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| Trip Planning » Booth's Lake with a 4-year-old - HELP! » 7/08/2019 1:45 pm |
I stayed on booth last year with my 4 year old and her sister (6) last summer (late july). we arrived pretty late- just before sunset (booth is a long-long ride from kitchener, especially with all the highway 60 roadworks last year, it was 8hrs from door to put-in). Took a while to find a campsite. Tempers were a bit frayed, no big deal really though, found a spot in the end.
We ended up in a less than ideal site on first night -was really buggy, but the beach was nice (i think it was #8) and my kids just launched themselves fully clothed into the water (lifejackets on), while we swatted bugs and set up the tents/dinner. we went past a lot of nice kid friendly sites on that eastern shore (in terms of shallow beachy), however its pretty thick bush so real buggy. Even if the lake is full I find you can always move the next day, which we did after doing a bit of scouting first. We ended up in site 14 which was real nice and kid friendly (shallow). All sites I visited were in good shape. A few of our folks stayed on #13 though and I wouldnt recommend that for wee-uns, very steep big almost cliff down to pretty deep water. But it wouldnt be the end of the world if just for 1 night. Also with just 1 kid it is pretty easy to keep an eye on where they are at. Plus they will be asleep in no-time after the journey/long day on day 1. If I am at a steep/deep site with the kids I insist they keep there lifejackets on/or stay within sight of us and sometimes make a no running rule (especially at night!).
I wouldnt bother re-booking if I were you. Most lakes in algonquin that are accesible for kids are gonna be pretty well full this time of year. I've stayed on booth, ralph bice twice with my kids and always had to do a fair bit of canoeing around to find a spot, and often moved on 2nd day. I am heading to Pen with the kids in august and i fully expect I will have to hunt around again.
-My advice: arrive super early so there is no rushing or stress, and increase chances
| Equipment » Solo Stove or Trangia? » 5/13/2019 11:39 am |
I made a twig stove out of a paint can, a soup can (slots right into the paint can hole) , and a tuna can (for the pot-rest).
It was super easy to make (took about 10mins to make, just need a can opener and a drill) and is very light. Really it seems to me to be just as good as the $100 buddy or solo stove.
| Equipment » Family canoe advice recommendations- what can I get away with? » 5/02/2019 3:05 pm |
Good point re holding the resale value.
I am tempted by one of the scott prospector fibreglass ex rentals from the portage store. 550-650 looks like a decent price? I wonder how beat up they are?
| Equipment » Family canoe advice recommendations- what can I get away with? » 5/02/2019 1:57 pm |
Yes I guess you folks might be right. I was just thinking if I can get something for ~500 to 600 bucks, I only have to make 3 trips (or even less) before I'm saving money. Especially when you rent the bigger canoes which are like $50/day plus tax. Really its more because if you book for 3 nights in the park you pay for 4 days, and then they have these little extra charges for roof ties, yoke pads ect. I thinks its a pschological thing too, my wife is like "no we cant afford to go this spring", but if I had a canoe, the costs would be minimal!
I rented one of those 18.5 3 seaters souris in killarney once, we had my buddy, me, my wife and 2kids (toddlers then), and it seemed pretty big
Maybe a 3 seat fibreglass prospector 17 would just about fit the bill? I'm pretty sure my two girls could share the middle seat, me and the dog in the stern, and mum and the gear in the bow? Then when the kids get old enough to paddle/too big to be a passanger, and I'm a bit richer (hopefully), we could buy a fancy 2nd canoe.
| Fishing » Small or Telescopic Rod » 5/02/2019 12:31 pm |
| Equipment » Family canoe advice recommendations- what can I get away with? » 5/02/2019 12:00 pm |
I'm looking into buying a canoe. Getting fed up with paying for rentals, it always seems to cost a minumum of 200 bucks, which is a major barrier to just getting out there.
So what I really want is a souris river 18.5, but I dont have the $ for that right now (even for a 2nd hand ex-rental).
I want to be able to fit
-myself (250lbs),
my partner (140lbs),
2 kids (7yr and 4yrs approx 100lb combined)
and my dog 70lb,
plus loads of gear (150lb)?
I am not really bothered if the canoe is heavy like 70-80lbs, were are not going to portage too far. Im a big guy, and I'm happy triple carrying portages when neccessary! I just want something that will get us into the park and back, safely (ie not sink). Usually we go somewhere a few lakes in from the access point and then camp there for the duration. (eg, booth, ralph bice). Whenever I rent with my family, they seems to say we have to get a 17.5 or 18.5ft canoe. However, looking online I see for example scott prospector 16 says it has 940lb optimum load weight, which sounds to me like it would work for us.
I see a lot of 16ft fibreglass canoes on kijji- for around the $500 range. Will something like that work for us or would it sink with all of us? What about those poly river canoes, can you load those up and still be safe? Scott prospector 16' seem pretty available, would that work at a pinch?
Any recommendations for cheap and cheerful canoe?
Also whats the minimum length I can get away with?
| Trip Planning » Permits from the wrong office for the access point- possible? » 10/02/2017 8:46 am |
Update- I stopped in at west gate and picked up my permits for Sprule, it was no issue at all, infact they had me on their list.
| Trip Planning » Permits from the wrong office for the access point- possible? » 9/26/2017 2:24 pm |
Hello Campers,
I'm heading up for a fall camping trip on Sproule this weekend. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of picking up permits for lakes further east than source lake on highway 60 from the west gate? The central ontario parks reservation phoneline suggested it just cant be done. The computer said no, must pick up at east gate.
Its no big deal, it would just be more convenient for me not to have to drive to the east gate and then double back to the put-in. Ive already reserved online
Note-that I may be able to answer this myself definitively shortly, by either a) ringing the west gate office (the number seems tricky to find on the interwebs) or, b) stopping in at the west gate on the way through on friday and seeing if human based bureaucratic agility can produce me a shiny permit from the wrong office!
Either-way I am sure its gonna be a fantastic weekend up in Algonquin! Has anyone been on Sproule- I heard its a nice lake!
Phil
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