FAQ
What food and equipment does Northern Tier provide to each participant?
Northern Tier provides all trail and base meals, aluminum canoes, packs, tents, cooking gear, and communication equipment. We also provide trained staff (i.e., interpreter) to assist your crew in having a great Scouting experience with a fun trip appropriate to the experience and abilities of your crew. The interpreter will enhance your Scouting skills along the way and deliver a memorable experience.
What is the cost per person?
Summer
Approximately $59 dollars a day per person for a six- to eight-day trip and $54 a day for a nine- to 10-day trek. Optional additional charges may include park permits and floatplane and Kevlar canoe options. For more detail, see our budget worksheet for the appropriate canoe base. Also, our Atikokan base offers special kayaking trips at $466 per person per trip and fishing trips at $524 per person per trip.
Winter–Okpik
We have many exciting programs to experience winter adventure at its best. Our five-day Holiday Stay (Dec. 27–Jan. 1) is $52 a day per person. We also offer Okpik Weekends (skiing/snowshoeing treks/Cabin Stays) for $62 a day per person, or Webelos Okpik Weekend for $62 a day for both Webelos Scout and partner. Special programs include Musher camp (minimum of three days) for $108 per person per day, dogsled treks (minimum of three days) for $129 per person per day, and cold-weather training (Jan. 3–8th) for $258 per person.
What are the height and weight requirements to participate in this high-adventure base? What health form should I use?
Each participant in a Northern Tier expedition should not exceed the maximum acceptable weight for height in the table shown on the Annual Health and Medical Record form. Those who fall within the recommended weight limits are much more likely to have an enjoyable trek and avoid incurring injuries and health risks. Extra weight puts strain on the back, joints, and feet. The portage trails can be very muddy, slippery, and rocky, and present a potential for tripping and falling. We also strongly recommend that no participant be less than 100 pounds in weight. Extremely small participants will have a very difficult time carrying canoes and heavy packs. Canoes' loads are another important reason to limit participant weight. Northern Tier assigns three people to a canoe. The total participant load per canoe must not exceed 600 pounds, or an average of 200 pounds per participant. Northern Tier does not permit individuals exceeding 295 pounds to participate in high-adventure programs.
What time do we need to arrive? What time do we leave on our departure date?
Summer
- On the scheduled day of arrival, crews should arrive between 1 PM and 3 PM.
- On the scheduled day of departure, crews usually depart at 9 AM.
Winter–Okpik
- On the scheduled day of arrival, crews should arrive between 4 PM and 7 PM.
- On the scheduled day of departure, crews usually depart at 1 PM.
What are the age the requirements?
Click here for more details.
Do I need to pick an entry point? How do I know which one to pick? When do I need to plan a trek?
- An entry point is simply the place you enter the park, and once you have arrived at your entry point, you are free to go anywhere you wish in the park. The purpose of entry points is to spread out visitors to lessen the impact on the wilderness.
- Depending on which of the three Northern Tier bases you are visiting, each crew determines which park they would like to attend. From Ely the options are Quetico (Canada) or BWCAW (US). From Atikokan the options are Quetico Provincial Park (Canada) or Ontario's Crown Land (Canada). Bissett does not require entry points.
- Crews use the Expedition Route Planning Guide to help determine at which entry point you would like to begin your adventure.
When it says "one" on the availability chart is that "one person" or "one group"? What does it mean when the availability chart says "call"?
The availability chart is done for the number of crews we can accept on that day. When it says "call," it means to please call Northern Tier so our staff can customize your trek and permits to meet the needs for your selected adventure.
What is the payment schedule?
Summer
- A deposit of $300 per crew is due within three weeks of making a phone reservation.
- The first payment of $1,000 per crew is due October 1. (Note: If you register a crew after October 1, then the $1,300 is due within three weeks after the phone reservation.)
- The final payment is due
- March 1 for June crews
- April 1 for July crews
- May 1 for August crews
Winter
- A deposit of $300 per crew is due within three weeks of making a phone reservation. (Note: The Cold Weather Training deposit is $50 per person.)
- The first payment is due August 31 in the amount of:
- Two- or three-day trips – $200 per crew
- Holiday Stay, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Day, Dogsled Trek, Musher Camp – $500 per crew
- Cold Weather Training – $100 per person
- Final payment is due – 45 days prior to the crew arriving on base.
How do I get to the base from the airport? Do you provide transportation? Where can I stay while traveling? What airports can I fly into?
- Many crews travel by car or van to the canoe bases. There is plenty of parking at each base to leave your vehicles.
- Crews going to Ely or Atikokan may fly into either the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport or the Duluth airport. If going to Bissett, crews fly into Winnipeg, Canada.
- Transportation to the base is up to each crew. Northern Tier does not provide a shuttle service but can recommend appropriate travel services. See our Expedition Planning Guide for travel services.
- There are many places to stay and sights to see along the routes to the bases. Many crews take advantage of the museums and exhibits in Ely or the special experiences available to a Canadian adventure.
