May 2021 BWCA Trip Report - Random Conclusions

After taking a few days to consider the ins and outs of the recent canoe trip, I wanted to jot down a few notes for posterity to review before attempting the next adventure, and if anyone out there finds some of the information useful, even better.  As with so many prior outings, "You packed to much stuff...again!" stands out as the primary impression that immediately comes to mind.  Though lacking some of the truly outrageous failures of the past, there were a number of minor mistakes related more to inattentive bag stuffing rather than actual idiocy.  For example, I needed about 100 feet of paracord to properly set up housekeeping, and "somehow" ALL of the paracord currently on hand wound up in the bottom of one of the packs - like...enough to make a good sized salmon net...to stretch across a river.  Also, though I hauled in minnows and a small bait bucket for fishing, the nice ultralight live bait container for which no need existed also found its way to the bottom of that bag along with a superfluous sack of extra titanium tent stakes.  Titanium has a lower weight per volume than most metals to be sure, but looking into a bag first thing in the morning and asking, "WHY do I have this useless item?" makes for a poor start to the day.  Transporting unnecessary metal objects also brought to mind the occasion that some pranksters sneaked a concrete patio block onto the sled of a friend joining us for his first ever winter camping trip for him to discover while unpacking at the end of an arduous, slush-filled slog to a primitive campsite on a remote lake.  "Hilarious."  A full run-down would be pages long and tediously boring, but here's a quick evaluation of just a few specific outstanding pieces of kit:

Thumbs Up:

The Jet Boil - Though still a big fan of OG Coleman gas appliances and the proud owner of a double burner "green suitcase" stove, a single burner backpacking stove, a couple gas lanterns, and all manner of white gas appropriate containers for camping, I picked up a standard Jet Boil unit this spring and will likely never look back.  The thing weighs like 12 ounces WITH one fuel canister, and that tiny 100 gram tank had at least 2 boils left in it after making breakfast and dinner for 4.5 days.  Considering the proliferation of choices of seriously delicious freeze dried entrees from outfits like Mountain House and so many others, I can't imagine ever lugging frozen steaks and actual potatoes (lol!) over a portage ever again.  If the first step in making breakfast was setting water to boil, by the time I discovered a spoon and emptied 3 pouches of oatmeal in the bowl, the water would almost be ready, and the next portion of water for coffee would boil well before the oatmeal had  cooled enough to eat.  Other than the bowl and spoon, there were no dishes to be done, and Rosie knows her way around a "pre-rinse" cycle where camp cookware is concerned.  Though obviously not a workable option for feeding larger groups, on a solo trip, it's truly the correct answer.

Bending Branches - More than 15 years ago, I picked up a Bending Branches Special and used that paddle exclusively on every single canoe outing since from April to November year after year.  Though it still appears to be in perfect condition, a minor concern about its age and the sheer amount of use warranted the acquisition of a new paddle.  Due to slightly depleted inventory and the lack of a BB Special of preferred length, I instead chose a Catalyst 11, and the fact that it's laminated together at the factory from scraps of wood left over from the construction of other paddles really struck a chord.  Going to the local fleet supply store to drop twenty bucks apiece on one or two cheap feather paddles that would inevitably break before fall used to be an annual rite of spring, and the realization that a person can get a durable, high-end paddle made by hand in the USA for what averages out to maybe $10 per year has been a game changer.

Katadyn Hiker Microfilter - The water filter bumping around the bottom of my pack for more than 15 years came from Campmor with the use of a holiday gift card and was at that time manufactured by the PUR company.  The PUR Hiker was so effective and popular that the model lives on today remarkably unchanged.  "If it ain't broke..."  Though new cartridges are a bit on the expensive side, I've found that with proper use and care, it's possible to get by with only one replacement per season.  When you're out in the elements all day and needing more water than usual, the importance of the ability to pump two or more gallons of clean, potable water in just a couple minutes cannot be understated.  Again, this may not be the answer to providing a large group with drinking water, but in a solo situation or even with two or three people on board, this extremely simple and reliable water filter does the job perfectly. 

Some other great items that kicked butt as expected were the Helinox Chair Zero with soft ground attachment (you could SLEEP in that thing), the spine-saving Big Agnes Q-core Deluxe (I'll never go to bed on the ground without it), The Humminbird Piranha portable depth finder, and the rented Wenonah Prism canoe.  With me, the dog, and 130ish pounds of gear, my average laid-back "all day" paddling cadence in a slight headwind produced an average speed of 3.5 mph which is just astounding.  It takes a bit to get used to, but it's an extremely efficient and well engineered little boat.    

