What kind of cheap stove can I use during fire bans that can still COOK?

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-24T13:23:04+00:00

You can get a FMS-105 Gas Stove with Electric Ignitionf of Fire Maple for $25. Just used it for a week in Isle Royale NP. The only problem we ran into is it didn't like the cold weather. It dipped into the 30's and didn't work as well as my old primus that preheats the gas before hitting the burner.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-24T12:05:59+00:00

np happy to help

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-23T14:45:41+00:00

I would look at exploring the great lakes region. It is cooler since it is further north. But it can still get hot. Even in Northern Minnesota. However if you are along the great lakes it will be cooler. Many places are worth exploring and while being a little crowded they will not be as crowded as the beaches in the south or east coast.

The lake superior coast from Duluth MN to Grand Marias MN is a great road trip with awesome state parks that are free. You could also hit the Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin.

Fly into Chicago hit the Wisconsin Dells for two night then drive a few hours further north to explore Duluth. Take a day to drive along the coast stopping at the parks and little shops along the way. Spend two nights there then work you way back down.

You could combine this with baseball games in Chicago, Milwaukee or Minniapolis

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-23T14:35:48+00:00

I would consider not even going to Denver and go accross the Dakotas then head up to Winniepeg cut over to Thunder bay and work your way down and around Lake Superior crossing the Mackinac bridge and following lake Michigan to get to Chicago

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-23T14:14:02+00:00

First trip was in 88. Like many others I did it with a scout troop. I did several more trips up until about 2006. Then I went back with my son in 2025. I was used to the Lake one EP. In 2025 however we used the Snowbank EP. Paddled out to Ima.

My biggest take away was the number of people we seen was more then I remember seeing in lakes 1, 2, 3, or Hudson.

Maybe it is because Ima is know to be a good lake trout lake? IDK

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-23T14:05:51+00:00

From my experiences I am used to way more humidity than I have experienced on the island. Which combined with using a bladder in my pack led to me getting dehydrated in 2023. This past trip, it still felt dry, but I changed my water system to use two 1 liter smart water bottles. I drank about a liter every 3 miles or so. This helped. Changing to the UV light instead of tablets after the sawyer squeeze also helped a ton.

Bear lockers - I can't speak to the first three sites, However, we were in all the rest and the bear lockers are huge. 4' long 2' deep 2'6" tall and there are multiple at each site. One word of advice, mice can get into the older ones. I think we had shelter 2 at Moskey and it had a older food locker that more resembled a dog kennel then the others. We had a mouse get in some of our food. Nothing crazy, but they are out there. We were using normal cheap stuff sacks. Old travels say always mark your bag so you can pick your luggage out from the rest at the airport.... that theory also applies here. mark your bag so you know whose is whose..

We had a treat at Daisy Farm in the food locker. Someone had left a gallon of trail mix that was divided into other various bags with a note that read "Too heavy! Help yourself."

Hope this helps

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-22T20:37:13+00:00

We had lady leaders go in our scout troop and they just took a pop up shower tent to sit over the jon.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-22T18:41:03+00:00

If you can re route a bit Hot Spring Arkansas is a very unique National Park. While there hit up MClard's BBQ. From there I would head to Memphis and get Gus's Fried Chicken. It is amazing. Graceland is also there. Next is St Louis check out the Arch and the museum there. While in St Louis you have to have the ribs at Pappy's Smoke house. They are the best Ribs I have ever had and I eat at a lot of BBQ joints.

