Feedback on 5 day gear list

[sabinajiles]

I will be taking my first trip to Isle Royale on 8/30-9-4. I am going to be doing a loop on the east east end of the island, tentatively staying in DF, MC, MB & RH. I am finalizing my gear list and think I have it pretty well hammered out but would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.
https://lighterpack.com/r/er2j9y

[torpified]

it looks like you've got all the bases covered!

notes/comments:

The backup water purification tablets won't help with a particular form of nastiness (I forget which exactly) that's found in the inland lakes. I don't know what the official line is on whether tablets would be OK to use provided you drew your water only from L Superior (where all your campsites are). But that's what I did, without discernible consequence, two years ago after I froze my Sawyer Squeeze.

clothing carried: I'm terrible at staying warm when I'm not moving, so I'd be tempted to add a puffy jacket or vest. Also dedicated sleeping socks (supposing the darn toughs are a second pair of hiking socks---if they aren't, I'd suggest bringing a second pair of hiking socks!). Finally, fleece or wool gloves---even if I don't need them to keep my hands warm, they serve as pot holders that are much harder (for me) to set on fire than a bandana or pack towel!

Now a question for you: how do you like the 1P hornet? I've got a 6-year old Fly Creek 1 that's getting ragged around the edges at the same alarming pace that I'm getting too brittle to deal gracefully with its front entry. I'm looking into replacing it with light freestanding(ish) tent with a side entry.

[sabinajiles]

The water tablets are something I already thought I would omit. The Versa Flow filter is more resistant to plugging than the Sawyer and can be back flushed without a syringe. I used one last year and it was trouble free. I have drank a lot of unfiltered, untreated water from Boundary Waters lakes and would have no qualms about drinking water from Superior, if necessary.
I am a warm hiker and can be comfortable in temperatures in the 40s, if not windy and damp, wearing very light clothing. I hardly ever wear gloves, even in winter. I will be taking a down jacket, light gloves and a lightweight wind jacket with me and will watch the expected weather and add them if necessary. It's not on my list but I have a piece of carbon felt that I use for a pot holder. Works great and weighs almost nothing.
Jury is still out on the Hornet. I have only set it up in the yard and haven't used it camping yet. It is very well made and seems to be quite solid when pitched. It has a surprisingly large floor area. The length is fine and headroom and shoulder room are adequate but a bit tight for me. I am 6'1", weigh 250 and have broad shoulders. The vestibule is a bit small but adequate. I am seriously considering getting a Tarptent Aeon LI when they become available again. It isn't cheap and I know I'll have to manage condensation but a 16 oz weight is hard to ignore.

[Midwest Ed]

I don't intend to be an alarmist, but there can of course be so many nasty things in water to make you sick. . . and the Lake Superior water looks so pure and clean and so inviting on a hot parching day. Some things can make you sick fairly quickly, others take awhile and yet some take a long, long while. Isle Royale has a long standing ecosystem that includes among other things, a special symbiotic relationship triangle involving the moose, the wolf (and fox) and the hydatid tapeworm.

This species of tapeworm lives as the classically characterized adult parasite tapeworm in the wolf’s (or fox) intestines. In the wolf scat there are tapeworm eggs. These exist and live for a long time on foliage and in the water run off. The moose then ingests these eggs where they are then transported through the bloodstream only to become lodged in the capillaries. This is most commonly the lungs but can be most anywhere. It then begins to multiply eventually forming a cyst. The moose is then killed and eaten (along with one or more cysts) by the wolf thus completing the symbiotic cycle.

Unfortunately if you happen to drink some tapeworm egg contaminated water that has not been boiled or filtered properly (minimum 0.4 micron), you are going to be a stand-in actor for the moose not the wolf. You could remain without symptoms for several years only to one day succumb to a cyst in your lung or brain.

What are the odds? I’ve never seen anyone willing to wager. But I have read reports of people that drank directly and then days later exclaimed they were “lucky” since they did not become sick. Maybe not so lucky.

In 2016 at a presentation made by John Vucetich (a leading member of the Wolf-Moose Study) I asked during the Q&A what it would take to ameliorate the situation if and when all the wolves were gone (which never totally happened). He said we'd have to also wait until all the living moose died as well, plus a awhile longer before any new wolves were introduced.

No one that I know of has published any study that actually quantifies the risks. Personally, I think they are quite low but they do seem to exist (I'm not an M.D. nor a biologist). I don't want to post any links but for some gross videos, Youtube search for "hydatid tapeworm brain surgery".

[sabinajiles]

I don't intend to be an alarmist, but there can of course be so many nasty things in water to make you sick. . .

Thank you for your concern but I did say I would only take my chances and drink unfiltered water from Superior in the case of an emergency. I am fully aware of the tapeworm warning and the dangers from ingesting the eggs and as you can see on my pack list, I am taking a filter.

[thesneakymonkey]

I’d also drop the extra tablets and the cable ties unless you have a specific purpose for them. Everything else looks pretty on point. You may want more than 1oz of TP. Not every privy will have TP. Sometimes they run out and don’t get refilled right away. Check the temps before you go and reevaluate that light fleece. That could be all you need or you may want a warmer fleece or puffy. It gets really cold at night in some spots off of Lake Superior. I also carried a small liner glove for my hands in the morning. But I have terrible cold hands. Husband did fine without a pair.

