One of our goals for this trip is to incorporate other people, groups and organizations who share a similar passion for outdoor adventures and also the same goal of preserving the integrity of the greater Boundary Waters area ecosystem . So far we have agreed to give two presentations on the campus of Northland College in partnership with the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, one described below and the second (date undetermined) in early April to correspond with their celebration- Wildness Week. Check in with the SOEI for details and dates at: http://www.northland.edu/sigurd-olson-environmental-institute-overview.htm I am going to be giving a pre-trip presentation at Northland College on January 13th from 3:00pm - 4:30pm under the Wheeler bridge on campus (The walking bridge between Wheeler Hall and the Larson-Juhl Center for Science and the Environment). I will be showing the gear and other kit I will be taking on the trip, teaching a few short lesson on winter travel and living outdoors in the winter, and also we will be discussing some of the environmental issues facing the Boundary Waters area. This presentation is free and open to the public. Hope to see ya there.
Water is pretty neat stuff. Just like every other substance which we depend on for life- oxygen, nutrients and vitamins, day time talk shows- water in the proper amount keeps us going while a small adjustment in either direction disrupts our precarious balance between life and death. Too much water and, well you drown, or assuming you are not swimming at the time, too much water can cause havoc with the electrolyte balance in our body causing the sometimes fatal condition know as hyponatremia. Of course too much water is generally not a concern, at home or on trail, but too little water is an ailment that most people suffer from to varying degrees.
The cold statistics:
Humans are roughly 60% water depending on age, sex and physical condition.
So for a man of my size, 175 pounds or so-
175 x .6 (percentage of that weight which is water)= 105 pounds of water
105 lbs of water / 8.3 (roughly the weight of a gallon of water)= 13 gallons of water in me
13 gallons x 3.7 (3.78 liters per gallon)=46 liters of water
Now of course this does not mean I have 46 liters of water in my body, it just gives you an approximate idea of how much water you'll need to replace every day, so lets go on into eqautionland:
We on average lose about 5% of our water every day, which is why folks say "drink 2 liters of water a day." The problem with blanket amounts is that they don't take into consideration how hard you are working (sweating) how cold/hot and dry the air is, how big you are and so on. So if we go by the 5% rule:
5% of 46=2.3 liter per day (.6 gallons) for me but...
When I am pulling a loaded sled and working hard and breathing in cold dry air while exhaling warm moist air I can bump up that fluid loss to 8%, 10% even 15%, which means in the winter I need to drink:
10% of 46 = 4.6 liter a day (.9 gallons)
15% of 46= 6.9 liter a day (1.7 gallons)
A sure sign of fluid loss- The Beardcicle
At a 1% or 2% fluid loss you feel thirsty, which means you are dehydrated, but don't worry, most people are at this stage and correcting this problem is as simple as drinking a glass of water.
Around the 5% level you start to feel the first signs of real dehydration- headache, muscle cramps, lethargy
10% and you are starting to go downhill fast- your urine is dark and smelly, your vision can be impaired, your pulse goes way up and if you don't drink some water you will start circling the drain
At the 15% fluid loss consciousness becomes a distant memory and you need medical care.
Even at low level dehydration, your body will stop functioning the way it likes to. A loss of water reduces the viscosity and amount of the blood in your body which disrupts your body's ability to thermoregulate effectively, you are more prone to injury and your higher level brain functions are impaired. All of which are not good for your long term health at home and especially on trail in the winter. So if you are feeling thirsty, your pee pee is yellow and has an odor, and/or you are getting a bit crabby, drink some water, keep the caffeine to a minimum, and reduce your work load to keep the fluid loss under control.
Oh yeah, as I am sure this will be asked, you can indeed eat snow. The problem with eating snow is the temperature of the snow, or more specifically the temperature difference between the snow and your body. You get water into your body by eating snow, but it takes energy to melt and warm the snow so if you are already cold or running a bad calorie deficit, eating snow may not be the best choice. I have read that melting the snow in your mouth alleviates some of that problem, and as someone who eats snow all the time in the winter (Hey I am allowed to forget my water bottle once in a while) I have found it better to kinda roll the snow around your mouth until the snow is melted, then drink it down as a liquid. Of course, make sure the snow is clean...
So what's it like to pull a toboggan weighing over 100 pounds up and down hills, through waist deep snow, day in and day out in the depths of winter? It hard work! Since winter for many people, including myself at times, has the tendency to make our lives more sedentary, I have made the goal for myself of working out this winter in preparation for our trip in February. In addition to the go-to strength building pull ups, sit ups and push ups, I have also been pulling a loaded sled around the area in order to get my body ready for the unique stresses pulling a heavy load enacts on the body. So far I have been pulling around 90 pounds from 4-5 miles a day on snow covered roads (much to the curiosity and amusement of some of the other folks in the area). Not only is this a great workout but it also gives you experience pulling a loaded sled, which if you haven't tried it, can take a bit of getting used to as a loaded sled, much like spirited horse, can decide quickly and unannounced that it wants to go somewhere other than where you are going.
“The song of the north still fills me
with the same gladness as when I heard it first. It came not only
from the land of the Great Lakes, but also from the vast regions
beyond the Canadian border. More than terrain, more than woods,
lakes, and forests, it had promise and meaning and sang of the
freedom and challenge of the wilderness. I seemed drawn in its
general direction as naturally as a migrating bird is by unseen lines
of force, or a salmon by some invisible power toward the stream where
it was spawned. Within me was a constant longing, and when I listen
to this song, I understood.” Sigurd Olson, from his book Open Horizons
The purpose of this blog is not to
document our trip across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness this February, there are many pretty videos out there
showing people having a gnarly time in some very awesome places.
Instead we aim to use this experience as way to do more than show off
this wildly exciting expedition, our goals are to:
1. Use our trip as a platform onto
which we can build a greater awareness of the Boundary Waters, both
the park's tremendous beauty and the opportunities the area offers
and at the same time exposing the fragility of the park when
confronted with the realities of our modern world. This is the same
story being played out in many places where Wildness, outdoor
recreation, and the industrialized world converge. While we don't
expect to unearth any answers, sometimes all it takes to make
positive change is to shed a little light where all there exists is
darkness.
2. Help others enjoy the winter as
much as we do. Through this blog we will be posting short videos
covering topics like winter travel, proper winter clothing, food
planning and preparation, winter tent use, and whatever else we think
would be good to know. The winter is a magical place for those who
can brave the long hours of darkness, shrug off bitter cold and who
put in long hours pulling a toboggan- the Aurora Borealis (Northern
Lights), crystalline stars, and the echo of wolves all come to those
who make the effort to find them.
3. Lastly, we will be documenting our 100+ mile, 25+ day
trip from one end of the Boundary Waters in the Saganaga Lake area into the town of Ely with video, pictures and writings captured along the way And, yes, we also plan on having a blast...
One of our goals for this trip is to incorporate other people, groups and organizations who share a similar passion for outdoor adventures and also the same goal of preserving the integrity of the greater Boundary Waters area ecosystem . So far we have agreed to give two presentations on the campus of Northland College in partnership with the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, one described below and the second (date undetermined) in early April to correspond with their celebration- Wildness Week. Check in with the SOEI for details and dates at: 
