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Author	Message Text
aruthenb	07/03/2018 01:34PM   We got this one for our trip earlier this month. I charged it before we left and it lasted all week but also has the crank feature if needed. Got great reception and also has AM/FM and light feature. Weather Radio from Amazon
Mad_Angler	07/03/2018 02:43PM   I also take small walkie-talkies. They all have a weather radio these days. I consider it a required piece of equipment. I check it a few times a day. We usually basecamp or move every other day. We use the forecast to help plan the activities for the next day or two. It is also great to know a real storm is coming. But getting the weather radio feature can be a little tricky. Practice at home to figure it out.
Thwarted	07/05/2018 09:14PM   Kevlar, nylon, silnylon, bug netting, butane stoves, walkie talkies with nws, depth finders... Absolutely, for sure.
wolfpack21	07/06/2018 09:45AM   Thanks for this post. Wow what an experience. I was in a similar situation years ago in the Q (Walter Lake maybe?). The weather was slightly windy and mixed all week and we let our guard down. No weather radio. Strong wind hit our camp, took the canoe and scattered our items across the lake. I too am an Eagle Scout with lots of camping and canoe trip experience, but we were completely unprepared for that storm and we learned an important lesson that day. We were lucky to retrieve the canoe as were you, and the bright star of this story is that I found my fully loaded tackle box stuck in a downed tree on the far side of the lake later in the week. What a relief! Lose my map, lose my tarps, but God forbid I lose my tackle box. These are good stories for everybody to hear.
ParkerMag	06/13/2018 07:41AM   Based on our Q trip last week, I knew there'd been a significant wind event within the past couple weeks given all the newly-downed trees on most portages. Appears you got to live it! Glad it ended okay for you all. I'm a believer in the wx radio as well.
Savage Voyageur	06/13/2018 07:35AM   Your story reminds us to be prepared at all times. I also take a weather radio and tune in to the best station when we get to camp. My Motorola radio has a weather alert on it so it turns on when there is bad weather coming. Only one time has it came on, had some high winds. It uses more of the power in weather alert mode, but I bring more batteries. The other side of the coin was a few years ago on Pine Lake. I turned on the weather channel and they said rain was in the forecast. The group voted and we ended up leaving a day early. A storm is one thing, but rain is no big deal to me. This is why I will never announce the weather to the group again. I learned my lesson.
BobDobbs	06/13/2018 08:00AM   It still amazes me the number of people I talk to who think a pistol is a necessary piece of safety equipment, but would never even think to bring a 6oz radio. We make a habit of listening each nite while we are planning the next day's route. Knowing what direction the wind is going to be coming from as well as the speed are invaluable to us for planning.
jacobf	06/13/2018 08:49AM   I had the pleasure of being in the same storm on Basswood lake. We only had 20 minutes of advance warning after someone in our party happened to check the weather on his phone while taking pictures. It convinced me to bring a weather radio from now on too.
ozarkpaddler	06/13/2018 09:27AM   You know, I've always been a "No electronics" kind of guy, even though my buddy and I had a near miss with a tornado on the Gunflint Trail one September. But you know, it's not like I only bring flint and steel to make a fire.....bring a high tech stove.....and paddle space-aged canoes. You've convinced me that I will purchase one for my next trip. Heck, I can no longer keep that "No electronics" rule anyway since I have a PACEMAKER in me now (LOL)!
UncleBuck	06/13/2018 09:30AM   I also take a little weather radio when I go but I have a question... I can understand a satellite weather forecast for one's coordinates, but the BWCA is a big place and the weather stations are few and far between. Other than the usual "Spotty showers", how is one supposed to get an accurate forecast being miles away from the weather station? Thoughts?
treehorn	06/13/2018 09:56AM   UncleBuck: " I also take a little weather radio when I go but I have a question... I can understand a satellite weather forecast for one's coordinates, but the BWCA is a big place and the weather stations are few and far between. Other than the usual "Spotty showers", how is one supposed to get an accurate forecast being miles away from the weather station? Thoughts?" I kind of have the same question. I also question if I would be smart enough to even bother to use it...probably going by the ol' 'look out into the horizon' method I've always used (to no success whatsoever). If we're relaxing by the campfire, I just know my instinct will be "seems pleasant enough, we'll just go with it" rather than pulling out an electronic device and fiddling with it trying to decipher a weather report being read by a robot. Anyway...this is why I'm not a model camper...
mirth	06/13/2018 10:07AM   It helps to know the surrounding area.... At minimum, you should be able to know what county you're in. I will admit to being able to maybe guess the county I am in while there, although I suppose it's not to hard to remember that St. Louis is basically the Echo Trail and West. Directly East of Ely is Lake County, and East of a N/S line starting from Swamp Lake / Western edge of Saganaga is Cook County. For the most part if you know where you are relative to Ely then you can use the forecast to determine if what they're talking about is relevant to you.
