Hello All,

Five buddies and I are heading up for a June 19-26 trip, driving up from Oklahoma. Time on water is 6 days, 5 nights. We are doing the Moose River (16) to Mudro (23). None of us have done a Boundary Waters trip yet. My father and a buddy built wooden canoes 23 years ago and took them up for a trip, but other than that, we are just trying to learn as much as we can before June 19. We have read the book by Daniel Pauly.

We have a tentative outline and options B and C laid out. We are looking to get some good smallmouth action, specifically on LLC, Iron, and Crooked. A couple of us will have fly fishing gear, including me.

In the process of planning meals right now, we have pretty much all settled on Mountain House backpacker meals for dinner, adding fish to the mix when available. For breakfasts and lunches; what do you all suggest? We are looking for easy and effective. Oatmeal packs for breakfast? What about lunch? Should we target lunch on the move? Snacks?

We appreciate your suggestions and any other tips you may have.

Welcome, I've done that entire stretch the last 2 years but on 2 different trips. You picked a good one if you like fishing.

Sounds like you have a good idea already w/ plans B and C on the route itself.

As for the meals, oatmeal is a good one for breakfast. Only need to heat water and that can be used for coffee/hot chocolate as well. We tend to keep breakfast and lunch easy and fast with maybe one we'd actually have to cook. (pancakes w/ wild blueberries) Wait to do that one on a day you're not in a hurry to get out of there. (if you move that day at all)

Assorted bagels, peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches for lunch, summer sausage, granola bars, trail mix, etc are all good things that can be eaten for breakfast or lunch and don't need dishes or a stove/fire.

You'll want to think about two things - variety & calories

Variety - something to crunch (freeze dried meals are mushy), dried fruit, nuts, etc. You won't want to carry a lot of fresh (water heavy) food so put some thought into it. Five Cliff Bars a day gets old real quick.

Calories - You'll need something like 2,000 to 3,000 calories depending on your size & how hard you're working. Backpacking meals are roughly 250 to 300 calories per serving.

Being Boy Scouts we're looking at Northern Tier (www.Ntier.org) and Philmont Scout Ranch (www.philmontscoutranch.org) for ideas on what to bring.

Food is a pretty personal thing - taste, variety, amount. I'm usually solo and have my own style and foods. If someone comes with me, they either eat what I eat or do their own. I prefer to keep it very simple.

Cold cereal for breakfast works fine for me. Occasionally hot cereal.

Lunch is ProBars and snacks are nuts - sometimes I even throw some raisins or something in. I just eat it on the go; I'm not going to stop, cook something, and clean it all up.

Dinners are dehydrated meals similar to the freeze-dried Mountain House ones you are planning, usually stuff from Hawk Vittles and Outdoor Herbivore or a couple of others.

I usually have about 2,400 calories a day, but I'm not a big guy or big eater anymore. I don't seem to have as great a need for variety as some. I'll alternate 2 different cereals for breakfast on a 12-day trip and 3-4 flavors of ProBars (that's real variety :) - and maybe a half dozen different dinners.

I'd just keep it simple - food weight adds up and so do prep and clean up time. There are better things to do in my mind. You'll only have 5 breakfasts, 5 dinners, 6 lunches/snacks. You'll survive it . . .but you may lose a couple of pounds and have a certain cravings when you get out ;).

Thanks! I failed to mention that we are six 25-26 year old males in good shape.

I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast. Lunches are usually PBJ on soft flour tortillas. Use squeeze jelly from Smuckers or Welch's. The peanut butter is the typical Skippy's plastic jars with the screw tops.

Dinners are sometimes freeze dried, but I've taken to Hormel meals in a tray that are supposed to be microwaved. I normally leave the microwave at home (just kidding). I just boil them in a pot of water to heat them up. They are really good.

Favorite Hormel flavors are BBQ shredded chicken, which you can make a taco out of. I also really like the sirloin beef tips and pot roast. both come with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Check your local grocery store for food that doesn't need refrigeration. Most of the food I buy these days comes from the supermarket. You can get pancake mix, freeze dried hashbrowns, etc. from the grocery store.

