Welcome to my first post! I am kicking things off with my first Solo Backcountry canoe trip in Nopiming Provincial Park that I embarked on this past September! I will walk you through why I went solo, how I prepared and parting thoughts. If you haven’t gone solo before I hope this post inspires you to give it a try. Enjoy!

WHY I WANTED TO GO SOLO?

I simply need to disconnect from time to time and recharge my batteries!! Some people need yoga, meditation or a good jog – for me, it’s the bush! I started going on mini solo hunting trips. Seizing opportunities where I had a few spare hours from work and family commitments. It was quite energizing preparing for these mini outings and the solitude from going alone. This is where the idea of a multi day solo canoe trip was born. All I needed was a little push to turn my dream into a reality. That little push came in the form of my quickly approaching 40th birthday (and some personal and professional burnout!).

LOCATION DETAILS

There was little doubt that my first solo canoe trip would be the Rabbit River to Cole Lake Canoe Route in Nopiming Provincial Park. My dad first started taking me to around age 12 and had made numerous trips down this route. Because of that experience I felt comfortable with the area (even though it has been over 15 years!) and super excited to take a trip down memory lane. If you are thinking of going solo, pick a familiar area and one that matches your experience level.

Located on the southeast side of Manitoba, north of Whiteshell and bordering Ontario, the park entrance is approximately 2 hours from Winnipeg and another 30 minutes to the Rabbit River launch site. The province has a printable maps of the Nopiming canoe routes and campsite coordinates here. I have included approximate portage coordinates on the map below. The portages were short and easy to traverse (average 50-75 meters if I had to guess).

PLANNING FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts about camping is the stuff that happens before the actual trip starts. The planning, anticipation and countdown is exciting to me and a huge part of making sure trips are safe and successful. Going solo was a new experience and planning several months in advance was key to my preparation.

During my planning, I focused on 4 main areas: (1) Safety, (2) Canoe Selection, (3) Food/Water and (4) Shelter.

1.Safety

I didn’t take my prior backcountry canoe trip experience in Nopiming for granted; a solo trip was a mental roller coaster, filled with equal parts excitement and panic – “Holy crap am I actually going to do this?! My primary safety concerns were Bears and First Aid/Emergency preparedness.

General Bear Safety:  

I know what you are thinking, the chances of a wild animal attack and even a close encounter is low. I agree, but the thought of being both alone and unarmed was definitely an unsettling thought. I’m a deep sleeper and only having a thin nylon rain fly and bug netting between me and a bear was a wee bit terrifying!

To prepare, I equipped myself with a mini air horn, bear spray, and fixed blade hunting knife. Making noise to avoid surprising a bear was another important safety measure. Based on my research bear bells are largely ineffective (so save your money!). I opted to simply talk out loud “Hello bear, anyone there….just coming down the trail….yup I’m talking to my self”. This felt uncomfortable initially, but after awhile it became second nature to have a conversation with myself. In addition, I first scouted the portage trails with my gear before carrying the canoe.  

Furthermore, I wanted to camp at the only island site on Cole Lake to help reduce any bear concerns (despite the fact that bears are good swimmers!). To increase odds of getting the island site, I avoided the weekend camper rush by hitting the road around 4:00am on a Thursday. Luck was on my side, I was first to arrive and would be the first in and get island campsite #9! 

Funny, I have no problem getting up at 3am to go camping, yet struggle to get up for work! Well, that’s interesting…

First Aid and Emergency Preparedness:

A major safety concern was not being able to communicate with family. I was on a budget and debating whether or not to buy a Spot Gen 3 Satellite Communicator.  After a quick search I found that Wilderness Supply rented them, unfortunately it was not available for my trip dates. Luckily my brother had one that I was able to borrow. Knowing I would be able to check-in with family and call for help gave me much needed piece of mind. To learn more about this device and my new Spot X check out my Gear Essential post.