WhiteWolf	06/13/2018 10:50AM   UncleBuck: " I also take a little weather radio when I go but I have a question... I can understand a satellite weather forecast for one's coordinates, but the BWCA is a big place and the weather stations are few and far between. Other than the usual "Spotty showers", how is one supposed to get an accurate forecast being miles away from the weather station? Thoughts?" Good question. First off- the weather reporting stations near the BWCA our-- Ely Airport, Crane Lake Sea Plane Base and Cook County Airport just N of Devil Track lake and Grand Marais. Weather radio forecast are not designed to be as specific as this point and click for NE Insula Lake by the NWS , but are issued by the same NWS. They obviously cover a larger area - and must- do to the limited amount of towers that broadcast the signal. This signal also doesn't travel as far in the BW because of the rugged landscape. The forecast for widespread rain are usually pretty accurate - but for pop up summer time Thunderstorms it's going to be hit or miss for your location. Keep tabs on the current conditions at the above airports which are updated every hour and repeated every 3-5 minutes. During svr weather- the NWS will say location of the storm and movement/speed and areas to be effected but often times that is over done. They sometimes do this for lesser events also. To bluntly answer your question - you can't. It's just a general forecast for basically half the BWCAW, but it's better then nothing especially in severe weather.
Minnesotian	06/13/2018 11:57AM   Yep, that is the primary reason why I bring a weather radio, to know what the winds are going to be like.
yellowcanoe	06/13/2018 12:32PM   And I don't.. We had a similar storm in the BWCA in 1973. Weather radios were not around then that were practical for canoe camping. I still camp and canoe where there is no WX coverage. To each his own.. I do know how to read the sky and do understand that sometimes squalls give you minutes to prepare. Ergo we always assume one will hit. The 1973 one gave us three minutes. Later that summer in the Adirondacks we had a derecho.. due to tree cover it wasn't even visible till it arrived. That was scary.. in the woods with trees and snapped tops crashing down. Those summer storms don't always show up in weather radio alerts at home. We are in the mountains and pop up storms do happen.. One end of our lake is dry and two miles away the other end is hammered. Yah if you have a little WX radio take it, but I don't consider it a must.
Doubledown (as guest)	06/13/2018 01:11PM   I had heard mixed reports about the accuracy of NOAA with respect to any given lake you may be on. That night when we tuned in, NOAA was giving specific bwca lakes (basswood, fall, etc) and storm direction. They also told any travelers of the bwca to get off the water and take shelter. As you can see in my initial post, I wasn’t working with the most high tech radio ever (less than $100 brand new). The reception was sufficient and the report accurate enough for us to know what we needed to do and when.
WhiteWolf	06/13/2018 02:01PM   FYI- these weather radio forecasts are normally updated twice daily- once around 5AM and once around 4-5pm. A lot can change in that 12 hour window but most times with very active/changing weather the updates will be every 6 hours and with svr weather much less or as needed. But being the BWCAW is not exactly super populated , it receives less "work and time" by the forecasters compared to a the same event rumbling through a major Metro area. So Basswood lake may be mentioned , but your smaller lakes will not. AS previously mentioned- it pays to know your geography up there and where you are compared to other lakes when storms are moving 60 mph on hour on the weather radio....
jcavenagh	06/21/2018 04:59PM   ozarkpaddler: "You know, I've always been a "No electronics" kind of guy, even though my buddy and I had a near miss with a tornado on the Gunflint Trail one September. But you know, it's not like I only bring flint and steel to make a fire.....bring a high tech stove.....and paddle space-aged canoes. You've convinced me that I will purchase one for my next trip. Heck, I can no longer keep that "No electronics" rule anyway since I have a PACEMAKER in me now (LOL)!" Sorry, OZ, you stay in the truck from now on with the watches and cell phones!! ;-o
Double down	06/13/2018 03:46PM   Whitewolf- I’m happy to report that my experience with the timeliness of updates exceeded my expectation. When we tuned in at 7 pm, the NOAA report was 100% storm related and said to expect the front near fall lake around 730 pm. 730 came without the front and the report changed with a new eta of 815. That one wound up being accurat
WhiteWolf	06/13/2018 04:11PM   They try (on weather radio) to do their best. They understand it's over a large area. NOAA/NWS gets blasted for many things-- but for trying to warn "life and property" with impending events, they do their best of any "app" I know off and is the best. "Life and property" is actually in their motto. You simply will not get the play by play from any other weather source as up to date as NOAA/NWS-- and legally others can not, though others try to mimic it. Including some hot shots on TV. The NWS calls the shots and they do pretty damn good with svr weather. Long range-- not so good. But that is for another post. NWS/NOAA in SVR weather is the best you have available.
