don't leave paddles strapped in canoe while transporting them no matter how close you live to the BW. Half of a yak paddle just doesn't do it. Luckily I had two bent shafts. Dang, that was a carbon fiber paddle.
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08/24/2010 02:36PM |
quote jdevries: "Be even more careful when on untraveled routes. I was a long way from anyone last year and sunk a treble hook in my thumb and could not get it out. Paddling and carrying a canoe were now out of the question. Now what?"
Maybe a small sidecutter, to cut off the lure, which would hopefully enable you to remove the rest of the hook. Now I'm paranoid and am going to toss one of those into my first aid kit! I've fished all my life, and I've only seen a hook in someone once: my uncle last year (he'd been fishing all his life too and that was the first time, ever, he'd been hooked! By himself, no less)
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08/25/2010 10:51AM |
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08/25/2010 08:33PM |
Travel everyday. I did a lay over day on my first solo, too much down time for me.
Travel early, maybe not as early as Bannock but before 7 for sure. Tried to be making camp by 1PM at the latest. It's hot enough by then...
It's impossible not to bring to much food. I was conservative last time and still brought a bunch back. Of course it was hot and my appetite wasn't good in the afternoons. I lost a pound a day.
It is possible to bring too much booze. Some of you won't believe that.
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08/27/2010 07:46PM |
10. A digital voice recorder sure saves time compared to a journal and you have someone to listen to if you get a little stir crazy or lonely (a soccer ball can work too).
9. A kayak paddle on your solo can make a big difference, especially into the wind.
8. Lightweight merino wool long undies and long-sleeve t-shirts really take the chill out of cold nights
7. A microfleece blanket has 3 roles: butt pad, a soft pillow case, and who knew, a blanket
6. Thin crust pizza with pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms, and mozarella cheese is REALLY good from a reflector oven
5. Good quality raingear is a must
4. Bring at least 2 rods if you like to fish on solos…broke one this year for the first time in 37 years, but had a spare
3. Two tarps are better than one
2. Wetfooting is so much easier on portages compared to trying to keep your boots dry on portages
And the number one thing I’ve learned soloing over the years….
1. Don’t drink too much around the campfire in the dark without a headlamp or flashlight…you just might fall in the water the next time you have to pee…
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02/10/2011 04:06PM |
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02/12/2011 03:04PM |
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02/12/2011 06:24PM |
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02/12/2011 05:44PM |
quote labman: "Don't be too cocky. The BWCA will rock you when you least expect it. "
Very well said. Respect the wind and the power of a strong current. Going solo its easy to become wind bound away from camp without packs in the canoe.
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02/12/2011 08:25PM |
quote Jeriatric: "I learned to narrow the causes of the loud splashes next to my campsite down to two. Either it is a beaver slapping its tail and diving underwater....or it's Bigfoot throwing rocks to warn me away. After a splash, I find myself searching desperately for a beaver surfacing somewhere nearby."
Just read this to my son......he starts laughing saying he knows exactly what you mean. He was sitting gazing at the campfire
as I slept . Then came the loud slap.
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08/22/2010 10:25PM |
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08/23/2010 09:43AM |
quote kanoes: "from my first solo, only two for me...
dont basecamp ever again.
take alot less food."
I agree with this one...reduces the boredom.
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08/23/2010 10:48AM |
quote dl: "I learned how much stress I was keeping inside and how many internal knots there were inside me. You will be surprised by how different you feel and what your priorities 'should be' - certainly after your first solo."
Very well said.
After many solo trips, I'd say the most important lesson is to overcome the urge to bail out after only a few days. The lesson that dl mentions - and others like it - cannot be learned by running away.
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08/23/2010 09:32AM |
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08/23/2010 11:45AM |
I did try it (base camping) the following year and I loved it. I was finally not too tired to fish.
The first solo, I realized I had too much food and gear for a traveling man.
The second solo, I realized that I was less likely to have taken too much stuff while I was base camping.
If there is a third solo, it will be a base camping trip. I will be 65 or older.
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08/23/2010 01:21PM |
Get up early and be on the water by first light.
Have a cold breakfast, and save oatmeal for lunch.
Afternoon naps are good.
Paperbacks of the classics are good.
Always take a spare paddle.
Always tie your canoe when it's unattended.
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08/23/2010 04:46PM |
I agree with Bannock, a nap is good.
Be careful!! Watch every step. I slipped on a portage the last weekend in October. Had I broken something major, no one would have come looking until I was overdue. Saw no one else the entire 4 days.
