Of course, when we say that, we raise a few eyebrows. These are the three most common responses:

“You must have grown up in a family who always took you on the water.” somebody recently remarked when they saw us paddling a river with our 2.5 and 4.5 year old children.

“My kid is way too crazy, they would totally jump out of the boat.” a parent proclaimed during a recent workshop we gave at an outdoor expo.

“Who would take babies to the Boundary Waters?!?” a shocked parent blurted out while we tabled an event

To continue reading see our guest post on Friends of the Boundary Waters blog.

Since that first eden-esque trip we have made it a family tradition to head into the BWCA every 4th of July. This past year the weather definitely didn’t cooperate and we learned many invaluable lessons while out.

As we put in at the popular Lake One public boat launch we enjoyed sun and warm weather. Rowan instantly had many admirers and wowed many with the fact that this was not her first visit to this pristine wilderness area. This was her third trip into the most visited wilderness area in the nation.

In many ways though, this felt like her first trip to us as parents. Last summer, she was a babe in arms. We had a designated duffer who’s only job was to sit in the canoe with her. She learned to crawl while on our 2017 4th of July trip to Clearwater Lake but hadn’t been in since our long 6 day traverse along a 50-mile section of the Voyageur Highway route last summer. Now she’s a walking, busy, daring toddler who often doesn’t follow directions and has a strong will and a scream to match.

We had no duffer for her on this trip. Grandma and Grandpa were along but they were in their own canoe. We still haven’t installed the 4th seat on our Northstar Northwind 20 canoe so we brought out our trusty Ikea stool for her to sit on. We were filled with worry about her and this trip, I had stuffed my lifejacket pockets full with dumdum suckers, smartees, and her favorite chocolate brownie cliff bars. She had her tiny paddle, (courtesy of Grandpa Mike) a water bottle by her side, and a small pouch of toys.

After tossing her tiny paddle in the water multiple times and me missing it once and needing to backtrack to get it we tethered it to the boat with some rope. After another attempted tossing of the paddle, foiled by the rope, she quickly lost interest in her paddle and moved on to wanting snacks. She amazed me with her willingness to sit on her stool, leaning over the edge of the canoe to submerse her hands into the water, and awkwardly roamed around the back of the boat. She occassionally attempted to sit in my lap, leaving Bobby the arduous task of attempting to steer our beast of a canoe from the bow of the boat.

It was remarkable how much Jack and Rowan could throw off the balance of the boat when they would both lean over the edge on the same side! Bobby and I would both alter our positions in the boat appropriately when they would shift to counteract any possible tipping situations.

By far the highlight of the paddle in was watching a mama duck and her many ducklings on the side of a rock.

We opted for the first campsite on Lake One, it was available and Rowan was reaching the end of her patience with the boat, after about an hour on the water. We had taken our time, meandering along and paddling against the wind.

The campsite was large, with a good bit of shoreline and water access for the kids to play. There had been large storm fronts in the area the day before and the long trek to the privy was made longer by the muddy, rocky trail.

Our day in camp was spent pleasantly eating lunch, napping, playing in the water, playing with rope, looking through binoculars, and having wonderful quality time with Grandma and Grandpa.

We made a meal of rice and beans and flautas with sour cream, cheese, and salsa as toppings. I buy pre-made flautas at Costco, freeze before leaving and then cook them over the fire using a Fry Bake pan. We had to have our traditional, and much loved, ‘smores for dessert. We realized it would be Rowan’s first-ever ‘smore! She immediately ditched the graham cracker and marshmallow (by pawning them off on Grandma) and went straight for the Hershey’s chocolate in the center.

Jack couldn’t figure out why his marshmallow caught on fire.

Expecting sticky goo, I removed her shirt.

Following dinner the kiddos both opted for skinny dipping in the lake. I love encouraging this as it is a good opportunity for babies in diapers to get a break from a sweaty, inevitably, dirt-filled diaper. Rashes can happen quickly when out in the woods for multiple days so when a water source is available I encourage naked swim time to allow a good cleanse of private areas. Bobby soon noticed something on Jack’s toe that he assumed was a pebble but it was actually a very small leech. I am terrified of leeches so, while keeping my distance and attempting to stay calm, I hollered out that it was no big deal and all we needed to do was pour some salt on it (thank you Cradle to Canoe for teaching me that trick!). Grandpa still had his salt shaker handy from dinner and the leech was soon off. By managing to stay calm and all of us treating the situation lightly Jack thought the whole ordeal was silly and quickly forgot about it. Just a good reminder to always have some salt on you!

It was soon that dreaded time of day, time to hang the bear bag. Jack loves to help and we all struggle and muddle through the difficult and frustrating task of lifting our over-packed and heavy food and smellable bags the required 12 feet off the ground. It took a couple of hours, several different ropes, multiple angles, and oddly very few bug bites to finally find success.

Bedtime was shockingly easy and soon enough both kiddos were fast asleep. We were fortified and looking forward to the next three days of our trip.

The following morning was beautiful, like only a new day celebrated in the northwoods of Minnesota can be. We ate breakfast sandwiches while listening to the occasional Loon call. Jack and Rowan enjoyed their first tastes of Grandpa’s favorite camping beverage, Tang!

Then it started to rain. We moved all stray items of gear into our 12×12 Nemo Bugout screen tent ready to wait it out. We knew, heading into this trip, that the weather forecasts were dicey at best. We agreed as a group to give it a go but if things turned sour we would pack it in. The rain was soft and steady at first and the kids enjoyed the coloring and activity books I had brought along (Because of the weather forecast I had packed more toys than normal knowing they may be necessary as we waited for storms to pass). We also played cars and toys and kept waiting. The rain steadily increased in intensity and soon we were working at preventing the rain from coming into our floorless shelter. As we waited and waited the kids became antsy. I was hesitant to let them play in the rain because I knew getting them clean and dry would be difficult if the weather continued to be poor. I pulled out the emergency tablets and they were soon watching some of their favorite shows that I had downloaded from Netflix before leaving home. Rowan got fussy and eventually fell asleep in my arms, something that hasn’t happened in almost a year. We laid her down and began digging out lunch.

The rain began to downpour and the noise of it was so intense that Jack could no longer hear his movie. We had eaten lunch at this point and I decided to bring Jack to our tent for a nap, leaving Rowan asleep atop our PFDs. Jack fell asleep quickly lulled by the rain and the exhaustion from a late bedtime the previous night’s bear-bag-hanging-antics had caused. I lay awake working crosswords and began to watch as the water level around our tent continued to rise. I left Jack sleeping and reported to Bobby that there was a solid 2 inches of water around our whole tent.

This is when we began to wonder and worry. The sky was full on cloudy with no break in sight. I made the trek to the privy to check the small trail’s conditions. Most of it was underwater and required some rock-hopping techniques. I slipped and almost fell. I knew Grandma would have a hard time making it back to the privy should she require it. I reported conditions back to the main camp and after much debate we agreed we should pack up and head out. We were only a couple of miles from our put-in so the paddle out would be miserable, but not long. Our tents were heavy from the rain and we let the kids splash and play in the giant puddle that had become our campsite as we worked furiously to get packed up as fast as possible. I had bundled them up in base layers, wool, winter coats, and rainsuits as they giggled away in the seemingly endless deluge of rain.

The paddle out in wind and rain was, of course, made more exciting by missing our turn and traveling too far. We had all hidden our phones away because of the rain and nobody had thought to keep one handy for GPS usage. We were able to easily dig one out and were soon on the right way out.

By the time we were reaching the end of our 45 minute paddle Jack was providing us with a continuous chorus of “I’m chilly. I’m chilly. I’m chilly….” Rowan was surprisingly cooperative as long as she had the correct flavor of DumDum in her mouth at all times.

I changed the kids out of their wet clothes in the bed of our truck and found that they had completely soaked through every single layer they were wearing. I got them into clean, dry clothes and into the cab of the truck with the heat on high. It was a mere 57 degrees and I was definitely concerned about hypothermia. They were soon happily warm and snacking while the truck was loaded and the canoes secured.

Since the weekend had gone completely awry we decided not to let it get us down and managed to snag two rooms at the Grand Ely Lodge and enjoyed a fun, relaxing long weekend. But, that’s a tale for another post.

Where does the baby go? Doesn’t your toddler just jump out of the boat? We get these questions frequently when speaking about taking our two children on canoe trips. They are now seasoned veterans of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) and after multiple trips with both children, in a variety of seating arrangements we have finally come up with the a seating arrangement that works for us! The sad news is, that since last summer, and the last open water we saw, our children continued to grow and develop so our once crawling baby is now a terror of a running toddler. This year we will be starting from scratch and figuring out what works best for our family this year.

First, some background on our beloved canoe. It’s a Northstar, Northwind 20 canoe made right here in Minnesota by a small, dedicated group of canoe-building gurus. This beast is 20 feet 5 inches long and weighs in at a mere 54 pounds. It stays so lightweight by the Aramid (kevlar) fabric that is used to make it. To learn more about this canoe check out our visit to the workshop last year.

