I've been contemplating this thread for a while, winter seems like a good time to start it.  I hope you will all pitch in.  I did this exercise at home and came up with at least 56 rules of my own.  Here are some of the top ones:
1- Use your personal flotation device.
2- Always tie your canoe to shore and to a tree when in camp.
3- Bring a compass and know how to use it.
4- Bring several kinds of incendiary devices, so to always be able to start a fire.
5- Bring along lots of rope.
6- Double and triple bag your food stuffs.
7- Always hang your food pack.
8- Collect fire wood before dark.
9- Leave your route plan and day of return with your loved ones at home.
10- Know how to identify poison ivy plants.
11- Have a dependable, water proof, rain fly packed.
12- Pack for all kinds of weather (hot, cold, wet, windy).
13- Make camp before supper time(4:30-5:00 pm).
14- Keep a clean camp, no food out or strewn on ground.
15- Know basic first aid and take along a basic first aid kit.
16- Pack good sun screen and bug repellant.
17- Pack two flashlights, in case one is lost or quits.
18- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
19- Do not get too close to moose.
20- Make small fires, not bon-fires.
21- Do not pitch your tent under dead trees.
22- Do not pitch your tent down wind from the fire.
23- Take good maps and know where you are at all times.
24- Have a pack of absolutely water proof matches with you.

I KNOW we can come up with at least 99 together....

Before someone else says it, #7 should read, "Never hang a bear pinata in camp".  

Make sure all of the woman in the group have plenty of tampon's, regardless if they think they need it or not.
I made this mistake once and have never forgotten it since.

thecanoeman

Interesting idea:  as we add ideas we should keep the numbers going.  Might need to have a moderator do that.
Repair kit to include duct tape, goop( or waterproof cement), thread, thin wire.
Do not attempt to travel beyond your capabilities, too far, too rugged, too long.  Know your limits.

Kawishiway wrote on Dec 9^th, 2006 at 9:17pm:

FWIW - Currently on the gear list, you cannot add to or comment on the list items. It became 144 pages of pure spam heaven. The one page I left as bait gets about 10 'probably extremely useful' comment attempts per day.

Don't know what I'll do with that section of QJ. You can still read and create a list to print so it's a low priority.

Let's stick to personal safety. (I know, it's hard.)

-Shoes are a good idea when swimming.
-The stern paddler always (generally) exits the canoe first.

Good thread,

Carry a small survival kit on your person, compass, knife, signal device, food , fire, and shelter.


flp

if you dont already wear glasses, bring along a pair of safety glasses and wear them when collecting and processing firewood. i scratched a cornea on the  first day of a 4 day trip once.  if youve ever scratched a cornea youll know how the rest of the trip went.  Jan   

Jimbo wrote on Dec 10^th, 2006 at 6:12pm:

Quote:

Since these two posts are back to back, I'll just add that wearing safety glasses on portages is not a bad idea either.  You never know when portaging a canoe whether or not one of those alder limbs might decide to work its way under and smack you in the face.

I DO wear glasses, but I switch to my "owl" lenses when I go into the backcountry.  The large lenses cover more of my face (not very fashionable, but then that's not the point), are shatter resistant and the frames you can almost tie in a knot.  In addition, since I need help near AND far, I specifically had the lenses made as bi-focal but with only about the last 1/4 inch taken up with the bi-focal lense.  This means, I can still see the ground effectively when portaging, but still have enough lense left to tie knots in flshing line and read maps, compass, etc.  (And yes, getting lenses ground this way always produces an argument with the lab folks.)

BTW:  If you NEED lenses, I'd recommend taking a backup pair.

WIF, That is a great post.  You can bring all the good stuff for safety, be smart on the trail, and not thinking for one small thing can ruin trip, as Kanoes can testify with the wood chip in the cornea.

You can play the "what if and what should I bring to be totally prepared"  when packing, but once out in the woods it is one hundred percent the thinking thing that will avoid issues.

I would also advise as Jimbo noted to stick not only to portage trails, but obviously use them where they begin and end.  We all know running rapids is dumb, but trying to go farther down or up the slow moving river to avoid portaging often leads to bushwack, turn around or other problems, as I and others can surely attest to.

It's better to pack 3 partial rolls of TP rather than one large one.  They should be packed waterproof and in different packs.  Bark, leaves, and pine needles are not good substitutes.   

If you fish, bring along needle nose pliers for hook removal.  Tie on a lanyard with carbiner on the loose end to clip onto a thwart.  

