Boundary Waters Canoe Area Solo Camping September 2019 BWCA

So I took some vacation time last month (September 2019) and crossed off an area on my To - Do List. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Superior National Forest of Northern Minnesota. I did 5 days 4 nights on the South Kawishiwi River from entry point #32. I made reservations through Piragis Northwoods Outfitters in Ely, MN who I highly recommend!! I rented a Northstar Northwind Solo in kevlar/CF layup and it was perfect for the trip. Large and long enough to hold my gear and perfect for moving across the open lakes.
The weather was much warmer than expected, low 50’s in the early morning and mid 70’s during the day. I had partly cloudy skies for the most part during the day. Fog and overcast in the early morning. Water temp was much warmer than expected as well. One storm came through on the third afternoon with wind gusting close to 40mph. Several trees down in Ely, MN and one fell down near me on a portage trail.
Bugs were almost non existent except for a few mosquitos after the storm. Lots of chipmunks, squirrels, various birds, hawks, and Eagles. No moose, deer, or bear encounters. Saw one beaver swimming around in the early morning.
I only saw about 12 other boats the entire trip and never had a problem finding a nice campsite. Compared to what I’m used to in South Florida, all the camp sites are amazing!
Some of my gear used on this trip:
Northstar Northwind Solo canoe
Panasonic G9 with Pana-Leica 8-18mm F/2.8-4 and Lumix 35-100mm F/2.8
GoPro Hero 7 Black
Panasonic Lumix LX10
Zhiyun Crane-M2 gimbal
Sony UX560 digital recorder
Edutige ETM-001 mic
MOVO VXR10 mini shotgun mic
Dream Hammock Darrien
Warbonnet Outdoors Minifly in SilPoly
Enlightened Equipment Synthetic ¾ underquilt
Enlightened Equipment 30 degree down top quilt
ULA OHM 2.0 backpack
MPowered Luci Light Pro 2.0 (great solar powered camp lantern)

[@philsantillan]

Amazing footage! Thanks for sharing.

[@jordanthompson1799]

The island campsite is beautiful ❤❤❤ we stayed there in 2019

[@hillbillyshoes5991]

I enjoyed your video and hope to do a solo trip someday. I wanted to point out something to you.. you said you were about 100 miles south of the Canadian border? I had the same misconception until I actually measured it on a map. The entirety of the BWCA is within 50 miles of Canada and where you camped on Clear Lake was actually only about 10 miles from Canada. Duluth isn't even 100 miles from Canada as the crow flies. Good video though, thanks for sharing your adventure with us!

[@2ndpaddlers]

Great video - My wife and I have traveled the boundary waters in August both in 2019 and also in 2018. We traveled the Grand Marais side. I, like you, can't get enough of the beauty of the wilderness. You said your sleep is usually not so good. I hear you. I spend way more time awake than sleeping while in the BWCA, good to hear you flipped it the other way this trip. I hope i can get those results my next trip. Again thanks for the video, it inspires me to try a solo trip in the future. I truly enjoy the trips with my wife and hope for many more, but a whole new challenge doing it solo.

[@chuckreetz2953]

Thanks for sharing man! Just got back from up there. I need a new canoe myself, 26 solos in 6 years with an 18’ Wenonah Sundowner. I just can’t afford a solo now. But, I’ll appreciate it that much more when I do get it. Also noticed your ULA pack, I have the same one. I like how you really appreciate everything around you. I’m the same way! Happy Paddling!!

[@TheHavnmonkey]

I live in South Florida, so anything besides sand, swamps, and Palm trees is amazing to me lol!

[@bobmichael5261]

Chuck Reetz I will loan you a canoe, almost 16 foot cedar strip

[@thesupercooladventureshow6080]

bro, you can't forget the whiskey

[@timothyhughes7984]

great video... thank you

[@amandar4980]

Pro tip.: solo canoe get a kayak paddle. It’s much better to control the solo canoe.

[@TheHavnmonkey]

I wanted to try my hand at a traditional solo canoe paddle style. It was much easier than I expected, even though my technique is pretty poor. Next trip i will most likely try a pack canoe with a kayak paddle.

[@jeffwilson8702]

Really enjoyed your video! I rent a cabin every year on a beautiful lake near Ely. Please come back and visit us again. Bring your friends. BTW, when you are in the boundary waters, be sure to check the night sky every time you wake up. You might get to see some Northern Lights......

[@mrgjoe]

Great video! Any additional thoughts on the Northwind Solo? I'm thinking of buying one this fall and it is high on my list. I also own two 14' carbon/kevlar pack canoes. They both weigh 24#'s and are fun to paddle.

[@TheHavnmonkey]

Joe Geronimo hey thanks for watching! I really loved the Northwind Solo, it was perfect for this trip. I haven’t paddled any of the other traditional seat solo canoes from Northstar or Swift, so not an expert by any means. But i can confidently say that I would not be disappointed to own this boat for these types of lakes. It has a nice balance of stability, confidence, cargo capacity, and speed. Finish and durability was also top notch.

[@mrgjoe]

@@TheHavnmonkey thank you! Best wishes with your new Hornbeck!

[@tristiancox3422]

Hey! What kind of mount did you use to accomplish this angle? thank you

[@TheHavnmonkey]

If you're asking about the canoe mount, I used a flexible arm clamp... the knockoff version of the Gopro one. I think the official version is called the Jaws and Flex Clamp or something like that.

[@waynemoureau5154]

360 rods equals a mile.

[@mkvnwk]

5,280 feet/mile X 1 rod/16.5feet = 320 rods/mile

[@kitbirskovich1838]

I liked your video and narrative very much. The BWCA of Minnesota is where the best ecstatic moments of my life occurred. Please permit me to say, your music choices were jarring, did not match the mood of your film footage. We did not need hard drums and electric guitar. Perhaps some Celtic or Satie -- something simple, quiet, or anything that smooths and strokes the soul the way the canoe and water and trees do.

[@AnimusZen]

I agree. The music broke the mood. Would have liked to see more filming too, not just recaps of what was done.

[@bubvaughn]

I can do without your foul language so I’m gonna turn you off now goodbye