- For crews flying into the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, please consider program opportunities that Northern Tier recommends at the Northern Star Council Base Camp.
How far in an average day can I travel?
Summer
- Crews travel an average of 10 miles per day. But some crews take advantage of a layover day(s) along the way to truly absorb the North Woods wilderness.
Winter
- Depending on the Okpik adventure you select, you will travel at least one to two miles out on a day trip, and for crews selecting a more rigorous Okpik experience, you might travel three to five miles a day, voyaging from one remote campsite to another remote campsite.
What is the minimum and maximum number of people in a crew?
Summer
- The minimum number of people in a crew is six and at least two adults.
- The maximum number of people in a crew is
- Ely: eight people (plus one interpreter for a total of nine)
- Atikokan:
- If going to Quetico Parks, eight people (plus one interpreter for a total of nine)
- If going to the crown lands, 11 people (plus one interpreter for a total of 12)
- Bissett: 11 people (plus one interpreter for a total of 12)
Winter
- The maximum number of people in a crew is:
- If going into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, eight people (plus one interpreter for a total of nine)
- If staying in the Superior National Forest, 12 people in a crew (plus one interpreter for a total of 13)
- Dogsled Trek, seven people
- Musher Camp, eight people
What do I need to bring, what should we pack in, and where can we store our items we leave behind?
Summer
- Each person needs to bring a couple sets of clothing, a pair of hiking boots that cover the ankle, a mess kit, and a summer sleeping bag. For a complete packing list, please click here. Refer to our Trading Post to purchase our recommended boots.
- While on the trek, items left at the base may be stored in personal vehicles or a small locker (one per crew). We recommend a soft-sided duffel bag to bring your personal gear to and from the base.
Winter
- Each person needs to bring two winter hats, two pairs of long underwear, two pairs of socks, and a summer sleeping bag. The rest of your gear will be provided by Northern Tier at no additional charge. For a complete packing list, please click here. Visit our Trading Post to purchase items.
- Extra items can be stored in your cabin or car.
My son/daughter wants to attend but not his/her unit. How can he/she do this?
There are four programs offered for individuals to attend at Northern Tier:
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Lone Voyageur Program:
13- to 18-year-old Scouts and Venturers to attend (parents can attend as well with their Scout) on a six-day canoe trip for $412 per person.
-
Forest Corps: 14-day trip for 16- to 21-year-old Scouts and Venturers for $464 per person. The first seven days are spent doing service work for the Forest Service and the last seven days are a canoe trip.
-
Order of the Arrow:
If you are between the ages of 16 and 21 and a member of the Order of the Arrow, you can partake in a 14-day trek.
What length of canoe trip should the crew choose? How long are we on the water?
We recommend a 10-day trip to fully experience this wilderness adventure. Our past experience follows:
- The average length of trip for a crew is seven days.
- The length of trek chosen (six to ten days) means you are at Northern Tier for a total of six to 10 nights. Please note Bissett trips are seven to 10 days in length.
- On seven-day 7 day trip, you will spend five nights and six days on the water.
- There is no need to plan your trek until the crew has arrived on base. It is advisable to consider your desired activities such as fishing, 50-miler or more, leisurely travel, etc. Your interpreter will help you plan a specific route based on experience and personal desires of your crew.
When do we need to plan our trail itinerary?
It is advisable to consider your desired activities such as fishing, 50-miler or more, leisurely travel, etc. Your interpreter will help you plan a specific route based on experience and personal desires of your crew.
If you are in the wilderness, how you do call the base camp?
Northern Tier uses emergency radios for the BWCAW and satellite phones for Bissett and Atikokan that are manned at base 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What is the fishing like?
Unbelievable. With so little fishing pressure, the bite is almost always on. Every cast could be your next monster walleye, northern pike, or smallmouth. And your Northern Tier interpreter will show you all the hotspots along the way. Oh, and be sure to bring plenty of fishing leaders – those northern pike and walleye get a little toothy.
Do Scouts really learn to feed and handle sled dogs?
Yes, our Musher Camp and Dogsled Trek is a full-immersion program.
What special things do the Canadian bases have to offer?
The biggest difference the Canadian bases offer is a more remote wilderness the farther you go north. It is incredibly likely you will only see a few other crews while you are at Atikokan. At Bissett, you more than likely will not see anyone after you leave the canoe cache.
Do I have to fly to the bases?
No, however, in Bissett, Manitoba, you must take a floatplane to our canoe cache, which is an additional cost.
What is the floatplane option? What does it cost?
$180 CAD funds in Atikokan, Ontario
$200 CAD funds in Bissett, Manitoba
Do we need boots?
YES! Northern Tier requires all participants to wear boots for summer and autumn canoeing trips. Portage trails are notoriously treacherous – muddy, rocky, and wet – so all boots should provide ankle support. Also, because of the nature of canoe traveling, all boots will get wet every day. For this reason, we recommend jungle boots, which have built in instep drainage.