Because this beautiful canoe has 4 seats and a 1000 pound load capacity we can easily fit (and have) 3 adults and 2 children (occasionally we add in an extra child and it’s no problem).

2 adults and 3 kids

We currently don’t have the 4th seat mounted for this canoe. I (Maura) stern the boat so we left the rear seat, closest to mine, out for the time being. In place of that we have a Northstar Knee Bed 40″x52″ which provides added insulation from the cold. Atop the Knee Bed is our designated “duffer”, usually Grandpa Mike. He joins along on many of our trips to help with the baby of the group. He holds Rowan, enduring her screaming and fidgeting but, has the benefit of enjoying one of his favorite places, the BWCA, with his grandchildren along.

Sitting up in a baby-sized life jacket is difficult for the strongest of babies. It rides up, around their neck and makes them fairly uncomfortable. Thus, Rowan needed to be held all last summer and we had ample volunteers wanting to join us and help out. We are always strong proponents of bringing along friends or family for extra help and extra fun! We attempted a canoe trip with just us and the two kids, propping Rowan up between Bobby’s legs but it just didn’t work. Everybody was miserable and our trip was cut super short.

Alyce and Rowan

A great resource for parents who are looking to canoe with their children is Cradle to Canoe by Rolf and Debra Kraiker. This book offers multiple seating solutions for babies and toddlers, including the use of a laundry basket to sit baby in. We thought about using things like a Bumbo chair or even our framed carrier but the worry is, not having them in anything that they are clipped in or wedged to, should the boat capsize they need to be buoyant and float. A laundry basket is a great way of keeping them contained and safe while in the canoe.

Jack, on the other hand has been sitting solo on his canoe seat for the last two years. Before we had our Northwind 20 we borrowed Grandpa’s boat, which didn’t have a middle seat. We found that IKEA has an awesome stool for $8 that was the perfect height and super stable legs to provide Jack with the perfect seat. On Jack’s inaugural canoe ride we were sure he would jump right out of the canoe, due to his penchant for physically astounding antics and dislike of sitting still. Much to our surprise he sat, and continues to sit, like a true gentleman while in the canoe. He looks around, watches the birds, and simply loves being on the water.

We give Jack his own paddle to “help” us. Toddlers and preschoolers love to “help” out in any way they can. He is often going against the flow and occasionally drops his Bending Branches Twig paddle into the water. Thankfully, they float and are easily retrievable. Some parents opt to tether the paddle to the boat but I feel the added rope would cause frustration when tangled up, thereby increasing the likelihood of a mid-trip meltdown. It’s easy enough to turn around and grab it if need be.

One downside of canoeing, on lakes especially, is the complete lack of shade. This can be tricky if you plan on spending any length of time in the canoe with kids. We recommend long pants and long sleeves for kids that are a non-cotton, breathable material. We love Wee Woolies for summer time adventures. They are expensive, so be sure to ask for them as gifts for your kids! Having a solid sunhat is another way to keep skin safe from that blazing summer sun. Sunday Afternoon makes an amazing Explorer’s hat for toddlers and a wider brimmed, bucket hat, for older children. The chin straps work great for windy days and pesky baby hands frantically trying to get that hat off within the first second of having it on. The hats also work great for keeping biting insects at bay.

Another sun protection tool that we love is the umbrella! We use this on hikes and canoe trips with infants that may be too young for sunscreen. We don’t invest in a super expensive umbrella, just something simple and compact from Target works great! Just ignore the odd looks you get. If you have an infant that can sleep on the bottom of the canoe, or in the laundry basket this is a great item to set over them to keep the sun off, but a breeze coming.

We don’t bring many toys into the wilderness but we do bring one or two matchbox cars for playing with in the bottom of the canoe. We keep them in a small hipster pouch from Onya that can be attached to the seat. Don’t be afraid to let your children lean over and touch the water. Thankfully their lifejackets have a handle on the back to help hold them in when necessary but this is such a great way for them to explore what they are seeing.

Keeping snacks, treats, and water readily at hand is vital for the success of any canoe trip with toddlers along. I love my Stohlquist life jacket because of the large-sized pockets it has. Within them I can hold bars, fruit snacks, and, my personal favorite special treat, DumDum suckers.

Having an array of fun, sing-along songs in your arsenal is another great way to keep spirits up when canoeing with babies and toddlers. Remembering that, for the most part, they are just sitting there, hanging out. Keeping them engaged and interested with fun activities is a great way to make the trip a successful one. We play lots of games, observe what is around us and what we can hear. We talk about where we are on the map and have kids “help” us navigate by looking at the map. For longer trips, portages are actually a great way to break up the day. It gives kids the opportunity to get out, stretch their legs, get some energy out, and a change of scenery is always good.

Napping in the canoe is totally doable! We have had remarkable success with this. I don’t know if it’s just the luck of the draw that we got with our kids, in terms of sleeping habits, or if it’s the combination of the quiet, the fresh air, and the steady, constant motion of the boat that lulls them to sleep but it works wonders.

Our biggest piece of advice to those families who want to give canoe camping a try with their young ones is, do it! Find a lake with rentals and easy access. Plan for a half an hour and just see how it goes. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you experience, I know we were! Canoeing is such a great way, especially in Minnesota, to find a wilderness experience with your family without too much effort.

Free downloadable packing lists

Canoe camping with infants packing list

Canoe camping with children packing list

First aid kid packing list

As with all of our trips some things went well, others were more challenging. Overall though this trip was a resounding success with good times had by all. Below I’ve listed what I planned for, learned from, and how a trip with kids and babies along was successful.

Food

Our first time to the BWCA was last year and I was six months pregnant with our daughter, Rowan. We visited Kawishiwi Lake and everything was ideal; the campsite, the weather, the spirits of the group. My only fault in that first trip was the horrendous job I did in meal planning. We had about 50 pounds of food, most of which was never eaten. This trip I planned meticulously and realistically. I decided to pack only one backup meal, many snacks for each of us, and simple, easy to make meals. Planning food for this trip was my very own trial before I would need to begin planning food for our family for a month when we venture off on our big Arrowhead Traverse at the end of July. I must be a bit egotistical here and say that I totally nailed the food. I may even go so far as to say I knocked it out of the park. We returned home with minimal food stuffs left in our newly purchased cooler portage pack from Kondos Outdoors in Ely.

Noodles, Tomato Sauce, Cheese, and Tuna

One thing I was certain to do before leaving home was repackage most all the food. For example: I measured out exactly enough pancake mix, writing on the ziplock bag how much was packed and how much water was needed, then we just poured the water into the baggie, which decreased our dishes for the morning. For our first morning of fresh eggs on our breakfast sandwiches I had pre-scrambled the eggs in a ziplock baggie before leaving home. We had read about using boiling water and cooking the bag of eggs easily, it didn’t work out well for us and a bit of the bag melted… Maybe I should read a bit more into it before I attempt it again!

Egg, Cheese, Sausage, Breakfast Sandwiches

We also used a large water-tight 5 gallon bucket for hauling in fresh fruit and bread products that we didn’t want to get squished. I brought a bag of apples and a bag of oranges so we could still enjoy some fresh fruit while out.  The other great thing about the bucket is that it can double as a chair while in camp!

For snacks I made each member of our crew their own snack bag which contained an array of granola/energy bars, trail mix, snickers, dark chocolate covered blueberries, and fruit snacks for the kids. Some special treats I brought along were licorice, boxes of apple juice, and shelf-stable Horizon Milk. For a complete meal shakedown click here.

Bottles

Rowan drinks formula 5 times a day and requires her bottles to be warm. This presents a slight challenge when out in the woods but it is easily overcome with some good planning. Knowing that when you camp things are never very clean I didn’t want to bring a large tub of formula for her that would potentially, and more than probably, get really nasty really quick. Instead, I pre-packed individual baggies of formula for each feeding. I had found that snack-sized baggies were too difficult to pour from but that this smaller baggie from Amazon worked great. The largest bottle size Rowan currently drinks is 6 ounces but there was definitely room in these baggies for a couple more scoops if you should need it.

Heating up water for the bottles was made easy by our Jetboil stove, which can boil water in no time flat! We would use the excess water we heated to clean the bottle after she was done. It was nice having a small mesh bag to put the bottles in and hang them from a tree to dry. Also, having two bottles along was nice if we weren’t able to wash them immediately.

We spoke with our pediatrician before leaving to make sure that the water we filtered from the lakes would be clean enough for her to drink and she basically told us that if it was good enough for us it was good enough for her and there was no need to worry about double filtering.

Clothing

When canoe camping the rule of thumb is to bring along two outfits, one wet to be worn while in the canoe, and one set of dry clothes to be worn in camp. That’s exactly what I packed for myself and Bobby. I added in additional clothes for Jack as he is a bit unpredictable, more willing to get muddy, dirty, wet, or anything else. So, having more than just two sets of shirts and pants was definitely key.