Always let someone know your itinerary. Dave Seaton at Hungry Jack always asks where I'm going and when I'm going to be back. He said that makes the SAR much easier.
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08/23/2010 01:33PM |
Always break in your portage/paddle shoes well in advance of your trip.
There's no one to help you apply salve (I know... I'm old....)or bandages to badly blistered feet.
Go slowly enough to enjoy and remember what is around you because there's no one to talk about it with right now.
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11/17/2010 06:49AM |
quote oldgentleman: "I hate to disagree with anybody as experienced as Bannock or as assertive as Kanoes. After many trips with my son Josh, whose motto is "Sure, we can still cover another 5 miles today" the number 1 thng I learned on a solo is:
1. I'll take a layover day or three whenever I feel like it.
2. I take a lot more pictures when I'm alone.
3. I spend a lot more time watching wildlife.
4. What ever I fix for supper is good enough.
5. If I leave the flask in the car it doesn't matter that much.
6. Every evening by the fire I feel lonely and miss my wife.
7. Every morning when I get up I have a feeling of euphoria.
8. I wonder why none of my old friends will camp anymore. (wimps!)
9. I worry less when I'm alone.
10.Since my hearing has deteriorated it's not as scary to sleep alone in the woods. "
Number five is bothering me...:) and I take a sat phone to let number six know I am ok. and need number 5. to forget about 6. and 7. Well that is EXACTLY how I feel.
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11/17/2010 08:04AM |
I will add:
-You can't have an intelligent conversation w/ a squirrel
-Always keep a pair of shorts handy in case a boat comes by
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11/17/2010 09:04AM |
quote Longpaddler: "I can relate to most all these words of wisdom
I will add:
-You can't have an intelligent conversation w/ a squirrel
-Always keep a pair of shorts handy in case a boat comes by"
Disagree with the first one, in fact after 3 or 4 days of no human contact I've actually lost an argument with a squirrel. Second one? Been there done that.
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11/25/2010 07:46PM |
I carry everything...and it weighs a bit more than half of a tandem load.
I do all the paddling...and I have the 3/4 of a tandem canoe with half the horsepower.
I do all the work - setting up and breaking down camp, landing, loading and unloading the canoe is harder solo, and there's the yoke to put on and take off. It's really a little more than twice as much work.
There's nobody to talk me into a bad decision...or out of one either. I make all the decisions and reap all the rewards. I make all the mistakes and suffer all the consequences.
I don't have to talk about anything I don't want to. The wilderness is a good listener and doesn't talk back. But it does communicate a lot.
Don't have too aggressive a trip plan and have to cover too many miles per day. The days are shorter in Sept and the weather will be a factor. You can travel north, east, and south and paddle into a headwind every day. And some days you can't paddle at all. Plan shorter days and a layover day or two.
I need to take Bannock's advice and get up earlier and be on the water earlier.
A weather radio would be handy. (This has been confirmed on subsequent trips)
I carried plenty of food in and...carried plenty of it back out, too.
GORP is essential (sorry SunCatcher)
Keep a journal, take lots of pictures.
It takes me three days to stop talking to myself...and three more to start again.
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11/25/2010 10:22PM |
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11/26/2010 09:04AM |
quote boonie: "quote Koda: "boonie, VERY nicely said. :-)"
Thanks, and I forgot one thing:
If your headlamp malfunctions on the first night of the new moon, you shall dwell in darkness for the week. Makes for an interesting trip to the latrine :). "
light the way to the latrine
butthead
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11/26/2010 07:05AM |
quote Koda: "boonie, VERY nicely said. :-)"
Thanks, and I forgot one thing:
If your headlamp malfunctions on the first night of the new moon, you shall dwell in darkness for the week. Makes for an interesting trip to the latrine :).
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12/21/2010 02:15PM |
quote oldgentleman: "I hate to disagree with anybody as experienced as Bannock or as assertive as Kanoes. After many trips with my son Josh, whose motto is "Sure, we can still cover another 5 miles today" the number 1 thng I learned on a solo is:
1. I'll take a layover day or three whenever I feel like it.
2. I take a lot more pictures when I'm alone.
3. I spend a lot more time watching wildlife.
4. What ever I fix for supper is good enough.
5. If I leave the flask in the car it doesn't matter that much.
6. Every evening by the fire I feel lonely and miss my wife.
7. Every morning when I get up I have a feeling of euphoria.
8. I wonder why none of my old friends will camp anymore. (wimps!)
9. I worry less when I'm alone.
10.Since my hearing has deteriorated it's not as scary to sleep alone in the woods. "
I concur with the oldgentleman except for #5. The pre-bedtime whisky and cigar sure help me to feel comfy in the sleeping bag and has become a ritual.
