Just got back 2 days ago from a 9 day solo in Quetico.  I had bought a bunch of gear, but the best purchase was the NRS Workboot Wetshoe for portage footwear.  I had been looking for something with decent ankle support and these had nice high tops with laces and a velcro strap at the top of the boot.  These are made for not coming off in muck.  I was in knee deep muck for an extended period of time and they never even came close to coming off.  Good tread for portages.  Neoprene insides, so you almost need socks to get them on easily.  They performed flawlessly.  Sizes run a little small.  Inexpensive, too--only $80.00.  A gear runner up was my little Midland weather radio--I think I only paid $15.00 for it.  Very simple--just turn it on.  Going solo, it gave me a heads up on important weather developments that helped me plan.  Another great gear item was my "Steripen" water purifier. If you don't know what it is, it kills all the cooties in the water by UV light.  Small, fits in a shirt pocket, runs on batteries--I only used one set of batteries in a week.  What I like is how convenient it was to quickly purify water on the go.  The water does need to be clear for the UV light to reach the cooties, but you can use a rough filter, like a coffee filter, to get particles out.  In Quetico where I went the water was always clear.