25 Tips for a Better Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

[Music] hello thank you for coming to my presentation my name is pete marshall i am the communications director with friends of the boundary waters wilderness we're a non-profit that has been around for over 40 years working to protect preserve and restore the boundary waters area wilderness currently our primary work involves leading the fight against the two proposed copper sulfide mines in northeastern minnesota twin metals and polymet but a big part of our mission is also to promote the boundary waters and to ensure that people get up there explore it fall in love with it and in turn work to protect it and that's what i'm hoping to do with this presentation today 25 tips for a better boundary waters experience now these tips go beyond the basics such as put a rain fly over your tent when it rains or sleep on something cushiony because rocks are not easy to fall asleep on um this this really goes into some things i've learned over the years i've spent paddling through the boundary waters and up in northern canada that i found to be particularly helpful both for the overall experience and for maybe day-to-day interactions with people i paddle with number one work on your paddling stroke this is really easy to neglect one of the reasons is that you can kind of fake your way through a canoe trip you can go on a five-day boundary waters trip make 40 miles or so and not really know how to paddle um it does surprise me each time i'm out how many people paddle on the same size so first and foremost pedal on opposite sides the person in the front person the back should be paddling on opposite sides pedaling on the same side is like slowing down when you merge onto the interstate it's like kissing your sister you just don't do it so that's enough with my rant about paddling on both sides it's pretty clear how i feel about it let's talk about how to get an efficient paddle stroke i think a lot of people paddle uh in a way that's basically slicing through the water um that that is they're putting a lot of effort into it but not really getting much return so that one kind of looks like this right you're forward boom doom boom and you see what's happening here is the blade hits hits the water and it's at an acute angle coming all the way back and that small angle that way really reduces the amount of power you have in your stroke and i think that's kind of an instinctual way to paddle we think that we're pulling the blade through the water instead try to think of a paddle stroke as a process of pushing down on the water pushing and then pulling pulling through so what do i mean by that what you want to do is you want to reach forward as far as far as you can and you essentially push down on the water as you pull it pull it through that opens up your blade blade face on the water and you end up getting a whole lot more power that way you know that's why bent shaft paddles are bent at about 11 degrees because it allows more of the blade to essentially push down on the water that's a helpful way i used to think about it so in order to really get that open blade face in front of front of you you have to really throw your arms out really reach reach forward and the way you do that is as you can see twisting with your torso so instead of just reaching with your arms and your back and pulling back you think engage your entire core so you twist twist forward and then twist back and that way you're not using so much of your arms or your shoulders which get tired a lot more quickly you're using your abs your back you're really using those big muscle groups so it'll get less fatigued so let's see how that works right so you're so you're basically here here i'm saying you know my pretend bow seat and i twist forward twist so i can really reach that out there and then and then it's a matter of boom pushing down on the water pulling through and this is your power phase this is where you're going to get most of the oomph in your paddle stroke the the last half past your hip that's basically there for you know decoration show to allow the bow person to throw in their correctional stroke so i'm not going through a whole how to paddle better better and what your stroke should look for look like it's really kind of two key principles to keep in mind one keep it think that you're pushing down on the water when your blade hits the water and two reach out twisting your torso and gate engage your core that's going to help you with the reach that's going to help you paddle longer and strong stronger and with those two things in mind it can really help your paddle stroke but beyond that i encourage you to ask people who have paddled a lot ask people who are canoe marathon racers go to a class uh it's constantly a work in progress for myself trying to become a better paddler and it's really rewarding once you master these kind of basic simple strokes you'll be surprised how much further how much longer you can go number two you only need two knots about 95 percent of the time those are the bow line which is of course a simple anchoring knot that that is often used to stake out your tent and the second one is top line hitch a tot line hitch is basically a sturdy slip knot so if you're setting up a clothesline and you have a bow line on one end to anchor it down and then a top line hitch on