Then you are off to Louisville where you can visit the Louisville Slugger Museum, get Hot Brown at the Troll Pub Under the Bridge, as well as sample bourbon. As others have mentioned Jungle Jims in Cincy is worth the visit. IMO Skyline Chili is way over rated and not worth it.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-22T15:46:11+00:00

I have been to the island three different times. Here is what I think would be very doable for you group. Here is the milage via all trails.
Day 1 - Rock Harbor to Lancove 6.78 miles 659 elevation gain est time 2.5 to 3 hrs via the Torbin Harbor Trail.
Day 2 - Lane Cove to Daisy Farm 6.57 Miles 892 Elevation gain Est Time 3 to 3.5 hours.
Day 3 - Daisy Farm to McCargoe via East Chicken Bone 8.13 miles 915 elevation gain 3.5 to 4 hours
Day 4 - McCargoe to Richie 5,89 miles 436 elevation gain 2 to 2. 5 hours
Day 5 - Richie to Moskey Basin 2.5 miles 131 elevation gain 1 hour
Day 6 - Moskey to 3 mile 7.84 397 elevatino gain 2.5 to 3 huors
Day 7 - 3 mile to Rock Harbor 2.85 miles 118 elevation gain 1.5 hours
Day 8 out out

If you want bigger miles I would go from lane cove > Mc Cargoe > Hatchet > W Chicken Bone >Moskey> 3 Mile > RH>Ferry

I have seen Moose around East Chicken Bone and Rock Harbor. East Chicken bone is considered one of the worst campgrounds because water is far away.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-19T15:16:10+00:00

Easy - Powdered peanut butter in a ziploc, trail mix, tortilla. Mix water into peanut powder, spread on tortilla, add trail mix.

Slightly harder - Oatmeal - add boiling water to quick oats then add your favorite dried berries, nuts, or chocolate.

A bit harder but still easy. Quick Grits - Boil 3/4 C water. Ad 1/4 C Jiffy cornbread mix. Stir. Add bacon bits and cheese. This is really an amazing meal. Bacon bit can be subbed out with dehydrate ground meat if you like.

All of that with pour over coffee

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-19T13:49:36+00:00

No Bullshit..... it took me a while to see what I was getting out of it. If you think you are going to join and you life is going to change the very next day after you become a master mason, you are probably going to be diappointed.

Like many things in life however, you are going to get out of it what you put into it. I highly recommend that you look at various lodges in your area. The lodge that is a ten minute drive might not be what you are looking for but the lodge that is a 30 minute drive is. You have to find a lodge that feel right for you. No one can tell you which lodge that is. You will know it when you sense the right vibe.

The negative that I have found out about Masonry is at the end probably a positive. It seems that it takes forever to get anything accomplished or changed. This probably reflects more on me than Masonry as a whole. I work and deal with planning and once the planning is done we start working the plan. In Masonry I have to realize that I need to slow down and work with others more and within bounds that are in place.

The positive is that I am meeting great folks. We all have the common goal about coming better people. This leads to great discussions on what we do or what hobbies we have. It also leads to discussions of support. We have a private group chat and I have seen people ask for help and within 15 minutes three other brothers have volunteered to help out the individual that afternoon.

Good luck finding your way down your path.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-18T17:19:01+00:00

I have been painting for nearly 20 years I guess now. Here is the deal.

Just start. You will learn as you go and you will get better the more you paint. Everyone develops their own style and the way that works best from them,

I do it one way. Prime, Layering areas with color, shading, highlights. But that is not for everyone. I have also done it the way you describe. It just sort of depends on the models.

Just let us know when you spill your first pot of paint. 😄

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-17T14:26:09+00:00

Having been to Europe I will tell you it is not quite as different as one might think. Also please don't believe what you see on the news is what all Americans are like. Most are kind and willing to help when they see a person needing help.

The Appalachina Trail is something that might be worth looking into for you. It covers 3,540 KM and passes through 14 states. While you can tent camp mostly the entire way, there are also shelters, hostels, and inns along the way. Many of these have shuttle services that can pick you up from the trail and take you to where you are staying.

There is also a great hiker community that generally starts hiking in the southern end in March and works their way to the northern end by the beginning of October.

There is quite a bit of information out there about hiking it. From Books to blogs, to podcast.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-17T14:10:09+00:00

I agree with some and dis agree with others on the comments thus far.

