Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Solo Tripping :: Timesavers for the Solo Canoeist
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IBFLY |
When I open my ursack I just eat from the top down, mostly. |
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KevinL |
In the past I have always just counted out what pills that I would need for my trip and put them into one bottle and then sort them out each day as I needed them. One thing that I did on my last trip is I placed my morning medications and vitamins in a snack size Ziploc bag that I then placed into vacuum bag that I had my morning oatmeal in. I have to use Splenda so I can’t use the packets of oatmeal so I make my own. I also put my VIA coffee packets and a blueberry Belvita (an early morning snack) into this daily vacuum sealed bag. I don’t stop really stop for a lunch break and more less snack all day long when I feel that I need to eat something. Into another snack size Ziploc goes calcium citrate that I can get to every couple hours. I also have some beef jerky in this bag and it stops from getting my gorp tasting like jerky. This last trip I packed two protein bars instead of taking powdered protein along with the gorp, jerky and a package of Ritz Colossal Cheddar crackers. These all vacuum sealed in their own bag as well. These crackers held up well. Then with my evening meal went my night time meds that I need. I did put another days’ worth of my meds in with some Tylenol in case I was out an extra day or two. System worked out great. May look at McMaster Carr and find a little smaller ziploc bag than the snack size but that may be just a little anal. |
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Exo |
Vac sealing and labeling daily meals is a good idea. I just don't want to get the munches or desire 1 item from day 6 with day 2's lunch and open this or that and end up with six opened bags and a mess...so some thought must go into planning. |
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housty9 |
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TomT |
quote boonie: I usually just eat lunch and snacks on the walk back across a portage for the final load. I tried to save time by eating my lunch on a portage while carrying the big pack. I almost choked to death while climbing a hill with a mouth full of sandwich. Nope, never again. Only snacks while portaging from now on. |
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boonie |
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bwcasolo |
lunch, jerky, bars. evening-alpine air foods, hawk vittles. hawk sells a neat heating pouch to re-constitute your dried meals. works with all brands, really nice. shelter, my exped solo packs so small, i bring my hennessy as well. both shelters set up in no time. |
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TomT |
quote bwcasolo: evening-alpine air foods, hawk vittles. hawk sells a neat heating pouch to re-constitute your dried meals. works with all brands, really nice. I will be trying some Kawk Vittles for the first time in Sept. Got about 6 dinners and a couple breakfasts and I ordered the cozy too. I had the problem of the dinners getting cold on me once I started eating out of the pouch so this warmer thingy looks real nice and think it's worth the investment. I've heard good things about their dinners too. |
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ZaraSp00k |
I don't bring a tarp, so that saves time putting up & taking down, it has always seemed strange to me to want a roof between me and the great outdoors portages are a time saver, nobody to coordinate with, just do it, I eat power bars or similar and take care of natures duties, why do people always seem to announce they have to go to the bathroom halfway across a lake? |
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Exo |
One thing I do is neatly wrap and tie my tie-out lines on my tarp. It takes a little extra time to do it, but the other end of it seems make up for it. No messing with knotted lines during setup or rushing to beat a downpour with a tangle of lines. Another thing I do is turn two motions or actions into one. For instance, a trip to the dunny is also a firewood gathering return trip. |
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Exo |
quote kanoes: "while im still out in deeper water ill grab a sea to summit sink full of water before i land at camp, ready for purifying" Good one. Reminds me of group base camping and having a portable shower deal for washing hands as well as pumping water out of. Real timesaver to have lake water at camp to just pump vs. pumping from shore or canoeing out into lake. |
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hobbydog |
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Mort |
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RainGearRight |
Having one solo under my belt I haven't had enough time to figure out any more solo camping hacks. Looking forward to this thread growing though. |
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bhouse46 |
And I read these posts regularly learning new things all the time that save me time. Good tip on water from the lake Kanoes. |
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kanoes |
tied cord loops to the web loops on my tarp to make stringing and tying easier. |
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nctry |
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PortageKeeper |
I use a Jetboil and only eat fast meals... no cleanup except for my dish, which I fill with left over hot water, shake, dump and re-rinse... no dish washing otherwise. Some want to "eat good" when on a trip. I eat too well at home as it is, so freeze dried is fine with me. My lunch is pre-packaged in my day pack so I'm not digging in the big pack or barrel during the day. I grab water before I hit camp, and seldom filter, if I believe the source was clean. Once camp is set up, I gather all items that I will need to cook a meal and do clean-up, and keep it at hand around my chair. I cook, eat and clean-up without leaving my chair. I once watched a former paddling mate cook a full meal, bake a cake, wash dishes, dry them and put everything away without once leaving his chair. That really showed me how inefficient I had been in the past. Before dark, all of my things are gathered and in their place, so I don't need to be wondering around with a head lamp searching for things. My head lamp (clip light) stays in my pocket during the day, so I don't have to go searching for it later on. Many trips require different ways to pack, so at home I memorize where everything goes, then re-packing in camp goes fast. When leaving camp, I put the canoe at the edge of the water first, so I'm not stumbling over packs to get it there. |