the other that makes it really easy to adjust it and make it taut and it can be used in multiple other applications like i said i use these two knots probably 99 of the time when i'm out there uh granted if you are carrying a canoe on top of your car or your truck you're going to need the trucker's hitch but when you're out in the field bowline totline hitch those are the two that you'll need the most about tip number three packing your gear now there's no shortage of controversy over what's the right way to pack a canoe what's the right way to pack a pack how many packs should you bring etc i'll leave you to uh hash that out with your buddies over long winter nights when you're just eagerly anticipating that trip to the boundary waters packing advice i always give is pack in a way that ensures you have to make just one trip down a portage trail now grant there are different styles of trips that include lots of food a lot of lots of camp gear maybe some really large tents where you'll just know end up portaging twice no matter what but for most trips you should be able to get through with just one carry the main way to do that is for the person who takes the canoe to also take a pack now this can be slightly dangerous as you could be overloading someone especially if you have an 80 pound drum in and then you throw a 50 pound pack on their on their back you know unless they're a linebacker you know this could be definitely a recipe for an ankle sprain so to avoid injuries while still making this single trip portage i recommend taking a smallish pack such as this kind that's made by frost river uh it just swallows a whole lot of gear um you can there's still plenty of room in the main cavity there's lots of places on the side where you can pack here and you know if it's fully loaded maybe about 20 pounds depending on what gear you put in there and that that can go on whoever is taking the canoes back other another packing secret to use is you take a larger pack like this is uh i think this is an old quebeco style from granite gear it's been been on lots of trips with me as you can see and you load it up with bulky lightweight things so put the sleeping bags in here put the slip put the sleeping pads maybe some down jackets if you're going during the cold season but make sure it doesn't get too heavy that way you really you uh free up gear free up space in the other packs that the other people are taking and you allow the person who's taking the canoe and the pack to have a relatively lightweight backpack on their back while going down that portage trail so that's kind of the key ingredient to unlocking that magical oh so good feeling of having to just make one trip down the portage trail on the topic of packing tip number four get it to warp bag this is a waterproof seal line bag i have one of these on all my canoe trips and one of the main reasons i do is a keeps everything i need during the day close at hand and in a waterproof container and b it's a very noble goal when you're out in the boundary waters not to have to open up your packs and get things out while you're traveling during the day this makes more efficient uh does away with a lot of frustration of possibly digging through an unorganized pack just looking for your bug net so you carry a thwart bag what do you put in the fort bag well i for one usually tend to book the lunch for the day in there what other goodies might i have in there toilet paper of course the bug net so it's not lost in the pack clip bar for those moments where i just need a little pick me up and of course my copy of 50 shades of grey because you need good reading when you're out in the boundary waters number five rotate chores now this is an important part of everyone getting along you might be going on a trip with three four other people friends family members you might have one person who insists they're the best cook and that they want to cook dinner all the time and that might seem like a good idea but if you're out for maybe five days or a week uh it can cause some problems namely the person stuck doing the dishes or the person stuck setting up the tents and taking down the tents might start to feel like they want to do a little more or feelings can arise within the crew that hey i'm doing most of the work now if you rotate chores one day the person who cooked one night is the next night the dishwasher and then who was the dishwasher then becomes the quartermaster responsible for setting up tents and making sure your camp is tidy that's a good way to ensure that everyone gets a little taste of camp life and no one feels like they ended up with the short end of the stick no one feels like they did more work while other people were slacking off and while on the men on the topic of chores and cooking number one thing that erupts that causes fights to erupt in camp telling the cook what to do and telling the cook how to cook so good rule of thumb is let the cook be they're going to be they're going to be fine making your dinner and you know if it doesn't turn out right everything tastes about 10 times better when you're out in the boundary waters everywhere number six planning i'm sure a lot of you right now are planning your summer canoe trips to the boundary waters and a real simple way to go about planning which i think can make a lot of difference both for crew dynamics and how everyone enjoys