Chasing Yesterday: 9 days in the BWCA (pt. 1)

June 2020: The summer of lockdown. With so much change in the world, two friends and I set out to get back to basics and enjoy the simpler things in life, such as food, water, sun, fish, and sleep. We decided to head back to the Knife Lake area to explore some old places and some new ones as well. This trip turned into one of my favorites, and it worked perfectly to ease our minds. Though it was only a short time, the effects have been long-lasting.
This is part 1 in the series, where we embark and set out to get to the North Arm of Knife (NAK). Normally we encounter a significant headwind on Knife, but this day was different. It was like something from a paddler's dream. Cool, calm, and got more beautiful as the day went on. We couldn't have asked for a better first day, and it set the mood for a great trip.
Let me know your thoughts, questions, and criticism in the comments! I really do appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks so much for watching!!
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[@BOW-ACE]

We just got back from our first time in BWCA. We stayed at Knife Lake as well. It was cool to see your video and see familiar spots. Awesome video

[@TechnicallyRugged]

It's such a great area for your first visit! I hope you enjoyed it!!

[@81eagle]

Sub'd. Thanks for filming this and narrating it as you go. I am following the trip from Google Earth. Never been in MN much before. One family trip to Cass Lake years ago. Can't wait for PT2!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You are very welcome!! I'm glad I can share these experiences with people. Part 2 is coming tonight :) thank you for watching!!

[@81eagle]

@@TechnicallyRugged Awesome!

[@ericnystedt5019]

What time of year did you go? I r used W&H several times heading this way. Thanks for sharing

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Let's see, this trip was June 6th thru the 14th. Pretty common for us to do this trip the first week of June. It's a great sweet spot for fishing and weather.

[@ericnystedt5019]

@@TechnicallyRugged nice! You may have passed us on birch. Brest time of year. Cool videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

@@ericnystedt5019 Sometimes even out in the wilderness, the world can seem awfully small! Maybe we'll run into each other some time. Thanks for watching!!

[@petescharber8567]

Another great video JD. Are those the 2" Kevlar tree straps that you are using with your WB Blackbird? Best, Pete

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thank you Pete!! They are the Kevlar 3.3 straps from Dutchwaregear. I didn't know they made 2" straps. I wonder if the 2" does less damage to the tree... I find I don't do much damage, if any, with my current straps, though.

[@petescharber8567]

@@TechnicallyRugged Sorry, yes I meant the 3.3 from Dutch. I am considering them myself. How are they holding up, seen any wear or degradation from UV light? I like having the fish hook on the end of my current dynaweave with titanium fishhook set-up. Do you think they would work well with a fishhook?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

I haven't noticed any degradation, really. They have gotten sap on them, naturally, and they have stiffened a bit, but so far, no real wear to speak of. Seams are still holding strong. I hadn't seen the Warbonnet FishHook yet but it looks neat! I'm not sure how your full suspension system works (how you adjust length of the straps) but as far as whether the 3.3 straps would fit through the eye of the FishHook, I think they would. It would probably be a slightly tight fit as the 3.3 looks a little thicker than the Dynaweave in the FishHook video, but I think it would work. And just to be clear, you'd want huggers, not straps, as you need the loop on the end that goes through the FishHook, but you also need the loop on the tree side to wrap the hugger around the tree in the first place. Let me know if that helps!

[@petescharber8567]

@@TechnicallyRugged Yea, yea tree huggers would be what I would need/try. Think I will probably pull the trigger and give them a shot. I am thinking about my first real winter overnight backpack trip this winter, someplace local like Afton State Park. I have done a number of nights in my backyard already this fall, getting down to the single degrees and was warm as could be. Starting to build up my confidence to try an easy backpack overnighter. Have you done much winter hammock camping?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

I have not done any winter camping since Boy Scouts... I've had my eye on a 0F Wooki underquilt but I'd also need a 0F topquilt to truly feel prepared for winter hammocking. It's definitely something I'd consider doing a few times over the winter but I can't quite justify the cost of the quilts yet for how little I'd use them.

[@bensmith4563]

How long is a rod

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Rods are 16.5 feet, roughly the length of a typical tandem canoe (usually 17 feet)! They're an odd unit for sure.