Need help....boundary waters

[Jerry]

June 9th through the 20th I am taking my son to Ely Minn. and then up through the boundary waters of Canada. spending just under 2 weeks on the wilderness. Should be a good time. we are taking hammocks, and bug nets...tarps and all the items that go with it.
Here is my question...
What kind of fishing gear do I take, what kind of food, should I be aware of bears? I received a letter earlier this week saying i could NOT take my .40 cal with me into Canada....seems our northern neighbors don't like guns. so, protection what should I bring ( if any ).
and dry bags, I have looked everywhere for dry bags, and found them....for a bunch of money...a 50 L bag was $122.00 that seems a little steep for me. I may only use this stuff once, so I don't want to spend a ton on a once only use.
Any help would be great....
thanks

Jerry

[weaver2469]

First, you should check out BWCA.com . they have a bunch of knowledgeable posters and many sub-forums regarding gear, fishing, trip planning, etc. Second, I strongly suggest at least partially outfitting with one of the many outfitters up there. If you are going out of Ely, Williams and Hall are great, and I have heard great things about Voyageur North Outfitters and Piragis. A call to one of them would answer most of your questions. I don't think protection of any sort is necessary, but that is just my opinion. Most people use specialized backpacks called portage packs. They are easier to load and carry with a canoe. Generally they aren't waterproof, you just use a trash bag liner and/or small dry sacks for your clothing and quilts. All of the outfitters carry top end portage packs and rent for a pretty reasonable rate. You will also want to call them about the transition to Canadian waters. The Boundary Waters is totally located in the United States and has one type of permit. Moving into Canada takes you into Quetico Provincial park. There are very different permit requirements. Outfitters have the paperwork shuffle down pat. If you try to just paddle from the US to Canada without the right permits, you will be in a bunch of trouble. Have fun and enjoy the time with your son. I will be one year behind you.

[alifeoutdoors]

Rig up for walleye, northern pike and small mouth mostly. I wouldn't take your best rod, I take a travel shakespeare rod and leave the st croix at home. Absolutely be aware of bears, hang your food or use a ursack/cannister. I never worry about protection sharp yelling and banging has always done the trick. If you're overly concerned just grab some bear spray. I always carry dry bags but I tend to ride the fringe seasons more where hyperthermia can be a risk. You could get by with just buying a couple of smaller dry bags to at least keep your down, hammocks, clothes etc dry. Then just wrap the rest of your portage pack in a compactable trash bag. Even in June it can get chilly at night and you're not going to want wet gear. Dumps can happen to the best of us. Food, I generally carry something fresh for the first night, then the same stuff I use backpacking as I like to travel light. Really want ever you're willing to portage, I've seen food packs with dry ice and fresh meat/veggies.

[vERtIK]

Suggestions

Use at least one Duluth pack style bag with a good thick contractor type garbage bag for the liner and just simply tie it off. Then you can just use a small dry bag inside that, if you want but I don't, for clothes and what knots. Compartmentalize using various sizes stuff sacks.

Never needed protection

Get a smaller food barrel
https://www.harmonygear.com/products...er-Barrel.html

That's what I got for now.

[Ron S]

I did that very thing twice for a week at a time. I never saw a bear anywhere. We put out on moose lake at the beginning of June so it would be a very similar experience. I took around 25 each of yellow and white hair jigs, 1/4 oz. When we got to the outfitters they said the bigger the spoon I bought the bigger the Northern I would catch. I was a kid in high school and things are expensive at the outfitters so I bought the biggest one I could afford, about 4". They were right, I caught a 12.5lb Northern with it and it pulled our canoe around like a bobber. I'll never forget it. It was absolutely forbidden that any of us kids bring any kind of candy or gum what so ever. We listened and maybe that's why we never saw a bear. I would get a good waxed map. Portages are difficult to find sometimes and you'll be very glad you have it. I did happen to paddle around the corner into a cove one morning. There was a moose with two calves feeding in the back of it. She immediately swam after me and could swim faster than I could paddle. She appeared to be about the size of a school bus to me and I'm sure if I hadn't been able to get back around the corner it would have been trouble. We camped on Knife lake. Every morning I got up early and paddled to the other side of the lake. I took off my ball cap and picked blue berries. The whole hillside was covered in them. I came back and we used them in pancakes and for snacks latter that morning fishing. We had a net http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishi...dsPerPage%3D48 I would put all the pancake crumbs in it and the minnows would come in the eat them. Lift it and you have all the bait you need for the day. Hook the minnows on the jigs and throw them to the banks and jig them back. You'll catch more small mouth than you've ever seen in your life. Come back to camp and clean them, lay the skins in the water in about 3" of water and go eat. When you're finished eating go back to the skins and pick off all the leaches. There's all the bait you need to catch walleye for the afternoon/evening. Cherry lake has a narrow in it. If you get in the middle of that and just jig back to you there you'll catch all the walleye you can handle. Get up the next morning and pick blue berries. Throw your spoon and the shady side of dead falls and reel it back to you. When you get near the canoe stop reeling and let it fall and then pick it back up again. Many times they will follow it all the way back to you and then turn when they see you. If you you do this you'll trick them and may get lucky. That's how I caught my northern. Two weeks is a long time an you'll need to clean up from time to time. My advice there is Ivory soap. It floats. I would throw mine of a big cliff at our camp an jump in after it to clean up. Some portages are a really long haul and if the water is high enough you can get out and walk the canoe up them. It may be too high or too low for that to be practical so you'll just have to get out and hump it. The water is so cold though that if it could sit still it would freeze. I never saw any of the state birds that time of the year either. It was too early for them. Things are gonna get wet so get the compactor bag to line your pack. I'm sure the outfitters will ask you not to try and canoe rapids you are not familiar with and probably take you outside and show you a canoe used by some one who didn't heed their advice. Listen to them and do yourself a favor. All in all it was the experience of a lifetime for me and I hope it turns out to be the same for you. By the way, I drank the water right out of the lake every day both times, we all did and never got sick.