the trip is to really be deliberate and set out with a certain intention for your trip now i know that sounds like a bunch of new age wellness stuff right there to be intentional and deliberate in how you visualize your trip but that's not what i'm talking about what i mean is think about the goal or the purpose do you want to fish a lot do you want to just relax and sleep as much as possible which having been a new father in the last few years i totally get uh do you want to make do you want to make miles do you want to set speed records you know come up with something beforehand that will really determine the tempo and the pace and the expectations for the trip this way it kind of gets everyone on board and i think does a whole lot to uh to to help make a really satisfying trip uh for everyone number seven a lot of you are probably planning for your summer trips but my advice is go in the shoulder season and the shoulder season is that in between time it's after ice out but before the leaves are really pop it's after all the leaves have fallen but before the lakes have frozen in the fall there's a lot of reasons to go during the shoulder season one you have the boundary waters almost to yourself which is really special two generally don't have to apply for not apply but you don't need to reserve a quota permit and three it allows you to see a whole other side to the boundary waters that you probably aren't going to see during the summer or during the fall which are the main times that people tend to go there's a link in the handout that's provided to a blog that's written by bear paulson from north star canoe and he takes a yearly hiking trip into the boundary waters over thanksgiving and that is shoulder season indeed and i encourage uh everyone out there to go try the shoulder season for themselves this is a noon or noon tablet in in and basically what it is is a flavored electrolytes they have far less sugar than most mixed drinks they provide the electrolytes to help you get hydrated and you know i love water myself but sometimes you want a little bit different flavor in the middle of a hot day so pop one of these into your filtered water get hydrated tastes great next tip has to do with breakfast breakfast is a great opportunity to really cut down on weight and cut down on space and the way you do that is by packing one of the most filling meals there are this is about a half cup of 12 grain or 10 grain i forget which you can find them in the bulk area of most grocery stores um it's hot cereal you only need about half a cup two thirds of a cup and it fills you up and it sticks with you you know usually until lunch depends on how hard you're working but as you can see you know very compact very affordable i throw a little sugar on it throw a little throw a little uh dry dried fruit uh and you're set to go the other ingredient you can throw on that hot cereal is number 10 on my list of boundary waters tips peanut butter doesn't matter if you're a smooth fan or a chunky fan peanut butter is your friend in the boundary waters obviously not if you have a nut allergy in which case i apologize for wasting your time and for what i'm about to do which is going to really go into singing the praises of the magic of peanut butter if you've never put peanut butter in with hot cereal you are in for a treat oatmeal 10 grain multi-meal one scoop of peanut butter magical if you've never put peanut butter in with mac and cheese at the end of the day you're welcome please send your thanks via donation to friends of the boundary waters wilderness for that tip and of course if you got a cliff bar or any kind of bar that's a little too sweet a little dull throw a gob of peanut butter on it during the afternoon and it's going to make lunch a little bit more better i always bring peanut butter it's a staple on any trip for me and for many speaking of food number 11 don't be afraid of perishables it is surprising how much perishable food you can bring with you on a week-long trip into the boundary waters for instance a lot of people bring steak for the first night obviously you don't want to keep that steak around and have it the fourth night or else you're going to have some real medical emergencies maybe i'm not sure but eat that the first night you can bring in bagged salads with you and have a fresh salad the first or second night on trail there's plenty of vegetables such as potatoes onions peppers that keep for multiple days outside of a refrigerator you can bring vacuum sealed cheese that will last several days out there so there are definitely some perishable foods that people often don't associate with boundary water strips that are fair game to bring number 12. an easy one but a lot of people don't do it bandanas um they're great for just throwing around your neck keep the sun out keep the sun off your neck cool off help you filter water you want to sleep in and the sun's out which often is the case in the boundary waters during the summer you just throw it over your eyes and you're back and you're back to snoozeville number 13 your paddle is also a cutting board for those fresh veggies and for flying fish number fourteen he's an outfitter outfitters are an amazing resource who can point you in the direction of both great fishing holes magical canoe routes places you may have never thought to have gone even though you've been to the