Mooseman
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Posts posted by Mooseman
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It is a serifed captial X ... the roman numeral 10 for region 10.
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I always use a 20 degree synthetic bag. You never know what the temperature will be like, I have seen it snow in July. With a 20 degree bag if anything happens you will be ready. It is nice to have it be synthetic because if it does happen to get wet it will still work, keeping 70% of its original warmth.
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I love my -40 degree bag, works great on the really cold nights.
If you are starting out though I would suggest that you combined two bags, it is cheaper and easier. Maybe a 20 degree and a zero degree... or what ever you might have.
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In my experience I would also try to put parents and their scouts in separate canes, at least for the first two days. This alleviates tensions when people have not paddled much.
I would also suggest switching canoe partners around on longer trips (more than 3 days). one canoe will always lag and it will create bad feelings between canoes if you don't switch things up.
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My mistake, sorry. For early in the season they might be a good choice.
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The majority 95% + of the interpreters (guides) at Northern Tier use jungle boots, as some one previously posted you can get them from the Norther Tier website, I think they are in the $35 range, not bad when most people going to philmont spend 3-5 times that on boots. you can also take some old backpacking boots and drill holes in the sides or live with sloppy feet the whole trip, it is really not that bad.
In response to the previous poster, you would be hard pressed to find an Interpreter who would let you pull loaded canoes up on to the portage. There are some portages where there is water deeper than calf deep as well. If you are going through Northern Tier, you would need knee high boots or more if you wanted dry feet on a portage.
Happy Trails
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Swamper training is the term used for staff training. The "swamper trip" is a trip halfway through training where staff go on a 4 to 5 day training canoe trip.
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Personally, I would not relate an Interpreter to a regular guide and by no means a tour guide of the BWCAW. As Mike F. related them to tour guides or buses in Europe.
On the trips I have been on at Northern tier, the interpreter was there more as a role model. The Interpreter was able to challenge the scouts in a different way than I can as an adult leader who already has a history with the scouts on the trip. I see the whole reason for using Northern tier is to give the scouts this different, positive interactions with adults in their 20s. Of the scouts in my troop, I know that they don't normally have interactions with college age adults.
As for "the best Scouting had to offer" wouldn't that be going through a National High Adventure Base ...
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there is a really good natural history museum there.
They also have a really nice bizar area called the Grand Forks.
when are you going on your trip?
-Karl
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Everyone enjoys National High Adventure, so why not get paid for it!! Northern Tier National High Adventure base is looking for quality staff members to guide canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota and the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario,Canada.
If you or anyone you know is interested in working for Northern Tier, check out our website at http://www.ntier.org/ or call us at 218-365-4811. You must 18 years of age to apply.
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Yep, I ment 5% sorry.
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I have been biting my tongue but I have to say, I had a bad experience at philmont.
When I went I had the expectation that it would be a challenging trip with lots of hiking in remote areas on difficult trails. Our troop had done a number of trips on the AT. With no grade more than 5 degrees and distances less than I had expected, the trip did not live up to my expectations. There were a number of other people who I have spoken to who had the same experience in that philmont was not the challenging wilderness backpacking Mecca they had been led to believe. Also my group had one very slow person who was not motivated to get up in the morning; we missed a number of the activity areas for this reason. (I went on the trip in 2000, our rout was considered strenuous.)
I have also known people who went on trips at philmont, and because the group screening process was not done well the group dynamics were very bad and for this reason a number of people did not have a "great" time. I think this is an important factor when going on any high adventure trip, if the people in the group do not have similar physical abilities as well as similar goals for the trip things are not as peachy as every one wants them to be.
Just thought I would add a sobering note to this happy go lucky thread.
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With the holiday season coming up and people looking for gifts... what camping or scout gear do you have on your list this year?
-MooSeman
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I hiked the Freedom trail as a scout in boston. I believe it takes about one day and I believe that you can earn the medal just by walking it. if you stay at Sayre, which I might add I like, the scout office is there and they will most likly have info on the freedom trail. If you guys are really into history then it would take more than one day, the trail highlights all of the importaint historic parts of boston.
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Hi
Looking at the closed entry points that infoscouter listed, it looks as though the fire would have little or no ipact to the base operations. the fire seams to be more around the gunflint trail which is at the very eastern edge of the loop where you would normaly. Also in the BWCA winds normaly blow from west to east, so the likely hood of the fire speading to where you are going is relitivly low, in my humble opinion. if you are going into the quetico you would mostlikely not hvae any problems. the base normaly operates through entries at prairy portage and not cash bay (in the east, north of the fires).
The interperters are well informed about where the dangers are and how to avoidthem. they are also very capable and are able to cope with problems if somthing happens.
if you call the base I am sure they would assure you of theis as well.
oh and have a great time in the north woods
Happy Trails
-MooSeman
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Hi
I personally use Altama jungle boots and in my experience they work the best but if you don't have an army surplus store near you here are some things you should look for.
A boot with minimal padding, padding is like a sponge and if have padding it will track that much more water into the canoe, and keep your feet wetter.
a good tred, you will be walking on dirt paths, rock faces, gravel, fallen slippery rotting trees ext. basically every kind of surface you can thing of, with a 70-90 lbs pack, if you don't have good traction you could hurt your self.
a strong toe and heal box, when you are walking with this said 70-90 lbs you might not beable to see exactly where your foot is put down or be tiered and bump your feet against rocks, if you do not have a good toe box then there is a high probability that you will hurt your self.
decent ankle support, very few of the portage trails are smooth and flat, especially the one that you will be working on, this creates a high risk for rolling your ankle or getting it caught between two rocks, if you don't have good ankle support then there is more risk or hurting your self some how.
