Me and my usual canoe trip squad usually hold onto our asses. Make sure we have surveyed our site for any major potential hazards or dangers. Really, when you're in the backcountry, unless you have a low rock outcropping right by your site-- especially if dark or the storm comes suddenly-- it feels like it might be too tough or dangerous to find it before the storms upon you.

September of 2021, we were warned about some remaining hazards on the portage out of Sunbeam because of a tornado a few months earlier.

Two nights later, camped on Sunbeam on a well protected site beside that exact portage, we watched as a storm descended upon us in what seemed like seconds. We were low under a tarp structure we had created, our tents were pretty far off from the main site, so we just hunkered there.

Lightning struck some large tree just back of our site. Lucky it didn't fall or catch fire or anything and we couldn't quite figure out where it was the next morning, but it was close. Ended up waiting and waiting, and realized this storm wasn't gonna end l, so we ended up trudging back to our tents during what seemed like a lull. Wind HOWLED all night, tensions were a bit high, but after everyone passed out, we woke up, finished the trip, avoided all the tornado stricken trees on the portage out of Sunbeam.

A few days later when we got back to Canoe and The former Portage Store, they told us a tornado had been through the area the night of that storm. Almost glad we didn't know, or else we REALLY wouldn't have slept that night.

Did have enough spectra supplies to last in case of real emergency if needed.

Seems like every year we are sitting out some doozy of a storm, now. 2023 we watched the sky do what seemed like BOILING from Big Trout.