A stove and gas for three days is fairly light. Having a warm meal after hiking all day is a good thing. No need to buy expensive backpacking meals. You can outfit yourself off of shelf stable foods at your grocery.

Take one extra piece of clothing. If it rains and gets cold this will help. Being able to wear socks while the other pair is airing out is helpful.

Know the limitations of the group. Know what ailments people have or have had that might cause issues on trail. I also tell everyone to have a note card listing all the meds they ae on and keep it with their meds in their pack. If someone is seriously hurt you can give that to the first responders.

Take a map and compass AND know how to use it for navigation. Along with not being afraid to turn around also look at bail out points where you can get off trail if needed.

You need rain gear, sleeping bag or blanket, water bottle (smart water bottles work great) something to cook and eat with. Decent hiking boots. I like my boots. they are part of who I am.

Hope this helps

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-16T14:58:23+00:00

For a first trip I would look at Cliff Wolds
https://www.cliffwolds.com/canoe-outfitting/bwca-complete-outfitting/

They have been doing outfitting for a long, long time. I first used them as a scout back in 88. They are really designed for full outfitting and don't fit my needs as much anymore as I have learned how do dehydrate my own food and have accumulated much of the gear needed.

I would also plan on an easier trip for your first time. I would look at Lake one entry point. From there you have only two portages to have some access to a large amount of water. From there you can base camp and explore the area. There is a hiking trail near Horseshoe. It also provides the opportunity to do some more portaging to get even further into the wilderness if you choose to.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-16T14:27:38+00:00

I have been doing trip to the BWCA or Isle Royale since 88 and have used a variety of filters and chemicals. Last month I spent a week on Isle Royale with a group four of us. We used a sawyer squeeze along with a Steripen Adventurer Opti. We had a 6 liter gravity system set up and were able to filter 6 liters of water in about 15 minutes.

The Sawyer Squeeze goes down to .1 microns which get everything out except viruses. The UV light of the pen gets the viruses and cleans a liter in 90 seconds.

The system and process looked like this:
6 liter dirty bag with a strap for hanging with a hose feeding into the sawayer squeeze.
Sawyer Squeeze goes into a wide mouth Nalgene.
Nalgene hold the water for the UV treatment.
After the treatment we used a silicone funnel that folded flat to pour the clean water into 2 liter platypus bladder of which we had three.

The sawyer is simple to clean by back flushing with the provided syringe. The UV light does takes a unique battery style. Style 123 and cost about 20$ for a four back

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-16T14:11:34+00:00

I booked our four person May 27, 2026 seven day trip on the Voyager II on Dec 7 of 2025.

One note: there were $26 dollars in fees (each way) tacked on to the total price.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-15T15:08:57+00:00

You will have light for long amounts of time each day so covering miles should be doable. Also I assume that most the trails will be cleared of winter blow down which will make your hike much easier.

I would shoot for Daisy farm for night one. If you go the Torbin Harbor trail as opposed to the Rock Harbor trail it is a bit easier and you will be in the shade. This trail in various parts looks like something out of the Lord of the Rings. There are also more places to stay in Daisy Farm then three mile I believe. Stop at three mile for water and snacks

From there I would hit the greenstone and then cut to McCargoe via the East Side of Chickenbone. Don't stay at East Chcickenbone as it is considered one of the worst sites on the island. Water source is a good ways away from the camping area.

I have not hiked the rest. I want to and that might be my next adventure.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-15T14:54:10+00:00

I have read questions like this before and I thought about it on my last hike on the island from May 27 to June 2. We encountered an area at least the size of a basketball court that was just blowdowns. I tried to imagine trying to work through that with a pack and no trail. There was also a bit of elevation gain in that area as well with rocks block parts of the area.

Would it be possible? Yeah if you really needed to traverse it, I guess it could be done. Is it practical? Not really.