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Exo |
I also saw the inefficiency of not putting the paddle all the way into the water, causing those mini whirlpools. I think another timesaver is being an efficient paddler and practicing or being taught how. |
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kanoes |
quote HansSolo: "quote kanoes: "quote ZaraSp00k: "I don't bring a tarp, so that saves time putting up & taking down, it has always seemed strange to me to want a roof between me and the great outdoors" yeah, tents should only be for sleeping. snow, wind, rain....i have to be outside under the tarp. |
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boonie |
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HansSolo |
quote kanoes: "quote ZaraSp00k: "I don't bring a tarp, so that saves time putting up & taking down, it has always seemed strange to me to want a roof between me and the great outdoors" No doubt kanoes! Although it does take a little time to rig and break down, I could never see canoe-tripping without a tarp. Besides, the only time I'm under it is when it's raining hard. Beats waiting out a storm or a heavy rain inside a tent IMHO. Hans Solo |
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kanoes |
quote ZaraSp00k: "I don't bring a tarp, so that saves time putting up & taking down, it has always seemed strange to me to want a roof between me and the great outdoors" oh, i dont know...they always seem kinda handy to me. |
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OBX2Kayak |
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boonie |
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Exo |
If it rains or things are damp, this doesn't work as easy. |
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boonie |
I also do my tarp lines, but I just fold them over until they're short enough and secure with a BDB - it's pretty quick. Like portagekeeper I also minimize loose items to deal with at portages. I double portage - one small pack and canoe and a larger pack. I take the canoe over the first trip most times now so I only lift it once. I take out the large pack for the second trip and set it off to the side, then the small pack and canoe and I'm off. I usually just eat lunch and snacks on the walk back across a portage for the final load. Interesting story about your friend, portagekeeper - I'll have to look into being more efficient with that stuff. |
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boonie |
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boonie |
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Exo |
http://www.nfb.ca/film/path_of_the_paddle_solo_basic/ Watch all the videos you want, but I need hands on instruction. |
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Exo |
quote eagle93: "I seem to be in the minority here, When I solo, I take my time. I am on MY schedule, no one else's. If I want a second, more likely, third cup of coffee, I have it. I will pack up the tent as the coffee is steeping, my bag is stuffed before I leave the tent, the tarp may already have been packed away the night before. But, these are things I do when with a group also. I take time as I paddle to explore interesting places and things. Not interested in covering 15+ miles a day. Naps are good. Perhaps this attitude comes from leading 30+ groups of high school students where every trip was scheduled and some groups had to be herded like cats. " Herding cats. Haha. I think the intent of this post was to find stuff to save time so we could expend that time elsewhere. Like that third cup of coffee as the fog rolls down the lake, or exploring that bay or inlet that looks interesting. |
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MagicPaddler |
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eagle93 |
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TomT |
quote boonie: Tom- You might want to review what I had to say about them in my trip report before you go." Thanks. I didn't get the Salmon but do have Beef Stew. And yes, they are packaged smaller than say Mountain House which I appreciate. But being in clear bags doesn't make me want to eat it. I'd rather not have to see freeze dried dinners but just eat them. :) I'll give a review on them with my report. |
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boonie |
I liked the Beef Stew (w/quinoa) and the Bacon Baked Beans. I've got some new ones to try this year too. I didn't mind the clear bags, but didn't like that they weren't zip lock or gusseted, but they did pack better. Have a good trip...and don't starve to death ;). |
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RAFA Ranger |
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hobbydog |
quote RAFA Ranger: "Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I have more hours in the day when I'm solo vs. canoeing with my family. Meals are simpler, clean-up is nothing, lunch is on the go. I wake up long before the rest of the family. Solo I can eat breakfast, pack-up and be well on the way to the next site before the entire family would even be out of the tents in the morning. I agree, it seems like there is a perception that soloing is more work. I find it much easier, most likely because everything is much simpler. |
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boonie |
quote TomT: "quote boonie: "Tom- I think you'll like the Hawk Vittles dinners - which ones did you get? The cozy is absolutely essential to keep it warm. I have an old cozy made of reflectix - it's bulkier, but really keeps them warm. That's another one of the reasons I prefer eating out of the bag - I can keep it warmer in the cozy vs. out on a plate. " Tom- You might want to review what I had to say about them in my trip report before you go. |
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TomT |
quote boonie: "Tom- I think you'll like the Hawk Vittles dinners - which ones did you get? The cozy is absolutely essential to keep it warm. I have an old cozy made of reflectix - it's bulkier, but really keeps them warm. That's another one of the reasons I prefer eating out of the bag - I can keep it warmer in the cozy vs. out on a plate. " I got about 6 dinners - Jambalaya, Bison stew,... Can't remember anymore. I also got two Breakfast casseroles. I know the hammock and circus guru "Shug" loves them so I thought I'd give 'em a try. They are in clear bags and look pretty gross. |
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jwartman59 |
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