boundary waters a dozen two dozen times needless to say if you're a beginner an outfitter can really open a lot of doors provide gear canoes etc things you may not have to experience the boundary waters but there are plenty of highly experienced people who use outfitters i have a friend up in grand marais who is a guide and was telling me how last year he guided a woman and her son on a four day trip and this woman had done 90 day dog sled expedition up in the northwest territories and you know i was kind of surprised and thought well why does she hire you it seems like she's probably a little has a little more experience than you having he laughed he said she did but you know she wanted free time around camp wanted to go see some place new um so whether you're experienced or a newbie check out the outfitters they're great they're a great resource 15 has to do with stoves and cooking i the best advice i can get give is to get one of these collapsible wood burning stoves they weigh less than half a pound and allow you to use a minimal amount of kindling and wood to cook your meals and to boil water so they're both a very lightweight and b takes care of the issue of having to gather firewood which we all know during hot peak season can definitely be a challenge around your camp number 16 for that folding stove that burns kindling go to your dryer and pick out all all the lint and the lint trap before you go put that in a little tin can you got the best cheapest fire starter money can buy try to find that advice in any other canoe book number 17 the little things little things make a big difference especially if it's a rainy day it's a particularly hard day you want some little niceties to uh you know cheer you up boost the morale when you get into camp these can of course include oreos or no-bake cheesecake for dessert but also hard candies i don't eat hard candies back at home but i always have a packet of werther's caramels with me and i just i'm ravenous with them on trail they're fantastic other ones get into the tent at night a little balm such as this uh lavender balm or tiger balm put it right underneath your eyes just a little bit sounds weird but again it's amazing then gold bond which of course is strictly for the feet don't forget that and any other small little nice things that you have at home that can become rituals in camp that really enhance the experience don't let gear get in your way you know over the last 20 or 30 years the outdoor industry has really exploded and in ways has put up barriers to people getting into the wilderness by creating this false image that you have to have a 400 gore-tex jacket you have to have a bomb-proof tent that you need 35-dollar wool socks if you want to go out there and be comfortable you know that's simply not the case if you want if you want some really good deals check out places like goodwill savers salvation army uh they have have nylon cotton blend clothing which uh can gr be great great during the summer army surplus stores are just a treasure trove when it comes to inexpensive wool socks and you i guess the overall point is you do not need to have a 90 dollar merino wool blend super wicking shirt in order to enjoy the boundary waters 19. bring a pea bottle with you uh that is exactly what it sounds like a bottle that you pick up at a gas station you know get your final gatorade before you go on on trail and bring it with you into the boundary waters women want to bring an fud a female urination device uh and equip with these when you go into the tent then you're not going to have to step outside into the ferocious swarm of black flies or mosquitoes or just have to go outside in general if you have to if you are like me a middle-aged person who frequently needs wakes up needing to pee during the night final tip on that note after you use your pee bottle be sure to put it outside your tent in the vestibule tip number 20 clean camp clean canoe now this tip isn't so much about me being uptight and trying to make you you know tidy up your camp tidy up your canoe and telling you it's going to lead to a better trip a lot of this has to do with responsibility towards the other campers in responsibility towards the wilderness why so a canoe that's strewn with sunscreen sunglasses clothes that's just a mess when it pulls up when when that canoe gets to a portage trail it's going to take a long time for all that stuff to get reconfigured into a pack and carried over that means you're more likely to have a bottleneck at the portage trail and slow other parties down rather than get through it quickly it also means it's more likely that you're going to lose something same with having a messy camp the likelihood that you're going to lose a toothbrush or a spoon or a cup just because you leave it strewn around is just increased when you don't tidy things up not to mention you know things happen unexpected things happen at night animals can come into your camp wind can pick up rain can happen storms pass through all sorts of things that can severely dampen the progress of your trip so just you know put things away put it underneath the vestibule you got a canoe on shore that's a great place to store things you know make sure everything is in its spot by the time you go to sleep and when you're on the water you know put it back in your thwart bag put it back inside of your pack don't just