Tomster

Breakfast: Instant hot cereal and pouch fruit Also hot Chocolate and coffee as desired. 2 H/C and 2 cereal person/day should do it. Honey as a sweetener if desired..

Lunch: Gorp, cheese, peanut butter w crackers.jerky, beef roll. Hunt's non-refridgeator deserts.
Good food bars Suggest 2 per day per person. Can be used as snacks too.

Buy in variety and personal tasteful amounts of each. You will survive and enjoy more time fishing and paddling. Fruit individual bowls for evening dessert. First trip advice for young and in shape: Take more than you think you will need. It is not "that" heavy and ;better to have enough for snacks.

Granola, oatmeal and something we are bringing this year - Bridgford sandwiches. They are MRE type sandwiches and are supposed to be good. They have a French toast option a well.

Have you checked out the recipe forum?

We eat fish, but for breakfast, we alternate breakfasts of pancakes & precooked bacon and oatmeal. We'll add coffee, Tang and Hot Chocolate for beverages.

Lunches are crackers, cheese and stick sausage. Alternate days are Hudson Bay Bread with peanut butter & jelly. We'll usually have a package of beef jerky, too.

The thought of freeze-dried backpacking-type meals nauseates me.

Super simple breakfast. Precooked bacon rolled up in tortillas. Both pack well. I do eat a lot of oatmeal, also. For lunch peanut butter on those tortillas works. Mixed nuts. Granola bars.etc..

Its surprising how well I can run on a Cliff Bar,,,,,,,,,a big Oatmeal Breakfast which includes raisins and 2 Cliff Bars and I can go all Day. For my 20+ day August trip I have 1 Bear Vault filled with nothing but Cliff Bars.

Granola or Muselli breakfast, unlike oatmeal can be eaten cold.

Mixed nuts, trail mixes, dense crackers/biscuits like belvita or sultana w/peantut butter on top. Candy bars, beef jerky, babybell cheese, salami, tortillas.

Freeze dried dinners: prefer beans and rice, lentils and rice, shepherds pie, lasagna, and spaghetti. But individual tastes/opinions vary greatly on these. Just be sure to bring a variety and a sure winner or 2. Hot sauce can also rescue a bad meal if you are into that sort of thing. A candy bar dessert can also help mask a lot though. Ramen and mashed potatoes as emergency meals/sides are easy to make in ziplocks.

quote mastertangler: "For my 20+ day August trip I have 1 Bear Vault filled with nothing but Cliff Bars. "

Too each his own but that made me cringe. I ate one too many Cliff bars on a hiking trip and may not ever be able to eat another. Read the story on the back of the bars and you will see the irony in that (seemed less funny when I was choking them down with tang).

Awesome. Very good ideas. Seems like oatmeal & precooked bacon breakfast, and PBJ lunches are a theme.

On the pre-cooked bacon. I assume it is just cooked before you start the trip? And it stays good for a whole week like that?

I've seen Tang mentioned in a lot of threads. Why specifically Tang? I had crystal light packets in mind, or even Gatorade powder. Why is Tang specifically mentioned for a drink mix?

Precooked bacon is bought precooked. Tang is good, also shorter to type than crystal lite packet ;)

For drinks, I bring lemonade mio water and orange kook aid squeeze bottles. They mix better than the powders, both taste good warm, and mix good with everclear. As a bonus, you can rinse them out and reuse them for all sorts of stuff. Condiments, bleach, dish soap, sun screen, fuel for an alcohol stove, olive oil, soy sauce, etc.

Understood on the bacon, just normal bacon from the refrigerated section at the store... So do you keep it on ice?

Good idea on the Mio bottles..

Buy the stuff at the grocery store that is not refrigerated. The pre-cooked stuff.

quote agrippando: "Understood on the bacon, just normal bacon from the refrigerated section at the store... So do you keep it on ice?


