Down jackets for BWCA?

[Duffman]

A few things;

I'm approaching 46 yrs of age and have never tipped a canoe.

If I do tip my canoe all my stuff is indeed in dry bags.

I got my first North Face down vest in 6th grade and learned the properties of wet down at an early age, so I've made sure that in the following 34yrs my down doesn't get wet.

It's an easy concept.

[PartyWhine]

I'd like to forget, but my bro won't let me ... and he has pics.

I belong to the "Dumped the Canoe" club.

2nd day in on a 2 week Canadian opener trip.

It was a traveling day and we'd stopped for lunch.

I think we were on Sarah

I slipped stepping off a rock getting back into the canoe.

My foot didn't land anywhere near the centerline.

The only thing quicker than the way we rolled was me getting out.

I belly flopped into about 3ft of ice water.

I believe he did a headstand, while still in the sitting position.

When that happens, it knocks the breath right out of ya.

Retrieve the gear and start a fire ... no more traveling that day.

Ah ..... good times, good times.

Wish he didn't have those pics though.

[Stick in Mud]

I've dumped twice, I'll (un)happily admit. Once was not my fault, the other time was completely my fault (I was in my solo canoe). I was also at a seminar given by Dan Cooke (of Cooke Custon Sewing...best stuff ever, btw), where he admitted to dumping his solo, too. So I guess I'm in good company. It happens, and sometimes it user error, sometimes it's not.

I do keep all of my clothing in waterproof stuff sacks, and I also line my packs (even the "waterproof" ones) with a contractor-grade plastic liner, so I try to be safe. I've decided to bring the down jacket with...it's so comfortable and so light and so space-saving that, if I never do actually bring it with, it'll not make the tiniest bit of difference. I could save more weight and space by not brining a few extra leadhead jigs.

[Duffman]

I've come close to dumping, especially with the solo the last few years. That's why not only do I use dry bags but I clip everything in the canoe I don't want to lose in case I dump. Even though it's never happened to me yet, I expect it will some day.

[Redlantern]

Clipping gear in is a great idea. Leave a rope tied to a thwart and then after the canoe is loaded at the end of the portage, run it through the packs and tie it off. Takes about ten seconds and if/when you do tip, your gear is still with the canoe and not at the bottom of Lake Gotchurgear.

[nofishfisherman]

My only concern with tieing packs into a canoe is that you need to do it so that you have one single rope attached to a single quick disconnect so that you can quickly disconnect all your gear from the canoe if you dump. Also make sure to leave enough slack so that the gear stays with the canoe but not IN the canoe.

I've seen people literally tie all the gear into the canoe as well as tie all the packs to ropes and then tie the different ropes off to different parts of the canoe. I always wondered about how easy is it going to be to right a canoe with maybe an extra 100-150 pounds of gear in it or with packs and ropes all tangled up around your canoe if you happen to dump in deep water? That could make it very very tough at the very least it will take longer and depending on water temps you may not want to be in the water any longer then you have to.

Also I wouldn't worry too much about your gear sinking assuming you packed it correctly. If packed right with plastic liners sealed tight and dry bags your packs will float for a good long time and your gear should stay relatively dry so you'll have time to save them.

Last summer a friend was out with his wife and young son and they dumped in deep water on Brule Lake. They righted the canoe but their son was pretty cold by that point so they had to head for the entry point. My friend called his dad and had him meet him at the Brule EP the next morning and the 2 of them went off looking for the packs that they had to leave. They headed to the wind blown shoreline and found all the packs as they all were still floating 16 hours later.

[Stick in Mud]

Sounds like a scary time on Brule...I've had a few rough crossings on that lake myself. I usually avoid big lakes like that on my solo trips (especially early/late in the season) because I'm afraid of something like that happening (or getting windblown for days on end).

I've played around in mid-summer purposefully tipping the canoe and then trying to get back in it. When the water's warm and the waves aren't too big, it's not all that hard to do (I'm still relatively young and relatively fit). I'm curious, though, about being able to life up a big heavy pack and get it in the canoe, assuming you don't have your feet on the bottom of the lake. Seems like you'd just sink under the water as soon as you tried to lift up the pack?

[nofishfisherman]

If you are in the water your main priority should be to get out of the water (assuming cold water). The packs can wait and I think you're right I doubt you'd be able to lift a pack into a canoe if you are in the water without your feet on the bottom.

If you are in the canoe I suppose you could try lifting the pack into the canoe that way but lets say an average pack is 50 pounds and now you're leaning over the side reaching for it odds are you'll be dumping again in short order.

Usually the best bet is to get your canoe righted, get in the canoe, gather your gear and do your best to tug boat it to shore where you can lift it in with stable footing. By that point you'll probably need a breather and a chance to collect your wits.

My friends who dumped on Brule did have quite the adventure, they actually dumped twice on the first day of the trip but they still went ahead and had a good time after the day two gear rescue mission. Brule can be a real bugger thats for sure. I've been on it several times now and I always avoid going west of the EP where you are exposed to the main body of the lake. The east side isn't as bad with the islands and bays you can use for protection. Actually was there last August with the wife on a trip up to Winchell and we had nice calm water for both the paddle in and out. I told my wife to never expect that again on Brule.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, I got lucky crossing it last year, too. We came down from Long Island, Kiskadinna, Davis, etc. and then veered back west towards the Temperance Lakes. It was absolute glass and a wonderful paddle. Not likely to happen very often.

But yeah, I think that's what you call a hijacked thread.

[nofishfisherman]

Classic hijacking

I've wanted to check out Davis but haven't made it up that way yet. I've heard the portages into Davis are pretty tough, any truth to that?

The wife and I are planning another trip this August (actually I'm planning it she just comes along for the ride) and may go in through Baker and up the Temperance River and into the Temperance lakes through that route. Never been over there so be interested in checking it out.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, Davis is a tough portage....I think it's around a mile, and there are some climbs. The trail is also very overgrown, so much so that it'd be pretty easy to walk off of it if you weren't paying much attention. The better half and I did it in August, though, so it might be a bit easier at other times of the year.

Davis Lake was pretty nice, and if you'd like a bit of solitude, I can't imagine a much better lake. I'm not sure about the fishing there, but as a "no fish" fisherman, you probably don't catch many, anyways.

[Stick in Mud]

(no offense, nofishfisherman)

[nofishfisherman]

None taken.

I've had this name for so long it dates back to my days of not being able to catch any fish when I was younger. I've thought about updating it to something that more accurately reflects my current fishing ability but "OccasionalyCatchesAFishFisherman" seems a little too long.

Usually when in the BWCA fishing isn't a huge priority or atleast it doesn't factor into where i travel all that much. At least not when I'm out with my wife. I do go on trips with my buddies and then it factors in more.