I think it was at this time last year that someone started a thread on what they learned on their 2007 trips. One year later, I'm curious to know what you plan to do differently next year based on what you learned this year. These are probably the biggest changes I'll make for next year

1. Hang the food pack through the shoulder straps and not the handle on top. And related to this, pack in less food--had way too much left over.

2. Bring in at least 2 dozen more frozen ciscos for the northern bite--we brought in 4 dozen and went through those in less than 3 days. And if the northern aren't biting, maybe we can put them in the fish bake.

3. Make lunch the big meal of the day, around 1:00 p.m. so we're back out on the water for the evening bite and not cleaning dishes in the dark.

thlipsis29

a piece of firewood thru the straps works great.

next season...

ill be trying out Mr.B's suggestion about dropping the pack short of the landing and off the trail.

get an aluminum adult beverage bottle, thick walled.

get a pack that isnt green and black.

kevlar map case. ...and yet again, less food!

I will do something different with the food packs on the double portages. Not sure what, but different. The Kanoes experience with his food pack is not one that I want (especially 2-3 days out.....)

Thinking of different packs to substitute for my NRS HD Bill's Bags

Going to retrace some of our previous trips with a few new "bells and whistles" on the route

After that, gonna keep things the same (if it ain't broke, don't fix it)

In 2009 I'm actually going to go on a trip. I didn't make a trip in 2008 so cabin fever may be extra tough this winter.

I learned that I was closer to completly outfitting myself than I originally thought. Took notes on what the outfitter provided me this year. With my recent canoe and paddle purchase, I have most of the gear now and just need a tarp, sleeping pad, sven saw, utensil rool and food pack to complete my arsenal. Next years goal is to completly outfit myself.

Since I didn’t get a vacation this year, I don’t plan on doing any thing different next year. I’m looking forward to 2010, maybe. Yeah, it sucks, but that’s what happens when your job goes to Mexico.

Bigest one for me is try to plan a solo trip. Never been on one but am very anxious to plan & go on one next year. A little nervous about it after Kanoes last encounter but still am determined.
Also, buy a better sleeping pad. Getting too old to sleep on a hard mattress.And, bring less food & more Vodka. Always seem to be campbound at least one day because of weather or wind so usually hit the Vodka Lemonades earlier than normal on one or two of the days.

I plan on bringing less food, and doing a couple longer trips. we did a nice 6 day trip this year, and it was so much better than all the short trips we did...

oh, and I plan on getting a Big Agnes air core sleeping pad...

I would like to take a few different types of trips:
1. I first went to the bwca for the fishing and I still love to fish but I have been thinking of taking a trip and not taking fishing gear probobly not next year but eventually.
2. A first solo trip probobly short in a popular area or where I have been before.
3. A long weekend resort or cabin baseed trip daytipping during peak fall colors
4. I would like to try a more challenging trip then I have been on.

I would like to take my 79 year old father on a trip next year. Probably staying on a perimeter lake in a cabin and taking day trips into the BW. He will love the wilderness aspect, but likes sleeping in a bed.

my last two years have been shakedown solos around La Criox to work out the "bugs" in my new Bell Prospector..moving the seat forward about a foot balanced it out just right so both packs lay low and forward and i have great control in the wind..now that i'm retired and don't have to come up with vacation time constrants i plan to start going north of Quetico.--however--i'm still taking too much food.i came back with candy and cookies again..i took a pint of Vodka but only had a couple small drinks out of it..ran out of coffee because i was trying to get the food bag lighter and ended up drinking freeze dry coffee out of old-old MRE packs.the MRE coffee was super-back-up that has been out with me for at least ten years in the "hot drinks" pack and this was a first--not as bad as i thought bu not like fresh ground Peaberry..too much camera gear--i had my Widelux panoramic along and 12 rolls or BW film that i was going to try and use to put together some extra long panoramas by putting several together but never found just the right spot on the right day and ended up just taking one roll of "so what" kind of stuff..i also tryed out as small Gaz stove instead of my tryed and true Peak Feather--ok--but it makes a hot spot on the pots and pans and even at low burn has to be watched..once again i ended up tossing alot of "just in case" kind of stuff in the boat bag that i never had any use for..i don't go to fish all that much so next time i'll take along a couple break down rods and smaller reels..my Quick reels are nice but the Germans make them like they make cars--big--heavy..i was going to leave my sneakers home but took them and i'm glad i did..last year i just had some light weight
slippers for around camp and did not get out of the campsites much because they were hard to walk around the woods in and i did not want to put my wet LL Bean boots back on--
this is what i mean by too much food--thats two weeks worth of bannock mix--i came back with two of those small packs..