For Rowan we stuck with just two outfits and two sets of PJs. We did get to try out our new Scrubba Bag on one set of her PJs after I managed to spill a good portion of her breakfast all over her… It worked surprisingly well and having some extra rope along to use as a clothesline was perfect.

Having warm layers for the chilly mornings in camp was vital, as was our frequently used rain gear. It’s great that Rowan now has an Oakiwear Rainsuit of her very own now that she’s a bit older and bigger!

Good hats and long sleeved/pant, lightweight base layers not only protect the babes from the sun but the bugs as well. Wool socks and two pairs of shoes (one for use in the water/one for in camp) is also important for overall comfort while exploring via canoe.

Bugs

We generally don’t use bug spray but we did pack Picardin bug repellent from Sawyer per our pediatricians recommendation. She agreed with us that using Deet around a thumb sucking toddler and a busy baby who puts everything in her mouth wasn’t a good idea. She also agreed that pretreating our clothing with Sawyer’s Permethrin spray was also recommended. We ended up only needing the bug repellent a handful of times and were more grateful that we had brought along the Benadryl Itch Cream. If nothing else this provided peace of mind for Jack when he did get bit. He is very allergic to mosquito bites and swells up badly when bit. So, for him, any relief is good.

Jack’s right eye swelled up after a bite to his eyebrow.

We had brought along mosquito head nets had things been really bad but, we found ourselves lucky with the bugs, in that only the No-See-Ums and Mosquitos seemed to be out. I never found a tick on anybody and the black flies weren’t biting. We got even luckier when a beautiful Swallowtail butterfly kept visiting us in our campsite. That guy really loved Jack’s Keens!

Rain

We had rain showers as we embarked on our trek and throughout our first paddle. We had had grand plans of canoeing three miles to the campsite with the best rating on the lake from the Clearwater Lodge website. However, the rain was dampening our spirits, our bodies, and our stamina. We instead opted to stop at the first campsite on the lake. We had thought it would just be for lunch but soon realized that all parties were anxious to get warm and dry inside a tent.

We had rain on and off for the rest of that first day and patches of rain during day 2. I had come prepared with games like Uno and Spot It as well as a Ranger Rick Jr Magazine, a Thomas the Tank Engine Magazine, and a Bob the Builder Activity Book with stickers.

These became clutch throughout our weekend in the woods, not only during the rainier times, but also when the kids needed some quiet time away from the group. Jack spent a solid 1/2 an hour coloring one day. He is a social guy but also enjoys his time alone doing independent play so this was a great way for him to do that.

The nice thing about bringing along magazines is that they are disposable. If they get rained on, ripped, or ruined in some other fashion it’s perfectly okay.

Our Nemo tarp tent was also great to have during the rainier/buggier times of day. Since it has netting on all four sides, a breeze is constant, and we can easily cook inside if need be.

The doom and gloom forecast did not come to fruition and we were pleasantly surprised by the sunshine and mild temperatures we had.

Crawling

Rowan blew us away on this trip by becoming mobile! She learned to crawl in the tent, learned to go from her tummy to a sitting position, and started to work on pulling herself up.

Having a crawling baby in the woods can be stressful, when no surface is that soft, sticks, rocks, pinecones, leaves, and all manner of forest detritus can easily make it’s way into her mouth. We have an amazing Knee Bed from Northstar canoes that Rowan sits on while in the bottom of the boat, to keep her warm and dry, and it also became her camp chair.

She would quickly roll, scoot, or crawl her way off the large, soft pad which meant that somebody had to be assigned to sitting with her at all times. This could’ve been exhausting but with the help of Aunt Katie, cousin Ryan, myself and Bobby the work was nicely divided and she was safe at all times. She may have gotten a bit of extra iron as she did manage to sneak the occasional fistful of dirt… but hey I’m a firm believer in the eating dirt will make you stronger theory so we chose to just let it go!

Lifejacket Woes

We got lucky with Jack, in that, he loved wearing his Stohlquist lifejacket from day one. With Rowan we are not so lucky… She HATES it. And when she’s in it, everybody in a nearby radius knows because her shrieks of outrage echo around the lake. She was only happy if in somebodies arms, or standing, or being sung to constantly. This did lead to a 2 hour singalong in the canoe one day….

We are on the hunt for an alternative solution for her, that will hopefully be more comfortable for her. In the meantime we are happy to report that Grandpa Mike, one of her favorite people, is now planning on joining us on the canoe portion of the trip. This means we will always have an extra adult to sit in the canoe and deal with her. No more one-handed paddling for Bobby! Our hope had been that she would be content sitting solo in front of the sterner, playing with toys and looking around. Not so much! Hopefully, after a solid week of canoeing she gets more used to it.

Canoe Arrangement

This was our first trip to the BWCA with our new Northstar Northwind 20 canoe. We were seating 5 people total in the boat and tried many an arrangement throughout our trip. We tried having the two boys sit on a bench together which worked well for the first 10 minutes before they both began to complain that the other was taking up too much space…

In the end, what worked best was having one adult member of the crew sit on the knee bed with Rowan (or Rowan and Jack) while two other adults paddled.

This arrangement even led to the rare canoe-smile from Rowan, not commonly seen.

On our 1/2 mile paddle out on our last day. We got a good glimpse of what life will be like when we have two children able to paddle. Rowan slept (fitfully) at Bobby’s feet while Jack and Ryan paddled with us.

Adolescent Crew Member

This was our first time, since working at Boy Scout camp a decade ago, that we took an adolescent on a canoe trip with us. Our nephew, Ryan, is 10 years old and has car camped a lot. I had done my best to prepare him for what a trip to the BWCA would be like but he was still surprised by a lot of what was thrown at him. Where’s the picnic table? Why is this trail so narrow? Where are all the people? That’s our camping stove, it’s so tiny?!? We gave him a lot of tough love and set our expectations of him high, yet still reasonable. He was expected to keep track of his gear, set up his own sleeping area, help with the dishes, help with the water filtering, help with Jack and Rowan when needed, and to participate in our canoe songs. Some activities he did with more gusto than others but in the end he had nothing to say but positives. He beamed with pride after filling his own sleeping pad by himself. He learned self reliance when we would allow him to paddle in the solo canoe near our campsite.

His self-efficacy increased when going up the “hardest trail” he’d ever done, when we day hiked to the top of one of the nearby palisades.

He learned responsibility when helping with camp chores and the younger kids.

He also learned rationing as I gave him his own snack bag on day one and told him he could eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted but that that bag of snacks needed to last him the whole weekend and there was no extra.

He also learned that I’m not afraid to talk about bodily functions when in the woods, and did (as promised) check in with him to make sure he was successfully doing everything he needed to be doing on a daily basis. We taught him the importance of water consumption when out in the woods. Katie and I harped on him a lot, encouraging him to drink water regularly. Katie had had the foresight to bringing along some powdered gatorade to flavor his water with which he loved and definitely helped him drink more.

Overall, I think this trip did him a world of good as he has been having some health issues lately. Those four days in the wilderness put color back into his cheeks, a spring in his step, and joy into his eyes and voice that hadn’t been there for awhile. I think it was a time that made him realize that despite the difficulties in life we may be thrown, we are still capable of a lot more than we realize.

Sleeping

Always our biggest question; did anybody sleep?!? The answer was a resounding YES! Rowan finally seems to have gotten into the swing of things when it comes to sleeping in a tent. As long as she has Bobby to snuggle up with she will happily sleep at night. Waking occassionally but never for long. The hardest part with her is that she likes to sleep in a corner of her crib, which means she tries to scoot herself to the corner of the tent, which just isn’t safe. Also, getting her to settle down in such an exciting space can be tricky. It worked well a couple of times to simply trap her between two sleeping pads. This won’t work for much longer so we enjoyed it while it lasts!

We had brought an egg-crate, foldable sleeping pad for her that she really didn’t like. So, Bobby ended up sleeping on that most nights while giving up his Ex-ped to her.

Having the Merino Kids sleepsack was just as key as it has always been, since Jack was an infant. The nights did get chilly so she was often under Bobby’s sleeping bag as well. She never once woke up cold though!

As for Jack, this camping thing has become old hat for him. It was easy, on the nights he wasn’t totally ready to go to sleep, to simply hand him one of his magazines and tell him to go to sleep when he was ready. This prevented the usual bouncing around the tent and he would eventually set it at his feet and fall asleep.

The kids took ridiculously long naps every day which meant that, we too, got in some much needed rest midday. These are so routine for our kiddos at home that we never had a problem getting them to sleep in the tent during the middle of the day. One key thing we do is play white noise on our cellphones. Both kids sleep with a sound machine at home, so hearing that noise is a good cue for them that it’s time to sleep.