-YB

GREAT call Intrepid!

The only "rule" is THINK about what you are doing, always, and don't blindly follow ANY other rule.

As soon as you stop thinking, something will happen.

Dan

thinking gives me a headache.   if at all possible, i avoid it.   Jan

77 - Treat being tired, wet and cold (Hypthermia) as the greatest deadly sin.

Another rule:  Murphy's Law will be in effect at all times.

Carry more than one Compass.

Compasses do break.

Compasses do get miss placed / forgotten / dropped along the portage trail.

Most wilderness compasses float, been known to rise out of unbuttoned pockets while submerged, catching the slightest current, deciding upon an adventure of their own.... without their owners.

If you do break / misplace / or see your last / only compass on your person / pack float away.... ASK others you may have the good fortune of crossing paths with if they have a spare. Negotiate if you must. You may find that some are reluctant to part with their spare if it is their only spare.

Some are known to carry 3 or more compasses. (Oh...but the extra weight is killing me...not) One in their map case, one around their neck or in a buttoned pocket, one in their pack or attached to their pack.

For goodness sake, do not rely on a GPS as your only source or type of navigation tool. Clouds have away of rendering them senseless.    

If you do get lost... (play this game long enough and you will), get found.

k

Quote:

Wise advice.

Quote:

For the wrong reason.  Only sensitive instruments could detect the difference weather makes in a GPS signal.  But given Murphy's law, alternate navigational tools are advisable.      

While I would NOT say a GPS is a required piece of saefty gear, they do provide benefits the compass/map do not.  Low visibility and heavy wind have a way of rendering maps/compass senseless.

Be willing to take advise from other seasoned paddlers. Don't let pride get in your way. You never know it all and you may have forgotten some of the things you once understood.
 
Thanks Azalea.

k

Has anyone heard the term, "magnetic disturbance"? Here's a bit of info from the Green Bay sectional aeronautical chart (published by the FAA), which covers the BWCA.

"Magnetic disturbance of as much as 12 degrees exists at ground level between Tower and Ely" . . . as much as 18 degrees . . . from Duluth to Grand Marias".

I'm certain it has to do with the iron ore in the region. Compass error will be constant in a given area, therefore local deviation can be recorded and noted on your maps. Plot a straight line course and read the heading from your GPS. Subtract the difference of the GPS heading to what the compass reads to get the deviation.

-YB

PRATICE before you go!

This means with new gear, new techniques (setups with that tarp), and as Bannock already said, new recipes.

Wind sailors "weed" rule brings to mind the following story!!
My first trip to the BW 20 yrs ago or more was with 6 other guys.
This was the trip with the "topless" college paddlers
3 of the guys were from Atlanta, with one having Mi roots and is how the other two came on the trip.

DAN, and one of the Atlanta guys are/were hard living guys!!
Were all children of the sixties but other than some cannabis, by then I was basically a beer guy.
One night we get into camp and DAN and his paddling buddy announced out of  the blue that they don't like the chosen campsite and are going to camp on a island about 1/4 mi away.
Seemed strange to me because we had just caught a mess of lakers and they wanted to leave?

I didn't make to much of an effort to change there mind because Dan's paddling buddy and one of the Mi boys had developed a instant dislike for each other and had almost come to blows!
So they paddled over sans trout and promised to be back in morning for breakfast and early start.
We had a great meal(first laker for me) and enjoyed a nice campfire.
We could see there fire as well and what seemed like a WHOLE lot of flashlight use around the campfire and some loud unintelligible sounds late into the night??
Well morning came and they didn't show?? We paddled over to find them still in tents.
Of course we were pissed and rudely got them up and then the REAL truth came out!!

Seems like Dan's buddy had brought some Columbian nose candy on the trip!!
Somewhere in the area of a 1/4 ounce!!
And being the kind of guy's they were they figured(wrongly i might add)that we would want some and so they concocted that story to keep it all for themselves
Well the irony of that plan is that somehow while setting  up camp and "snorting", they lost the "candy"!!
The flashlight use was there futile attempt to find it!!!
Well the rest of us laughed our collective butts off and when they asked  us to search with them refused and laughed even harder!!
We had the maps, and so they were forced to leave there precious illicit cargo and suffer derision and ridicule the rest of the trip!!
Over the years I always wondered what happened to it??
I NOW have a theory of what happened??

In the recent post"WHAT IS THIS" there was a freaked out picture of some poor woodland creature that looked like mother natures version of a strung out coke head!!
CSI BW/Q mystery solved!!!