1A:Take more trips!
1B: Do not take hubby and son together anymore- too much squabbling.

After spending over 60 days in the bwca this year. the only things I would change would be setting up a healthier menu and I'm not bringing a lantern anymore (depending on a fire ban) because in all those nights we only used a lantern 2 nights.

Canoeman--what sort of lamp??a full size Coleman or what??

thlipsis29, you have hit upon one of my favorite past times of the off season.
1. I will continue to lessen the weight of our packs with equipment upgrades or changes, substitution, elimination and experience(got the amount of fuel for the new stove just about zeroed in).

2. Food - we constantly refine this area with taste, appeal and weight, all concerns.

3. Clothing - still bringing to much, improving, but, still room for more improvement.

4. More nights under the tent roof, due to distance we can get to the BWCAW only once a year. Yet, we have found some quality tripping destinations within 6 hours of our home. I want to find 2 more in 2009.

There are others, but that will keep me busy and in debt for the moment.
Boppa

Hmmm...
Seems like lots of us are thinking the same things, but my number 1 thing would be to "Just Do It!" Make sure that we don't let other things get in the way of our trips.

Otherwise...
Pack lighter. My Irish dad taught me to always be.... over-prepared. I'm going to stop that.

I have some farther destinations in mind that I'd love to visit. Next year we're going to take more time and see new territory.

Use more BDB's, especially on our fishing poles while traveling, even if we're planning on casting around rapids on the way.

TG

1. Try to get back into the "More than 1 trip" yearly routine again and try out my new CCS Pioneer Pack.
2. Eat mor freeze dried meals for dinner only, as quality has greatly improved in last ten years.
3. Get Exped or similar sleeping pad.
4. Take my 3 year old boy on his first trip.
5. Build solo stripper and attend a group solo in late May.

AND 6. Continue to dodge the ever increasing amount of frying pans that my wife will be throwing at me for making this list a priority in our already busy lives.

1) Listen to other people's advice here. We took the long 3 portages into Lake One instead of the channel and were wiped out by the time we made it to Hudson. I should have listened.

2)One long portage is easier than many short portages. We will plan our trip based on this lesson next year.

3) Food- Bring more Hudson Bay Bread and more home baked treats. This was my first year making the bread and it rocked. 100 calorie paks are great for dessert. Just a little treat after dinner. The Cheesecake ones are the best.

4)Gear- Replace portage sandals with some sort of portage shoes. Replace pocket rocket with another pocket rocket.

Take what I took in 2008 trip. This was the one trip I actually used everything I brought.

1) Get in two trips instead of one

2) Buy a better tarp

3) Experiment more with food ideas for the next trip

4) Sneak a new tent into the house

1) Trim more weight on packing by editing more of those "be nice to have" items 2) edit fishing tackle and depend mostly on live bait. (Thanks TGO) :) 3) Start planning earlier and get committed trip partners etched in stone 4) Trim/plan ding menu better

As always less food.

Put an easy day in between difficult ones.

1. more trips.
2. keep upgrading gear.
3. more trips.

1. Get the wife to approve a trip
2. 2 man trip instead of 3
3. Pack less food
4. Different stove. Propane was nice but empties are bulky
5. Trim down gear to be able to single portage

#1 needs to happen before anything else, obviously... Would like to get to a point experience-wise where in 2010 or 2011 I can bring my son on a trip, then a couple years later bring my daughter. A trip with my dad or brothers could be fun too.
My wife has no interest in being in a wilderness campsite, Jellystone is wilderness enough for her and the last time we were at a campground was 12 years ago.

1. Take my girlfriend on an easy trip for her first
2. A rougher, more difficult trip with my boys
3. 3 trips instead of 2 (providing girlfriend approves)
4. Never go in on Saturday before Labor Day
5. Continue improving my gear
6. Replace girlfriend if she does not approve of the 3 trip plan

bring less food

pare down my fishing tackle (again)

look into a new sleeping pad (Exped)

get a narrower pack if I take my solo again next year

address my raingear that failed on me a couple weeks ago (try Nikwax first)

get some waterproof stuff sacks for my sleeping bag and clothes (pack liner got breached this year)

things that I will do for sure

1. replace percolator w/coffee press for trip with just my wife

2. get a good tarp, cheapo thing worked fine but holy cow was it LOUD when the wind blew

3. food: more variety for dinner, we had different flavors of the kraft bistro pasta meals and it got very old after 4 nights in a row,

4. get one of those fold up kitchen sink things

5. get a filter or steripen to use instead of the tablets Something I'd love to do but don't see it happening yet in 09 is getting my own canoe. When it does happen we'll be completely self outfitted.

