Camp 4, five km from the last camp including four portages ranging from 200 to 340 metres in length for a total distance of 1035 metres. With six portage loads this equates to 11 trips and over 11 km of walking on uneven terrain carrying heavy loads of 34 to 43 kg. The empty walk back after each carry provides a bit of a rest and a chance to dry off after getting sweaty.
I take fresh butter in a cooler, nine 454 gram blocks for three months. One of the first chores I do when setting up camp is to bury the cooler in moss where it keeps quite well. This is Stair-Step moss but Sphagnum moss provides even better insulation.
The country where I travelled has much exposed rock of the Canadian Shield. Sometimes finding a good campfire site is problematic, one that is sheltered from wind and water, is fire-safe and allows erecting a nearby tarp for shelter from rain. Here I tried four locations before settling on one. None met the last criterion. Any would have been satisfactory in calm conditions, but the wind was strong most of the time.
I typically get fresh fish for at least two meals each week, pike being my mainstay because it is the easiest to catch.
I canoed across the bay to a recent burn area to pick fresh fireweed for a supper salad. It is tastiest like this in the spring, but is available through summer until berries ripen.
An "H" marks a bathroom spot, buried in the moss. It is not an intentional "H" for my surname but just a cross-hatch of sticks to identify the location so I do not dig up a surprise. Even more important when canoeing with someone else.
The first well-needed laundry, one done every two weeks if possible. I carry the soiled soapy water up on shore to dump in ground cover so it does not run into the lake. My clothes plunger is a new one this year, lighter and just as effective as the old copper antique one. This one is a plastic toilet plunger with flutes that create lots of action and as a bonus a removable handle so it stores in the 25 litre laundry pail.
