Friday, March 28, 2008

News from Piragis Northwoods Company and the BoundaryWatersCatalog.com:

Explore Online with MN DNR's Recreational Compass Tool and Lake Maps

This week we're including a link to one the internet's hidden gems, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's "Recreational Compass" You can type in a city, or lake and zoom in and out, you can click and drag your way across the state. We like to pick a lake in the Boundary Waters along our route and hit the info tool button. Up will pop loads of information about the lake in question on the Lake Finder Search Results Page. Links to Lake Information, Lake Maps, Lake Water Levels, Lake Water Clarity, Lake Water Clarity by Satellite, even Topographical Maps.

Have some fun, make some notes for your next trip and call us to get quality waterproof maps with the campsites and portages clearly marked from Fisher, McKenzie and Voyageur Maps.

Recreational compass: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/compass.html
Lake Finder: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html

Plan to Attend the MCEA Women's Event in May
Living, Working, and Loving Green: A special women's event
with Kim Carlson

Join the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and EarthSmart Consumer, media personality, and award-winning ecopreneur, Kim Carlson, to discuss the what, why, and how of working and living green.

Environmental threats and opportunities are dramatically changing the way we live and work. Kim will speak about the critical roles women play as environmental problem solvers and what each of us can do to help heal the planet. A pioneer of the green housing movement in the early '90s, Kim appears as the EarthSmart Expert on NBC TV and is a regular guest writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

For more information please visit the MCEA website:
http://www.mncenter.org/mcea_events/

SUNSPLASH
Try before you buy SALE at Semer's Park Beach in
Ely, Minnesota 10% OFF NEW Canoes and Kayaks
Gear and Accessories Specials all Weekend Long

May 16, 17, 18 on the water!




Piragis Northwoods Company presents
Canoe & Kayak Tryout and Sale Days -- May 16, 17 and 28
Try Before You Buy -- Paddle the real canoes and kayaks you're interested in -- just like test driving a car!
At Semers Park in Ely, Minnesota
Save 10% on New Canoes, Kayaks and Gear all Weekend

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To Hang a Food Pack? or Hide a Food Pack?

It is recommended by the Forest Service that you hang your Food Pack in a tree while camping in the Boundary Waters and Quetico. Cliff Jacobson recommends you hide your food pack away from camp. (100 yards is a good distance... BUT make sure you can find it!) These practices poise some controversial questions. Here's a few pictures that show just how well Black Bears can climb... and some words of advice from our good friend Cliff Jacobson on why it might not be such a good idea to hang your pack...

from Cliff Jacobson,

"BEARS CLIMB TREES. AND THEY CLIMB EXTREMELY WELL. When danger threatens, mama bear sends her cubs up a nearby tree. Then she hides in the woods until danger has passed. Black bear cubs can climb a 50 foot trunk in about five seconds. Mama might need half a minute! So why do Federal authorities insist that campers store food in trees? It’s simple, really: if a bear gets your food, it’s no big deal. If it gets you, it’s a very big deal! Solution: separate campers from their food. Safety must come first."

Learn more about bears by doing research online and at your local library. Of course, visit the Bear Center while you're in town.


No matter how you decide to manage your food while you are camping in the Boundary Waters, you must have a plan. You need a comfortable and sturdy food pack or barrel. Whether you use our Food Pack Hanger or a rope/pulley hanger system of your own or keep your food hidden on the ground away from camp, it needs to be buttoned up and cleaned up. No food should be in the tent with you or left open in your "camp kitchen" area near the fire. Keep it secure, packed up in odor free bags in your food pack and away from people and tents when you are sleeping or away from camp. Remember not to throw garbage in the latrines and if you do keep your food packs on the ground away from camp, you can stack pots and pans on top of the pack as an alarm system. Bears don't care for noise and if they do discover your pack they'll likely be scared away when the pans hit the ground and each other. You'll also be alerted to their presence.

If you do choose to hang your food pack, also make sure you've sealed everything tight inside and done your best to keep the food smells tight inside.

Black Bears are part of the Boundary Waters. They are a wonderful animal to learn about and study, but it is to our advantage and theirs to keep our food away from them.

Take a hands-on class with the Legend, Cliff Jacobson, our resident paddling GURU.

For the second year in a row, Cliff Jacobson has agreed to teach his Wilderness Canoeing and Camping School at Camp DuNord here in Ely. This week long class is really an opportunity not to be missed. It is not your usual seminar and even if you've heard Cliff speak at a paddling event before, you've never spent this much time with a canoeing master in his element. As an experienced woodsman and canoeing guide, Cliff brings a wealth of knowledge gleaned from personal experience to the classroom.

His methods are proven. His recommendations and suggestions about everything from how to pack, what to pack, how to cook, what to leave at home and what to never forget don't come from books someone else wrote (he's written all the definitive guides and we're not kidding). His TIPS and SECRETS of canoeing camping come from hard learned lessons, from hands on experience in the wilderness.



Cliff is also one heck of a teacher. His enthusiasm for our favorite sport and outdoor activity is contagious and his love for the outdoors in nearly unparalleled. You can check out the itinerary online, but that's just the nuts and bolts stuff. Trust us, call today and get your name on the short list for this adventure in a classroom, it'll make every trip you take afterwards easier and more enjoyable.

Call Bert or Drew today, 1-800-223-6565 to reserve your spot today.
COST: $1,295.00 per person plus tax
May 18-23, 2008. Five days of hands-on instruction. Arrive at Camp DuNord by 8 pm, Sunday, May 18. Instruction begins Monday, May 19 and ends 5 pm Friday, May 23.

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Chota Marsh Boot II on Closeout Sale

You Save 40% Were $114.95 now $68.97


Chota's Marsh Boot II features an exclusive RockLoc High Traction rubber sole for superior wet/dry traction. Featuring Closed Cell Neoprene insulation with fleece lining for warmth and comfort. Extra large toe box allows for unrestricted circulation while Chota's exclusive QuickLace System keeps the foot securely in place and provides extra support. The nylon cinch strap retards flooding and helps lock in scent. Waterproof boot for fishing, hunting, and portaging; the unique Neoprene/Rubber construction provides positive buoyancy.

No backorders.

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,6154.html

Click here for NEW ITEMS FROM PIRAGIS
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/new.htm