Drain holes in the bottom or on the side are good as well, if the shoe does not come with some you could drill them your self, I have known many people who have done that. if you get waders or something in that line you will be picking up a couple of pounds of water in your boot every time you get in the canoe, this water might fill the canoe or just keep your foot uncomfortably wet all day.
and finally as a summery, you will be stepping into water ranging from ankle to knee deep all day, you might not be able to see the bottom, and the portage trails are rougher and steeper than many hiking trails, and oh you should make sure they don't slide off, if you get into some moosemuck it is possible that your boot might get suctioned off.
I hope that this has been helpful and not too lengthy, when are you going up?
Happy Trails
MooSeman
P.S. dont get water shoes, I saw some one step on a stick and have it go right through the sole.
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Hi
I have been to both the boundry waters and the adirondacks, when I was a scout. I found the adirondacks to be more setteled on the lakes than the boundry waters.The lakes were smaller than in the boundry waters and the method in which the canoes were portaged was more difficult in the aderondacks than in the boundry waters. With only half of the trip on lakes I did not really get a feel for canoeing while I was in the aderondacks due to the short length of the time in canoes, and it does take time to get uesed to/ learn to canoe.
The hiking in the aderondacks I found to be more strenuous than at phillmont. It is more like east coast hiking where the trails go strait up the mountain as aposed to haveing swich backs. and there are not activity centers it the aderondacks.
If I could choose I would choose either one of the other because when you swich you often have to take a day transfering mediums and dealing with canoes.
I went through massiwepie whe I went to the aderondacks and through Northern tier whe I went to the boundry waters.
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Hi
It seams as though burning would be just fine as long as you make shore that it all burns and no trash is left in the fire circle. Heck, in my town all the trash is sent to an incinerator any ways.
The only reason not to burn is most people don't make shore that all the trash is burned. I have seen too many fire circles with aluminum foil in them or half melted plastic. Many people forget that hot chocolate and oatmeal packets have a mettle or plastic liner.
-MooSe
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High adventure is an activity that at some point during it you ask yourself why you are there, and at the end you can't believe you were able to complete it.
-MooSe
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The past couple of months have been slow trading for me. If any one would like to trade it would be great. a couple of the folowing patches.
Knox Trail, La Salle, Boston Minuteman, Yankee Clipper, Westmoreland-Fayette, and Voyageurs Area.
I also have other dupes at http://www.geocities.com/dd1212127/dupes.html
it would be great if anyone wants to trade.
-Karl
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HI
I went both as a scout with my troop and with the OA voyage. I have also been with my family in the BWCA.
I truly believe that going through the Boy Scout High Adventure base is the way to go. The gear might not be as new as the outfitters or look as good but it all works and gear is a miner part of the trip. To understand why it is better to go with through the boy scouts you first have to under stand what the true goal of the trip is. The real goal is for the scouts to learn to have a good time out in the wilderness and for them to develop a sense of self pride in having completed a trip that has challenged them physically, mentally and possibly even spiritually. Going through the Boy Scouts helps you to better accomplish this goal.
With the Base you have an Interpreter/Guide who helps you to accomplish these goals and realize them to the greatest extent possible. This guide is normally very mature Collage aged person who has strong moral values and is a good influence. The perpous of this "Interpreter" is to help you along on your voyage as because they are an expert in the outdoors who is capable of dealing calmly with some of the most trying circumstances. The Interpreter is also some one who the scouts can look up to, some one worth looking up to. The interpreter is an approachable adult who treats the scouts as equals. I know that when I was a scout I was in awe of my interpreter he was the person who I wanted to be like. My life was positively influenced by my interpreter because he was such a good role model. It also helps that the Interpreter is someone that the scouts have not had previous contact with like a scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster, who is a figure of authority. The relationship the scouts can have with the adults in the troop is also a very different relationship than the relationship they have with an Interpreter. The Interpreter is the biggest reason to go with the Boy Scouts, the Interpreter is an aspect of the program that is impossible to replicate on a self led troop trip.
The Boy Scout base also acquires the permits and deals with the paper work that you would normally have to do if you went through a private outfitter. The Boy Scouts pack your food as well, which I might add is very good. The boy scouts also give their crews an emergency radio, something none of the outfitters do. (I know from personal experience that no cell phones work out on the water)
For times to go I agree with the previous answers but you need to know that even when the bugs are not bad it is often much worse than other parts of the country. Also when it isnt mosquitoes it is Black Flies.
If you go through the base the best time is probably when the Interpreters are on their 3ed trip, probably mid July.
I know I am a little late in writing but understanding the role of the interpreter/guide is very important in making your decision about whether to go through a private outfitter or the Boy Scouts.
-Karl
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I use the pages that they sell at the scout store although they are a little expencive
check this out
http://www.scoutstuff.org/cgi/catalog
the larger patches I keep seperatly in some sort of box.
-MooSe
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Hi
I am looking for people who would be interested in trading. I have a dupes list at http://www.geocities.com/dd1212127/index.html but I would also be willing to trade my council patch for yours or my Lodge flap for yours till I am out. My e-mail is huemille@stolaf.edu and I am from Boston minuetman council.
-Karl
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I am in boston minuetman council and moswetuset Lodge 52 I would be interested in 2:2 for both if possible.
-Karl
Northern Tier Brand
in Camping & High Adventure
Posted
I have the brand on my paddle, there is nothing more to it than the X. the reason it is an X is that Charles L Sommers used to be the region 10 canoe base.
If you look at the picture you will also see a CLS inside a canoe, this a secondary brand but not the main brand.