86 - Avoid pitching your tent in a depression, a drainage valley, or the lowest flat spot in camp.


102 - In the tropics: Do not pitch your tent under coconut bearing palms.  Or in a patch of "sand burs". Or on top or even near a fire ant nest.  Be sure you have no-see-um proof screen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !   

Quote Yellowbird:"Has anyone heard the term, "magnetic disturbance"? Here's a bit of info from the Green Bay sectional aeronautical chart (published by the FAA), which covers the BWCA.

"Magnetic disturbance of as much as 12 degrees exists at ground level between Tower and Ely" . . . as much as 18 degrees . . . from Duluth to Grand Marias".

I've conducted magnetic and electromagnetic surveys in N. MN and the iron formations and other ore bodies definately have an influence and cause anomolies on the EM field.  That's how geologists find ore deposits.  The technology developed during WWII that was used for submarine hunters.  The classic tell tale sign is to look at USGS maps and see the deviations of the grid lines across the formations.

Jan - Patrick McManus, who wrote for Outdoor Life, published a story that described that rule about about great gadgets nobody ever invented included inventing an alarm system that would go off when a hunter or fisherman was "comtemplating whether to cross a peeled sapling over a sixty-foot deep river gorge or possibly to make a running leap to land on a moss-covered rock in the middle of some rapids, the life preserveer would activate automatically and shout through two stereo loudspeakers set at full volume, "DON'T TRY IT, YOU FOOL, DON'T TRY IT!"" 

Karl

Failure to wear that jacket caused me a broken finger and a cracked finger on one time and a broken rib and a cracked rib on another.

Is there a way to get the darn thing implanted?

Tim

....leave the hatchets and axes at home

....wear long sleeve shirts on travel days; apply bug spray and roll down sleeves before landing at portages

....Crazy Creek chairs are great to float in lake after long, hot travel days

....a small, closed cell foam pad can be strapped to the canoe seat for duration of trip, highly recommended

just an observation....i think this is one of the best threads ever on QJ.   Jan

Ooops!!! Major ommission on my part.

Don't forget to strap PFD to bottom of Crazy Creeks first, they don't float well enough to hold you up on their own. With the PFD, however, they make a nice waterlounger!

Rule #94 - Always make sure your jug had an air gap.  Brandy is denser than water.

#98  Always maintain a DRY set of clothes in reserve.

#103  Do not hide your jug too well at bedtime or it may be forgotten when breaking camp.

I do not know why I did not think of this earlier.

RULE #0: There is no set of rules that makes camping failsafe!

So how many do we have? Anyone want to consolidate it into 99-100? Personally, #0 stays and the limit is 101. Provide me with an easy to read/consider list and I'll gladly make it available...

Rule #94 may be questionable.  Someone suggested that brandy is less dense than water and I can't argue that.  In any case, when it sank we were disappointed.

#106 To help stay warm in cold weather, always change your socks and other clothes at night.

I agree with the go slow and don't over do it- get hurt- do something stupid thinking, although I always seem break this rule at least once.

After briefly re-reading the posts in this thread I did not see the use of gloves. I think it merits mention. When gathering and cutting wood you should wear leather gloves. Also leather gloves should be used when tending the fire.

Mark

I don't know if this quite fits but one of the most useful items that I carry and some times multiples of, are bandanas. They can be used to shade your neck, your ears, wetted tie around your head or your neck for a cooling effect, as a wash cloth, dish rag, dish towel, pot grabber by folding it wrapping it around the pot and twisting the bitter ends together, a hot pad, a filter to remove sediment from water, a tourniquet, a sling, put a rock in it and toss the bear bagging rope over a tree limb, wipe sweet from the brow, use it to remove dew from your tent fly, blow your nose in it (off course after you've filtered your water). truly one of the most versatile piece of equipment you could carry. The uses of a bandana could probably a thread of its own.

flp

intrepid_camper wrote on Feb 24^th, 2007 at 5:27am:


I come equipped with 2 of them.  They also serve many other useful functions involving gripping and manipulation   

I daresay my trips would be much more difficult without 'em. 

Snow_Dog wrote on Feb 24^th, 2007 at 11:41pm:


SD,

Don't you normally trip with family members?

-YB

RULE # 0: There is no set of rules that makes camping failsafe!

Expect and plan for the worst, hope for the best. "Learn how to laugh when things get  tough; especially at yourself."  Above all, THINK! As soon as you stop thinking, something will happen. I've found that even if you do think...stuff happens! Murphy's Law will be in effect at all times. 
Be willing to take advice from other seasoned paddlers. Don't let pride get in your way. You never know it all and you may have forgotten some of the things you once understood.

PERSONAL SAFETY
1- Always use your personal flotation device.
2- Treat being tired, wet and cold (Hypothermia) as the greatest deadly sin.
3- Know your limits. Do not attempt to travel beyond your capabilities, too far, too
rugged, too long. 
4- Never let itinerary or time constraints drive your decision making when faced with an
issue dealing with weather.  Getting there late is far better than not getting there.
5- When whittling wood....ALWAYS cut AWAY from your body parts!
6-Carry a small survival kit on your person, compass, knife, signal device, food, fire,
and shelter.
7-RESIST the urge... "i can hop/jump to that next rock, i know i can" ... ankles aren’t as
sturdy as you think.
8- Do not get too close to animals larger than you…cow moose with calves, bears with
cubs, bull moose in the fall.
9- Don't dive from shore or swim in the rapids.  Tree snags hidden under water could
entangled you.  Think about what's below the surface when diving or jumping.
10- Don't eat wild food items unless you are sure they are safe...there are several with
look-alike counterparts which are deadly.
11 - Tread extremely carefully when crossing wet rocks or logs; they are very slippery.

GENERAL CREATURE COMFORTS

55- Maintain a "positive attitude" and practice “patience”.
56- Pack for all kinds of weather (hot, cold, wet, windy).
57- Make camp before supper time (4:30-5:00 pm).
58- Pack two flashlights, in case one is lost or quits; and extra batteries.
59- Bring more plastic bags than you can possibly use.
60- Repair kit to include duct tape, goop( or waterproof cement), thread, thin wire.
61- Don't skimp on the quality of paddles (and that means the plastic ones outfitters
supply).
62- Shoes are a good idea when swimming.
63- If you camp on an island, poop on the mainland. (Q)
64- Learn how to laugh when things get tough. Especially at yourself.
65 - The stern paddler always (generally) exits the canoe first.
66- If it is safer, (due to weight or difficulty) double or triple portage. There is absolutely
     nothing to be gained by hurting ones self.
67- No cotton socks.  At least one pair of wool socks.
68- It's better to pack 3 partial rolls of TP rather than one large one.  They should be
packed waterproof and in different packs.  Bark, leaves, and pine needles are not good substitutes. 
69- Traveling in the rain?  Put two or three 2-inch diameter beaver sticks on bottom of
     canoe under your packs to keep them dryer.
70- Last thing you do when leaving a campsite: do a walk around. Police the area.
71- Double check at portages, that you have not left anything at beginning or end.
72- A small, closed cell foam pad can be strapped to the canoe seat for duration of trip.
73- Bring "Quality" (non-cheap) Rain gear
74- Always maintain a DRY set of clothes in reserve.
75- Fly swatter...worth its weight in gold during ankle-biter season.
76- On my trip last year, guys laughed at my night-time bottle. But when the mosquitoes
were bad they had to leave the tent at night when nature called.
77- To help stay warm in cold weather, always change your socks and other clothes at
night.
78- No whining.  If nothing can be done to correct the situation there is no point to
complain.  Whiners are generally drowned on the spot and those that survive are not invited back.
79- PRATICE before you go!  This means with new gear, new techniques (setups with
that tarp), new recipes, and to get physically into condition.
80- Bandanas; truly one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you could carry. They
can be used to shade your neck, your ears, wetted tie around your head or your neck for a cooling effect, as a wash cloth, dish rag, dish towel, pot grabber by folding it wrapping it around the pot and twisting the bitter ends together, a hot pad, a filter to remove sediment from water, a tourniquet, a sling, put a rock in it and toss the bear bagging rope over a tree limb, wipe sweet from the brow, use it to remove dew from your tent fly, blow your nose in it (off course after you've filtered your water).
81- Think about where you put your raingear, BEFORE you start paddling.
82- Think about putting footwear on when making a night time nature call.

FISHING

83-Bring along needle nose pliers for hook removal.  Tie on a lanyard with
carabineer on the loose end to clip onto a thwart.  A pliers with wire cutting option could also be used to cut the barb if buried in human flesh instead of fish.
84- If landing a very large fish, paddle to shore before bringing it in.
85- You can filet your fish on the bottom of your overturned canoe, or on a paddle blade.
86- Don't dispose of fish guts in or near camp. 
87- Think about the guy in the stern when casting from the bow
88- Be aware that snapping turtles, big pike, otters and mink WILL take advantage of
your fish on the stringer.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

89-  Always have your jug in sight or on your person. 
90-  Always make sure your jug has an air gap.  Brandy is denser than water.
91- Do not hide your jug too well at bedtime or it may be forgotten when breaking camp.
92- Never, ever drop your bag of weed on the portage trail,...someone else is likely to
smoke it for you..

