Into Savant Lake: 17 day solo canoe trip, August 2013, Part 3 

Thanks again Nate! Ya, I sometimes don't sleep too well on windy nights, knowing those trees can come down anytime. Boreal species are all shallow rooted, no tap root, so they come down frequently. I remember that sad news from the BWCA which is not far from where I live. I try not to think about it when I am out in the bush, but when that wind picks up, its an issue. My favourite places to camp are young burns that are 15-20 years old. Trees are all still spindly, but are stocked thickly and block the wind. They mostly just bend a bit in the wind. If they come down in a wind storm they are light, mostly thin branches. Boreal old growth is very dangerous and I avoid it if I can, because its a domino effect waiting to happen in a wind storm.

Thanks Randy! Savant is relatively unknown treasure! I have been through McCrae too, but its busier there. I like the solitude of Savant! ;-)

***** Hey Shane, you will love that Purcell Trench Grill, and it should last a lifetime. Virtually weightless in the pack, but very nice to have a flat platform for the pots and pans. There will be days that the rocks maybe are just not right, so look for little shimming rocks to level it off on the corners. There are always little shim rocks you can find, and you can make some by dropping a rock to split off a narrow flake for a shim. You will get the gist of it soon enough.

Thanks Phil! I don't like the MRE's either, nor the commercial freeze dried complete meals in a bag. Too much salt and other ingredients I don't know about. I find that I can prepare a one-pot meal that is delicious and nutritious, without all the artificial ingredients and excessive salt, by re-hydrating by simmering in water for just under a half hour. I dry de-fatted ground beef, and I dry the canned flakes of chicken, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and olives, and I buy dried onions. With liquid olive oil (that I carry in leak-proof Nalgenes), and garlic powder and seasonings, I can produce great meals with rice and pasta, and store-bough scalloped potato dried mix. I have about 7 meals that I rotate, and never seem to get too tired of them, and they keep me going day after day, trip after trip. I finish a trip in great shape and feeling really healthy, so something ins working.

+Dave McMahon Thanks Dave! Looking forward to your report back. Good choice on the grill and axe! The solo canoe is always a tough choice. I still have not bought a true solo boat, because I still cannot find a boat that meets my specs. So I work with the next best thing until that holy grail solo appears!

Thanks Steve! The 0F (-18C) is maybe a tad overkill for the average mid October in the BWCA, but it does get that cold, and we had a -18C night in mid/end of October here. Having extra capcity in the bag is huge peace of mind. Don't forget a second sleeping pad (closed cell) under your main sleeping pad, as that will make a huge difference. I think in Celcius, and I think that a -10C bag would cover most situations at that time using 2 pads, but being prepared to add an upper body fleece and toque for sure, and maybe fleece pants as well. It certainly requires a clothing base layer for sleeping in. In theory it could get down to -20C in mid October. Check the historic weather records for that area for an idea of how low it can go.

Thanks P-68! I have been canoe tripping solo for about 35 years, so its second nature for me. I was lucky to get good fundamental canoe tripping skills training since I was a kid to prepare me, so I feel very comfortable out on the lake in the bush. Solo is very rewarding, but its not for everybody. Find a good buddy, get some training, and get yourself out there! :o)

Thanks U-man! Pants are Fjallraven "Barents" trousers, made in Sweden. These are the regular model, high waist, not the "Barents Pro" which is a low waist. The fabric is their G-1000 which is very tight weave 65-35 poly-cotton. Dries very fast, and is way more comfortable (IMO) than quick dry nylon, especially in the heat. I live by fire, so spark resistance is important. The G-1000 fabric is not fully spark resistant, but much more so than pure nylon. It will shed small sparks (but a big ember landed on them and burned a small hole through - just patched it though, they are working bush pants). They cost big bucks to import from Europe (made in Sweden, several Brit and Euro online stores carry them), but for me its worth it for what I do. Fjallraven has a US online store now, but last time I checked, they don't carry the Barents (they carry the pro which will not fit me right).

Thx, will check them out!

+Dave McMahon Thanks Dave! That canoe is an old one, no longer made to my knowledge. It has a "Trailhead" label on it (Ottawa store), but it was made for them by an unknown manufacturer. Its a kevlar-S glass composite, very strong. Never weighed it, but the catalog stated it was 54 lb's (I suspect its a little heavier). Its a small tandem called a 16 foot, but its actually 15' 8", and almost too small for big tandem paddlers. I use it for solo, sitting in the bow seat facing the other way. Narrow beam at 34", and a depth in the middle of 14", and less towards the sides due to the rounded bottom, so it leans up nice in solo, and can carve a turn. The shoe keel is un-necessary and I wish it did not have that, but it does add strength for hauling over beaver dams fully loaded, and it takes abuse that keeps some scrapes off the hull. Rocker is about 2 inches on each end (symmetrical), so I find as a long distance tripping boat with heavy cargo, its excellent.

Thanks Rick! I have always used the transition page turning so that its not a "jolt" when the scene changes. But I can try without. Maybe I use it too much. Good comment, you are the first one who mentioned that. :o)

its not a jolt at all....... the natural tranquility allows you to cut freely from scene to scene...thank you for your work