Recharge Your Batteries...Travel a Wilderness Area this Summer

Traveling in a wilderness area, i.e. Boundary Waters Canoe Area, is more than canoeing, hiking, fishing, camping, swatting bugs, seeing spectacular sunrises or sunsets. 3 day or more in the wilderness is a "kind of cleaning of the mental windshield" as noted in National Geographic January 2016 article titled The Power of Parks. You recalibrate your senses, experience the moment, produces a difference in your thinking. 

Come get your batteries recharged...experience the BWCA once again this summer.

NEMO Bugout Screen Room Tarps for RENT

NEMO Bugout Screen Room Tarps

This unique tarp allows you to be sheltered from the rain with the added bonus of keeping the bugs out as well.

The canopy is made from 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm). The walls are made up of 15D no-see-um mesh. 

The Bugout comes in two different sizes; the 9x9 model which can fit 4 people comfortably, while the 12x12 will fit up to 6.

BUGOUT 9x9 Specs:

Trail Weight - 4 lbs, 12 oz 

Floor Dimensions - 108 x 108 in

Floor Area - 81 sq ft

Interior Height - 72 in

Number of Doors - 2

Packed Size 16 x 8 in dia

Shell Fabric 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm)

Canopy Fabric 15D No-see-um mesh

BUGOUT 12x12 Specs:

Trail Weight  7 lbs / 3.2 kg

Floor Dimensions 144 x 144 in

Floor Area 144 sq ft

Interior Height 84 in

Number of Doors 2

Packed Size 23 x 8.5 in dia

Shell Fabric 75D PU Polyester Ripstop (1500mm)

Canopy Fabric 15D No-see-um mesh

Spirit of the Wilderness customer review:

"The bugout room was awesome. I will definitely rent this again in the future. A tip to future renters remember to set up opposite corners first, and have a campsite with trees."  - Michael R. from Minneapolis, MN.

Rent one of these great screen rooms for only $12.00 a day.

 Click here to see our full list of outfitting gear, from only one item, or a full outfitting package.

Call us at 1-800-950-2709 or email us at info@elycanoetrips.com to reserve one or both of these fine products for your next Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure.

NEW to rent: Helinox cots and chairs

HELINOX GEAR FOR RENT

The latest and greatest cots and chairs in the industry are now available to rent here at Spirit of the Wilderness. Helinox uses DAC's advanced alloy technology to make the lightest, strongest and most durable cots and chairs.

HELINOX COT ONE

Stay comfortably off the ground with this light weight and super strong cot. Using the unique Helinox lever system this cot stays solid and is easy to assemble.

Specs:
74.8" L x 26.8" W
6.3" Ground clearance
Weights 5 lbs
Weight capacity 320 lbs

Rent a great cot for only $6.00 a day.

HELINOX CHAIR ONE

This super strong and light camp chair is made similar to modern tents with the "hub" design versus that of a traditional folding chair.

25.6" H x 20.5" W x 19.7" D
13.5" Ground clearance
Weights 2 lbs
Weight capacity 320 lbs

Rent a great chair for only $4.00 a day.

 Click here to see our full list of outfitting gear, from only one item, or a full outfitting package.

Call us at 1-800-950-2709 or email us at info@elycanoetrips.com to reserve one or both of these fine products for your next Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure.

Pagami Creek Fire Update Sept 11, 2011

TODAY’S MESSAGE: Yesterday’s dry air and north winds pushed the Pagami Creek Fire farther south yesterday. In consideration of today’s high fire indices, fire managers began a proactive movement of campers from Lakes Two through Hudson, nearby routes, and the Isabella River within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Specific closures are listed below. Most of the BWCAW remains safe and open to visitors eager to enjoy the fall season.

ACTIVITIES TODAY:
Public Safety crews are sweeping the areas to be closed, assisting campers into other lakes.
Airplanes and helicopters are being used to drop water, keeping the fire within the wilderness and south and east of the Kawishiwi River.

CLOSURES: The vast majority of the BWCAW remains safe and open to visitors. To insure public safety the following waterways and portages are temporarily closed: Lakes One through Hudson, Fire, Bridge, Rifle, the Wilders, Horseshoe, Pagami, Clearwater, Turtle, Camdre, Pietro, Gull, Quadga, Rice, Isabella Lake, and the Isabella River. The southern campsites on Bald Eagle are closed. The Pow Wow Trail is closed. Sites, routes and portages will be re-opened as soon as it is safe to do so. The following entry points are closed: #30 Lake One, #84 Snake River, #75 Little Isabella River, #67 Bog Lake, #86 Pow Wow Trail, #35 Isabella Lake, and #34 Island River. Campers already in the BWCAW will be able to travel through these routes to exit the wilderness but visitors will not be allowed to enter at these points until further notice.

