A pair of Clam Quick Set Shelters and go up in minutes.  Photo: Scott Mackenthun

By Scott Mackenthun - Special to the St. Cloud Times - June 22, 2021

A trip to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has come and gone, offering an annual opportunity to try new gear that adds to the wilderness experience. The gear you bring in has to keep you alive and comfortable, so the trip is an excuse to try new things out and find something valuable for future trips. This year was no exception and our group tested out a few different items.

Much of finding new things to try is internet browsing or word of mouth. I found Ova Easy Egg Crystals via the latter. A fishing guide on Lake of the Woods had been using the powdered eggs for some time and enjoys making breakfasts out on the water, without having to keep eggs in refrigeration. I’ve hauled egg carriers into campsites, loaded liquid scrambled eggs into squirt bottles, and tried powdered eggs whites. In the BWCA, you have to go low weight and you don’t have refrigeration. The egg whites were an epic failure several years ago, but the egg crystals did the trick. They are perfect with some hot sauce packets and cheese or added to a breakfast burrito. I didn’t care for them all alone, but as part of a dish, these are a great egg substitute. This Iowa company is dishing up a winner.

I pack a lazy hammock for each BWCA trip, but I should probably stop as I rarely have the time to indulge. Along the same lines, I packed an Alphabeing Inflatable Lounger. The lounger is basically a giant two-sided air sack with a roll-top enclosure. I did see one member of our camping party take an afternoon nap on it, so it must work well enough. It’s not too expensive nor big, so if you want a comfortable way to sprawl out at a campsite, this might be your ticket.

You know you have become overly specialized in angling when your typical clasp or needle-rope stringer isn’t good enough any longer. After tiring of tying and untying a stringer or losing fish from plastic clasps that slide undone, I ordered a Yakline Stringer. The stringer utilizes a large carabineer that holds several individual heavy duty lengths of tubing and string to single clasps. You can string up individual fish, a nice touch for canoe and kayak anglers and especially for those who fish tournaments and want to track their fish for weight.

To see the original column and more Scott Mackenthun outdoors reports, follow this link to the St. Cloud Times. https://www.sctimes.com/story/sports/2021/06/22/mackenthun-camping-gear-boundary-waters-canoe-area-w...