Things that you have forgotten on former trips:

1.Enough TP

2.Gas for the stove on a fire ban in Quetico

3. Back-up fishing line.

I'm pretty careful and go through my list multiple times before heading North, so I haven't forgotten anything important yet. My uncle, on the other hand, bought a brand new light-weight tent for our trip in '99. When he took it out of the bag and began to set it up for the first time on Shell Lake, it quickly became apparent that there was no tent in the bag - it was more of a freestanding rainfly. He was lucky that it stayed dry all week, but I'll never forget the look on his face as he came out of the 'tent' one 26 degree morning shivering and twitching and announced to the rest of the group, "I believe I'll bring a sleeping bag next time!"

Two lessons learned here:

1) Check out all of your equipment at home before the trip!

2) A wool army blanket is not sufficient to keep one warm when it's below freezing...and the wind is blowing right under your 'tent'.

There were other lessons from that trip - and that uncle - but I'll save them for another day.

Originally Posted by: jperry17

So what is the proper amount for 3 people for 5 days?

Depends who you are with. I always bring two rolls. I hardly ever go through one, but the second is a backup in case the first roll gets wet.

Thanks Gavia!
Your scientific approach to the problem seems to be logical......however you have left one variable out of the equation, we had a green-horn in our group last time, who used an unbelievable amount of TP.....we believe he absconded with at least one roll if not more, so at the end of the trip we were out!!! You may think we could just ask before hand, but NO! who would want to admit to an abnormal use of TP.....so now we have group TP and then each person has their own "Emergency Roll". I know this seems extreme, there must be a 12 step program for people with an addiction to TP use, but we haven't found one yet! :-)

You two are hilarious. 

The "scientific" approach wouldn't work for me, either. I can't measure how much TP I use since most of the time I am at work, and two other people are also using the TP at home. I know I don't use much, but exactly how much do I use? No idea... So I make sure I pack three times as much as I think I need. On the one trip we ran out, three times as much wasn't enough - having no group TP would have fixed that.

Since this thread has been completely hijacked by toilet issues, I'll dump it all the way down the latrine.

Definitely, always keep your TP dry.  Here's how I do it, in case anyone would like to know - or if anyone needs a good chuckle.

Once the TP goes into the Ziploc bag, it doesn't come out until used - literally.  The only TP that gets exposed is the square (or series of squares) that's on its (or their) way out.  This method requires a round roll.  But, as some of you may have noticed, rolls don't stay round when they're packed; they get squashed flat, and as anyone knows, flat TP doesn't roll.  But my rolls do.  How?  Sit down and swallow any liquid that might be in your mouth.  Ready?  I re-roll the TP around dowels.

That task used to be very, very tedious.  A few years ago I invented a TP winder that makes it downright easy.  Check it out here: http://codabone.net/camping/tpwinder.htm

You've been warned.  If you spew coffee or anything else all over your screen or keyboard, it isn't my fault.

Edited by user Saturday, April 11, 2015 5:53:52 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Nice of you to notice, Ben.  But it was really only in the sense that "curiosity sparked innovation."

Now that's a great idea.  Please share your experience.  I predict the roll will get away from you and the sides will taper out instead of aligning.  But if you do it loosely, you'll be able to straighten it out, and then tighten it by hand.

I was sure my wacko invention would prompt catcalls of "Gyro Gearloose!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_Gearloose

A couple of years ago I went down to a local river got my canoe off the car and carried everything down to the water. Got the canoe all loaded and realized my paddle was still at home. Packed up and went home.

Originally Posted by: MagicPaddler

A couple of years ago I went down to a local river got my canoe off the car and carried everything down to the water. Got the canoe all loaded and realized my paddle was still at home. Packed up and went home.

Wow

Chris, that is a magnificent story.

The first canoe trip I ever took my wife (new girlfriend at the time) on, the tent was loose in the canoe. Yup, paddled five hours past the portage it was left at before realizing it wasn't with us anymore.