For me, I struggle to sleep when it’s so noisy so I wear headphones with either quiet music or a well-known audiobook playing (like Harry Potter or Anne of Green Gables). Having a couple new audiobooks to keep me company during naptime was great too! We don’t feel comfortable leaving Rowan alone in the tent so a parent always has to be with her. I, personally, can’t sleep for 2-3 hours midday so after my brief siesta it’s nice to have something to occupy me.

Day Trips

Every time we’ve done a BWCA trip we have basecamped and set forth on day trips. This time around was no different except one of the day trips we did was a short paddle to a hiking trail! The Palisades Trail is a half mile scramble to the top of one of three palisades on the lake that affords sweeping, breathtaking views of the area (we’ve included a map of the trail at the end of this post).

It is totally worth the effort of not only finding the trailhead (which is harder than it should be) but also the rocky, tree-filled, trail that takes explorers to the top.

Jack was insistent on walking the whole thing by himself despite a scary fall and tricky footing. He did it! On the way down he got pretty stressed out and asked for a time out to collect himself. After that he was, once again, happy as a clam and ready and willing to ask for help when he needed it.

Favorite Things

Every trip there are always a few pieces of gear that stick out as the hot topic of a trip. We sit around, marveling at this piece of camping ingenuity and thanking our lucky stars that we have it along on the trip. This trip, it was our new Platypus Gravityworks water filter. On our last trip we had an old handpump MSR ceramic filter that works great but takes tons of effort. With 6 people in camp and lots of fresh, clean water being needed, having this thing was so wonderful and easy. We kept imagining how much time would’ve been wasted filtering with our old one had we not had the foresight to make our lives waaaayyy easier with this beauty!

Having our breathable Lillebaby soft structured carrier along was great for having Rowan in around camp when nobody was available to sit with her. It was also great for the two day hikes we did while there.

The Final Day

Our last moments in the BWCA are generally tantrum filled, as Jack screams and cries as clean clothes are forced on his dirt-encrusted body while his beloved “new” (canoe) is tied to the roof of our truck. It’s a time of sadness as another adventure comes to an end. It’s a time of joy that we all made it out safely. It’s a time of realizing just how seriously bad we all smell. And it’s a time for celebration. Before leaving home I froze bottles of water and gatorade and hid them as a surprise treat under the backseat of our truck for all to enjoy as we reveled in the success of our trip.

This was by far our greatest trip to date in the BWCA and we can’t wait to glide our canoe through this pristine area next month. This trip gave me a boost in confidence as we prepare to set forth on what is to be the longest most difficult trek we’ve ever embarked on.

Read more about what the Boundary Waters mean to us

With a million+ acres of wilderness containing over 1200 miles of canoe routes, over 2000 designated campsites, and 90 total entry point permit options–planning a trip to the Boundary Waters can be overwhelming to say the least. Throw in the additional stress of bringing along your small children and it’s easy to think that the BWCA isn’t a good family option. For us, we decided the kind of wilderness canoe trip that we’re comfortable taking and we want to share our criteria with you. Hopefully it will help you and your family discover this amazing place.

Most sources you will consult for planning trips to the Boundary Waters, whether they’re books, online forums, Facebook groups, or outfitter websites, will be focused on longer mileage trips that cover several lakes and involve numerous portages. If we didn’t have kids that would be the kind of trip we’d plan–we’d want to get as far into the wilderness as possible. With our kids along, our expectations have changed and the most important thing for us is to have a wilderness experience where everyone is having fun and staying safe. Therefore, we plan trips where we can set up a base camp on our first day and spend the following days doing day trips to other nearby lakes. This way, we only have to set up and take down camp once and do portages on day trips with less gear in the canoe.

Here are the factors we consider when planning a route with our baby and toddler along

Easy entry point access
Can we drive up to a boat launch and unload everything into our canoe directly into the water without an initial portage?

Easy access to campsites
When our canoe is fully loaded we don’t want to portage with our kids. We want a short paddle (~45 minutes) to a campsite where we can set up base camp. This also means if something does go wrong we have an easier exit strategy.

Smaller lakes
Being blown around on a big lake is no fun. Especially when one of you is consoling a child leaving only one parent to paddle.

Large number of campsites available
If you get a late start on paddling it’s very likely that you will come across several campsites that are already taken. We like to go to lakes that have a large number of campsites to increase our chances of finding one that’s available. Campsites are first come, first serve.

Small number of permits available per day
This goes along with the previous factor, if there are fewer permits available we hope to see fewer people on the lake.

Shorter drive time from our home in the Twin Cities
Okay, no matter what, you’re going to be driving at least 4 to 6 hours if you’re coming from the cities. Some entry points are further away than others and we definitely try to keep our drive time shorter for everyone’s sanity!

No motors allowed
As much as possible, we like to avoid lakes that allow motors. It ruins the wilderness experience for us. Plus, I don’t want to be paddling as hard as I can and have a boat motor right by us! The lakes that do allow motors are typically on the edge of the wilderness and will sometimes have restrictions for how far boats with motors can travel so you can still find motor-free solitude. Also, most of the lakes that do allow motors have horsepower restrictions to keep them from disturbing the wilderness setting.

Entry Point Selection

You must enter the BWCA at a designated entry point. Reservations for all entry points can be made on a first-come, first-served basis beginning January 25, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. CST. For each entry point listed below we’ve included a link to the relevant permit registration page.

Note that there are a few entry points that have permits that are available through a lottery that runs from mid-December to early January each year. None of those entry points are included in our list. Be sure to also familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of the Boundary Waters. When you pick up your permit at the ranger station or your outfitter you will also watch a video covering the rules.

Read more about our packing and planning strategy for the Boundary Waters

Top 7 entry points (EP) for babies and small children

EP 37 – Kawishiwi Lake

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHi7J_kBoDG/

Permits per day: 9
Motors: No
Drive distance from MPLS:  259 miles (about 4hrs 50mins)
Lake size: 420 acres
Distance to first campsite: 0.2 miles (4 minutes)
Number of campsites: 7
Recommended outfitter: Sawtooth Outfitters
View map in Paddle Planner

Campsites with sandy beaches, a rustic campground right at the EP (stay there your first night to get an early start the next morning), and a couple of day trip options make this a great option for a first-time BWCA experience. Kawishiwi Lake was our very first canoe camping experience and it couldn’t have been a better setting. The lake has a number of lovely islands for you to paddle around to search for Bald Eagles, Loons, and ducks. There are several campsites on Kawishiwi Lake, but if they’re full you can continue towards Square Lake where there are a couple more.

Reserve permits for EP 37 – Kawishiwi Lake

EP 38 – Sawbill Lake

https://www.instagram.com/p/3eGFIaO4JB/

Permits per day: 14
Motors: Yes, partially
Drive distance from MPLS: 260 miles (about 4hrs 29mins)
Lake size: 898 acres
Distance to first campsite: 0.7 miles (15 minutes)
Number of campsites: 13
Recommended outfitter: Sawbill Canoe Outfitters
View map in Paddle Planner

At the Sawbill Lake entry point there is a very nice tent and RV campground along with Sawbill Outfitters. Forgot bug spray? Pick some up from the outfitter as you jump into your canoe and paddle away. Plus, the logistics of picking up your permit from the outfitter couldn’t be easier. Plenty of campsites and day trips options abound in the area – one recommendation is to check out Alton Lake via a short 29 rod (1/10th mile) portage. Bonus points for immediate ice cream treat satisfaction once you return to the outfitters!

Reserve permits

EP 30 – Lake One

https://www.facebook.com/Kawishiwi/photos/a.10152286584189457.1073741827.124962944456/10155344604724457/?type=3&theater

Permits per day: 7
Motors: No
Drive distance from MPLS: 264 miles (about 4hrs 21mins)
Lake size: 898 acres
Distance to first campsite: 2.1 miles (42 minutes) all paddling
Number of campsites: 13
Outfitter: Kawishiwi Lodge & Outfitter
View map in Paddle Planner

Lake One is a very popular entry point so be sure to arrive early to get a campsite and don’t expect solitude. What it does offer is access to a beautiful series of lakes with a large number of campsites. For day trips explore the chain of lakes: Lake Two, Lake Three, and Lake Four. Two portages are required to get to Lake Two (40 rods(1/10th mile) and 30 rods (less than 1/10th mile), but there are no portages between Lake Three and Four.

Don’t want to sleep on the ground, but still want to visit the Boundary Waters? Check out Lake One Canoe Rentals for canoe accessible cabins on Lake One.

Reserve permits

EP 40 – Homer Lake

Homer Lake. Photo courtesy of Palisade Gear

Permits per day: 2
Motors: Yes, partially
Drive distance from MPLS: 269 miles (about 4hrs 42mins)
Acres: 460
Distance to first campsite: 1.1 miles (22 minutes)
Number of campsites: 2
Recommended outfitter: Sawtooth Outfitters
View map in Paddle Planner

The Homer Lake entry point and a large chunk of the lake itself lie outside of the Boundary Waters. This means you can camp at one of the Forest Service campsites on the lake that isn’t within the BWCA without a permit. Those campsites also have picnic tables, a luxury not afforded within the wilderness! If you do cross into the wilderness area you will need to pick up a self-issued day permit from the entry point. There are day trip options to Axe Lake, Whack Lake, Vern Lake, or Pipe Lake from Homer Lake.