[Traillium]

Soap in a lake?
No, no, no!
Big pot of water warmed over a fire and carried back a couple of hundred steps from ant watercourse for a sponge bath & rinse? Absolutely! Then dive off into the water to your hearts content!

[alifeoutdoors]

Soap in a lake?
No, no, no!
Big pot of water warmed over a fire and carried back a couple of hundred steps from ant watercourse for a sponge bath & rinse? Absolutely! Then dive off into the water to your hearts content!

Yes, this. Please don't use any kind of soap in the lakes, even the supposed safe "camp suds." Do exactly what Trallium advised. Sorry Ron, I don't mean to throw down on your post but it is a huge impact to use any kind of soap in the lakes. Do your bathing and kitchen clean up well away from the water.

[massie17]

Hey Ron i enjoyed reading your post and may try the net for bait on my next trip. Have a sept quetico trip planned and no live bait allowed there, but my next bdub trip. +1 on the no soap in the water rule.

[Ron S]

You guys made the point on using the soap. Please don't derail this mans thread over it. No offense taken by the way...

[gargoyle]

PFD- Find a quality pfd that fits well and allows for comfort.
Extra paddles.

Secure your load. A tip over may not happen, but if it does, chasing all your gear is a huge pita. A cheapy tarp laid in the canoe, then dump gear in and fold the tarp over the gear and secure. The tarp will shed rain and splash.
I got one big dry bag, 50l for sleep gear and some clothing. Then the balance goes into smaller dry bags inside my backpack. Again, tie off each to the canoe.
One small pack for day snacks, a coat, hat, sunscreen and glasses, and raingear sits under my seat. This also contains extras (knife, firestarter, compass, First Aid, meds, Etc.)
All bags are rigged with a 'biner and short length of line. Trash bags inside packs. I use multi-layers of protection for essential gear. Ziplocks freezer bags are great as you can see what is inside.
A good sized folding saw for cutting firewood. Firestarters.
A kitchen tarp that can take the heat. Big enough for all to shelter under and enjoy the fire during a good rain.
Water filtration. Gravity style.
Extra rope and line. A clothesline, tie offs for gear, secure canoe to shore...
Try to keep things down weightwise, the portages can be mucky, rocky, etc.
Bug protection. Put permethrin on everything!
If you fish, have a state license. Not sure about Canada laws?

Up to date Visa/Passport/ID for re-entry to USA. X2 on knowing the rules and having the right paperwork!
Have local emergency numbers stored in your phone. International phone coverage from your carrier can be added short term. Check on your carriers coverage in the Great North...
Good boots. I wear tall rubber boots that work best for wading, mud. The foam liners dry quick, with a good squeeze. The liners can be worn to bed to keep feet warm.
Ten+ days afloat will be tough food wise. Any plan to restock mid-trip?
Bacon.
Bacon.
Prep meals and freeze at home. Season meats and freeze. Reheat at camp.
Scramble your eggs and freeze them. They do well.
Organize meals by the day. Remove as needed. Keep the cooler visits short and sweet.

Bacon.
X2 on checking at BWCA. Good forum with several folks from here.
I got drybags if you need 'em? One big and several smalls. Lemme know?

RonS- Great tips on the free bait! Thx.