SAFETY: Campfire restrictions are in place. Wilderness wide, campfires are allowed only between 6 p.m. and midnight. Be sure that campfires are doused thoroughly until cold to the touch.

DATE OF DETECTION: August 18, 2011

CAUSE: Lightning

CURRENT SIZE: approximately 4500 acres burned. Acreage is expected to increase today due to weather conditions.

LOCATION: Township 63 N, Range 9 W, Sections 30, 31, 32: approximately 14 miles east of Ely (within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) in the Pagami Creek area between the South Kawishiwi River, Clearwater Lake, and Lake One.

AGENCY: Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District

SMOKE CONDITIONS: Smoke may be heavy and wide spread depending on wind direction.

RESOURCES: The fire is now under the management of Type 2 Incident Management Team Hinds.

Maplewood Camping & Outdoor Expo

We will have a show booth at this Saturday, Feb. 19th, 2011 at the Maplewood Camping & Outdoor Expo. The Expo will be at the Maplewood Community Center in Maplewood, MN.

Stop by and say hi. Get your BWCA and Quetico canoe trip questions answered. You can book your trip in person with us and talk about route ideas you have.

Not sure where you want to go this summer? We can help you pick an entry point or trip route and get you started with your plans.

We hope to see you there. Can't make it to the show? You can always call or email us to set up your trip. You can reach us at 800-950-2709 or 218-365-3149. Send your email to info@elycanoetrips.com.

We are looking forward to a great summer.

Happy June!

Well June is here and we are happy to say the fish seem to be biting. We have received some rain over the weekend to help the water levels a bit. It looks like this week we will be getting a little more rain. Any rain helps keep the fire restrictions away.

This past weekend was a very busy due to Memorial day. There were many campers that used the long weekend to enjoy some time in the north woods of Ely, Minnesota.

Here's to all that have service in the US Military....Thank you.

Fire Restrictions lifted !!!

The US Forest Service has lifted the complete fire ban as of noon today, May 14, 2010. We got a slow stead soaking rain yesterday that must have given us enough moisture.

As always, when canoeing and camping in the BWCA, please be careful with your fires and keep them in the fire grates. When you are not attending the fire, make sure it is out cold.

Fire Restrictions

As of today, May 11, 2010 the US Forest Service still has the Boundary Waters Canoe Area under complete fire restrictions. If you are headed up to canoe and camp in the BWCA plan on having a camp stove and fuel to cook on.

The forecast is calling for some rain this week. We will have to wait and see if it is enough for the fire restrictions to change. It has been a very dry spring and moisture is still in great need. The US Forest Service keeps telling us that we will need more than just a day of rain to make any restriction changes.

Check with us here at Spirit of the Wilderness outfitters for updates. You can email us at info@elycanoetrips.com or call us at 800-950-2709 or 218-365-3149.

Canoe season is around the corner

The canoe are just waiting for you here at Spirit of the Wilderness! OK, maybe it will still be a few more months until we have open water and the snow melts. We just get excited, here at Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters, for the coming canoe season. This is about the time we get a little anxious to see some of that warmer spring weather.

We have been taking to many of you about your upcoming canoe and fishing trips. It's won't be long until we are open for the season. We are looking to be open around May 6, 2010.

Hope to see you this summer. Don't forget we will be at a couple of sport shows soon. If you are around to visit with us at the show we would love to see you. We would love to spend some time reminiscing about old trips or talking about new ones.

• March 12-14 we will be at Canoecopia in Madison, WI.

• March 24-28 we will be at the Northwest Sport Show in Minneapolis, MN.

Getting ready for a brisk week in Ely.

Quick Note: Wild strawberries are blooming!

If you haven't experienced putting up a tent in northern Minnesota you will soon find out that there is about two inches of top soil pretty much every where you go. This is because glaciers skidded their way across Minnesota 10,000 years ago during the last ice age making it hard for us in 2009 to stake down our tents. But it isn't all bad, because they were responsible for carving out all those wonderful lake beds, cliffs, and exposed rock that make up the BWCA and northern Minnesota. Have no fear, there is another way to prevent your tent from flying into the lake. Just tie a piece rope around your stake hole, find a good sized rock, log, or base of a tree, and tie the other end to it. Repeat this process until you have all 4 corners secure.

Happy Camping!