I hope nothing like that befalls me during the upcoming trip.  I hope to enjoy a bit of Very Special Old Pale on several evenings.  Especially if we meet with with others, while in the Q.  My next task is to unpack everything and recheck it then pack it up for the last time.  The clock counts down.

fishingbuddy:
your comment about warming up cognac in a stainless cup brought to mind the following.
when i used to "group travel" with 3 other guy's, it was a real chore because they wanted to party more than travel and fish.
one night. (Tequila" night), actualy everynight turned into Tequila night, but i digress, one of the boy's brought out a bottle of cognac and was explaing how it should be properly consumed.
by then my fellow paddlers were pretty well inebriated and since i'm a very light drinker, i was babysitting as usual!!
well, one of the "boy's" decided he would try the cognac, the "right" way and while the rest of us were setting up a makeshift card table, our friend was hovering over the fire, "warming" his cognac .
unfortunatley, he was so drunk, he was using a PLASTIC cup and got it so close to fire, it melted and next thing we hear,  is a yell and turn to see a giant ball of flame shooting into the air!!!
As often the case, the good Lord was watching over the drunk and other than some singed eye brows, he was okay .
Okay, being  a relative term to those guy's!!!
it's funny now, but at the time, not so much .

I use that Thermos press every morning and it works great.  It's a little big to bring with, but it might be worth it.  It seems pretty durable.

OK, you are a coffee snob!
Have you used the thermos press yet?  I looked at the lexan press at a local store but was not that impressed.  I like the glass one we use at home brews a great cup of coffee.

I thought for a short time of bringing a warming set up for Cognac.  But the glasses became an issue.  So I thought I could warm a stainless steel cup and then pour the cognac in and enjoy the sunset/moon rise.

Quote:


OK, I'll one up you on the coffee.  I'm seriously considering bringing my (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) this year so I can brew the real Swedish coffee I like so much:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I've become a Swedish coffee snob after visiting there twice in the last year.

Unfortunately your list is incomplete.
I need a coffee pot with the perculator parts.  I may give up my Venti, Starbucks, but I have to have a good subsutuite.

As far as pans go, I guess it kind of depends what you are going to cook.  Here's what I bring:

1 plastic bowl
1 dipper cup
1 plate
1 small + 1 medium pot
1 fry pan
flipper,big spoon, 2 forks, 2 spoons, 2 knives (all plastic)
1 insulated coffee mug
1L Nalgene bottle

I generaly have granola/dried fruit for breakfast (plastic bowl + spoon), use no dishes at lunch, and then have either a lake trout, a walleye, or some noodle-based meal for dinner.  I bring the two pots so that I can cook in one and make hot water in the other (coffee and/or dishwater).

As far as portaging goes, I triple every one.  I could double-portage, but I find it much more pleasant to do the 5 trips across with less weight on my back than 3 with lots.  I do bring a lot of stuff, though.

Another thing I would recomend for spring Q trips is to not take the canoe across a portage on the first trip.  Sometimes the trail can be hard to see in the spring and animal tracks merge off of it.  It's easier to make it out with a pack on your back vs. a canoe on your shoulders.  I learned that the hard way once and had to bang around the woods a good while with the canoe until I found it.

lotalota, Thank you for the suggestions.

I have begun to seperate out the gear I think I will take on this trip.  My current delema is what size pots should I bring.  I have a Coleman nested set with 3 pans and 3 lids, that my stove fits in.  I will be traveling with 1 other sperson for most of the trip and meeting at least one other person to share a camp with for a night.  I only need the small set but I wonder if I sould have the large one to use when we all meet up. 
I am planning on double portages, so taking an extra pot or two woud not affect things too much.  (just thinking an typing at work kinda of a good distraction)
Always enjoying hearing what others think.

I've done 3 May solo's in the Q, two of 19 nights and one of 12.  Of course it all depends on your interest and personality, but here is a list of things that might be helpful.  While I know you are interested in meeting other folks, due to the relatively lower concentration of people there at that time you just may not.

1.  Be prepared for horrid weather.  May is one of the most beautiful times to go, but also bad weather can come with a vengeance.  I've had a few times where it has been 35-40 degrees, windy, and rainy for two days on end.  So it is worth the extra effort to carry a sturdy, comfortable tent.  Sometimes the weather is perfect, but you have to plan for the bad.

2.  I bring lots of books.  I read a lot anyway, but I bring 10-12 of them each time.  If the weather is bad, or I'm starved for talk, a book is just the thing to exercise my mind.  If some dumb song gets stuck in your head, a book can take it away.

3.  Rubber boots.  Often the portages are small streams and you are walking through are water as much as land.

4.  If you want, you can enter prior to May 19th.  No permit is required then.  You need a RABC permit and to pay the box, but you can go permit free prior to that time.

5.  Again, it depends on your personality, but I find it helpful to travel every day that weather allows it.  I get bored by myself in a base camp.

6.  Stay near shore when you paddle big lakes.  With cold water, unpredictable wind and weather, I'm sure you know this.  I often take the long route around just for safety purposes.  Twice I've nearly been caught in big blows that came without a warning, and I was glad I had an island or point to hide behind.

7.  Be sure to bring your canoe all the way up on shore when you stop.  At night I tie it to a tree as it is light and could blow away.  I don't want to be stuck, canoe-less, on an island.

Just a few thoughts.  Have fun and enjoy yourself!

As the heretofore missing member of the Group Solo in September, I agree that the guys I met thru this board proved to be kindred souls.  Very similar approach to the area.

As far as your route, I've done the loop you've described.  I left PP, went up to Kashshahpiwi, to the Maligne, to Kawnipi down Agnes.  All in about 85 miles.  Lovely trip and one that I'd do again in a heartbeat.  Portages from North Bay to Kahshahpiwi are interesting.

Do the loop, you'll never regret this adventure.