75 bucks on Amazon today for the Helix One chair. I just pulled the trigger and pushed the “Order now” button. I’ve only taken cheap, high-backed chairs into BWCA. They’re kind of bulky and flimsy but not horrible to sit at the campfire and drink coffee. Sounds like this’ll be an upgrade for both packing/portaging and comfort at the campsite. Interested in hearing others’ experiences with this chair. Thanks!

Hello everyone! I'm putting together gift wish lists, and I need to figure out my next boots for my BWCA trips. My current boots, which I love dearly are reaching the end of their life. I'm very upset about it. My current boots are from Chacos from 10+ years ago. I've gone on countless trips with them, both while I've guided trips and while I was growing up. Things I love about these boots:

• they're made out of canvas and dry out very quickly
• they go up past my ankle (although not incredible ankle support)
• wide toe box
• so comfortable
• fun colors!

So, I am looking for boots that have similar features to these ones. I would love a canvas boot, it's so nice how quickly these ones dry out. I wouldn't mind a bit more ankle support however. I'm struggling to find canvas boots that don't have a waterproof liner online. So hoping reddit might have some suggestions. TIA

Last year, Save the BW had about $300k in donations during Give to the Max. Today they are at almost $500k with 7 hours to go. 🎉 People are fighting to protect this special place, which is great to see. They met a $100k match by Patagonia and now have another $50k match going. Still plenty of time to make the most of any donations to help protect the BWCA!
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Boundarywaters

We have a group of 4 that goes every year to the BWCA. It would be a lot of work to get there from Lake One entry point 30... what are your impressions of Insula? The BWCA.com map shows many campsites in the middle of the lake. Thanks!

Hello, Coming here for some advice, first time trip to BWCA, going out of moose lake. Our dates will be either the week of June 2 or June 16, any real preference between the two ? How bout with regards to fishing ? TIA for helping with our dates

I’ve never been to the boundary waters before but I want to! My friends and I are planning a trip but I have some worries.

There are 4 of us. Two Eagle Scouts.

None of us have done something like this. We haven’t navigated rivers and water ways like this before. Will we have any issues?

Is this place for beginners or should we start somewhere else?

I am looking for any accounts of people skiing across BW/Quetico. I've read and listened about Emily Ford's ski in 2022. She's mentioned someone doing a similar route prior to her ski but never name drops thems. Obviously there are more than two people that have done this, but I'm striking out when searching online. The search function on Reddit was no help (obviously). Thanks for any leads!

Got the crazy idea to head up either the Sawbill or Gunflint Trail to car camp at night and paddle during the day… right now 🤪

Looking to rent a solo canoe. Any chance there is an outfitter open this weekend?

After the election this community has gone downhill big time. A whole lot of fear mongering and guessing what is going to happen in the Future. This is crazy. There are plenty of non profits to donate to if are really that concerned about it. Fear mongering does no one any good. It survived 1 term with Trump as president so let's just chill out a little bit here.

Sorry if this isn’t allowed, but I’ve seen a lot of questions about the status of the BWCA on Reddit, so I thought I’d share this upcoming webinar from Save the Boundary Waters.

Save the BWCA is hosting a webinar next week to discuss our strategies and plans to protect the Boundary Waters under the upcoming administration. We defended the Wilderness during the Trump administration, and now we have updated plans to continue that protection. https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/election-results-webinars

Join one of our post-election webinars on Wednesday, November 13 (two times available) to hear from our team about the election’s impact on our work and how you can help. 12:00 PM & 6:30 PM

I’m in the market for a BWCA branded hoodie, t-shirt, and maybe a hat and other gear. Want to show off my BWCA pride lol. Any Twin Cities retailers that carry this type of stuff? Preferably in the SW-ish metro.

I know most outfitters have online stores and could ship stuff, but I prefer to be able to feel the fabric and try clothes on in person.

Hello -

Looking to plan a trip for 4 people 2 canoes next summer. I have a lot of questions - I have gone on canoe portaging trip to the BWCA before but never needed to do planning myself. The group does have all the needed equipment for the trip. I would love to be able to chat over text (or voice if preferred such as discord) with somebody that could answer questions such as

• When would you recommend going? (best months or days of the week?)
• What routs would be fun? (Looking to avoid fire damage, don't mind large portages)
• Looking for info on route building has been difficult, is paddle planner the best way to do this?
• How does the permit system work? Does this only give me an "entry" and then I can go any place?
• What if I cannot find a camping spot?
• (Many other general questions that might pop up)

If you don't want to give away your secret spots that's ok, just looking for some general help on how to get started! I am aware that sometimes you cannot have the perfect trip but I'm looking to give my group the best experience possible. I have gone fishing on Sag many times in the past in small motorboats 10+ times over the years and it's always been a wonderful time, looking for a new adventure but have seen some routes recommend that area and am not opposed.

Get out to the Boundary Waters. Go now, go often, because with Trump back in power, our cherished wilderness may not survive this time. His administration has shown zero respect for environmental protections and will likely only double down. Public lands and clean waters are at risk of becoming casualties under his anti-environment agenda. Imagine a border wall slashing through the pristine wilderness between the U.S. and Canada—nothing feels far-fetched anymore.

And let’s be honest about who’s enabling this destruction. Trump’s voters have put him back in a position to gut environmental protections without a second thought. They’ve aligned themselves with a man who’s shown blatant disregard not just for the planet, but for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and our democracy itself. This is not just about “differing opinions”; this is about values, about decency, about humanity.

If you supported him, look at the damage that choice has made possible. This goes beyond party lines—this is about preserving what’s left of our natural heritage and our civil liberties. You are complicit in the degradation of both.