BAWaters	07/26/2018 02:08PM   GraniteCliffs: "I still use Duluth packs. No water filter. Cook kit from the 70’s. No phone or GPS. No compass. I started carrying a Midland weather radio on solo trips 7-8 years ago and now take it on group trips. I listen to hear the wind forecasts and then use the info to alter my route if need be. " Yep, my weather radio has been very helpful for determining route alterations as well, especially when larger lakes are involved.
tumblehome	06/15/2018 01:29PM   Regarding the original post. That sounds like a scary situation. I'm probably in the minority- but I like not knowing the weather in advance when in the bush. I intimately get into my groove with the weather and enjoy observing the conditions and seeing how the weather changes and tells me what's coming based on the cloud type and wind direction. Anyway, After more than 60 trips I still won't carry a weather radio. And like Yellowcanoe, I often go places where there is no coverage anyway. Maybe I'm playing with fire but probably not. The wilderness to me is a place to receive what it gives me and I understand those risks. Tom
Lotw	06/16/2018 07:57AM   Lots of big trees down likely from that storm in the q . Had I known about the storm that came through Friday morning I definitely would have prepared better for it. It was not any fun.
OldFingers57	06/16/2018 10:03AM   Besides having the weather radio we also at each campsite look for places to go if we do have a storm come up. That way we don't have to wait till the last minute to look for a shelter in a storm.
cyclones30	06/12/2018 10:29PM   We take a pair of 2 way radios for the sole purpose of listening to the weather band. It took me an hour of pushing buttons and options until I figured them out again on how to get switched to weather and be able to scan those channels. Once I did, both my wife and I felt much better about the whole trip. Knowing the forecast, wind direction, rain chances, etc. We never go to the BW without them.
doubledown	06/12/2018 09:06PM   I got back from a week long trip last Friday. It was my 8th bwca trip. On Tuesday (day after Memorial Day) we were finishing up dinner around 7 pm and decided to throw on the weather radio (see picture). It was about 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. The weather report was a storm with 55+ mph winds headed our way within the 1/2 hour. We immediately started running around to button down camp. We found a “bunker” between some big rock formations and put our gear inside and waiting and watched the storm make its way toward us from the south. All of the sudden, a 55+ mph wall of hate descended onto us. Within 20 seconds trees were snapping left and right. If we hadn’t been in the bunker, there is a very good chance we could have been crushed but a fallen tree. About 2 minutes into it our canoe (tied up poorly with 550 cord) took flight. It crashed down on the rock before taking flight again, snapping the 550 cord like 2 lb test, and flying 50 ft in the air before landing in the lake (with current). The storm was still raging and all the trees around us hadn’t crashed down so we were forced to stay in the bunker and let the canoe go...major bummer when you’re 1 1/2 day paddle in from any portage. The storm slowed after about a half hour and we emerged unharmed and still fully outfitted, save the canoe. It was about 9 pm at that point and with some dry wood under the vestibule of our standing tent, we figured it made the most sense to built a fire and celebrate being alive (albeit without a boat) with a bunch of whiskey. We woke up the next morning hungover and realizing we had to figure out how we were going to get out. I went to use the John and when I came back, my buddy told me to come check something out down the shore. Luckily the tie-off rope on the front of the canoe had a carabiner at the end and it got wedged in some rocks underwater and anchored about 400 yards ‘downstream ‘ from our camp. It was our freaking canoe! All in all, it was a great experience and I feel like I’d be jerk if I didn’t share the story and tell you that weather radio became the most valuable piece of gear we brought. I don’t want to think about the outcome of not having that 30 minute head start. They are cheap and easy to use. Last piece of advice especially for Kevlar canoes...if you see a storm coming, use every foot of rope you’ve got to tie that boat down. I’m an Eagle Scout with over 20 years canoeing experience and I fell short of being prepared for that storm that day. It was as close to a miracle as I’ve ever experienced seeing that canoe the next morning. That’s all I’ve got. Have a great season packed with full stringers!