Good idea on the Mio bottles.."

precooked bacon No refrigeration. Shelf stable. Open the bag, heat for 20 seconds and eat!

One of my favorite powdered drinks is GNC whey powder vanilla protein powder.

Actually quite tasty and you help your muscles with the protein. Store your powdered drinks in a Nalgene wide mouth water canteen.......the ultimate food storage container.

The water canteens are not the hard plastic bottles BTW. Hard to find but available in several sizes........again they are the ultimate food storage container........I do not use them for the intended purpose.

Thanks for the bacon link. I guess I've never had that, but sounds good so I'll have to go find some.

quote agrippando: "Thanks for the bacon link. I guess I've never had that, but sounds good so I'll have to go find some."

It's not as good as thick sliced meat market bacon, but it's fast and light.

How does everyone do for clothing? I understand the no cotton rule. All of the clothes below are technical clothing materials.

Planning on the following, and wearing some of this on the way in:
3 pairs of lightweight smart wool
1 pair extra heavy smart wool (in case it is colder than expected at night)
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of pants
1 long sleeve sun shirt
1 long sleeve sun shirt with hood
1 short sleeve
3 boxers
1 puff jacket

How does this list look? I think I may need to add another pair of shorts and t shirt for camp clothes. Is it normal for the camp clothes to be cotton? Do I need to add in a lightweight fleece?

I am, generally a cold sleeper and worried about it being colder than expected. What have you all seen the temps be at the end of June? Should I pack some of my technical hunting long johns to be safe?

I generally follow the weather and temps for about 10 days before I go in. If a cold spell is likely I might add accordingly. I did not see a rain jacket and it can double as an extra layer instead of the fleece. A light fleece is always nice and packs so well, however.

If you have space and willing to carry a little weight getting prepackaged items such as a cheese/noodle mix and add a foil pack of chicken will give texture and taste but is a one dish meal easy to fix and clean up.

I always check the average temps for the time period I'll be in, and the record highs and lows. I'd take a pair of long johns, which adds a lot of warmth without too much bulk or weight. That along with the puffy should be plenty warm, but a fleece beanie could be nice. I also take a sleeping bag and pad rated for a temp as low or lower than that expected.

I would bring 2 short sleeve shirts and 1 sleeveless. It could get very warm during that time you are going. Expect the bugs to be horrendous. Head nets are a good idea. Boonie's suggestion of a lightweight beenie is good too.

Good rain gear doubles as an extra outer layer. A 2nd very light pair of pants could be brought as well.

For food I like it simple. 2 packs instant oatmeal with dried fruit and a trail bar with coffee. A pancake breakfast or 2 is nice and really tastes great up there. A simple just add water mix is good.

P & J on tortillas is really good but fairly heavy so I wouldn't do that every day. I like trail mix, snack bar, cookies, jerky, and I like to pack some really good dark chocolate. This is what I bring and work great because of the small little vacuum seal packs they come in. You can buy an assorted bag too. This would be a big hit. Bring a lot.

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Have a great trip.

List looks good, maybe light rain jacket and fleece instead of puffer.
I like a warm pair of knee socks(keeps your sleeping bag cleaner too) and a smart wool beanie, for cold nights/mornings. Probably won't need long johns but personal preference and cold rainy weather might change your mind, cheap rain pants are a warm layer to consider too.

Have you looked into permethrin yet. Apply to outerwear (for me sun hat, buttonup, tshirt, pants, socks, hammock bottoms, etc. before trip, keeps the bugs off.

1 pair hiking pants (zipoff if hot) and 1 pair shorts/swim trunks is enough for me personally. Wash one wear one. I like a soft cotton/poly tshirt as my sleep/spare shirt.

Just my opinion but wetfooting is inevitable, between rocks at portages and mudfields on trails, wet feet will happen if not wearing big boots. I just wear shoes that vent well (merril moabs or old trail runners and merino socks or liner socks depending on temps).

