Your stove choice depends on what you want to do with your stove. If all you want to do is to heat water to use to rehydrate Mountain House type meals an alcohol or butane stove will be all you need. You could also use a solid fuel like Esbit. If you want to cook meals (say fry the fish that you cau...

I don't think that you will need all of the stove fuel that you have planned: I used less than 1l of white gas for two weeks on ISRO and that use included boiling water for drinking when I was in a hurry (lazy), heating water to clean my clothes on a zero mile day and cooking (I like cooking meals r...

I used a Golite Odyssey which is in the same size range that you specified, for my trip around ISRO last year. Golite is a manufacturer of lightweight and ultralight weight back packing gear and has a good reputation in the lightweight backpacking community. The plus factors are that it is a very li...

There is only one water source on the Greenstone Ridge trail (the little creek that runs between Chickenbone Lake and Lake Livermore). When I say little, it is little (the portage runs along the creek). The other water sources are at the campgrounds which are all some distance off the trail (and dow...

If the graffiti in the shelters is an indication as to their age, then I don't recall any of the shelters that I stayed in (TH, WC, DF) being older than 10-15 years given the dates on the graffiti. Most state parks in Michigan were improved by the CCC as were the National Forests in Michigan, and th...

I have used the Thermarest Ridgerest for years: my experience on ISRO was that the Ridgerest was comfortable when used on the ground but that it was uncomfortable in the shelters (it does little to pad one's hips and shoulders). It is lightweight compared to other pads out there. As it is a closed c...

If you stay in a shelter, you should have no problem with larcenous animals. However you may hear mice or other animals who have taken up residence under the shelter. Washington Creek has camp moose which you will have to yield to (its not a good idea to get between momma moose and calf moose). Plea...

Logan Bread (and oat meal). The NOLS Cookbook has some good recipes for breakfast such as home made granola and muslix that are tasty and which can be stored in a freezer bag. You certainly will not break any teeth eating granola like you might eating Logan Bread...

I did a circuit last year (2011). I went from Rock Harbor to Windigo via the Minong and then back to RH via the Greenstone. The information regarding a mail drop of food and supplies via the Voyager II is VERY important for planning purposes. The information from Captain Don of the Voyager II posted...

I did Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm (1st day) -- you might want to plan on using the Tobin Harbor trail over the Rock Harbor trail. Daisy Farm to McCargoe Cove (2d day) McCargoe Cove to Todd Harbor (3d day) on the Minong Ridge Trail Todd Harbor to Little Todd (4th day) Little Todd has a really nice, if ...

You and your son should break in some hiking boots well before you get to ISRO. You should also get some experience with hiking with a back pack and what your comfort level of daily distance is. You will want to enjoy your trip to ISRO rather than making it an unpleasant slog. Your break in hiking t...

Your choice of 1st night campgrounds also depends on your choice of transportation to ISRO. If you take the Ranger III, you will get to Rock Harbor at around 3PM and then you will have a 7 mile hike to Daisy Farm or a slightly longer hike to Lane Cove (if you don't take a water taxi). You will also ...

One more thing to plan for in September is unexpected stays due to the ferry not running. The IR Queen will not run if waves on Lake Superior exceed 10-12 feet (as they did over Labor Day 2011). This could mean that you are unable to leave Copper Harbor or you will be unable to leave Rock Harbor. Th...

Here is a link to the "forfeiture of collateral" guidelines for NPS violations set forth by the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan (the Federal Court having jurisdiction over ISRO): http://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/GENERAL/national_parks_service.htm (Note: Pictured Rocks an...

That's the plan

I am thinking about kayaking/canoeing from RH to Chippewa Harbor and then working my way through the various lakes/ portages to McCargoe and then working my way through the 5 fingers back to Rock Harbor...(I will need a canoe/kayak to do this however)