Over in the "Bookshelf" forum, Mossback appropriately suggested that a tangential discussion re: "cached food supplies in Quetico"  probably deserves its own thread.  So here it is.

Honestly, I'm not sure it's "legal" to cache food supplies.  The question came up in the context of planning extended canoe trip of 3+ weeks.  In fact, I believe I read somewhere that food caches are not allowed.  I guess I'm just too lazy at the moment to do the research.  Instead, I'm thinking someone on the board will know the answer off the top of their head.

The topic came up as part of a side-bar conversation regarding planned lengthy solo trips in the park as part of one's "retirement" present to oneself.  I had mentioned that such a thought had crossed my mind and the way I might do it would be to use food caches.

Frankly, what I actually had in mind was this:
1) I'd have an outfitter friend do a food drop for me at (or near) a park entry point, OR
2) I'd have a paddling friend ferry a food pack out to me as part of a pre-arranged rendezvous.  This could happen anywhere, I suppose.

Having teed-up those possible solutions, I DO know of folks who have actually placed hidden caches of food in the interior of the park.  They simply didn't want to haul an extra pack around on all portages.  Instead, they tucked the 2nd pack away in a spot where it was extraordinarily unlikely that anyone might find it.  Of course, they were careful to avoid leaving scents on that pack.  As far as I know, they didn't encounter any issues (legal, pilfering or bruin in nature).

None of this is to say that such practice is either condoned or permitted by park authorities.  Again, I simply do not know... which is my point of posting the question.

Who will be the first QJ member to confirm my suspicion about this practice and end the great mystery?

Jimbo   

Quote:


I took one food pack on my 21-day spring trip and came out with enough food for 2-3 days and DIDN'T catch many fish. Could of went another 7 days IF I was eating fish everyday.

I make up my own food, combo of off the shelf and some fresh in the form of whole wheat tortillas/ venison sticks and Baby Bell cheese. I don't pack light and I had 3 liters of homemade "snake bite" medicine which isn't light.

Look for food that gives tho most complex calories for the weight and pack smart, you might not need to cache at all?

A couple of thoughts here,then I am backing out of the fray.

I like ST's notion of packing an ample supply of quality food in enough quantity to last 3 weeks, but I imagine my old arthritic knees would protest the weight penalty.  Still I like the idea.

I was not aware, or had forgotten, that once you leave the park your permit dies.  So if you are travelling a border route and stop for lunch on the USA side is that technically game over?

I recall the BWJ story of Gary Fielder spending 7 months in the BW and Quetico and during that time his partner made several re-supplies to him.  I do not remember if she came into the parks or he came out.

Sorry, it looks like I drifted off the subject matter again.


MossBack

A month solo sounds great to me but I know I would love a midway break of coming out for maybe a half day to regroup and talk to actual people.

Carrying all that weight like ST did just doesn't sound appealing to my old bones.  I like to be stealthy and not like a mule.  I say go for a parachute drop in a lake.  Use a mirror to signal the pilot. Yeah, that's it.  Then burn the crate and chute and be on your way.

Quote:


When you spend longer than say 2 weeks solo, you better have a little "mule" in you or your not going to fair very well.
 
  One thing about a food pack is that you can lighten it as you go and if you do like I do and plan some camp days after rough stretches it's not that hard to carry a fairly heavy food pack.

  I figure my pack for that 21-day trip was about 60lbs starting out and I could have easily cut 10lbs from that IF I didn't like my camp luxuries at night.

  Most people will 2X anyway and if you have the time you can 3x IF needed.

  I think the logistics involved trying to get someone to drop a food pack for you at the right time or plan a "loop" where you can pick-up food that YOU left early on just makes for a lot of extra things that can go wrong. I'd make a real effort to bring all my food with some careful planning.

Q-Dave likes to tell the story of one of his old clients who was a college professor and who would spend the summer traveling around to different parks canoeing/camping.

He came up one spring to Q having read a bunch of books about living off the land by fishing and eating wild edibles. Dave said he brought a food pack with just some coffee and few food items, about the size of a daypack. He said his days of carrying a heavy food pack were now over! 

He stayed in for a month traveling most of the border region. When Q-D picked him up at BH, he said he looked like a concentration camp survivor

Turns out living off the land while trying to keep a traveling schedule isn't as easy as the books make it appear to be.

The guy was so starved for carbs, he made Dave drive him into Atikokan and proceeded to gorge himself while Q-D looked on in amazement on how much the skinny little guy could eat.

I'd rather carry a heavy food pack and NOT need the food than the other way around.