I plan to switch to a hammock, fine tune the amount of gear,take wife on first trip.
Weapon, I've never gone in on the Saturday before Labor Day, I can only assume that it is because there are many people going in that day, but what about coming out that day?

Steve

"I really need a cool saying at the end of my posts"

This is my last year of teaching so hopefully I'll be able to come north a second time next year. Also I've learned to slow down to enjoy it more. So what if it takes 2 days to get to our base camp instead of 1 hard day. Or only go a few lakes in. I've developed an inverse relationship: as age increases, speed decreases.

1 additional trip for me

I would have to say that more trips is a must, and starting to acquiring my own gear. Currently my parents outfit almost everything except for the tent sleeping bag and pad, the only problem I have with this plan is that gear is expensive and I am a poor college student. But to definitely get out on more trips and go farther.

Take a soft-water trip.

NEVER EVER BRING A HARD SIDED COOLER AGAIN!!!!!!

Take the trips I planned. I got in one this year, work torpedoed 2 of my other planned trips.

And speaking about cutting down on what you carry in, there was that guy last year with the post about naked canoeing, it got me thinking...

canuding

Kanoes,

Is that intended to scare the bears away?

thlipsis29

I am pretty happy with my gear and my choices with food, clothes, etc.

I brought a cast iron skillet this year for the first time and I believe I will keep bringing it.

Next year I am going to stay out of the park again. Maybe Timber-Frear again, maybe the Veggie Chain, maybe High and Low or Fenske-Sletten, maybe Dumbell or some of the other lakes in from Isabella. Maybe all of 'em!

I have found that I get a better wilderness experience out of the park than in. I can't get very far from the truck but it's easier to get away from people and truth is, at my age, I don't really want to get days away from the truck.

Looks like I won't make it in 2009. Our only child will be between Junior and Senior years in Highschool and we decided on a family trip down south. Gonna lay on a beach with the inlaws. He's going into the Navy after school so maybe when he is on leave we can do another trip up north.

The good news is that my Blackhawk solo is getting new wood gunnels over the winter! The legendary Ralph Frese from Chicagoland Canoe Base is doing the work. He's 82 years young now and still will talk your ears off. :)

Bring more waterproof matches.

Base camp and take day trips rather than travel every day so I can fish and explore more.

Find a little traveled route.

Start planning for 2010. My 2 sons in college graduate next year and I want to take them to the BW as a graduation gift.

1 Make two trips instead of 1.
2 Bring more food.
3 Bring less fishing gear. (won't really happen)
4 Do not go the week after ice out.
5 Do not follow a dead end tril instead of the portage. (is it still single portaging if you make the trip 3 times but carry all of your gear & canoe each time?)
6 Bring more scotch.

1. 3 trips instead of 2. 1 in excess of 10 days.
2. More coffee.
3. Drift sock to deal with fishing in the wind.
4. Maybe bring my fishfinder, hmmmm....
5. Catch a lake trout.

Go farther. I need to travel more, and go farther. Spent to much time in camp. Less food, I rather have to much than to little and this year I took to much.

During our October trip I walked up to grouse a couple times on two different occasions. It even occured to me that I had a hunting license (I buy the "Sportsman's License" - combo fishing & small game hunting) and how easy it would be to harvest one. Then I thought about the hassles of bringing a gun.

It didn't occur to me until the drive home that I didn't need a gun to hunt grouse. I used to hunt them with a slingshot, but I could have gotten these with a stick.

I may not do it in 2009, but it got me thinking. I'll have to remember to try and find a stick in the BWCA next year.

I may also try to catch a fish in 2009 ... but then again, may be not.

1. less food
2. longer trips - this year was/will be 3 three days, 1 four day, and one 8 day.
3. don't bring the lighter sleeping bag in may just because the pack is getting heavy.
4. actually put some real time into fishing (haven't had a shore lunch yet this year).