Reserve permits

EP 62 – Clearwater Lake

https://www.instagram.com/p/BItEDSLDQoV/

Permits per day: 3
Motors: Yes
Drive distance from MPLS: 295 miles (5hrs 14mins)
Lake size: 1,364 acres
Distance to first campsite: 1.5 miles (29 minutes)
Number of campsites: 7
Outfitter: Clearwater Outfitter & Lodge
View map in Paddle Planner

The posts Clearwater Lodge share on Facebook and Instagram from out their window are incredible. The sheer rock cliffs of the palisades rising over the lake look more like something you’d see at Glacier National Park than in Minnesota. We’re lucky to have such incredible geography in our state! For a simple family outing, stick to Clearwater Lake and explore around the cliffs. Or consider a day trip up to Mountain Lake via a hilly 90 rod (1/4 mile) portage on the Canadian border. Another option if you want to stretch your legs is to take a hike on the Border Route Trail to an overlook to get a bird’s eye view of the area.

Detailed descriptions of each campsite on the Clearwater Lake can be found on the Clearwater Outfitter & Lodge website.

Reserve permits

EP 41 – Brule Lake

Sunset over Brule Lake, BWCA

Permits per day: 10 total  (7 from EP 41 and 3 from EP 42)
Motors: No
Drive distance from MPLS: 271 miles (about 4hrs 46mins)
Lake size: 4,313 acres
Distance to first campsite: 0.3 miles (6 minutes)
Number of campsites: 30
Recommended outfitter: Sawtooth Outfitters
View map in Paddle Planner

Yes, it’s seriously 0.3 miles to the first campsite on Brule Lake! That campsite has lots of rock outcroppings and cliffs so it isn’t the best for toddlers, as we learned. There are a lot of other campsites on the lake that have much safer landings for kids. The thing about Brule is it’s a really big lake. If it’s windy and you’re not a confident paddler then don’t go out. We definitely got blown around and it wasn’t fun. You can read more about our experience on Brule Lake. We include it here on the list as it’s easy to get to and you can drop your canoe right into the water from the entry point landing. Just get there early enough to snag a campsite and go when there is clear weather and you’ll have a great time if you’re a confident paddler!

Reserve permits

EP 36 – Hog Creek

https://www.instagram.com/p/50MM7YkqJ2/

Permits per day: 5
Motors: No
Drive distance from MPLS: 257 miles (about 4hrs 40mins)
Lake size: 1,639 acres (Perent lake)
Distance to first campsite: 3.6 miles (1 hour 22 minutes) 3.4 miles paddling, 12 rod and 15 rod portages
Number of campsites: 18 (Perent lake)
Recommended outfitter: Sawtooth Outfitters
View map in Paddle Planner

Meander down the narrow and windy Hog Creek to beautiful Perent Lake where you’ll find a plethora of campsites. This entry point does violate our no portages before our campsite rule, but we included it anyway as the portages are over small beaver dams and a very short walk from your car to the boat landing. The first campsite is 3.6 miles from your car making this the furthest away first campsite on our list.

Reserve permits

We haven’t personally used all of these entry points ourselves, but we’ll be checking them out over the coming years. Did we mess up and not include your family’s favorite entry point? Or did we miss something that makes one of these entry points not good for young families? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking to commemorate your Boundary Waters trip? Why not buy a t-shirt featuring your favorite lake?

Disclaimers: Our listed time to first campsite is an estimate calculated at an average paddle speed of 3mph taking the most direct route. Take it as a VERY rough guideline. Number of campsites listed is based off of the number listed on Paddle Planner and is likely inaccurate. Consult a map for the most accurate locations of campsites. We recommend McKenzie Maps. Pick maps up at an outfitter on your way into the BWCA.

Now, it has become a classroom for our children. A place for us to take our children to to help them learn life lessons, learn about ecosystems, learn about history, learn about the importance of preservation, learn Leave No Trace Principals, and learn to be thoughtful, caring human beings.

Jack on the trail to Eagle Mountain

At the age of two our son, Jack, has entered 2 wilderness areas, one of which is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). His third trip into the BWCA he was accompanied by his loving and doting grandparents.

Jack and his Grandpa in our campsite on Brule Lake

Jack was able to be a part of a multigenerational trip into an area that has been protected since 1926. He was given a glimpse into what life was like for a Voyageur traveling the area 200 years ago. These wilderness areas are truly precious and deserve our respect and protection.

Jack and Bobby entering the BWCA for the first time when Jack was 10 months old

In this country we have been given a remarkable gift, with more than 107 million acres of wilderness being protected and managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) in 44 states, we have unique and unparalleled access to outdoor recreational opportunities in a wilderness setting. At over 1 million acres with 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 237.5 miles of hiking trails, and 2,000 campsites the BWCA is one of the most visited wilderness areas in the country, averaging upwards of 250,000 visitors annually.

Currently, this area’s pristine and untouched characteristics are being threatened by the possibility of sulfide-ore copper mining coming to the surrounding area. This mining would create local jobs and provide metals like copper and nickel for industry. But, at what cost would these things be taken from the earth?  While the mining itself isn’t taking place within the boundaries of the BWCA it is near the border and waste water could flow into the BWCA’s watershed which would then lead to Voyageurs National Park and Quetico Provincial Park. Sulfide-ore copper mining is a practice never before seen here in Minnesota because of the notorious harm it causes to the surrounding areas.

Map of mining proposed mining sites

The BWCA contains 20% of the freshwater found throughout the entire National Forest system and these potential mining practices will threaten that freshwater with contamination. The fish, wildlife, and human visitors will all be threatened should these mining operations be allowed.

Brule Lake

For me the importance and urgency required when talking about protecting a national treasure such as the BWCA is a personal and emotional need. The importance of wilderness, of pristine, untouched natural experiences, of truly immersing yourself into the wild and wonder of this beautiful gift we have been given should never be jeopardized for any reason. Experiences had within a wilderness area are unlike anything else.

Jack helping us paddle

The landscape should be ever-changing due to Mother Nature’s interference and not that of human hands. Derechos blow through, wildfire consumes, and pouring rains erode and shift the earth over time. These changes are a part of the natural landscape and have been since the beginning of time, but, the changes and harm caused by human interference should be protested and stopped. We have sought to protect this wilderness area for the last 90 years. Why should that change now?

When I think of my children I imagine all the adventures we will have with them throughout their lives. I think of the memories made. The photographs taken. The tears shed. The laughter shared.

Jack and Bobby on Eagle Mountain.

I imagine them setting forth on their own as a young woman and a young man seeking adventure by themselves, with friends, or with families of their own. I picture them emulating trips we have done in the past. Being able to experience the same campsites. The same lakes. The same paths. When our wilderness is threatened the opportunities for outdoor recreation of future generations are threatened. 

Portaging

Lyndon B. Johnson said it beautifully when talking of the importance of protecting wilderness areas for future generations. He said, “If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”

28 weeks pregnant in the BWCA

The BWCA is a profoundly important stretch of wilderness that must be protected. This includes protection from within and without. As we, the visitors, enter the wilderness we must educate ourselves. We must practice and respect all Leave No Trace Principles. Protecting this area from exterior threats, like a disruptive and environmentally toxic mining operation should have every one of us standing up, speaking out, and working hard to protect this vital natural resource for generations to come. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.”

Please, stand with us and speak out against the proposed mines. Sign the petition today, contact your local representative, educate others, or share your own personal stories. There are so many ways in which you can stand up and protect this scenic area for this generation and all those to come.

Three generations of Markos in the BWCA. Read more about this trip

As we drove the 5.5 hours home after a difficult and disappointing trip that was cut a day short, we had a lot of time for some serious reflection. We boiled our bad trip down to poor planning and poor parenting at several turns. So, here it is, our list of “What Not to Do on a Trip to the BWCA with a Toddler”.

Don’t Over-Book Yourselves

Summer is beginning to wind down here in Minnesota so we are doing everything we can to cram as much as we can into the last few weeks of great weather. Added to that, is the fact that I’m pregnant, now into my 3rd trimester, and we still have several trips left on our to-do list to complete before my discomfort and desire to stick close to home becomes too extreme.

Bobby’s parents had asked us to go on a camping trip with them during the first weekend in August, and after our great first experience in the BWCA with Jack this past July, we all agreed that a return trip would be well worth it! We also wanted to visit True North Basecamp in the Cuyuna Lakes Region and thought it would be a good idea to stack those trips, beginning at the basecamp and continuing further north to the BWCA.