On the Fence / Not So Sure:

Crocs - Having once half-jokingly made the statement "Kindhearted people don't wear camouflage clothing in public," I feel the same way about these weirdo plastic gardening shoes, BUT...for me they've stood out for years as a reasonable choice of footwear for warm weather canoeing and kayaking.  Lightweight, packable, durable, fairly comfortable, and quick to dry, Crocs possess most of the qualities of desirable camping gear.  Though I've done it in the past with no problems, after spending the better part of five days stomping around in a pair on that recent canoe trip, I returned home with the second and third toes on BOTH feet painfully beat up and raw, and it took days for them to properly heal.  Had this been a longer outing, the choice of Crocs as primary "around camp" footwear would have been a mistake.  Some online research upon returning home revealed a number of possibly better options, and after my lovely Mrs. delivered a pair of Teva Flintwoods (pictured), I tried them on, marveled at the level of comfort and arch support, and immediately went out for a quick RUN in them with not one single issue - nothing short of amazing for "water shoes."  The Crocs can stay by the side door as fast slip-on shoes for taking out the dog and grabbing the mail, but they are off the canoe trip packing list.  (Be sure to click on the "Crocs" link up there.  <smirk>)

MSR Zoic 2 Tent - In the early 00's, I picked up a factory second of that era's model of a Eureka Tetragon 3 (a 2 pole, 3+ season dome tent) from the "bargain bin" at Campmor for $79, and though a killer tent that thanks to regular maintenance is still 100% waterproof and in usealbe condition, I wanted to try something new.  After receiving a considerable rebate from an online retailer, I chose the MSR Zoic, and though lightweight and easy to set up, there was something about the layout of the mesh screening of the inner tent that seemed odd.  The rainfly sits atop the tent in such a manner that it's possible for the wind to sneak underneath in spots, and inner mesh extends down the tent wall far enough to let the breeze blow in ever so slightly whether you want it to or not.  Also, a 2 inch rip mysteriously appeared in one of the doors by the end of the trip that now needs to be repaired, and I'm left with a mildly dissatisfied "2 out of 5 stars" feeling about this new tent.

Other items earning a "hmmmmm face" from the trip were my 2 pound "robust" first aid kit that I didn't open one single time, the individually bagged portions of nuts, candy bars, and jerky that all got hauled back home, and the moderately heavy 3 D cell LED lantern that, though nice to have, didn't really get used.       

Thumbs Down:

Vonidor Am / Fm Radio - Based on positive reviews and the specified very low weight, I got a cheap radio for news, weather, and a bit of quiet background noise if needed.  Unbelievably, it not only failed to receive the local "high powered" stations WEVE and WTBX available literally everywhere in N.E. MN, but it couldn't even pull in WELY from less than 20 miles away.  Even worse - and more strangely - the one frequency it did pick up was a Christian radio station I'd never heard of, and it did so with such amazing clarity it was as though I was IN the studio.  Predictably, a repressed-sounding "person of faith" was bashing the President and the Democrats as the dial scrolled past.  It's a fact that hearing angry words about anything remotely political from the pulpit means you are attending a rotten church, and the radio got turned off immediately and nearly wound up in the lake.  It's back to the drawing board where an inexpensive, lightweight camp radio is concerned.

My P.O.S. Camping "Dog Bed" (A Gear Review by Rosie) - The loud, dumb guy dragged me away from cozy digs and the gracious, beautiful lady at home, stuck me in a cold, cramped canoe for hours, made me haul his stupid junk through the woods like a common mule, watched me get attacked by a million bugs for DAYS with his mouth fecklessly agape, and then expected me to sleep on a dirty old foam mat that was part of HIS farty sleeping pad 20 years ago before it ripped.  Gross. If that wasn't bad enough, he gave me half of a military surplus itchy wool blanket to stay "warm."  I can tell he knows it's terrible because every time I sneaked over onto his nice sleeping bag and mattress pad (every time I had the chance), he would hardly yell, and I gave him my most dramatic "sad face" enough times to make my point.  That inferior system has got to go because I deserve new and more appropriate sleeping arrangements.

Beyond thoughts about equipment and supplies, memories of the weather and the insect situation on this trip will continue to stand out.  Daytime temperatures in the high 60s and nighttime lows in the 40s are ideal for canoe camping.  The 28°F low on the first morning was a bit cold but tolerable, but the 83°F high along with the humidity on the final day was pushing my personal comfort level for a travel day.  In retrospect, though the black flies were as bad as I've ever experienced them in May, I wouldn't postpone a trip to avoid them but would definitely think twice about bringing the dog.  We were saved on this outing by a fairly consistent stiff breeze and the ability to use that to our advantage to hold them at bay, but had that been five days with little or no wind, it would have been a different story.

By Saturday night, 5 of the 9 sites on the lake including mine were occupied, and though I never felt overly crowded on Pine Lake, the Monday that I headed home resulted in more interactions with other people on Trout Lake than I've ever had on a S.W. Region fishing opener trip.  Though likely to be met with loud disagreement, I hope that the next time the rules concerning access to the BWCA are re-evaluated, the USFS considers further limiting or restricting altogether motorized access to Trout Lake.  Based on my observations over the last 25 years, maybe 5% of the boaters on Trout Lake actually need powered watercraft, and the other 95% are younger people with too much stuff or folks who are simply out "glamping" - traveling to and getting safely situated on Trout Lake is easily accomplished without a 25hp motor...or any motor at all.

That's all for now. I'm working on a updated equipment list in advance of the next trip, and that will be posted somewhere. Thanks again for reading.  :-)

"He who would travel happily must travel light." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry