There is an interesting Article in the new BWJ about Canoe Trip Group Dynamics. Most of the writers tell a story about a particularly difficult trip member. While reading the article I thought to myself "I bet the Quiet Journey posters have some really great tales to tell about bringing people to the Quetico who just don't fit in there". For me the worst member was the sister of the best man in my wedding. I took most of my wedding party on a trip in 1984 to Kawnipi and Agnes. My best man talked me into bringing his little sister along. She was about 19 and Eric didn't clue her in well. About the second day it came out that she had a huge make up kit along and it included a blow dryer and a curling iron. Not being battery powered and without a place to plug them in they did not work well at all. She also shied always from any and all camp chores to the point that we had to write out work schedules. So bring it on, lets here some horror stories about your worst canoe tripping member and how to avoid bring he or she along in the future!
Jon

I'll bite, or nibble. Not really horror stories.
I've had some disappointing trip partners. But I also thought sometimes I needed to change my approach too.

Needing to be more clear that we were sharing work around camp and I wasn't just being bossy.
Two guys were experienced campers, but canoe camping & fishing were new to them. They got jealous if they didn't catch fish like I did. Pouted if I didn't help clue them in, and thought I was bossy if I did. In later years they went together and each called me to complain about the other guy.
Another guy was great company but never did any camp chores either.

I also learned not to be too helpful and encourage trippers to look to themselves instead of me for help.
Sometimes I created a dependence. Instead of learning, I taught some to just expect me to be there every time for everything. My most recent trip I just handed the guys a map (he likes maps). Told them where we were going and let them go as slow as they pleased. They only got lost twice and found their way again each time. Great learning experience I thought.

It's also good to keep your trip options open and include others in the options available. Same guys on my last trip just couldn't go all day, every day. Even though they said they wanted to fish and see new country, they just weren't up to it. If we traveled, they were too tired to fish. If we stop to fish, they said they wanted to see more. I let them know I wasn't stopping them and they needed to decide what they wanted to do.

I'm sure others have had similar experiences. Nothing new. Some guys are one and done. Sometimes I just need to do a solo trip. Cause my casual pace, is someone else's race pace.

Only one...a friend's wife who refused to get her feet wet.  Carried to and from the canoe on every portage.  Couldn't cook.  Couldn't do anything.  How they stayed married I do not know.

canoelover wrote on Sep 28^th, 2012 at 4:23pm:


I do that for my wife every time she gets in and out of the canoe and I won't let her near the kitchen.  Just sit and look pretty in your swim suit please.  Just thankful that she is with me.

Seriously guys.  Questions like this make me wonder if we haven't we lost our focus.  Hell, if I didn't bring people that were a pain in the ass my kids would never go - or my pastor - or my wife - or my best friend. . . . or myself.  I'm the laziest PIA that ever walked the earth.

Jon brings up an interesting point with reference to the curling iron and hair dryer.  I have taken some newbies with me and have been surprised with what they have brought.  One guy brought 3 full rolls of duct tape which were in addition to the small roll of duct tape that I brought.  I have considered unpacking everyone's pack and checking what they have in it.  Something similar to what they do at the airport.  I haven't done it yet due to a concern about privacy, but I am seriously considering doing it in the future.    Some packs I know aren't packed correctly because they are just too light for the size of the pack.  In other words, they have a lot of air in their packs.