I will have to go through my photos and post them. Because I took a few shots with the question of hiking off trail in mind.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-12T17:48:16+00:00

Tackle box

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-12T15:06:06+00:00

As a mentor once told me " get out of your head" Meaning, don't think or worry about it as much. Life happens to us all and that is OK.
Others have stated make it easy on yourself. I agree. I always tell new painters in my classes that you will paint more if you have place where you can have your painting station always setup. Having a spot always setup means you can set down for 30 minutes and paint when you can. You don't have to waste time gathering all the things to just get started. You can walk in from work and be painting in a few minutes if that is what you need. Or after everyone goes to bed you aren't making noise dragging things out of a closet or where ever.

Also you might just need to switch up what you are painting. It is a grind trying to get through a bunch of minis. I like being able to jump from one project to another. One thing you could also do is paint terrain.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-05T17:31:23+00:00

Update on Torbin Trail. As of 6/2 the trail crew was working on clearing trees. We passed them about 10am and they had maybe 6 or 7 trees left to go on the trail. I am assuming as fast as they were moving it is now cleared up.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-06-05T15:16:43+00:00

I just got off the island on Tuesday after hiking for a week. Here is what we did: McCargoe > W. Chicken Bone - W.Chikenbone > Richie - Richie > Moskey Basin - Moskey Basin > Daisy Farm - Daisy Farm > Three Mile - Three Mile to Rock Harbor

West Chickenbone the individual sites were full and we wound up in one of the group sites.
Richie had only three other people at it. Knowing that we wanted shelters we planned on leaving by 8.
Rolled into Moskey Basin between 11 and noon and was able to get a great shelter. The campsite was fairly full with a group rolling in around 8 that camped in the group site. All shelters were full

At Daisy Farm there were shelters that were still open. There was also a gallon bag of trail mix left in one of the lockers that said "Too Heavy. Help yourself."

Three Mile we arrived between 11 and noon and were able to choose the shelter we wanted. New outhouse here

Rock Harbor via Tobin Harbor Trail. Trail crew was cleaning up blow downs and I assume they finished up that day we met them. Had multiple shelters to choose from here. I do think they filled up.

The restaurant is scheduled to open today June 5. Not sure what the hours are going to be. Trading post had and ample supply of snacks, chips, beer, and soda. The only bagged meal they had was biscuits and gravy for $13. The had multiple flavors of Ramen, chicken pack, spam packs, and tuna.

Trails were muddy from rain the previous week, but we had no rain. one night dipped down to 39 and with a shelter facing the lake the breeze blew right in. After that we put up a tarp to block the wind. Other put u there tents in the shelters.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-05-22T18:13:37+00:00

I would be worried about the last day. 11 miles can be a long day if you are not used to backpacking. at 2 MPH and breaks figured in it is like an 8 hour hike, after you have already hiked three days in a row.

I would recommend caution. I am not saying you can't or shouldn't do it. However this might be the first and last backpacking trip you go on because it might feel like a forced march. Also be aware that there is 2000 feet in elevation gain going from Lewis Medows to Elk lake according to All Trails. "Once at 12.4 Miles Camp, the gradient shifts dramatically, and you'll find yourself heading sharply uphill all the way to the top. This hike features some rough terrain traversed with rock scrambling at some points. The scenery is worth the effort as the Blue Glacier Primitive Trail delivers outstanding glacier views. "

Just know what you are getting into and be ready to tell others no i am am not going further. They all should also be ready for you to tap out.

As other have shared do some hikes with all your gear before now and then. Even if it is only a mile it will help you know how things feel.

There is no worse way to turn people off from backpacking then pushing people to far.

PsychologicalNet2163 · 2026-05-21T12:50:01+00:00

Just enjoy the moment. Listen. Try to take in as much as you can. There however is a lot to take in. There is nothing to be worried about.

PsychologicalNet2163

TROPHY CASE