12 MISTAKES Canoe Camping In The BWCA Boundary Waters

Mishaps are unavoidable when camping. In this video I share stories of my canoe camping Mishaps and Mistakes from camping in the BWCA that we can all learn from. Boundary Waters Camping is right around the corner. Permits are live and many people are excited for the upcoming paddle season. Thank you for watching!
#bwca #boundarywaters #canoecamping #canoe #adventures #adventure #mn #minnesota
I camp and hike in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I also guide Boundary Waters Retreats! In the Superior National Forest, in Northern Minnesota. And anywhere else I can venture to! I love sharing the journey with you all.
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[@jerrystraka7856]

July 20th, 1969 [spent a full week there] camped on an island in Lake Gabbro man landed on the moon we listened to the landing on a 'transistor' radio 'one small step..." i was 14. with my dad unforgettable

[@jodimiddendorf]

Wow, what a truly unique experience!

[@darrengladstone3159]

Wow, that is perfect.

[@markrogers6630]

Excellent advice, on all counts! I distinctly remember my buddy and I waking up to our canoe having been blown across the lake from our campsite. Luckily we were able to hike the shore to retrieve it, but it was rough and put us way behind. Almost a disaster! Now my canoe is always completely out of the water AND tied to something sturdy.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Definitely a lesson learned. Thankful that you were able to retrieve your canoe!

[@zaneli3384]

@@jodimiddendorf Do they have a seasonal fire banned? Also, how do you deal with mosquitos?

[@tbonewic74]

Bringing a hammock instead of a tent when part of the trip was in a burn zone, I made it work but putting up a hammock where where there are next to no trees get's interesting

[@kirchoffkyle]

How did you do your bear bag with no proper trees?

[@loganschmaling4250]

​@@kirchoffkyle I've spent about a month and a half total in the boundary waters and never used a bear bag/barrel. Always used a good quality dry bag and kept it under our tarps. Never had any problems with mice, bears, raccoons, or bugs. I'm not saying it's useless or isn't good practice, but as long as it's good rubber and seals up tightly then you'll be fine.

[@MiloTupy]

I need a good camp chair this year 🪑I’m posed to do my first BWCA trip ever. Thanks for the first hand Information 👍

[@Rollinghillsfarmsmn]

Great advice. We’ve been canoeing the BWCA since the 70’s and learned many of these same lessons and more, the hard way. Double emphasis on marshmallows 😊.

[@donspringer8222]

BWCA camping since 97, mostly on east and west ends of Lac LaCroix, and learned many of the same lessons. Most important is to have the right gear and food which equates to less is more. A good outfitter will provide a list of things to bring and not to bring.

[@rjsparling1696]

I forgot my hammock underquilt on my last trip in...the wind off the lakes gets pretty chilly around 2AM blowing right under your backside! I learned that a reusable emergency blanket and improvising clothespins out of sticks split lengthwise will do in a pinch! Also don't FORGET your bait bucket!!! lol

[@jodimiddendorf]

Ooof that does sound chilly. Good tip !

[@BearManNorth]

I have been wilderness canoeing since the early 60s with my old man. Not only the BWCA, but many other remote wilderness places over the years. I'm now 71, and.live next to the B-dub. The biggest mistakes rookies make I believe, is not researching. Reading books by canoeing experts is essentual for a satifying first few times in. I am im those types of books myself. Also, practicing before going, using the gear and so on...including carry and portaging besides paddle practice, and learning the basics. It will save the pain of learning the hard way. Everything from food prep to cook gear and water filters....and if course proper layering of simple clothing. A half dozen experimental trips in nearby state parks or rivers, will pay off big time when you finally head into the wilderness. Proper food pack storage is a must, and being bear aware important. One other thing ... learn to properly load, enter, and exit the canoe. PRACTICE FIRST. It is the biggest fail I see every year, no matter what time of the year you go..... try winter in the B-dub once. It's great!

[@GettingToHeaven]

Appreciate your video. Thanks much for the tips.

[@jailen461]

Just saw this video and like it. Good, sound, advice.I subscribed. Thanks. I'm old😉😁 been doing it(camping canoeing, kayaking for 47 years)

[@jodimiddendorf]

I bet you have loads of advice to share too.

[@jailen461]

@@jodimiddendorf I've made lots of mistakes. I'm smiling though. One thing I have learned is to keep my advice to myself. Many times it's unwanted. 😁 But I sure enjoy your videos. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

[@t-bonear2539]

Thank you for sharing all of this. Lots of great advice here!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Great video! Going in after the Grand Marais trip early summer and us folks in Louisiana need that advice on clothing. We normally go mid summer, so no issues, pack light. But going to be cool nights this time, need to pack smart. Thanks for sharing!!