andym	06/12/2018 10:05PM   You make a good case for the weather radio. That may have been the same storm that downed some trees near our cabin. Our place was spared but one of our neighbors had one land on their roof. Still, far scarier to be out BW during that sort of storm.
rono cluck	07/02/2018 10:54PM   My group had just set up camp on the Kawishiwi River site 1129 when that storm came through. Our canoe was sent upstream in the wind with a few others from sites to our south. It will be my last trip without a weather radio. We would have still been on the water had this site been occupied. here are some great shots of the storm. (photo credits to James Perala-Dewey) https://www.instagram.com/p/BjbAo46h_kO/ youtuber nibi_mocs was still on the water when the storm hit and I know he carries a radio....a reminder that having it with you is just the first step. doubledown: "I got back from a week long trip last Friday. It was my 8th bwca trip. On Tuesday (day after Memorial Day) we were finishing up dinner around 7 pm and decided to throw on the weather radio (see picture). It was about 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. The weather report was a storm with 55+ mph winds headed our way within the 1/2 hour. We immediately started running around to button down camp. We found a “bunker” between some big rock formations and put our gear inside and waiting and watched the storm make its way toward us from the south. All of the sudden, a 55+ mph wall of hate descended onto us. Within 20 seconds trees were snapping left and right. If we hadn’t been in the bunker, there is a very good chance we could have been crushed but a fallen tree. About 2 minutes into it our canoe (tied up poorly with 550 cord) took flight. It crashed down on the rock before taking flight again, snapping the 550 cord like 2 lb test, and flying 50 ft in the air before landing in the lake (with current). The storm was still raging and all the trees around us hadn’t crashed down so we were forced to stay in the bunker and let the canoe go...major bummer when you’re 1 1/2 day paddle in from any portage. The storm slowed after about a half hour and we emerged unharmed and still fully outfitted, save the canoe. It was about 9 pm at that point and with some dry wood under the vestibule of our standing tent, we figured it made the most sense to built a fire and celebrate being alive (albeit without a boat) with a bunch of whiskey. We woke up the next morning hungover and realizing we had to figure out how we were going to get out. I went to use the John and when I came back, my buddy told me to come check something out down the shore. Luckily the tie-off rope on the front of the canoe had a carabiner at the end and it got wedged in some rocks underwater and anchored about 400 yards ‘downstream ‘ from our camp. It was our freaking canoe! All in all, it was a great experience and I feel like I’d be jerk if I didn’t share the story and tell you that weather radio became the most valuable piece of gear we brought. I don’t want to think about the outcome of not having that 30 minute head start. They are cheap and easy to use. Last piece of advice especially for Kevlar canoes...if you see a storm coming, use every foot of rope you’ve got to tie that boat down. I’m an Eagle Scout with over 20 years canoeing experience and I fell short of being prepared for that storm that day. It was as close to a miracle as I’ve ever experienced seeing that canoe the next morning. That’s all I’ve got. Have a great season packed with full stringers! "
pswith5	06/14/2018 08:52AM   Thanks for sharing. I will have to remember to turn the twins game off and check the weather now and then.
GraniteCliffs	07/06/2018 09:12PM   I still use Duluth packs. No water filter. Cook kit from the 70’s. No phone or GPS. No compass. I started carrying a Midland weather radio on solo trips 7-8 years ago and now take it on group trips. I listen to hear the wind forecasts and then use the info to alter my route if need be.
HowardSprague	07/06/2018 10:21PM   wow. I've never really even thought about it, but you sure make a great case for having one.
Canoearoo	06/14/2018 09:30AM   yes I have a weather radio and I listen to it to much lol. Once an hour they do a text discussion, this is the one that is most accurate. The rest says rain rain rain and then it never rains. But with warning it is very good
BuckFlicks	06/14/2018 01:28PM   Sort of unrelated but sort of related... I see people talking about using their phones and whatnot in the BWCA now... has cell coverage improved in the last few years? Seems like we always lost coverage, even while still in Tofte. Once we got a couple miles off the highway, there was nothing.
Grizzlyman	06/14/2018 02:10PM   Dpost
sylvesterii	06/14/2018 01:58PM   BuckFlicks: "Sort of unrelated but sort of related... I see people talking about using their phones and whatnot in the BWCA now... has cell coverage improved in the last few years? Seems like we always lost coverage, even while still in Tofte. Once we got a couple miles off the highway, there was nothing." no, not really. you may get a weak signal standing on top of a hill here and there, but definitely not something on which you could rely.
