OK. I'm officially amazed. That's a standard dual-band GSM phone. It should not work more than 36 km from the tower, booster or no booster. I'm asking around to see if ATT has any extended range GSM around Lake Superior.

I may want to ask you exactly which building has this booster installed.

johnhens wrote:I came across an Optimus 111 at a yard sale. I bought it to play with it. Interesting stove, works great!!

Just remember "A & H Hardware".

Don, interesting info about cell phones. This past trip in May, I was able to use my cell phone in Rock Harbor making use of an antenae booster (for lack of a better term). I have ATT and was able to talk as long as I was close to the booster which had to be plugged in to an outlet. This was someon...

The shoreline growth does appear very dense but it often looks like a few hundred yards inland is much clearer. I would like to hear from him. Particularly to know if he used imagery to plan his route or just headed off in the general direction. Normally, whenever I take off bushwacking in a general...

The Svea 123 is a fantastic stove, except it sounds like a jet engine. We're actually planning on bring this stove. It's all cleaned up with a new cap gasket and jet. For shorter trips we'd use an alcohol burner. In a larger party we'd bring one forced-air wood burner plus either and alcohol or LPG...

Can you give me a hint to help my searching for that discussion? Unfortunately the aerials I have available from USGS have no better resolution than Google Maps. So, it's a little hard to lay out a route. It looks like most of the way along the southern shore from Malone to the Wood Lake - Whittlese...

A little information about cellular phones for the benefit of anyone wishing to try to use one on IR or other fringe areas: 1. When the GSM system (e.g. T-Mobile, ATT, Rogers) was designed by European engineers, they included a hard 36 km range limit. Most GSM systems will stop working right at 36 k...

Dumb question from a first timer. Is there any good reason why there is no trail connecting Malone Bay campground with Indian Portage trail at the south end of Lake Ritchie? Is there no reasonable ford across the stream? A loop trail around Siskiwit Lake would seem to be a natural.

johnhens wrote:If that is the puncture type cannister, I beleive REI carries them and I have seen them at Cabelas.

It's a special 1/2 height Gaz puncture type cannister used only with this particular stove. I have not seen any of them for years. At least not in stores.

Do you mean "Leinenkugel's". You could drink it all before getting on the plane, then the weight wouldn't count.

When I spoke with them the other day, I was told that they carried Priums brand canisters. I don't own an isobutane stove*, so I'm not sure of compatibility issues. I did suggest that they should publish on the website exactly what types of supplies, particularly fuel, that they stock in the stores,...

I just threw out a 40 year-old stuff sack. It was way past unusable. I have purchased a bunch of the new super-light silicon coated sacks. For someone who still owns and, on occasion, uses a Holubar sleeping bag, Svea 123 stove and SIGG Tourist cook-set, changing gear can be traumatic.

If you have time to spend eight days on the trail, you could go RH > Daisy Farm > McCargo Cove > Todd Harbor/Hatchet Lake > South Desor > Siskiwit Bay > Feldtmann Lake > Windigo > then ferry back to Rock Harbor. You'll have to plan accordingly so you arrive at Windigo in time for the Voyageur II to...

Another option would be to mail yourself a package to RH. You have to be there to accept delivery, I know folks have done that with the Voyageur. This could work if one were planning to wait several days at one of Voyageur's stopping points. I would hate to count on my package and me being able to ...

Some folks have left food with the concessionaire in the past, that might be an option for you. i would check with the concesionaire. The published information says that you can leave parcels with the concesionaire but that they can't contain food or fuel. Duh? What are they two things you most wan...