Getting ready to leave Basecamp for the BWCA

This decision meant that we were beginning our trip into the BWCA already exhausted after several days of travel, 3 poor nights of sleep, already covered in bug bites, and ready for a break. When setting forth on any trip into the wilderness you should be rip-roaring ready to go and excited. All I could think about was getting home to my comfortable bed and ice cold water and found myself almost dreading the canoe trip. When you have a toddler along on a trip to the wilderness you definitely need your wits about you and Bobby and I were both already running on reserve energy.

Go Before the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

I am not a happy pregnant person. I struggle daily to keep my spirits up, to keep our rambunctious two-year-old engaged, and to do all of this while keeping myself relatively comfortable and safe. I was able to camp until 32 weeks when pregnant with Jack and continued to hike until 38 weeks. At the time we were living in Seattle, WA and hiked much more regularly than we do now. I figured that since I would only be 28 weeks pregnant at the time of the trip that I would be ok. I failed to recognize that every pregnancy is different and this second time around for me has been far more challenging than it was with my first.

28 week baby bump

Our baby girl, who is due this October, is transverse breech making me incredibly uncomfortable. I also have what my midwife calls an, “irritable uterus”, which boils down to lots of Braxton Hicks contractions if I do too much. I have really intense back pain that requires me to sit or lay down in order to feel any sort of relief from the stabbing pain in my back. Plus, all the other pains that go along with pregnancy, like sciatica, round ligament pain, and the need to pee every hour meant that I was basically useless and oddly resembled another giant portage pack that needed to be gently set in the canoe and carefully removed, but with the added bonus of needing regular snack and bathroom breaks in between.

Just chilling in my chair while the others prepped the canoe.

A toddler doesn’t understand any of this and expects, and wants, Mommy to be her usual self. I do everything I can to muster up the energy and enthusiasm he requires me to have, but, I often fall short and Bobby has to pick up the slack. He has done more and more for me as my due date nears and I can’t imagine how exhausted and overwhelmed he is with everything. Somehow, we are making it through and making it work but it takes massive amounts of effort most days.

Don’t Prep Them Too Soon

We made the mistake of getting Jack prepped and excited about our trip in the canoe with Grandma and Grandpa far too early. His extreme excitement resulted in him not napping in the car on the long drive up. We had hoped he would sleep for the majority of the trip, as he was already about 4 hours short on sleep from the night before, and were greatly disappointed as he happily chatted with us most of the way. He wanted to have the sunroof of the truck open so he could see the canoe and constantly asked, “Where Papa? Where B? (his name for Grandma Brenda) Canoe with Papa?” over and over for hours on end.

Chilling in the car.

Before we set off in the canoes Jack had only slept for about 30 minutes in the truck. He usually naps 2-3 hours a day so we should’ve anticipated that his overall lack of sleep would ultimately lead to some unpleasantness later…

Don’t Start Too Late in The Day

We made the rookie mistake of not arriving early enough at the entry point. It was past 2:00 p.m. by the time our canoes left shore.

Excited to finally be on the water!

We set off as most other day trippers were returning. We had left about this time on our first trip but it wasn’t August, one of the more popular times to visit the BWCA. As we paddled and zig-zagged our way across and around big Brule Lake disappointment after disappointment met us as each campsite we approached was full. After a little over two hours of paddling and finally agreeing that if the last campsite we had left to check out (the one located a mere 900 feet from the entry point that we had skipped because of it’s proximity to the car) was taken then we would call it a day and head out. Thankfully, this campsite was available and we had a place to stay! Lesson learned, next time we’ll try our best to arrive earlier in the day!

Beginner Paddlers? Don’t Go to a Big Lake

Another rookie mistake for us, that we didn’t know about when planning, because we’re rookies at this whole BWCA thing, big lakes are harder to paddle on, so beginners should stick to smaller lakes. Well, choosing Brule Lake, which is more then 10 times the size of the lake we visited in July was definitely a poor choice. The size alone was overwhelming, but, that combined with several small weather cells that moved rapidly across the water as we searched in vain for a campsite for 2 hours meant that things were beyond difficult for the paddlers in the group. Jack was terrified of the wind we were experiencing and needed to be held on my lap, which left Bobby solo to navigate our canoe through rough waters. Bobby’s mother who hasn’t been camping in 20 years and had never canoed before was terrified that their boat would tip and worked hard, doing her best to paddle as hard as she could to aid Bobby’s dad who is generally a bow man in the canoe when on his annual trips to the BWCA with his buddies.

Grandma and Grandpa in their Canoe

We were so proud of how well she did and hope that maybe one day we can convince her to come back with us, though we may have our work cut out for us there!

We had been lured to this lake because of it’s easy access, lack of portages, and plethora of campsites. We neglected to take into consideration the fact that, while there are many campsites, they are spread far apart. And, while there are no portages, the amount of paddling required far exceeded what all members of the group were capable of.

Don’t Settle for a Non-Toddler Friendly Campsite

We only had one choice, the only campsite available after exhausting ourselves with paddling. Not to mention the fact that it was approaching 5:00 p.m. and we generally eat dinner between 5:30 and 6:00. The campsite we found was not ideal for a toddler. Rock faces, short cliffs with drop offs into the water, no room for running, and many toddler hazards abounded in this site. This is touted as the “hidden gem” of a campsite on Brule Lake according to some guidebooks but for a crew traveling with an explorative and adventurous toddler this site was hours of watching near-misses.

Lots of rocks for climbing on.

We found ourselves longing for our campsite on Lake Kawishiwi; flat, grassy, large, and a sandy beach to play on. The two sites we’ve been to now couldn’t be more different and believe me when I say that, had we had the time and energy, we would’ve found a different site from the rocky slopes we found ourselves perched on.

Don’t Forget to Let Them Explore

I think this is where Bobby and I faltered the most on this trip. Our own exhaustion, need to set up camp, need to cook supper quickly, and so many other things led to us not encouraging Jack to explore, dare, and be himself. We kept trying to contain him, trying to convince him that he should sit with us, read with us, lay down in the tent. All because we were too tired to recognize that what he needed was to burn off some serious energy after a stressful two hour canoe ride on my lap. We didn’t see it and didn’t even acknowledge that need until we were driving home. How could we have let our own needs and emotions take over in such a way that we missed all the signs. Missing all those signs led to a serious tantrum. It lasted a long time. Breaks of happiness or contentedness appeared here and there but for the most part there was a lot of screaming, a lot tears, and a lot of frustration. We didn’t recognize the child who was with us and found ourselves at a complete loss of what to do. I wanted to scream and cry myself but knew that wouldn’t be helpful. Jack is usually so happy when camping, it’s his element but, we had quashed in him what he wanted to do most, be a Wild Child, something we usually encourage in him when out adventuring.

In my extreme exhaustion, discomfort, and hunger I finally realized that Jack needed to explore. He needed to see what was around him, so I left my hot plate of food and went with him down to the water’s edge where we were rewarded with a really incredible rainbow!

Rainbow!

It was too little too late. He wanted to throw sticks and rocks in the water. I saw the steep rock faces leading directly into deep water and couldn’t muster up the patience and courage of my own to let him dare and to let him play. Another tantrum came. He wouldn’t eat. Too wound up. He wouldn’t sleep. Too much energy that we hadn’t allowed to burn off.

We just blew it. We didn’t listen. We didn’t give him what he needed to be successful. We will next time, hopefully…

Don’t Over Plan the Menu

My father-in-law is used to going into the BWCA with a group of his friends, where everybody contributes and they all cook together. When we were planning the menu for this trip I thought his meal options seemed lofty, but assumed that with four adults along we could make it work. I figured we’d be eating better then we ever had on a camping trip before! Sadly, when adventuring with a toddler the pace is different, the number of available bodies and hands to help is lessened, and the need for food to be prepared quickly and on time is a very real part of the meal prep.

Pancakes for Breakfast!

The meals we had planned took a bit too much time, required too many cooks, and ultimately were never cooked in their entirety. We’ve all agreed that on the next trip, we will stick to our easy meals of heat and serve options that can be prepped by one person easily and quickly, and with a lot fewer dishes! At least until our kids are older and need less supervision.

Grandpa frying up some mushrooms and onions to go with our steaks.

What Went Right:

Along the way we did make a few good decisions. So here are a few tips of What To Do when in the BWCA with a toddler!

Jack and his beloved Bending Branches Twig paddle

Do Let Them Help 

Jack loves to “help” us. Now, this means that things aren’t always done in the fastest, most efficient manner but he’s happy and entertained and, for us, that’s worth any added effort or patience needed by us. Jack loves to help set up the tent and take it down and there are definitely some easy tasks that he can be given. Stuffing stuff sacks, rolling sleeping pads, squishing down camp pillows and sleeping bags are all camp chores that a toddler can easily assist you with. Let them!

Jack helping to put up the tent.

Do Bring a Hammock

Bobby and I had made the last minute decision on our last trip to leave our hammock at home, as a way to reduce the amount of stuff in our packs. This trip we opted to make the sacrifice and squeeze it in. We are so glad that we did! It provided lots of entertainment for our guy and it was in a safe and contained space which allowed all of us to relax for a few minutes!