Next was first aid and survival. This is an area that you want to spend some time on planning out, safety first! I made my own compact kit with first aid, survival and comfort items. I opted to build my own over purchasing a pre-made kit, I like to be comfortable with all of the items and prefer to pack only items I know how to use. Comfort items can be just as important as bandages, not being able to remedy minor irritations could ruin a trip (I have been there) and I carried comfort items like Imodium, Pepto, lip balm and Tums. See my Gear List post for a list of items.

2.Canoe Selection

I originally planned to take my Coleman Ram-X 17ft Tandem canoe, but quickly decided against it. It would have been tough to maneuver on the winding river and paddling into headwinds. Plus, I am no “spring chicken” anymore and I didn’t feel like straining msyelf carrying a +90lb canoe equipped with a horrible metal bar for a yoke!

I ended up renting a Clipper Packer Solo canoe from Winnipeg Canoe Rentals, and it turned into the best decision I could have made! At 42lbs it was very nice to portage!  The rental included all related gear – life jacket, paddles, bailer/heaving line, and straps/pads for securing the canoe to your vehicle. You can reserve online and they offer a convenient self-serve drop-off option. They were knowledgeable when it came to securing the canoe to my vehicle, and I learned a few valuable tips! I will use them again this year for my upcoming solo trip.

3.Food + Water

Freeze dried food and non-perishable snacks were my main source of food. I went this route to save weight and eliminate cleaning plates, pans and pots. Should fishing not work out as intended, I brought enough freeze dried food for 5 days. This was my first time eating freeze dried food and the quality, taste and convenience exceeded my expectations. The freeze dried food bag also doubled as a garbage bag, I compacted all garbage and sealed to keep odors in. 

I was lucky enough to have shore lunch two times, cooking my freshly caught fish wrapped in foil over an open fire (another bucket list item!). I opted to cook the fish with the skin on. It was a great experience, just open the foil, add seasoning and eat off the side of the fire pit! At one point, I panicked when a bone got stuck in my throat from eating too quickly – so be careful!

I brought homemade trail mix, instant noodles, and some luxury food items like chips, chocolate and my all-time favourite snack – sour soothers! These have been a tradition and outdoor must-have for me going back 25 years! For coffee I brought Starbucks VIA instant coffee.

For water I used a Katadyn Vario filter. The filter worked great along with the MSR water reservoir that I hung on a tree at camp. Check out this video from Tent World for a field demo and review of the Katadyn Vario.

4.Shelter

I purchased the Teton Sports XL solo tent off Amazon for under $100, it fit my budget and size. It’s a good starter tent as the materials seem lower quality for light use and I don’t think it would stand up to harsher elements and heavier use. I ended up putting a blue tarp on as a precaution against the persistent north wind and rainy conditions. At 5’11”, I found it tight and could have used a couple more inches all around. I will likely upgrade to a 2-person lightweight tent sometime in the future.

PARTING THOUGHTS

Other than getting wet after a poorly executed beaver dam pull over, I consider my first solo backcountry canoe trip in Nopiming Provincial Park a success! It is a beautiful area and quite the feeling being alone in the wilderness and on the open water. A trip filled with fear, excitement, accomplishment, happiness and a heightened awareness and connection to nature.

I am looking forward to my next backcountry canoe trip in Nopiming and will consider the following improvements and goals:

• Pack More: Yes you read that right! I tried to keep weight down as much as possible and take more of a backpacking approach. I will swap out my backpack with two larger packs and bring a bit more fresh food, fry pan, oil, etc..
• Create an itinerary: Plan out my days by creating an itinerary and list of things to do. For example, journal 1 hour a day, explore a point of interest, take a swim, things to photograph, etc…
• Take my time: I paddled hard, made awesome time but could have took a slower approach to take in the scenery. I think this was first trip jitters, more about managing fear of being alone and trying to keep busy.
• Extend trip length: I want to strive towards a 10-14 day trip one day and will increase to a 5-6 day trip.

I highly recommend solo camping if you haven’t tried it before. Whether campground camping or in the backcountry, you will gain an appreciation for nature, solitude, and learn a few things about yourself in the process! If you are looking for a backcountry canoe trip look no further than Nopiming Provincial Park!