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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Lessons learned
 
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Podunk
10/07/2020 04:36PM
 
Approach the stream with caution
 
rtallent
10/07/2020 05:58PM
 
jillpine: "Paddle when you can, while you can.
Your dog isn't smiling. She's grimacing, with nausea, in the tent.
Don't bring "flavored coffee" as a "treat". You'll hate it by day 3.
Don't be a boss. Let new people do stuff "wrong" because you might just learn something new.
All lessons learned.



"

Smiling dog in tent.... not good.
 
wxce1260
10/07/2020 07:16PM
 
Never ever ever think that beautiful , calm, windless morning on Brule means you can take a tandem out for a solo daytrip. Lesson learned.
 
bobbernumber3
10/09/2020 11:12AM
 
jillpine: "
Don't bring "flavored coffee" as a "treat". You'll hate it by day 3.
"



Same with flavored whiskey!
 
LarrySw45
09/26/2020 09:59AM
 
Find the trail to the thunderBox BEFORE it gets dark! Any others of significant importance ?

Larry
 
Northwoodsman
09/26/2020 12:02PM
 
And also before the need arises to use it immediately if not sooner.
 
Rockriver
09/26/2020 02:29PM
 
Immediately waterproof camp. Don’t just thro everything on shore and go fish, or you can watch it all getting soaked while paddling like mad from other side of lake. Every time you get in the canoe, make sure camped is buttoned down or in the canoe with you.
 
martian
09/26/2020 05:10PM
 
When wet footing, make sure to maintain proper footing once you've
shouldered your canoe. Falling while stepping onto dry land can and is a
real downer. Slippery feet/poor footing = bad.
Yes, I feel fortunate not to have blown my knee out but I did save the canoe.
 
Cricket67
09/30/2020 11:45AM
 
Before changing to your dry camping shoes, make sure you are done getting water or any other activity where you will be stepping into the water.
 
Cricket67
09/30/2020 11:50AM
 
If possible, spend one night sleeping with whatever sleeping pad, sleeping bag, hammock system you plan to use on your trip. Finding out the first night that your pad has a leak or the zipper on your bag is stuck is no fun.
 
djwillco
09/28/2020 03:32PM
 
Always get visual confirmation that the canoe behind you in your group sees/finds the portage. Lesson learned. The hard way. Twice. :-)
 
HighnDry
10/11/2020 03:23PM
 
nctry: "LarrySw45: "Find the trail to the ThunderBox BEFORE it gets dark !
Any others of significant importance ?
Larry"








My experience is, just get done with business before it gets dark. Haha. Yes, there is a story. I’ll let you find it."



Hahaha :) I know that story Ben but I'm not giving you up :). My lesson learned is to start stretching or yoga if you have to over the winter so that you don't fall out of your canoe at the first portage!
 
GopherAdventure
10/07/2020 10:18AM
 
About the only time a tailwind sucks is the morning after your chili dinner.


Tony
 
Spartan2
09/28/2020 04:45PM
 
Don't assume that any little tiny blue line on the map is a navigable stream and could be a way to avoid a portage. Lesson learned.
 
tarnkt
09/28/2020 10:34PM
 
jwartman59: "Don’t drink your weeks supply of scotch on your first night! Lesson learned,"


This is a tough one. After my first trip I have never left the woods without extra booze and cigars. They don’t expire once you get home and are well worth the weight.

 
IndyElden
09/29/2020 12:07AM
 
Don't casually dock your canoe on shore even if you think you will only be there a few minutes, especially if you are by yourself.

 
shock
10/07/2020 09:14AM
 
Use extreme caution when towing or side by side with 2 canoes ,or just canoeing on a larger lake.... might start off good but conditions in the BW can change very fast.
one time coming out of knife , at the rog to seagull portage , i told my crew we better get going right away , and they all asked , why ? i said " it's piss calm right now and i've only seen this lake like this once before" by the time we got to the landing we were dealing with 3' whitecaps.
another trip , me and my son went down in 7 day ice out water. my chest was purple after about 120 seconds in that water , i made a grievous error , but we had another canoe that retrieved everything as we built a fire and changed cloths.
that was a long day ;)
never panic and keep a clam head ;)
 
4keys
09/28/2020 08:15PM
 
If your dog sleeps in the tent with you, don't let her swim in the evening.


If you've never given your dog people food, don't start giving her people treats while in the BW. ( Now she thinks she needs extras on her dinner before she'll eat it. Thankfully she's happy with just a single bite).



 
4keys
09/28/2020 08:24PM
 
Stay hydrated during the day, but stop drinking several hours before bed. The skeeters don't care why you're out of the tent. They're just happy you are.

 
bobbernumber3
09/28/2020 08:35PM
 
consider the risk before bringing your dog on a bwca trip
 
RunningFox
09/28/2020 11:06PM
 
Protect your feet. Never go into Tanner lake barefoot.
 