Playing with Daddy in the hammock

Do Leave if Things Aren’t Going Well and Nobody Sleeps Well

We made the exact right call the following morning when, after nobody got a good night’s sleep, we decided to leave a day early. Jack had been up for several hours during the night, which is incredibly unusual. I hadn’t slept more than 4 hours because I was horribly uncomfortable. I actually spent a good portion of the night sitting up and listening to an audiobook because laying down was too painful. Grandma hardly slept at all either and we were all even more exhausted and worn out that morning than we had been the previous evening.

Bobby and Jack sleeping past sunrise, one perk to being up for a good portion of the night!

Nobody wants to cut a trip short, but, sometimes it is the best decision you can make. Jack was much happier that morning but I was feeling lousy and Grandma was exhausted and overwhelmed. These trips should be about having fun and when people on the trip aren’t having fun, it’s important to cut your losses and head out. Why push it? Why force it? We are given a lot of time in this life to go back and try again, something I am always grateful for!

Do Go on a Multi-Generational Trip

This was a difficult, yet wonderful trip to go on. To enter a wilderness area at any age is a magical experience, but, to have the opportunity to do it at just 2 years of age with not only your parents, but your grandparents along, is immeasurable meaningful. To know, not just be told, that the importance of wilderness is felt by the generations that have come before you is a true gift. For our children to be growing up in a family that has long discussions over a campfire cooked meal on the best ways to practice ‘Leave No Trace’ isn’t something that many kids will experience in their lives. I am forever grateful that we made the decision to move back to MN, after Jack was born, and that he gets to grow up going on adventures with his grandparents along. It’s trips like this that reminds me of the greatness and necessity of a village to help raise a child. The pictures we have for him to see when he’s older and the memories we take away from this trip are irreplaceable. We are so grateful that we were able to do this trip with them!

Three generations of Markos in the BWCA with our Bending Branches Paddles!

Grandpa, son, and grandson canoeing in the BWCA

The BWCA is at risk from sulfide-ore copper mining near its boundaries. Please read more about why it’s important for us to protect this national and state treasure and help us protect the Boundary Waters.

Finding a Campsite

We had chosen Lake Kawishiwi because we were able to put right in from a boat launch at the primitive campground located right on the southeastern shore of the lake. It also had 7 campsites that required zero portages so we were less concerned about finding an available site and weight when packing. We had arrived at the launch just after 2:00 p.m. on the Friday before the 4th of July weekend and were grateful to see that there were still many campsites available on the lake. We were even able to be choosy because there were several options. We ended up finding the perfect campsite for us! It had a sandy beach with very few rocks and the campsite itself was wonderfully shaded, which offered a perfect reprieve from the baking afternoon sun that we enjoyed all weekend. Since my sister was along it was a little tricky to find two flat spots for the tents but we eventually found two good spots!

Our campsite for the weekend.

Where did Jack sit in the canoe?

When we canoed Jack had his own space in the middle and sat all by himself on a small step-stool we purchased from IKEA. It was the perfect height for him. He was able to reach over the edge of the canoe and dip his hands in the water but was still low enough that his movements didn’t cause the canoe to lose it’s center or threaten us to tip.

Jack loved putting his hands in the water!

Off on a day trip on his trusty stool!

That stool was amazing and came in handy many times on the trip. It was used as a step stool in camp when setting up our mosquito tarp, Jack’s sitting spot for meal times, and a basket during portages on our day trips.

Jack really wanted to help Bobby set up the screen tent.

Having some dinner on Day 1

Portaging with our stool/basket

Entertaining a Toddler in a Canoe

We were all concerned with how well Jack would do in the canoe for extended periods of time. Turns out we fretted over nothing. One day Jack did 5 hours total in the canoe. We didn’t bring along toys for the canoe, mainly because we forgot his fishing pole in the truck, and he found entertainment in using his own paddle, splashing in the water, watching the birds, trees, and clouds all around us, and looking at the map. We also sang a lot of songs along the way when he would start to get antsy, ‘The Ants Go Marching’ and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ topped our greatest hits list!

Paddling hard!

Rocks!

Navigating!

For emergencies we listened to several other canoe/camping parents and had brought along DumDum suckers as a special treat for Jack. We only needed them once as we were heading out and he was on his fifth hour in the canoe and was getting a bit fussy. He was gloriously sticky but also quiet and happy!

DumDums doing the trick!

Sleeping

Jack is sort of an old hat when it comes to sleeping in various tents and places because of all the traveling we do. This was our first time having him in one of our backpacking tents and it definitely proved to be a squeeze fitting the three of us in our little two-person tent. Now we know that upgrading to a 3 or 4 person backpacking tent before our next trip is a must! Night one Jack slept between us. Night two we made him a little nest at our heads using an egg crate sleeping pad and our down jackets. Getting him to sleep in a tent when it is still broad daylight out proves a little tricky. Generally one parent takes up the mantle of attempting to get him to sleep, basically doing our best to get him to calm down and pretending to be asleep as he bounces, rolls, and thrashes about. Our first night it took him over an hour to fall asleep, I may have fallen asleep before him because I was so exhausted… The second night always goes better because some of the novelty of the tent and location has worn off. So on night two he was out in about 20 minutes with very little monkey business.

Since it was so hot out when we would put Jack down we would put him in just fleece pjs, if it was a little chilly, or his Wee Woolies base layer when it was still hot. Wee Woolies are merino wool so they do the best job of wicking away the sweat and retaining the moisture therein. This way when the temps eventually drop his sweat isn’t sticking to him and making him colder, like a cotton layer would. As the sun would set the temps would drop so we would put Jack’s Merino Kids Sleepsack on. This is a thicker, warmer sleepsack than we use at home. Jack is usually the warmest of us all when he’s in this. Eventually he’ll have his own sleeping bag but for now this works amazingly well!

Early morning tent shenanigans!

Napping

Naps on a canoe trip are a little bit tricker and was new territory for us. Jack would only sleep in the canoe in my arms. Any time I would try and put him down on the floor of the canoe he would wake up. I’m not sure if the lifejacket made sleeping on his back uncomfortable or what. Either way, this meant that on our first day trip Bobby had to paddle our canoe back solo as I had to hold Jack. Our second day trip, I sat in the middle on the floor of the canoe with Jack and my sister, Katie, sat in the bow and paddled for me. Jack actually managed to sleep through 4 portages on our second day trip. We would simply pass him from person to person. Bringing along an umbrella for protection from the sun when napping in the canoe was a must!

Another great option we had for nap time was the Nemo screen tent we had set up. Our tents were far too hot in the late afternoon for napping in but the screen tent was in a much more shaded area and has mosquito netting for walls and, thereby, lets a perfect breeze through. We would move a sleeping pad into the tent and try and get him to sleep.

Eating

I had packed far too much food, check out our planning post for more on that, but it did mean we had plenty of options for food on our short trip! We had peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, pita thins filled with rice and salmon, Asian medley night of noodles, rice, curry chicken, and naan, mac and cheese, meats, cheeses, oranges, trail mix, oatmeal, and lots of bars were just a few of the foods we enjoyed while out! We had only brought our Jetboil stove, so doing precision cooking, like making pancakes, was incredibly tricky but Bobby was up to the task and made us delicious blueberry pancakes on our first morning.

Peanut Butter sandwiches at Baskatong Lake on our first day trip

Cooking pancakes!

First bite of oatmeal! He wasn’t a fan…

Our favorite meal of rice with salmon, needed salsa though…

Larabar break on a portage.

Camp Entertainment

Bobby and I were both really worried that Jack would be bored in the campsite. We usually have a fun set of toys that we bring along on camping trips when car camping, however, we brought so much food that there wasn’t room for much else. All I brought for Jack was a bucket, a shovel, 1 sand former, 1 small car, and 3 storybooks. This was more then enough entertainment for our guy. Going swimming in the hot afternoons, playing in the sand, throwing rocks and sticks into the water, watching Penny the dog swim, climbing on downed logs, digging in the dirt, and building castles out of sticks proved to be entertainment enough! He also had his old standby of running circles around us and jumping around!

Playing with Daddy on the beach

Swimming! He used to have a lot more fear of the water, not anymore!

Camping gear alone makes great toys! This is one of our waterproof cases for our phones.

Having Auntie Along

I cannot say enough how amazingly incredible it was that my sister Katie agreed to come along with us on this adventure. This pregnancy has been much harder than my first and I knew I would need help. She stepped right up in a big way, helping with Jack when my exhaustion had set in. Helping with camp chores like cooking, dishes, or filtering water. I think it was an incredibly special thing for Jack to have her along and they formed a tight bond during the trip. Hers is the first aunt’s name he learned to say and for days after the trip he asked for her and wanted to know where she was. If you have a willing and able adult who wants to join you on your trip I highly encourage you to invite them along! Bobby and I agreed that, while we could’ve done it with just the two of us, it would’ve been phenomenally more difficult.