Grizzlyman	06/14/2018 02:10PM   sylvesterii: "BuckFlicks: "Sort of unrelated but sort of related... I see people talking about using their phones and whatnot in the BWCA now... has cell coverage improved in the last few years? Seems like we always lost coverage, even while still in Tofte. Once we got a couple miles off the highway, there was nothing." no, not really. you may get a weak signal standing on top of a hill here and there, but definitely not something on which you could rely." Incredible story. I’m going on amazon right now...
Canoearoo	06/14/2018 06:58PM   Lake one and the triangle we get cell coverage. We made a rule to only use it for weather/radar
andym	06/14/2018 07:17PM   pswith5: "Thanks for sharing. I will have to remember to turn the twins game off and check the weather now and then." That's one reason I think I will buy the Midland weather radio only. I'd prefer there was no temptation for anyone in the group to listen to anything but a warning.
Savage Voyageur	06/14/2018 09:13PM   I hope people are listening to one tonight, sounds like a storm is coming.
jhb8426	06/14/2018 09:55PM   BuckFlicks: "Seems like we always lost coverage, even while still in Tofte." I usually loose signal a bit before Tofte, and pick one up again near Grand Marais. It's spotty all the way up 61 from around Beaver Bay. I have t-mobile.
maxxbhp	06/20/2018 07:59PM   I didn't read the whole thread, this may be repetitive but it's just a suggestion. I always take a weather radio, listen to it several times a day and absolutely just before bed time, but I don't use the alarm feature. That may haunt me some day, but I'm not gonna get blasted out of the tent again at 2 AM because there's a gale warning on Lake Superior. That's just me.
cowdoc	06/20/2018 10:05PM   I didn't take it once. Printed off the 10 day forecast right before I left....looked good. Our last day on Gaskin was hot and sultry. Breeze kicked up as we hit the tents. Big storm hit about midnight....the big one of July, 2014....the one that hurt all those people on LaCroix and Lady Boot. It was a beast. I had camp all tied down as I do every night and our tents were in good spots. We had two medium trees down in the fire pit area, but all else was good. Lots of down trees to cross portaging out the next day. Lesson learned....always take the radio,....but moreso, prepare your camp every night like a storm might hit.
Tman	06/22/2018 09:28AM   tumblehome: "Regarding the original post. That sounds like a scary situation. I'm probably in the minority- but I like not knowing the weather in advance when in the bush. I intimately get into my groove with the weather and enjoy observing the conditions and seeing how the weather changes and tells me what's coming based on the cloud type and wind direction. Anyway, After more than 60 trips I still won't carry a weather radio. And like Yellowcanoe, I often go places where there is no coverage anyway. Maybe I'm playing with fire but probably not. The wilderness to me is a place to receive what it gives me and I understand those risks. Tom" I agree. It is part of the experience for me to get in tune with the environment. When choosing/setting up camp I always assume a storm will hit and set up accordingly. Canoes are always well tied up, safe places identified, etc. No judgement if you take a weather radio. To each his own. Enjoy your trek, and be safe!
doubledown	06/23/2018 12:12PM   Much respect to the purests...I wish I was as barometrically in tune. Lightning Rod Reg would be proud!
babaoriley7	07/05/2018 10:24AM   Random thought about the canoe - would it have made sense to flood the canoe in a case like this? I'm really not certain one way or another, but wanted to throw that idea out there for discussion.
BuckFlicks	07/05/2018 01:27PM   doubledown: "Much respect to the purests...I wish I was as barometrically in tune. Lightning Rod Reg would be proud! " Ha! The Great Outdoors.... underrated movie, I feel. Bear! Big bear! Big bear chase!!
yellowcanoe	07/05/2018 02:33PM   Its not purist. Long ago in canoe instruction ( and most old timers did take it) there was homework on reading the sky. To this day I pay no attention to the weather on the media. It's an evolution with better communication comes less self reliance perhaps.
ThreeRivers	07/06/2018 04:13PM   While nothing will ever update someone like an device warning of an impending weather event which mother nature can and will change in a moment, I never have taken a radio or device, and I only solo (so far) and maybe that is not always the best decision, of course my wife agrees. Knowing to read natures signs can be very helpful too. There is a good book out called "The Lost Art of Finding Our Way" by John Huth that goes into how before GPS, detailed maps, and devices how people got around and learned to read signs that most these days have no clue about anymore. I don't take a phone, radio, or anything but a map and compass with me and have yet to go the same route in the BWCA twice, but I do plan it out months in advance and let folks know my plans. I guess I may be an oldish crusty traditionalist... whatever that means!