leave things laying around 21 might seem obvious but a tarp bring a tarp even even in the summer it really brings the camp together obviously you want to have a tarp because of rain and cook's custom sewing sells some great tarps for that cook's custom sewing also has some great tarps with um bug walls on them so if you're going with people who you know really hate mosquitoes or black flies having one of these walled tarps in your camp is a miniature sanctuary and can do a lot to increase the overall feel of the trip so tarps bring things together now again tarp can be a nice place to uh put a lot of your miscellaneous debris tip number 22 a sheet not just any sheet though a bag liner this is an old sheet that has been sewn together on the sides and on the bottom to fit in the sleeping bag and create a bag liner obviously you can go out and spend 30 or 40 dollars on a similar one at an outdoor store whichever way you go use one of these in your sleeping bag it will make your sleeping bag last much longer greatly reduce the stench that inevitably accumulates in a sleeping bag and on those hot nights it adds it can work as kind of a cool sheet when you don't need a full sleeping bag over you or during those cool nights gives you a little extra warmth tip number 23 is for people who have been to the boundary waters a few times and my advice here is to challenge yourself a little bit i'm not talking about you know going to the woods with only a hatchet and see if you can survive like your favorite adolescent novel rather maybe consider building a fire in the rain see it see if you can do that it's a it's a challenge that's really satisfying once you get those flames roaring and that water boiling another champ challenge is to take a night paddle obviously there are some complications here uh in the summer it's probably not recommended that you travel at night because most campsites will be occupied um but you can't but on a full moon with clear skies you know go out for a night paddle for an hour or two and come back to camp you want to be sure that you chart your course beforehand and stick with it and always know where you are because obviously it's night so it's a lot easier to get lost another idea for a challenge is what's known as a voyager's morning that's when you break camp in under an hour but you don't just wake up eat cold cereal and go you have to build a fire have a hot breakfast have a hot drink and take down camp and be and be out of camp within an hour and there's a lot of logistics that go into this and it's a real fun challenge of coordination speed um that especially if you're bringing some young people with you on the boundary waters i can really build confidence and be inspiring to see them you know rise to meet these challenges number 24 and this one is just going to be a quick smorgasbord of advice i think is valuable so you get a few extra bonuses here one if you only bring one fabric into the boundary waters make sure it's wool wool is the wonder fat is the miracle fabric i don't know how it does it but it does keep you warm while while it's wet it's insulating it's breathable just wool is your friend other one there's no such thing as ideal footwear so quit sweating it bring bring footwear that you're comfortable with and that's good enough especially in the summer plan your days so you get to the campsite early this also means you have plenty time to fish to relax to read to kind of engage in recreational activities and finally if you have a group that's larger than three be sure to bring a gravity filter otherwise you spend a lot of time with a steripen sterilizing water or exhaust yourself pumping pumping the hand pump to get filtered water for everyone okay so finally number 25 i'm just going to end with the best advice anyone ever gave me and this happened on my first canoe trip it was in central manitoba i was 16 i didn't know anything about the wilderness i loved to complain i was scrawny i was not the stout woods mini c before you today anyways our crew had just gotten done with a very long portage muddy it was raining it had been raining for the previous six days the bugs were ferocious we were sitting on this wet rock eating lunch and of course everyone was complaining about how bad the bugs were and my guide said guys when else are you going to be able when else are you going to be able to eat lunch in the rain with mosquitoes and keep that in mind whenever something gets hard or when you just see something beautiful when else are you going to be able to do this where else are you going to be able to do it boundary waters is full of magic and even at the hard times we should be lucky that we're able to experience and enjoy a place like this okay well that's all from me thank you again very much for joining me today i hope something i said here will add to your next boundary waters experience if you have any questions please email me at pete at friends dash vwca.org and look forward to talking to you look forward to hearing about your own experiences and if you have other great tips that you think i should know about i'm all ears [Music] you

Channel: FriendsOfTheBWCA

Views: 39,196

Keywords: Boundary Waters (Geographical Feature), canoeing, camping, Minnesota, wilderness, BWCA, sulfide mining

Id: hJ8cjkDU7Sk

Length: 33min 5sec (1985 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 15 2021