I also bring crocs for campshoes to let my feet air out some but be sure to permethrin some camp socks or you will get bug bites that match the design of your crocs :)

Great advice, thanks all.

Does anyone take those small canoe seats with the back that fold up? Similar to this:

http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=33262396&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:33262396:18093011-DSG:LIFESTYLE-CAMPING_BACKYARD_FURNITURE

quote agrippando: "Great advice, thanks all.


Does anyone take those small canoe seats with the back that fold up? Similar to this:


http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=33262396&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:33262396:18093011-DSG:LIFESTYLE-CAMPING_BACKYARD_FURNITURE"

I have that one and it's a bit on the heavy side compared to a Crazy Creek brand chair. They are great in and out of the canoe as a backrest/chair.

Crazy Creek Chair

For recipes check out these websites:

Trail cooking ]


Backcountry Chef


Dirty Gourmet

quote agrippando: "Thanks for the bacon link. I guess I've never had that, but sounds good so I'll have to go find some."

For the bacon if you have an Aldis by you go there as they have shelf stable bacon. It is usually with the canned meats and tuna pouches

quote agrippando: "Great advice, thanks all.


Does anyone take those small canoe seats with the back that fold up? Similar to this:


http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=33262396&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:33262396:18093011-DSG:LIFESTYLE-CAMPING_BACKYARD_FURNITURE"

Personally - and I may be in the minority - I don't take anything like that. It's just another thing to carry, keep track of, and mess around with. The canoe has a seat and it works OK for me. And I'm way older than you guys :. And my back is worse, too ;). I don't take a chair for camp either - logs and rocks work fine :).

quote agrippando: "Great advice, thanks all.


Does anyone take those small canoe seats with the back that fold up? Similar to this:


http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=33262396&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:33262396:18093011-DSG:LIFESTYLE-CAMPING_BACKYARD_FURNITURE"

I take one. They are great to have to seat in not only canoeing but after a long day to sit back in at camp with. Well worth the weight.

Awesome, we have an Aldi's so I'll check that out.

Canoe seats look good too... Wondering if the crazy creek provides enough back support.. I've read mixed reviews...

Any suggestions for mosquito masks? Would a sun buff and a hat work?

Treat the hat/sun buff with permethrin (if not already treated) and add a cheap head net to wear over the hat when needed.

Thanks.. Going to get a big bottle of that stuff.

Any tips on alcohol? Fill an extra Nalgene bottle with something strong?

No better way to find out if you can do without alcohol. Many say they can but actually have not tested their words. leave it at home and see. 1989 scout trip proved to be to much for one sponsor and he was really hurting by the time we got back from 7 days in. Was so bad, he bummed a ride to Ely while waiting for the other group of 8 to get in to Scout High Adventure Camp.

quote agrippando: "Thanks.. Going to get a big bottle of that stuff.


Any tips on alcohol? Fill an extra Nalgene bottle with something strong?"

G&T first night with steaks. Nalgene and tonic bottle double as water storage the rest of the trip. G&T's are also pretty darn good luke warm, those brits knew a thing or 2.

quote agrippando: "Awesome, we have an Aldi's so I'll check that out.


Canoe seats look good too... Wondering if the crazy creek provides enough back support.. I've read mixed reviews...


Any suggestions for mosquito masks? Would a sun buff and a hat work?"

I think they provide plenty of back support, just as much as my Therma rest chair kits do.

quote agrippando: "
Canoe seats look good too... Wondering if the crazy creek provides enough back support.. I've read mixed reviews...

Any suggestions for mosquito masks? Would a sun buff and a hat work?"

The crazy creek chair works just fine for me either in the boat or reading a book on a rock shelf in camp. It's made very well.

The headnets are relatively cheap and I would just google search to see what style and how much you want to spend. I would get something mid priced. The real cheap nets might not make it through the week.

Alcohol? I buy Jack Daniels First Barrel and put in a dark colored small nalgene. I don't drink in the day so it's reserved for after dinner.