Age is important in determining what is important.
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12/17/2010 06:29PM |
1. Don't basecamp again. A layover day would be fine.
2. I need a pair of glasses for when I take out my contacts. The wilderness under moonlight is much more eerie when nearly blind.
3. The camera gear is a must but the tripod can stay home.
4. A book on survival and fire building skills is an interesting read when you can put the teachings to use.
5. Put the rain gear on when it begins to rain.
6. A good fire is comforting.
7. When you finally think you are alone the mice show up.
8. I hate peanut butter on corn tortillas with trail mix for dinner. Vomit.
9. My food may have been light, but everything else I brought wasn't.
10. Take the time to explore the details. There is a lot to find.
11. The sound of flowing water is relaxing on the mind when everything else has gone mute.
12. I need a lighter, warmer sleeping bag. Nights were cold, dark and long.
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12/18/2010 08:41AM |
1. Always be moving. I get bored basecamping anyhow, especially when solo!
2. I eat very little when soloing, so every year I pack less and still have food left over at the end. (Losing ten pounds on a 1 week trip is common for me)
3. Be very, very careful, especially when soloing in Quetico or on Crown Land in general. An impaled thumb, injured ankle or broken bone becomes very serious when you're on a seldom travelled route.
4. Take good books.
5. Drink lots of water.
Travel safely.
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12/19/2010 06:26AM |
One very expensive lesson I learned from a solo in 1988 is to always respect the power of moving water. The week I was in Quetico it rained A LOT. I was near Side Lake north of Prairie Portage and on my way out when I came to a portage that runs next to a small creek.
The water was very high now and instead of portaging my canoe (I had already took the packs over the portage) I had the brilliant idea to just float the creek in my empty canoe.
It was all going to plan until I got to the end where there was a drop of rushing water of about 2 feet. I remember grabbing a branch to stop myself and pondered what to do. My inexperienced, adventure loving brain decided to have me get out and let the canoe float over the drop by itself. I would then walk the portage and catch up to it in the backwater eddy. Sounded good at the time and I thought I was so smart not having to portage my canoe.
Well, as it turned out, there was a good sized rock right after the small drop that I didn't notice in all the turbulent water. The canoe made it over the drop just fine but then turned sideways and hung up on the rock. The force of the water now wrapped my canoe around the rock with a sick grinding and tearing sound.
This was my brand new fiberglass Sawyer Autumn Mist solo I had just paid $850 for a month before. So, in a panic I bullrushed my way to the canoe and pried with all my might to finally free it from the rock. I was heartbroken. There was a foot long L shaped gash in the stern side and the gunnels were bent really bad.
Luckily a couple was with me at the portage and agreed to let me ride in their canoe as we towed mine out behind it. It was humiliating to say the least as all kinds of people we met along the way gawked at us.
Yes my friends, there's a big lesson to be learned here. Don't take unecessary chances when on a canoe trip and especially when solo.
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12/19/2010 09:24AM |
higher than normal and we struggled along the left side current to get to the portage below the second big rapids before Sturgeon. As we came though some slack water with a couple trees on our right, we paddled into a swift about 30 yards from the portage. We were just enough sideways that the current immediately grabbed the bow, jammed us sideways to the right and pinned us broadside against a tree. Luckily our royalex canoe didn't crumple in two or dump us right there. We slowly pried ourselves loose by pushing the bow into the current where it finally caught the current and whipped us around the tree and downstream. Of course, undaunted by the mightly Maligne, we turned around and slowly paddled upstream to try it again. This time we hit the swift a little straighter and after a minute or so of furious paddling we made it through and up to the take-out.
In retrospect, we probably risked way too much and should have bushwacked along the shoreline to the take-out, but we did survive.
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12/19/2010 11:39AM |
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02/12/2011 06:58PM |
quote TomT: "quote labman: "Don't be too cocky. The BWCA will rock you when you least expect it. "
Very well said. Respect the wind and the power of a strong current. Going solo its easy to become wind bound away from camp without packs in the canoe.
"
Live and learned last year out of Brant lake. I portaged myself out of energy and only went 5 miles in versus an 18 mile loop. This included 2 wrong protages, with one being to a lake with no exit.I will do this trip again this year, with higher hopes and lower cockiness. I am just glad it didn't ruin my feelings about solo camping.
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02/12/2011 07:31PM |