For those of us who know better, who still value clean air, safe water, and equal rights, let’s savor these places while we still can. Take it all in, because if Trump’s enablers have their way, there may be nothing left to enjoy or protect.

EDIT:

It’s no surprise that this post has attracted a wave of negativity from Trump supporters, who seem determined to defend a leader with a history of undermining environmental protections, disregarding civil rights, and threatening the foundation of democracy. This response only reinforces the very issues I spoke about.

If you’re here to downplay the risks to our natural spaces, ignore the harm done to marginalized communities, or turn a blind eye to erosion of democracy, then you’re only proving the point. Supporting policies and leaders that promote exclusion, bigotry, and environmental degradation speaks volumes about your values—or lack thereof.

For those who genuinely care about the Boundary Waters, about protecting these places for future generations, and about a future that includes everyone, now is the time to stand up. We have to protect what’s left of our wild spaces, human rights, and shared future.

Let this post serve as a reminder: there are many of us who won’t stay silent.

Trump won. He recently stated he would reverse BWCA protections in his first 10 minutes in office and open the surrounding lands to copper mining. Is it time to create a naval militia of canoes and paddles to stand against these thugs? I’m filled with despair and sadness at the idea of losing the place that has been so special to me my whole life. I feel helpless to defend our BWCA.

Wont be long until the place we know turns into a toxic sludge.

I’m getting ahead of myself and am starting to get really excited for my annual trip next summer. My group has gone on trips to different lakes for the past fifteen years, and we always go around the second week of June. We fish hard, catching and eating lots of walleye.

What kinds of foraging or bushcraft skills could I practice while on the trip? Just looking for different things I can do while sitting around the fire, or different things to try out. Any berries or forgeable food or supplies to look for? I’ve created clothespins and tent stakes, but other crafts in that vein would be awesome. Thanks!

EDIT: I seem to have stirred up something by using “bushcraft” in the title of the post. My intention isn’t to chop down a bunch of trees and create a homestead. Far from it. I think “survival skills” would have been a better descriptor over “bushcraft skills.” Things like “practice starting a fire with a magnesium stick.” I guess I’m just looking for something fun to do to pass the time while I have survival tools like a knife and a hatchet at my disposal.

I’m looking to learn, not looking to be disrespectful to the space and break the rules. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am a scientist from Australia + I am looking for participants, around the world, for some new research I am doing.

Are you the parent/caregiver of a child aged 2-12 years? If so, we kindly invite you to participate in our short online survey about sharks. We are interested in what children know about sharks, so this survey involves you completing a couple of questions about sharks, and then asking your children some questions about sharks. You will then be asked to write what your children say or what they do (e.g. if they use hand gestures).

LINK TO SURVEY:

https://research.unisa.edu.au/redcap/surveys/?s=XYPHMNMKFEJR7H4P

Please also feel free to send to any one you know who might be interested.

The survey takes approximately ten minutes per child to complete, if you have more than one child aged between 2-12 they can all participate.

This study has received ethics approval from the University of South Australia (#206267). If you have any queries, please contact the lead researcher: Brianna.lebusque@unisa.edu.au

Hello,

I am pondering a couple route options for my son’s first trip in June.

First option is Sag—>Ester, fishing in that area (Ashdick, PMA, Rabbit, or SAK)—>Spice or SAK, Alpine, then Grandpa, with fishing on Roy and Grandpa, exit out Sag.

I like this route because I’m more familiar with it having traveled most of it before. Mostly shorter portages but plenty of big water which I don’t like as much. We want to catch pike and bass.

Second option is Clearwater—>Caribou, fishing in that area (Caribou, Deer, Moon). Go see Johnson Falls. Hike the Clearwater Palisades. If time and energy allows or the fishing isn’t great, we could try for pike on East Pike.

I like this route because the fishing is supposedly solid on Caribou, plus there’s plenty of other options for things to do if fishing is poor. My main concern is campsite availability on Caribou during this time of year. We plan to enter on a Sunday morning early, does that help? Backup options would be to stay on East end of clearwater or on Deer. Also all of these lakes are big east/west water so wind could be an issue. And the portages are pretty long for my son’s first trip too.

Which one?

Had a few really incredible experiences with these two this year, one of which spent relaxing on the same small island for about an hour and a half. So much animal activity this year. 💗💗

It's a picture I took of a picture my friend took that my kids found. I was the age they are now. I'd guess it's Frost lake.

Looking to add a luxury item this year… a camp chair. Anyone have a reasonable (less than $75) chair they recommend?

It was cold, fire ban wasn’t great, but we had a blast.

Last week I spent 5 days and 6 nights. I didn’t expect the melancholy of leaving these woods. Magical place.

Nothing quite like the Northwoods. 🥺🥰🌲

Not a BWCA Q but very nearby. If anyone can answer this it’s this group…

Looking to camp up near Grand Marais this weekend. Trying to choose between Two Islands CG (national forest) and Twin Lakes CG (state forest). They are only 3 miles down the road from each other but it appears there is no bridge over Pine Lake, requiring a 45min detour. Anyone have any info here?

Also, grouse hunters, if you know the area where would you camp? Which area has better access to birds? Thanks!

Currently planning first trip to the BWCA. Should have a good sized group of guys going, and we’re currently planning for middle of May in 2025. We will enter on fall lake and do the horse lake loop.

Is it usually pretty busy that time of year? For seasoned vets, are there any major changes you make to your gear or routes for spring trips? Is spring thaw a major concern as far as currents go?

Any insight or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all, I have enjoyed looking through this sub while researching for the trip.