Rafiki, hello! I just logged into the forums after a little more than half a decade ... okay, maybe closer to an entire decade, and stumbled on your post. First off, thanks for all your help on my inaugural trip back in 2012. Secondly, I may be of some assistance.

If you still live in the Chicago ...

Hometown: Kenosha, WI
Arrival Date: June 21, 2013
Departure Date: June 29, 2013
Coming From/Via: Houghton via Ranger III

Itinerary:
June 21 - Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin
June 22 - Island Mine
June 23 - Feldtmann Lake
June 24 - Windigo
June 25 - McCargoe Cove
June 26 - Chippewa Harbor
June 27 ...

I just received my boat passes for this coming June and in the packet of materials is the "New Food Storage Rules." Here's what it says:

Title 36 Code of Fedreal Regulations 2.10 - CAMPING and FOOD STORAGE
(d) Conditions for the storage of food are in effect, as noted, for the following areas:
*All ...

My gear list is now attached to the trip report post above.

Here's what I would have done differently (also attached to my trip report post).

...and I am going back to ISRO this June. Another 9-day trip around the island. But this time I plan ot hike the entire Minong Ridge Trail (from Windigo to McCargoe Cove) in one day.

It's still a draft ... hence all the errors.

The men's magazine I was hoping it would go into didn't have enough advertising, so half a dozen stories got dropped ... including mine. That was okay - it wouldn't have been written like a trip report. It would have been about 80 column inches and have ...

...ok, maybe not so soon. Sorry for the 9-month wait; things didn't happen the way I wanted them to upon returning from the island. Maybe it'll spark some excitement for the new season.

~sean

I'm working on it. I've had to write a couple business columns, some Q&A's, and a restaurant feature on top of all my photo assignments for work since I've been back. I go to work, go to the gym and then just sleep...lots of sleep. The paper I work for also publishes a couple of magazines. One of ...

I was there from June 15 to June 23 and I didn't need my headnet or bug juice at all the entire trip. However, I did spray everything down with permethrin a couple days before I left. I even slept in an open hammock without any bug screen.
I saw a few hikers in full body armor: rain gear, gloves ...

Hey Ed. I don't have any experience with their proprietary viewfinder as it's $140. However, I did purchase a Yashica Electro-35 GSN wide viewfinder for $10 on ebay (it also came with the wide and tele lens adapters for the Electro 35). I used it a couple of times, but decided it was a waste of time ...

Getting the weight on your chest is the smartest way to go. Plus your camera is always right in front of you when you need it. If my camera was anywhere in my backpack I know I wouldn't stop hiking to take it out.

I use a Lumix LX3 (the newer LX5 has been out for more than a year). I did have to ...

Not bad for a 9-ounce point-and-shoot that fits on my shoulder strap. I did miss the "big guns" a couple of times. I usually carry a Nikon D3s (sometimes 2 bodies) and enough glass to cover 14mm to 300mm in my bag. I just can't bring myself to bring any of that gear on one of my trips.

I've started to get back into the swing of things. I haven't "officially" written the report yet ... I wanted to let my blisters heal before I hit the keyboard.

However, here are a couple of photos from the isle:

https://plus.google.com/photos/111617286939555468326/albums/5757958366985759297

Sean

If my backpack had been more than 20lbs, poles would have been good on a couple stretches of the Greenstone and the Minong. I had one day where my knees tightened up pretty bad in the middle of a hike - after 12 miles of hiking and ~20 the previous day. I took two ibuprofen and sat down to eat a ...