I would highly recommend listening to the Field & Stream Adventure Podcast about their week in the Q - wonderful advice for first timers, easy to listen to, and relatively short compared to other podcasts.

Ive done a lot of food prep research for a similar group setup, but its a lot to type. If youd really like it email me and Ill write it down for you.

-CH

Best advice Ive gotten is from personal experience.
-Bring less stuff
-Have more fun

Thanks for the podcast tip, I've already listened to the whole thing twice and recommended to the rest of the group.

Any tips on paddling with a partner?

What bug spray should we have besides pre-treating with permethrin and bringing face nets?

Any tips on preparing/cooking fish? Should we just bring oil and a small pan, fillet and cook in oil? What's easiest?

quote agrippando: "Thanks for the podcast tip, I've already listened to the whole thing twice and recommended to the rest of the group.


Any tips on paddling with a partner?


What bug spray should we have besides pre-treating with permethrin and bringing face nets?


Any tips on preparing/cooking fish? Should we just bring oil and a small pan, fillet and cook in oil? What's easiest?"

I like Deep Woods Off, the dry version. Works well and doesn't leave a greasy feel on you.

quote agrippando: "Thanks for the podcast tip, I've already listened to the whole thing twice and recommended to the rest of the group.


Any tips on paddling with a partner?


What bug spray should we have besides pre-treating with permethrin and bringing face nets?


Any tips on preparing/cooking fish? Should we just bring oil and a small pan, fillet and cook in oil? What's easiest?"

I used Ben's 100 deet this year for the first time and was pleased with the results, spray your hands, rub your face and neck, spray the crap out of your head net and hat - that combined with the permethrin should make even the thickest bugs tolerable.

I bring a small thin plastic cutting board for filleting, and enjoy pan searing fish like youre thinking - there are a couple good recipes on the other forum that Im looking forward to trying though

I agree with the pb&j on tortillas and the summer sausage/cheese for lunch. We also tried those packets of tuna - made tuna salad with packets of mayo and put it on a tortilla. They were a hit.

I might try those precooked bacon packs this year. But what do you cook your eggs in, if not bacon grease?

quote LetsGoFishing: "I agree with the pb&j on tortillas and the summer sausage/cheese for lunch. We also tried those packets of tuna - made tuna salad with packets of mayo and put it on a tortilla. They were a hit.


I might try those precooked bacon packs this year. But what do you cook your eggs in, if not bacon grease?


"

The bacon still produces some grease from it when heated up, otherwise we have used Ghee.

quote agrippando: "
Any tips on preparing/cooking fish? Should we just bring oil and a small pan, fillet and cook in oil? What's easiest?"

I like the no mess approach and put the seasoned and oiled filets in foil and right on the coals. It helps to have a gripper of some sort to turn them over and pull out of the fire. No pan to scrub or grease to dump. I double bag gallon zip locks for my trash and just put the used foil in there to pack out.

Truthfully I only go this route when solo to save weight. Frying breaded fish is really great too.

As you can tell, there is a wealth of information on this board. I suggest you use the search button and look at old posts. Guys like us love sharing our experience with fellow BWCA enthusiasts.

As you can see from all the different comments, most of this isn't a matter of right and wrong, it's a matter of personal preference.

I'm going in on the exact same rout next week and I'm in the final stages of packing.

We fish 8-10 hours a day and base camp.
I always bring a canoe seat. I also bring in a moderately light folding chair. It's easy to pack in and amazingly comfortable in the evening! A mesh seat doesn't hold water and dries quicker if rained on. Some of the guys laugh at me for taking it, but I have to kick them out of it all the time when I want to sit down.

Along with a few mountain house meals, I'll bring in bacon, tuna in foil packs, mio, Jim Beam, Cigars, Jerky, cereal bars, oatmeal, PB&J, and hot cocoa (great on cool morning). Hot dogs\brats are EASY inexpensive meals. (see thread on the recipe board)
For bread I use "Sandwich thins" Much better than tortillas, already flat and easy to pack in.
If you have time, search DIY fire starters. I made a dozen very quickly with wax, saw dust, and cotton balls poured into a paper egg crate and it burns for 25 minutes with a 4-6 inch flame. Very handy on a wet day!

