Midwest Paddle Trip

[canoebie]

It's going to be a loooonnnnngggggg 4 months.

Looks like I won't need my water purifier, with 2 gravity filters. Canoebie, what do you use for your coffee, a regular camp perkolator? Or one of those fancy presses? Or crystals in boiling water? Again, COFFEE IS VERY IMPORTANT!! Doesn't matter if it's good or bad, just strong.

I'm fine with the shared breakfast/dinner, but pack your own lunches. I'd be willing to share a packing list that we use for our BWCA trips for those who haven't done a longer canoe trip, but keep in mind that those are usually week long trips. David, you're an outfitter/guide so you must do the same thing with your groups, especially for the meals. It would be interesting to post it just to compare notes/methods/ideas. There is no plan that can't be improved, and I know I can learn a few things from someone who does it for a living. Maybe by posting possible combinations of menus/items, camperdaver might have a better idea of how the combined meal thing works out on a trip like this. Keep in mind, camperdaver(dplant), that you are welcome to bring your own food/cooking gear even if we decide on a combined menu. Heck, with only 8 lbs. in your pack on a canoe trip, I may throw some of my stuff in your canoe for ballast as well!

I do have a packing list I use with groups. However, it focuses primarily on clothing and personal items as we furnish all gear including tents, pads, sleeping bags, canoes, kitchen, waterproof bags,etc. etc. All our clients need is their personal stuff. I will be glad to share what we ask them to bring, I will send as an e-mail attachment. CamperDaver, I am very interested in what materials you use to stay warm in terms of clothing. I am always interested in new ways of doing that.

I will also send a SUGGESTED menu. Just some tried and true things that have been big hits with past groups. Most require a DO as that is my primary method of cooking now. I will get that out next week.

Gonna be on the water with my wife, first time hanging two of us together in the woods, we have been hanging on the front porch all summer. I am looking forward to it. I am anxious to see what it looks like up there after flood waters were higher than they have been in the recorded past 78 years of history. Guess y'all in Wisconsin can relate to that. A good friend and I were considering paddling the Kickapoo sometime in the near future. It was awful.

Have a great holiday gentlemen!

David

[fin]

First, CamperDaver, stay in the dialouge. I apologize if I came across grumpy, I was in a bad way when I responded to you, and should have done it differently.

Second, we really can go both ways with this as far as food goes. I was being too inflexible.

Third, as far as coffee goes, I take a percolator,26 cup (I think those are 6 oz. cups) stainless steel (which is all black for good measure) however I take no innards. I simply pour 2-3 cups of ground coffee in the preboiled river water and let simmer. Prior to consumption, I pour a cup of filtered cold water in the spout to settle the grounds. It makes fine coffee.

Fourth, and finally, I need some river time.

I will be incommunicado beginning Thursday. Wonderful wife and I are heading north, gonna paddle 50 miles, do some erosion control work after the flooding they had. Some areas got 11 inches of rain in 5 hours. Those sand banks may need some restoration.

David

Excellent - I'm looking forward to your method of Coffee - sounds tasty. And I too am planning some river time very shortly - I need the peace and quiet. Hopefully the flooding hasn't done too much damage to the bottomlands I'm planning to stealth camp in. Have a great trip, David.

[fin]

I do have a packing list I use with groups. However, it focuses primarily on clothing and personal items as we furnish all gear including tents, pads, sleeping bags, canoes, kitchen, waterproof bags,etc. etc. All our clients need is their personal stuff. I will be glad to share what we ask them to bring, I will send as an e-mail attachment. CamperDaver, I am very interested in what materials you use to stay warm in terms of clothing. I am always interested in new ways of doing that.

I will also send a SUGGESTED menu. Just some tried and true things that have been big hits with past groups. Most require a DO as that is my primary method of cooking now. I will get that out next week.

Gonna be on the water with my wife, first time hanging two of us together in the woods, we have been hanging on the front porch all summer. I am looking forward to it. I am anxious to see what it looks like up there after flood waters were higher than they have been in the recorded past 78 years of history. Guess y'all in Wisconsin can relate to that. A good friend and I were considering paddling the Kickapoo sometime in the near future. It was awful.

Have a great holiday gentlemen!

David

I'm contemplating the Sugar - depends on the flood damage. I will send you my list as an email attachment as well when I get home tonight.