Jack and Katie ready for a day trip!

Day Trips

We had two locations in mind for day trips using the map I had picked up from Midwest Mountaineering before our trip. On our first full day we paddled north along the Kawishiwi River and out onto Square Lake. This area was burned in 2011 and it was really incredible to see how much has already regrown. I always enjoy finding the opened jack pine cones in a burned out area! We stopped for first lunch on a small island and watched many other canoes float by as explored the small area.

Square Lake

From there we searched for an almost hidden 69 rod (.2 mile) portage that would take us to Baskatong Lake. With only 2 campsites and a dead end this area isn’t frequently visited. The portage was evidence of this with grass taller then Jack and shrubs overtaking the small foot path. We left the canoes at Square Lake and grabbed our day pack that had lunch in it and set off on foot. Jack insisted on walking the whole thing himself! We were very worried about ticks but had pretreated all of Jack’s clothing with Permethrin spray which seemed to do the job! We never found a tick on him and never sprayed him with any repellent all weekend. A leisurely second lunch on a gravel beach at Baskatong Lake was perfect! Jack walked most of the portage back to our waiting canoes. Eventually we insisted that he be carried, he kept falling over and hurting himself because he was so tired. We weren’t in the canoe long before he had fallen fast asleep in my arms and poor Bobby was left to paddle us back to the campsite.

Baskatong Lake

On our second full day we opted for a longer, more challenging day trip. We once again headed north along the Kawishiwi River and out onto Square Lake but this time veered east towards the next branch of the Kawishiwi River that would take us Northeast to Kawaschong Lake. The map indicated that this route has two small portages, the beavers along the river however, actually made it a 4 portage day with two freshly created dams. Thankfully, they were all short portages but with a toddler along and hauling my pregnant self in and out of the bottom of the canoe the day was exhausting, and I wasn’t even paddling! For this day trip we had opted to just take one canoe and cram us all in. It worked great and I was actually rather comfy sitting on the floor of the canoe hanging out with Jack while Bobby and my sister paddled us about!

Just chillin’ besides a beaver dam

Once again Jack insisted on walking the one longer portage himself and even carried his paddle! Bobby got his first taste of what it’s like to haul a canoe around on a portage and I think he definitely enjoyed himself!

We arrived at Kawashcong Lake after two full hours of travel by foot and canoe and we couldn’t believe how well Jack had done. All of the campsites along this lake were full but two women hollered out to us that they were just about the leave and that we would be welcome to their site. Timing couldn’t have been better and we soon had a charming spot to stop and have some lunch and get the crazies out!

Not a bad spot for lunch!

Evening Paddles

It seemed to us that everybody camping on the lake would get out and take an evening paddle during the magic hours of dusk. Bobby took all three of us out in turn for evening paddles and it truly was amazing! He took Jack out on the little canoe/kayak hybrid that Katie had rented for the trip from Sawtooth Outfitters. And then Katie agreed to stay in the campsite with a sleeping Jack while Bobby and I ventured out in the canoe. Upon returning Katie and Bobby went out. We saw and heard a pair of Loons. Bobby and Katie watched an Eagle take a giant poo and then scream out with pride upon finishing. Just being in such a beautiful place with stunning sunsets over the lake was truly magical and an experience I won’t soon forget.

Pooping Eagle.

Overall, we all feel that this trip couldn’t have gone any better. It exceeded all of our expectations. Canoe camping is such a surprisingly fun thing to do with a toddler along. Jack screamed and cried when we had to get in the truck and didn’t want to leave. He asked every morning for several days after the trip to go in the boat. We are already planning for our next trip in 2017 when we’ll have double the fun with our daughter along for the ride!

We did it!

The BWCA is at risk from sulfide-ore copper mining near its boundaries. Please read more about why it’s important for us to protect this national and state treasure and help us protect the Boundary Waters.

So, in all honesty, we had never been canoeing in the BWCA before, we’ve only hiked there. Being native Minnesotans this was something we truly regretted about our outdoor resumes. So, the idea of having our inaugural trip with a toddler along for the fun, while pregnant was both intimidating, but exciting! Because we didn’t have a lot of experience we felt that a third adult along for the fun, and the help, would be important. A quick text to my wonderful and adventurous sister, Katie, and we soon had a third adult willing and excited to join us! She too had never been to the Boundary Waters, but, was keen to explore and learn alongside us.

As we began planning the trip I was busy reading books and watching YouTube videos for advice on packing, prepping, and planning. My go-to book for preparing myself mentally and packing appropriately for Jack’s needs on the trip was, Cradle to Canoe by Rolf and Debra Kraiker. This is an excellent resource for parents who are planning a paddling trip with babies, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. They cover all the basics from canoe and gear selection to meal options and camp activity ideas. YouTube also has lots of great videos on everything from gear selection, packing your portage pack, personal item suggestions, how to portage, paddling techniques and much more. We had two weeks to cram a lot of prepping and study in. Bobby’s dad is an avid BWCA guy who visits the scenic wilderness area once a year. He supplied the canoe, paddles, PFDs, portage packs, dry sacks, and lots of advice and tips along the way. We also have several friends and our awesome Facebook group of adventurous parents from around the globe who we turned to for ideas on where to camp, how to entertain a toddler in a canoe, and how to sleep comfortably in a tent while pregnant with only the bare basics along.

We thought it would be a wise idea to do a test canoe trip run. Jack has been in a canoe and a paddle boat before but he’s never sat alone. We thought it was important to see if he would even sit all by himself in the middle nicely or if it wasn’t even possible. My parents have a canoe at their cabin up near Hinckley, MN and there’s a small river nearby. We headed up there and tested the waters (pun intended…). Jack did amazing! He had been phenomenally crabby before we started so we knew this would be a good test. He couldn’t have done any better. This bolstered our spirits enormously as we continued to prep and plan for the trip!

He wanted to paddle himself and check out all the birds on the shore line and in the sky.

Bobby was in charge of finding our entry point and camping options therein. The BWCA is a vast wilderness area with over 1 million acres. It spans 150 miles along the border with Canada and with over 1200 canoe routes and 2000 campsites the options are seemingly endless. Bobby found the site, Paddle Planner incredibly helpful in narrowing down our options. Then, again, we asked those that had gone before us and decided that Kawishiwi Lake (Entry Point 37) would be an ideal location for a group of newbies. We were hoping to find a site that required zero portages (as I wouldn’t be all that helpful on those), not too far from civilization in case we had to bail, a site that still had permits available, and a site with numerous campsite options since we were worried about how crowded it may be on the busy weekend. Kawishiwi fit the bill perfectly.

With our entry point chosen, permits acquired using the online reservation system, and time off requests approved it was time to get into the nitty gritty. What gear did we have? What special gear did we need? What food should we pack? How much food should we pack?

As for our packing list check it out here!

Laying it all out so we know what we have and what we’re missing.

Special new gear purchases are one of Bobby’s favorite things about adventuring! We may have a slight gear-hoarding problem…

Researching gear options a few days before the trip. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime 2 day shipping!

Thankfully, it all gets used at one point or another! Knowing we would be in an area notorious for it’s veritable smorgasbord of biting insects we first found ourselves a tarp with mosquito netting walls from Nemo. Mosquito netting for our heads and Sawyers, Permethrin pre-treat spray were acquired to aid us in the battle against the bugs as well. We treated all of Jack’s clothing with it and it worked amazingly well!

We bought a SteriPen as a backup filter and as a secondary filter for the water I, and Jack, would be drinking. Being pregnant made me a little more hesitant drinking water out in the wilderness so having water that went through not only our ceramic filter from MSR but also using the SteriPen made me feel much better.

Being six months pregnant I needed to find a solution to having technical pants along. I invested in a Bellaband that allowed me to wear my non-maternity technical pants comfortably. It was great that I didn’t have to make a hefty investment into new maternity technical pants that would only be needed for a few more months.

We also needed protection for our cell phones while we were in the canoe, this super affordable waterproof case that could be worn around your neck or your arm by DBPOWER worked perfectly! The touch screen could still be used even while in the pouch so we were able to take pictures and videos while in the canoe without having to endanger our phones which was wonderful.

We were also really worried about not having our cell phones, and thereby, GPS available at all times but weren’t sure how to keep batteries charged. So, we decided to get a small solar panel set up which allowed us to have our phones as cameras and guides throughout the weekend excursion.

Meal packing prep!

As for food, I ended up packing waaayyy too much. In all honesty, I packed probably double what we needed. I was really worried about having enough for everybody and extra options in case Jack wouldn’t eat. Next time I plan on cutting a lot out. For the rundown on the myriad of options we had along check out this video!

Overall, we were incredibly pleased with the gear choices we had made. There were a few things we wished we had had along that we didn’t, but we used pretty much everything we had packed. The trip ended up being a phenomenal experience that we can’t wait to tell you all about! In the meantime enjoy this teaser pic!