Abbey
10/03/2020 10:12PM
 
Always, always tie the canoe(s) to something solid, even if there no wind at the moment.
 
outsidethebox
10/11/2020 09:29PM
 
IndyElden: "Don't casually dock your canoe on shore even if you think you will only be there a few minutes, especially if you are by yourself.
"
Oh dear! Us too. That sinking feeling of seeing that canoe floating a hundred yards out into the lake :(
 
tumblehome
10/12/2020 11:11AM
 
Lesson learned:


Agitated water from strong winds at below freezing can remain a liquid.
At night when you are sleeping and the wind lets up, the lake will freeze over.


Tom
 
cowdoc
10/12/2020 10:41AM
 
NO fuel bottle in the blue barrel with the food. Small gasket leak and it permeated through zip locks and foil wrappers to taint a pile of provisions. Almost ruined a trip. Had to do some big time inventory rearranging and rationing but we made it work. Never again.....
 
Nigal
09/27/2020 10:39AM
 
If you don’t leave your wallet in the car don’t put it in your life vest pocket the morning you paddle out and just leave it in your pack. Lesson learned!
 
bwcadan
09/26/2020 08:52PM
 
Make it a point to find and set up camp before dark. Prefer before dusk. Depending on your meal selections, you may have to eat a lunch instead of the planned dinner.
 
martoonie
09/26/2020 09:19PM
 
Put some flagging ribbon on the tree near where the the bear vault is stashed. All those trees look about the same in the morning.
 
jwartman59
09/27/2020 02:31PM
 
Don’t drink your weeks supply of scotch on your first night! Lesson learned,
 
prettypaddle
09/27/2020 08:19AM
 
Don't let the smallest person pack the food for the whole group.


Next year don't let the biggest person pack the food for the whole group.
 
Michwall2
09/30/2020 03:05PM
 
Test the water filtration before you leave. (Make sure the pump works.)
 
Heyfritty
09/29/2020 10:25PM
 
“Because it’s a glorious morning” is not a good reason for your friend to start drinking while preparing breakfast when everyone is still sleeping.


Fritty
 
Cricket67
09/30/2020 11:47AM
 
When looking for an unfamiliar portage on the other side of a lake. Aim a couple hundred yards (or more) upwind from where you think it is. When you get close to land, drift along the shore with the wind until you find it. The avoids a situation of getting the shore and not knowing whether to look right or left if it is not right in front of you.
 
fishonfishoff
09/30/2020 01:31PM
 
Cricket67: "If possible, spend one night sleeping with whatever sleeping pad, sleeping bag, hammock system you plan to use on your trip. Finding out the first night that your pad has a leak or the zipper on your bag is stuck is no fun. "


Or finding out mice had fun with your Thermarest! Lesson learned (by tripmate)


FOFO
 
rtallent
09/30/2020 12:46PM
 
Cricket67: "Before changing to your dry camping shoes, make sure you are done getting water or any other activity where you will be stepping into the water. "
Yep, Dipping the gravity filter bag is one of the first set-up activities.
 
WindChill
09/30/2020 06:17PM
 
Kevlar canoes without a keel are a dream to carry and a b**ch to paddle in the wind.

 
nctry
09/30/2020 10:51PM
 
Craziest question I hear is how much fuel, how much food blah blah blah... we’re going in next week. As we go into winter spend some time in the food threads. Play around with recipes you might like for starters. Once there play around with amounts, ways to prepare and how much fuel it takes. By spring have your menus not only perfected but packed and ready to go. Then all you’ll have left to ask is innie or outie.
 
nctry
09/30/2020 10:57PM
 
LarrySw45: "Find the trail to the ThunderBox BEFORE it gets dark !
Any others of significant importance ?
Larry"







My experience is, just get done with business before it gets dark. Haha. Yes, there is a story. I’ll let you find it.
 
Captn Tony
10/12/2020 10:12AM
 
Don’t use a pine twig to settle grounds in boiled coffee!
 
jillpine
10/07/2020 11:30AM
 
Paddle when you can, while you can.
Your dog isn't smiling. She's grimacing, with nausea, in the tent.
Don't bring "flavored coffee" as a "treat". You'll hate it by day 3.
Don't be a boss. Let new people do stuff "wrong" because you might just learn something new.
All lessons learned.



 
LarrySw45
10/07/2020 09:57AM
 
"never panic and keep a clam head ;)"


Yep....It always pays to keep a Clam Head. :>)


Larry
 
trailcherry
10/13/2020 08:55AM
 
Minimize the number of things you carry on a portage, put everything you can in a pack. Make sure ALL packs are in the canoe before leaving the portage!