Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: First Solo
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straighthairedcurly |
Have fun. I will await your trip report as I hope to do this next summer. |
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boonie |
I can't tell you much about the Arrowhead and where you are going except that I've been to Alder and Pine, and most of the lakes seem to be long narrow west-to-east oriented lakes between tall hills that can become wind tunnels. I've done a lot of solo trips and like Blatz indicated, it's your trip to do whatever you want. People have different preferences and styles - base camp, travel a little, travel a lot, fish or don't fish, build fires and cook gourmet meals or eat freezer bag meals, etc. Main differences are that you carry everything and do everything. Be aware and careful. It's quieter. Have fun and enjoy the new experience. |
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SHen |
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Blatz |
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MikeinMpls |
pswith5: "Be aware of the wind on those east side lakes. Long narrow lakes with bluffs can get whipping. Especially for a solo boat. " I've soloed many times, to include that area. The east-west orientation of the lakes can be a mixed blessing if the wind is blowing and depending on what direction it is blowing. When I solo, I bring a book or two, and a puzzle book. I try to find a spot out of the sun and a bit breezy to minimize bugs. I also bring a small short-wave radio to keep up with the world. I try to fish during the day. I highly recommend bringing a tarp. If you are rain-bound, the tarp will keep you out of your tent. I have a solo tent that I can barely sit up in... there is no way I could spend a day in it. A tarp allows me to go outside to cook, eat, read, even nap. Especially when I solo I like to keep my campsite footprint small. In this, everything not in my tent is under the tarp. This minimizes the chance of me losing stuff. Though don't be over-cautious, don't take chances, either. It is my experience that most accidents don't occur when we're doing something foolish (though that certainly increases the odds), but rather when we're doing something we've done hundreds of times before. A good example is getting into the canoe. We've all done it thousands of times, but it's a completely different maneuver getting in a solo boat than a tandem. Rocks get slippery after it rains, tree roots seem higher when we're tired, making them a tripping hazard. I could go on and on. Good luck. Mike |
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pswith5 |
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