[@jodimiddendorf]

Glad you found this video helpful! Layers are my best friend in the cold. I love the saying, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Enjoy your trip!

[@mpeterson8765]

Tying the canoe down in camp is key. I was on a rip with my boys and camped on an island. Took the canoe out of the water but did not secure it. Big windstorm came through at night and in the morning no canoe. Fortunately, the ere was another group camping on the island and they assisted me locating the canoe up in the woods downwind. Could have been a disaster.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Such a nice group to help you! This is definitely a lesson worth sharing!

[@jimfromoregonusa9899]

Always a good job done!

[@jodimiddendorf]

Thank you!

[@darwinmcquerter7463]

Great job!

[@jodimiddendorf]

Thank you!

[@gregoryentrekin8909]

Planning my first trip to the BWCA so I appreciate the tips and lessons learned the hard way by you haha.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Glad my mishaps have purpose. ha. I hope you have the best BWCA trip.

[@RickyVentures]

Hello from our local Minnesota based KZbin Channel "Ricky Ventures". Thanks for sharing!

[@777cretbo]

Excellent stuff, anything that would not allow me to sleep dry ha ha .... Wow, waking up in water, must have been the pits! Almost as bad as a tent that leaks ....

[@jodimiddendorf]

It was quite the experience. But it is funny looking back.

[@ASTHECROWFLIESHIKING]

Excellent advice! Crow✌️

[@jodimiddendorf]

Thank you!

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Went to the BWCA once with a friend of mine who didn’t listen to my packing suggestions. We ended up renting a 20 ft canoe as a result. He was a bull of a man so carrying it wasn’t as much of a problem as I thought.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Lightweight and manageable gear is nice, but people take all types of canoes and gear. Whatever people are up for I guess!

[@christuber8672]

Nice video! It was entertaining listening to your “mistakes”, many of which I’ve made over the years. Definitely remove the canoe from the water entirely. Overnight, the gentle rocking of the waves can cause a tied up canoe to rub against a rock and wear a hole right through. Don’t ask me how I know. Which leads well to my next point, always bring a few yards of duct tape!

[@zaneli3384]

Thanks

[@calhiser8265]

Hi everyone my name is Cal and I packed to much fishing tackle. Just saying tackle boxes have lead in them right.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Good one. Dialing in the correct fishing supplies is an art!

[@simonsky8]

I'm with you Cal I brought an excesive amount of fishing gear and didn't use but a fraction of the supplies' even ended up finding a whole box of hand tied flies someone left on a huge boulder

[@ualibtard]

The only thing you need to catch basically everything in the Boundary Waters is MEPPS number 0 and number three spinnerbaits

[@SkylinersYeti]

I frequently check weather as I plan trips BUT weather reports can be wrong. I am an old Boy Scout "be prepared" but do not over do it.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Yes!

[@ryanhines2857]

Gunwales should be down when up on land! You can punch a hole in a canoe if you set it down facing up on land. Also be sure to tie it down if any wind or weather is expected. Good practice to tie them down every night. That super light Kevlar can become a kite and be down the lake in a high wind or storm.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Good points!

[@pardon_this_1]

Not as common as going to heavy, but going too light can be a mistake as well. Figured I could sleep under a tarp instead of a tent, to save weight on my 7 day canoe trip; I was almost carried off by the mosquitoes on the first night. I had fun and learned a lot but never made that mistake again.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Good point!

[@qwut9544]

I’ve never had a problem with sleeping under my tarp. I haven’t slept in a tent, or used repellent, up there for years. If the mosquitoes are thick I pull my head into my bed roll.

[@marksandland208]

What or where are the boundary waters???

[@pardon_this_1]

@@marksandland208 it's a 210 mile stretch of connecting water ways between the US and Canadian border. It largely represents the boundaries between Ontario Canada and Minnesota USA (hence the name).

[@pardon_this_1]

@@marksandland208 Here's a video I took to show the route (using maps) before racing the length of it in 2018 . kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4OkemyLq9uZbsk

[@DodoBird157]

Could you make a video about BWCA fishing?

[@jodimiddendorf]

Honestly I feel I am ill prepared to do a fishing tips or tricks or info video. I know very little compared to many great fisherwomen out there. But I do have a BWCA video coming out soon where I did go fishing and you’ll be able to see my gear and what I caught!

[@DodoBird157]

Cool! I’ll keep an eye out for it!

[@JeanBeranek]

​@@jodimiddendorfI fish tofte for rainbow thru the ice is super fun. Snowbank is awesome too.

[@ptravaglione]

Mistake not knowing how to tie the bow line knot for putting up hammock.

[@jodimiddendorf]

I am guilty of this too, the first time I used my hammock.