[sabinajiles]

I’d also drop the extra tablets and the cable ties unless you have a specific purpose for them. Everything else looks pretty on point. You may want more than 1oz of TP. Not every privy will have TP. Sometimes they run out and don’t get refilled right away. Check the temps before you go and reevaluate that light fleece. That could be all you need or you may want a warmer fleece or puffy. It gets really cold at night in some spots off of Lake Superior. I also carried a small liner glove for my hands in the morning. But I have terrible cold hands. Husband did fine without a pair.

Thanks for your input. You're probably right about the cable ties. Years ago, I once held an external frame pack together with a couple of cable ties and habit has me still including them, but I can't think of the last time I needed them. I am probably light on the TP. I actually thought I might include more of the Lightoad wipes for toilet duty, too. they weigh less than TP, don't take up as much space and after wet, they are more effective for cleaning up than dry TP. I am taking a down jacket with me and will evaluate the expected weather the evening before I leave on the ferry and make a call whether I need it or not. I am pretty warm blooded and the fleece and my rain jacket will keep me pretty warm. There are pit zips on my jacket to help control perspiration so I can comfortably wear it when it's cooler, if needed. I will substitute the down jacket for the fleece if it looks like it will be colder. I'll take a pair of light gloves, too, but probably won't take them to the island. I hardly ever wear gloves, even in the winter. Irritates my wife terribly because her hands are always cold.

[Midwest Ed]

I don't intend to be an alarmist, but there can of course be so many nasty things in water to make you sick. . .

Thank you for your concern but I did say I would only take my chances and drink unfiltered water from Superior in the case of an emergency. I am fully aware of the tapeworm warning and the dangers from ingesting the eggs and as you can see on my pack list, I am taking a filter.

I should have been more explicit that my information was directed more to Torpified, who stated she wasn't sure exactly what the specifics of the nastiness were all about, AND to anyone else reading the posts. When it comes to this risk I never like to leave an impression to a casual observer that the dangers might be light. The risks/odds might be very low but the results could be devastating.

[thesneakymonkey]

I’d also drop the extra tablets and the cable ties unless you have a specific purpose for them. Everything else looks pretty on point. You may want more than 1oz of TP. Not every privy will have TP. Sometimes they run out and don’t get refilled right away. Check the temps before you go and reevaluate that light fleece. That could be all you need or you may want a warmer fleece or puffy. It gets really cold at night in some spots off of Lake Superior. I also carried a small liner glove for my hands in the morning. But I have terrible cold hands. Husband did fine without a pair.

Thanks for your input. You're probably right about the cable ties. Years ago, I once held an external frame pack together with a couple of cable ties and habit has me still including them, but I can't think of the last time I needed them. I am probably light on the TP. I actually thought I might include more of the Lightoad wipes for toilet duty, too. they weigh less than TP, don't take up as much space and after wet, they are more effective for cleaning up than dry TP. I am taking a down jacket with me and will evaluate the expected weather the evening before I leave on the ferry and make a call whether I need it or not. I am pretty warm blooded and the fleece and my rain jacket will keep me pretty warm. There are pit zips on my jacket to help control perspiration so I can comfortably wear it when it's cooler, if needed. I will substitute the down jacket for the fleece if it looks like it will be colder. I'll take a pair of light gloves, too, but probably won't take them to the island. I hardly ever wear gloves, even in the winter. Irritates my wife terribly because her hands are always cold.

I could be thinking of the wrong lightload towels but aren't those a bit large for TP? The ones I saw were marketed as like beach towels. Plus you would have to pack those out. I dont believe they would biodegrade. Again I could be way off base with that. haha. It has been a while since I have seen them. At least with TP you can put it in the privy or bury in a cathole.

[sabinajiles]

I could be thinking of the wrong lightload towels but aren't those a bit large for TP? The ones I saw were marketed as like beach towels. Plus you would have to pack those out. I dont believe they would biodegrade. Again I could be way off base with that. haha. It has been a while since I have seen them. At least with TP you can put it in the privy or bury in a cathole.

No, you aren't wrong, I am. The compressed wipes I have aren't Lightload. They are Wysi Wipe brand. They are tougher than paper, like a dry, compressed baby wipe. They rehydtrate with a tablespoon of water, are 9"x12" and are biodegradable. My bad.

[thesneakymonkey]

I could be thinking of the wrong lightload towels but aren't those a bit large for TP? The ones I saw were marketed as like beach towels. Plus you would have to pack those out. I dont believe they would biodegrade. Again I could be way off base with that. haha. It has been a while since I have seen them. At least with TP you can put it in the privy or bury in a cathole.

No, you aren't wrong, I am. The compressed wipes I have aren't Lightload. They are Wysi Wipe brand. They are tougher than paper, like a dry, compressed baby wipe. They rehydtrate with a tablespoon of water, are 9"x12" and are biodegradable. My bad.

Ah ok! Good deal

[torpified]

my information was directed more to Torpified, who stated she wasn't sure exactly what the specifics of the nastiness were all about, AND to anyone else reading the posts. When it comes to this risk I never like to leave an impression to a casual observer that the dangers might be light. The risks/odds might be very low but the results could be devastating.

You've gotten through! Even though I didn't subject myself to the Youtube videos, I now have a vivid and indelible grasp on the tapeworm nastiness!