[animalcontrol]

I vote for combined breakfast/dinner and indiviual lunch also (wants to learn "canoe" cooking)
Menu? Anything...everything you listed before would be awesome. I'm not picky. Cofee is unimportant
as for the rest of the gear, I need neoprene gloves and thin rubber boots. The rest (from your handy dandy list) I already own. Hammock, fly, sleeping bag, clothes (no cotton) and misc gear ready.
Do you have access to enough "deluth bags" or should I plan on fitting my stuff in a big backpack? (I have that too)

[canoebie]

I vote for combined breakfast/dinner and indiviual lunch also (wants to learn "canoe" cooking)
Menu? Anything...everything you listed before would be awesome. I'm not picky. Cofee is unimportant
as for the rest of the gear, I need neoprene gloves and thin rubber boots. The rest (from your handy dandy list) I already own. Hammock, fly, sleeping bag, clothes (no cotton) and misc gear ready.
Do you have access to enough "deluth bags" or should I plan on fitting my stuff in a big backpack? (I have that too)

I have "Bill's Bags" from Northwest River Supplies as well as large Sealine bags both of which are waterproof. In addition, I have some smaller waterproof bags. I will have them available when we meet here and you can pick and choose which would work best for you. Hope that helps. Much more waterproof and lighter than Duluth bags.

David

[d-p]

Ya'all SneeeeekedApeeeeeeekkkeeeee

Seems Mul'ie hasn't returned from the Hooser National Forest.
Grrrrr wanted to go but me income got in the way............. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr
I've 7 low income apartments and "trust me" LandLording is'nt a pretty business ..............................

FYI: I love seeing you guyzzz hammer away ...
Keep up the good work?

I got's ta tell ya' ......... Canoe'beeeeeeeeeezz camp kitchen is making me hungry.

Maybe I should ask ............................ How much? Can I afford ya' ?

CD

[canoebie]

Ya'all SneeeeekedApeeeeeeekkkeeeee

Seems Mul'ie hasn't returned from the Hooser National Forest.
Grrrrr wanted to go but me income got in the way............. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr
I've 7 low income apartments and "trust me" LandLording is'nt a pretty business ..............................

FYI: I love seeing you guyzzz hammer away ...
Keep up the good work?

I got's ta tell ya' ......... Canoe'beeeeeeeeeezz camp kitchen is making me hungry.

Maybe I should ask ............................ How much? Can I afford ya' ?

CD

CamperDaver,

Good to hear from you. I have clients that are in the business of low income apartments and they echo your sentiments. It not only involves keeping up the property, but also being a collection agency, social worker, and other various roles. When it all works smoothly, it has potential, however that does not seem to happen often.

Now to the food. I am not sure what the cost will be. We budget $10-$15 per day when we plan for groups. That includes some pretty expensive snacks throughout the day, which I don't anticipate doing for you all. We can focus just on meals, and you all can determine if you want goodies in between. So, given that, I am guessing we will be in the $10/day range or less. Being on the river for Friday-Monday, my best guesstimate is the food cost will be about $35-$40 each.

Don't let $ be an issue. We can figure something out. As I said earlier, stay in the loop. Again, it is good to hear from you. I am heading north today at noon. Yippeeee!! Paddling with the WW for nearly 4 days. Like the Old Milwaukee Beer commercial, it doesn't get any better than this.

Have a great holiday!!

David

[Coffee]

That sounds like some awesome cowboy coffee!! Everytime I try to do something where I get the grounds to settle, they never seem to. I think it is the small size of my pot. I'm thinking I will get a percolator that fits inside my jetboil. Right now I make cowboy coffee and use the screen from a coffee press to filter out the grounds.

[animalcontrol]

That sounds like some awesome cowboy coffee!! Everytime I try to do something where I get the grounds to settle, they never seem to. I think it is the small size of my pot. I'm thinking I will get a percolator that fits inside my jetboil. Right now I make cowboy coffee and use the screen from a coffee press to filter out the grounds.

Ok...am I the only one who finds it ironic that a hanger with the handle "Coffee" comments and does a modified DIY coffeemaker?
Don't change your handle to "freefaller"...

[canoebie]

That sounds like some awesome cowboy coffee!! Everytime I try to do something where I get the grounds to settle, they never seem to. I think it is the small size of my pot. I'm thinking I will get a percolator that fits inside my jetboil. Right now I make cowboy coffee and use the screen from a coffee press to filter out the grounds.

If you have a campfire, another good way to settle the grounds is called "plunge" coffee. You plunge the end of a hot burning stick in the coffee and it makes that sizzle sound. Seems to change the surface tension and all the grounds settle to the bottom. Be careful using pine though, cuz you get that piney taste from the resin. Tastes like coffee with a little gin in it. Good luck. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing that is more important than a good cup of coffee when outdoors. When we are paddling,my wonderful wife does not get out of bed until I have a fire going and have made her a good cup of coffee, delivered with a kiss and a good morning darling. Then she begins to move.

David