This may gross a few people out, but I'll share anyway. I usually get up once or twice to "go to the bathroom" over night. An empty Gatorade bottle in the tent is soooo convienient!!!! (especially on a cold or rainy night)

Prepare for the worst: extreme sun, lots of rain, thick bugs, cold weather, reel problems, fishing line loss, minor injuries\cuts, etc.

I admit I did not read all the posts thoroughly, but did anyone mention eggs? We toss them in ziplock baggies with onion, cooked bacon, and peppers and boil them, for about 10- 12 minutes. Easy and little cleanup. Everyone can add what they want. Eat them with tortilla shells.
For lunch we just have cheese, summer sausage, and. Pita with gorp.

quote agrippando: "How does everyone do for clothing? I understand the no cotton rule. All of the clothes below are technical clothing materials.


Planning on the following, and wearing some of this on the way in:
3 pairs of lightweight smart wool
1 pair extra heavy smart wool (in case it is colder than expected at night)
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of pants
1 long sleeve sun shirt
1 long sleeve sun shirt with hood
1 short sleeve
3 boxers
1 puff jacket


How does this list look? I think I may need to add another pair of shorts and t shirt for camp clothes. Is it normal for the camp clothes to be cotton? Do I need to add in a lightweight fleece?


I am, generally a cold sleeper and worried about it being colder than expected. What have you all seen the temps be at the end of June? Should I pack some of my technical hunting long johns to be safe?


"

I would add a set of soft long underwear to the list, I am a cold sleeper and always - even in the heat of August - wear long underwear to sleep in. My husband sleeps warm and likes one cotton T-shirt to sleep in.

For breakfast I really try to avoid doing dishes so we can get going faster. I love granola or energy bars. For lunch we bring hard cheese, summer sausage, and crackers or bagels. I often also bring some instant soups since we usually eat lunch after we make camp for the day and if its rainy or windy nice hot soup is nice.

For in-camp cocktails I like a splash of bourbon in my evening cocoa. A mixture of roughly equal parts honey, lemon juice, and bourbon in a bottle will last the first few days and tastes very nice with some freshly filtered lake water added.

I second whoever above said a fleece and a rain coat rather than a puffy jacket.

Does anyone use a map case for their maps? I've seen one called a sealy map case I believe, basically a zip lock type case..

Yes, I use a SeaLine map case. I put my maps, notes, pen, notebook, route notes, compass, permit, etc. in there and clip to pack that sits right in front of me.

Yes, use a map case. You can get away with double big zip locks if money is tight. However, it is nice to have a carabiner attached to it. I clip it to the back of my pack when portaging.

BTW - carry an extra set of maps!

Toilet paper recommendations?

quote agrippando: "Toilet paper recommendations?"

Charmin, double ply, 10 sheets per person per day (men only). Stored in Ziploc with hand sanitizer (use is mandatory even with no community GORP bag). One roll TP in reserve.

quote agrippando: "Toilet paper recommendations?"

I like to have multiple smaller rolls double zipped and put in all the packs.

In lieu of TP I would recommend the coleman biodegradable wipes. If TP gets wet its pretty much useless, and the wipes come in a resealable package.

one package goes in each pack

Fully cooked bacon?

Does anyone have a good website for ordering a bunch of jerky, summer sausage, etc?

Looking for enough for a full crew for a week of lunches & snacks but don't want to pay for all the packaging.

We do lunch on the move with a few planned "nicer" lunch days, which is usually mac and cheese.

Next trip I plan to bring in either bagels, or tortilla shells to make some PB & Honey sandwiches.

World Market sells little individual summer sausages, which is great for lunches or snacks.

quote agrippando: "


Fully cooked bacon?
"

Hell yes! Its a trip staple.