[@jasonjay2945]

I'm planning first trip with elderly Father hopefully this June. Mainly for good fishing. Any advise on best outfitters, entry point and lakes for a short 3-4 day trip? Want seclusion but not 20 mile hike portages. Any advise appreciated. Thanks

[@jodimiddendorf]

Honestly I haven’t had a bad experience with any outfitters. There are many good options. My best advice would be to be in contact with outfitters sooner than later. They tend to book up and then have to turn people away. I hope your trip with your father is awesome!

[@jodimiddendorf]

As far as entry points there are many good small loop trips that you can do. It’s sometimes nice to have your outfitter drop you off at one spot and pick up at another, or at a place like Tuscarora outfitters you could paddle back to the outfitter to end your trip? Those kinds of trips are fun to me, rather than doing an out-and-back.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Sorry, another note here 😂: maybe you already know this, but permits do go on sale in late January, so it’s the perfect time to plan and get the permit you want.

[@davidschaefer8547]

Good stuff! 1) stepping out of canoe into water that is deeper than it looks_got soaked. 2) paddling a tandem from the back with only me in it and into heavy wind_went 🏊‍♀️.

[@jodimiddendorf]

Stepping out of the canoe into deceptive water is actually a topic in the video I’m making next! Oooof wind can be a beast!

[@jbusniewski]

I went off solo for a week without a SPOT device. Thankfully, nothing bad happened, but it was a stupid risk to take.

[@jodimiddendorf]

The new satellite devices are super helpful!

[@danvitale1825]

I never took one of those, I don't think they were invented yet. No cell phone either. It's not stupid if you know what you're doing.

[@jbusniewski]

Thanks for presuming I don't know what I'm doing, I guess? I do have a heart condition and a young child, so you'll have to excuse me if I do see a point to bringing an easy and potent safety measure. Things go wrong for even the most experienced folks, and you don't sound any cooler or tougher for talking like you're above it on the internet.

[@joshwheeler7904]

Wasn’t me but I know of a Boy Scout group that brought cast iron pots and pans on their very first BWCA trip. It nearly killed those young boys on the portages. I don’t think they ever went back. Unfortunate.

[@jodimiddendorf]

OOOOFFFFF this is a good point. I often see young school and scout groups bringing super heavy items. Old-school gear that could be replaced with newer and lighter gear. I understand the draw of the old school tents and aluminum canoes (etc.), but it's sad when it is just too much for their young bodies and scares them away.

[@ryanhines2857]

Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way on this stuff. I was lucky and that my Northern Tier trip the group made up of scouts from all over the country decided to do a 75 mile trip in 6 days. I stood in front of the Charlie guide interpreter and asked him about my items. “That is a lot of fishing tackle”. I downsized by half. Should I bring this item? “Somebody will have to carry it” which meant No. We went light and single portages. Had a phenomenal trip. Our guide did say he’d been on a trip where the troop brought to much gear. Did a portage and pretty much base camped for the week after that. Ryan

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Ever see pictures of guys in the 30s and 40s in that area. They didn’t have light weight stuff but it didn’t stop them. Saying that I’ll bet they wish they did have the light weight stuff of today. On another note cast iron does make the best meals 😂

[@jodimiddendorf]

@@arthurbrumagem3844 yes! Lightweight and fancy gear is great and a total game-changer. But not required for a lovely camping trip. It’s typically a lovely camping trip if everyone has a positive attitude, regardless of gear.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

@@jodimiddendorf the BWCA is a wondrous place which needs our protection and should only be enjoyed by those who realize that. Always irritated me when I saw people bring in glass,etc

[@Steve-sv3ln]

A rope and an anchor will eliminate the concern about leaving your canoe in the water. Even a rock or a tent stake attached to the rope will do it.😊 Great video thx!! The Gospel of John, sooner than later, Reader.❤️

[@pete5819]

I find Jodi very attractive. Just saying...

[@steveg5382]

Re: Cooking...Bio Stove!

[@ualibtard]

Cant

[@brickartphotos1969]

Do you or can you camp in the Winter in the boundary waters...? Ice fishing and hot popup camping...?

[@jodimiddendorf]

Yes you can and I have done that!

[@brickartphotos1969]

@@jodimiddendorf cool...! I hot tent camped this past Winter in Kelly, Wyoming on Lower Slide lake for a couple of weeks. Learned the hard way not to burn Aspen in a tent stove...lol My popup is the Eskimo 450XD Limited. I wanted the similar Otter model, but they were out of stock.

[@Jay-xh6py]

If you don’t thatch your clothes out of organic matter before you go you are doing it wrong.

[@daakrolb]

Mistake one- taking a woman into the BWCA. I always take men's trips... very enjoyable.

[@ualibtard]

Yeah I bet you have reasons you like all men's trips

[@daakrolb]

@@ualibtard Yes- no women.