Click to View the Full Thread

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: What's your longest BWCA or Q trip
 
Author Message Text
smoke11
08/10/2020 09:17AM
 
7 days for me would love to go longer.
 
IowaFishinGuy
08/12/2020 07:44AM
 
Six day solo, but I would love to go longer, ten or so days. My only issue now is that my fiancé came with me this year on a short two nighter and loved it, but I don’t think she’s ready for a long trip. So it may be a few years yet!
 
RT
08/11/2020 10:07AM
 
So far the longest trip my group and I have been on is 9-days... of a planned 11 that got cut short due to us being sick of the rain. It rained every day of the 9-days. Not all day long, but usually storms would roll in just after we got to our next camp site. We finally got sick of it and went into Grand Marais for our last 2-nights so we could at least eat food we didn't have to prepare. LOL


I have a sabbatical from work coming up next year and I have not yet decided it I want to do a 3-week solo trip in the BW or a long motorcycle ride in the Rockies.
 
TechnoScout
08/10/2020 09:35PM
 
Four trips out of Sommers Canoe Base: 9 days 8 nights (BSA)
Of all my trips, these were the longest
This Sep, I will break the record: 10 days and 9 nights.


Next year...hope to stay longer!!

 
andym
08/07/2020 07:45PM
 
10 or 11 days. I like at least 8 days. Shortest was 3 days because it was a first trip for very small children.
 
inspector13
08/11/2020 10:29AM
 

13 days. I was really missing the luxuries of life towards the end. You know, things like fresh meat, fresh vegetables, soda pop, and a bed.


 
Bumstead
08/07/2020 06:57PM
 
My longest stay in the BWCA was 5 nights, which was my first trip. Since then, I've taken annual trips that only last 3 or 4 nights. How many nights was your longest trip in BW or Q? Do you have plans to do an even longer one in the future?
 
halvorsonchristopher
08/07/2020 11:49PM
 
My longest trip?
Not long enough. haha
 
boonie
08/07/2020 09:44PM
 
Longest was 17 days, may do a longer one sometime. My first trips were short like yours. I'd drive there one weekend, in on Mon., out on Fri. drive home. I like 10-12 days better than 4-5 for sure.
 
marsonite
08/08/2020 01:12PM
 
My wife and I did 15 days in the Quetico summer before last. That's probably my last long trip. The food pack is just too stinking heavy at the start of those long trips.
 
bwcadan
08/07/2020 09:59PM
 
Most trips are 8 days and 7 nights. One was 10 days and 9 nights for the longest. A long drive from St. Louis basically reduces the odds of ever taking a shorter trip.
 
TrailZen
08/08/2020 07:52AM
 
14 days. Because a BWCA/Q visit requires two days drive time in each direction, we like longer trips, and in recent years have made a 10-day trip our standard. Had to cancel our Quetico visit this year, so are considering a longer trip next year.


TZ
 
HappyHuskies
08/08/2020 07:34AM
 
10 days, but most trips I take are from 2 to 5 days. I'm lucky to live close enough that I can work in several short, spur of the moment trips throughout the year.
 
yellowhorse
08/09/2020 06:30AM
 
6 nights. Not long enough.
 
Jaywalker
08/08/2020 06:19PM
 
I've done a number of 10 day trips, and 8 is probably average. I have twice planned 12 day trips but cut short due to bugs/weather. I have been scheming on doing a 14-21 day.
 
scotttimm
08/08/2020 02:34PM
 
Last year, with my son, brother and his son 16 days total. Other members met us at day 9 with a refresh of food. Amazing time. I know other folks on here have done 30+ - I hope when the kiddos go off to college my wife and I can sneak in some trips with that many days to kill, and I'm lucky to have a wife who WANTS to!
 
Blatz
08/08/2020 05:18PM
 
5 days, 100 miles 3 Rivers loop. Started and finished at Lake One
 
straighthairedcurly
08/08/2020 10:36PM
 
BWCA with a group: 12 days
BWCA solo: 8 days
Quetico with a group: 18 days
Farther north in Canada: 36 days
 
yellowhorse
08/09/2020 06:30AM
 
straighthairedcurly: "BWCA with a group: 12 days
BWCA solo: 8 days
Quetico with a group: 18 days
Farther north in Canada: 36 days"



Where for 36 days?
 
mgraber
08/08/2020 11:08PM
 
15 days, we usually do 10-14 days in Quetico, and often travel a lot. Food can get heavy, but if you are going that long and traveling, you can get plenty of food for 2 weeks for 2 people at well under to near 40#, which isn't too bad. You just have to stick to dry goods, dehydrated, or freeze dried. Eating fish regularly helps. I think that 3 weeks would still be very doable without a resupply. That is our plan for next year, guess we'll see. It takes at least 5 days to really settle in to the wilderness groove, after that, it gets a lot easier. If it doesn't, imo, you are doing something wrong. Plenty of people have done multi month trips, but long trips are all about planning, and living in a sustainable fashion.
 
Fearlessleader
08/09/2020 07:29AM
 
1998 15 days. In at Beaverhouse, out at Nym. Still ranks as our favorite trip.
 
lindylair
08/09/2020 06:49PM
 
Longest trip was out of Kawishiwi Lake to Malberg and beyond for 9 days...it was great. Most trips have been 5 to 6 days for many years. 5 days and 4 nights is the shortest ever due to time constraints.


My buddy and I are likely both retiring by next summer and have talked about a 10-14 day trip, I think there is a very good chance that happens. Balancing our preferred tripping style and the time available I would guess that it would be a hybrid basecamp/travel trip. Maybe two days travel in to get away from the crowds and then basecamp 2 nights and travel one, etc until we make our way out. This would allow plenty of time for exploring, fishing and photography which are the main reasons we go there - we kind of like the solitude and the scenery too:)


Too me the sweet spot so far is 6 days and 5 nights which is enough to get in the rhythm but not enough to get bored or homesick. In many cases longer would be better, don't get me wrong, but for many folks that have a "week" of vacation this is a good amount of time that leaves a solid half day at least of travel time on each end.
At that point I am willing to leave if that's what must be but are generally more than willing to stay another couple nights too.
As I am sure you will all agree, any time in the BWCA is better than no time.
 
Spartan2
08/10/2020 06:26AM
 
22 days in the BWCA. June-July of 1992. My favorite of all of our trips; didn't want it to end! Most trips were 6-12 days, and we had our last canoe trip in 2013.

The Long Trip