**Carry more than one Compass. Compasses do break, get miss placed / forgotten / dropped along the portage trail.  Do not rely on a GPS as your only source or type of navigation tool.

IC,
What a wonderful service you've just provided to everyone. If ever we should meet up in some Ely emporium, the first frosty is on me.
Well done.
WiF

IC - I was about to answer your PM but I checked the board and noticed you did exactly what I was going to suggest.

All - IC started this thread and even went so far as to compile a complete list so as far as I'm concerned, she gets final say on revisions. I only skimmed sa few and while I'd personally quibble with #67 - my suggestion for the last one would be to read and understand all the rules before you decide to ignore them. After all, don't things become rules because someone with a lapse in common sense (or conventional wisdom) learned some lesson?

IF, there was a 10 COMMANDMENTS of tripping, # 78 would be in the top 3

Azalea, IMO
#24     A dull axe, like a dull knife, is more dangerous than a sharp one.
#36     I am not sure I could survive a camping trip without coffee, and I bet there are others of like mind…
#76     Night-time pee bottle should have a good cover, and be placed outside the tent.  You are right about the accidents, but not going out into the mosquitos in June/July   IS  worth it (‘specially for those of us that have to bare our butts!)

you did great IC.  thanks.  btw...i think coffee should definately be considered "fail-safe".
if you tend to forget coffee....pre-plan and have ALOT of advil for the DT headaches that would follow.

Jan

RE: coffee....maybe we should have said "don't forget your favorite 'comfort' food".  I see coffee as that nice little break that will cheer you up, if wet, cold, exhausted, exasperated, crabby, etc.  I also always bring my favorite 'comfort clothes' to change into (something soft, warm and fuzzy),  and jelly beans!   

Excellant list!!!  Just one question to pose concerning Rule 86- "Don't dispose of fish guts in or near camp."  

My thoughts are that I would leave fish guts at the shoreline, away from camp so various critters would clean them up (seagulls appear almost instantaneously).   I wouldn't throw them way out into deep water because on really clear lakes I think they wouldn't get cleaned up very rapidly.  Does anyone else want to share their opinion on this?

starwatcher

lotalota,

i'm confused on the gulls issue
There MUST be a sizable resident gull population in the Park on any given day??
Like you mentioned, I've never had fish guts last more that a few minutes after the first gull come's in.
i guess what I'm asking is how that practice brings in a unnatural population into park??
Do the gulls get on the GULLCELL, and call there buddies outside the park and tell them about the meal they've found??
Not trying to be funny(well maybe a little), but I thought gulls are in the park because there is a abundant food source not dependent on the occasional fishermen's gut pile??
IS there science behind this or just speculation??
ANY QJ biologists out there, I would like to know your thoughts on this??

IC, you mention changing into your comfort clothes. I too change out of my travel / daytime clothes after dinner and put on my clean comfy camp jammies. I put the travel clothes on again in the morning. My camp jammies do pickup the fire odor but stay clean other than that. Does anybody else do this?

USFS IS preaching that KF.  more food....healthier gulls.  healthier gulls.....successful breeding.   successful breeding.....more gulls.   more gulls.....less loons.   and loon protection is the reason for the new angle on fish remains.

thats about the just of it.   Jan

We have always put the fish guts on shore, away from camp.  We also do this at home at the lake cabin too...they disappear more or less instantly, taken by gulls and eagles, sometimes four legged furry friends too. 
We cut the fish remains into manageable pieces for the birds.  Otherwise they try to pick them up, haul them into the water, and eventually lose them.  Once they sink, the gulls and eagles cannot get them, and then the guts are in the water and not too far from camp...defeating the purpose.
There was a long detailed discussion on this board, about a year ago ?  Thread is probably somewhere.  In it we discussed putting them in deep water...apparently on Trout lakes the Trout will make good use of them.  IC

Not in Quetico, but elsewhere in Ontario, my camp was visited by a bear that dug up fish remains -- about 20 feet from where Dad and I were getting ready for bed -- that others buried about 4 feet deep. I don't give a hoot how many bear pictures someone wants -- it's never safe to attract them to camp.

Tim