I've gone a week in Quetico with a group and a week solo in other remote areas backpacking. I'm considering going for a longer length of time, say two weeks, when I retire in a few years. For those who have done that, did you find at some point you were "done" and didn't get any more benefit? Would you have rather taken two one-week trips instead?

This is 100% a personal question, no one is going to understand you and what you enjoy doing, people can go out there for a year and be content seeing nobody, while others can’t go 24 hours, how would anyone know except you.

That is going to vary person to person. For me, the first week is just getting into the trip. After three weeks the lakes are my new home.

Like Marten… the longer your out there and such the thought of going home even crosses your mind is rare. But like mentioned, many people can’t go more then a few days if that. Solo travel took a lot of the worry away about someone wanting to end trips early. Longer trips take more planning and prepping… but for me the most rewarding…

It usually takes me a week to hit my groove. When I get to day 14 or 15, I always want to stay longer. I’ve been soloing for almost 30 years and on several occasions I’ve gotten a case of the “lonelies .” I’ve always pushed through it and never regretted staying longer.

I'vegone for 2-2 1/2 weeks without any problem. It usually takes a while to get into the groove and the head to clear and really relax and tune in. But people are different. Remember it's a solo - your trip and yours alone - and you can exit any time you feel like it.

The longer the better, especially on solo trips.

Took out Thursday from my most recent stint of four weeks, eight weeks was first trip of the year. Within an hour, I was yearning to be back in the woods. I will say that after a week or two, it kind of turns a corner & becomes more natural. Everything has its place, body comes into tune with the daylight pattern, even the wildlife seems to ‘recognize you as one of their own’ after a while. Difference strokes for different folks, though I’d echo the comments here that it is tough to have a trip that is too lengthy.

The longer the better in my opinion. I really get in a groove after 7 days. Where you stop thinking about your regular day to day stuff and are really tuned in to your surroundings and are just focused on your gear, location, fishing, weather,and your food. It allows me the time to really live it. On short trips (7days or less, and i rarely include put in and take out days) my mind never really gets a chance to forget the normal, million facets to modern day life.

I haven't been able to take 2+week trip in a few years now and I really miss them in my soul. A 10 dayer coming up soon and I am sooo ready.

My first solo (2 weeks) starts on Thursday. I'll let you know what I think.

Thanks for all the input, everybody. I know it's an individual thing, but it was good to hear your perspectives.

I’ve done two 14 day trips and really liked them. My son did those with me and also a16 day with another 18 year old buddy. Seems like they wore on each other a little bit. Luckily they did go in separate tents. I’d say 14 days is a great place to start. Kind of a milestone. You might need to do things you don’t normally do on trip like wash clothes and stuff. Shorter trips you can get away with less hygiene longer it becomes more something needing to be managed so you stay healthy.

I ran into a family with dogs and two young kids in Wabakimi and they said they were out for 6 weeks! That took my ego down several notches!

I’ll hit 21 days at some point if I can get away with it at work. Probably a farther north whitewater river trip.

Ryan

Gaidin53: "I’ve done two 14 day trips and really liked them. My son did those with me and also a 16 day with another 18 year old buddy. Seems like they wore on each other a little bit. Luckily they did go in separate tents. I’d say 14 days is a great place to start. Kind of a milestone. You might need to do things you don’t normally do on trip like wash clothes and stuff. Shorter trips you can get away with less hygiene longer it becomes more something needing to be managed so you stay healthy.

I ran into a family with dogs and two young kids in Wabakimi and they said they were out for 6 weeks! That took my ego down several notches!

I’ll hit 21 days at some point if I can get away with it at work. Probably a farther north whitewater river trip.

Ryan"

You hit a lot of good points.
1) Group dynamics become increasingly important with longer trips. It is easier to gloss over ‘annoyances’ for a few days than it is over a longer period of time & it is important to be able to step away from each other to decompress in solitude. Communication is key.

2) Hygiene. I’ve found four weeks is about the longest I’d care to go ‘unwashed’. During the shoulder seasons one tends to get less grimy due to less heat though it kind of balances out in the hot mid-season as it is easy/comfortable to rinse in the lake (without soap) to get off the layer of filth from a hot day (I found myself going for a morning dip for the refreshing start to the day & a second dip at about 5PM once the heat of the day has passed though enough heat & sun remains to dry off without being chilly). Be sure when doing laundry to have a day or few of clear weather so stuff can dry (made that mistake last spring & had wet clothes for a week) or wash only the dirtiest garments & keep some of the cleaner clothes to wear while the other set dries. Get creative with how stuff is worn if the selection gets low though always be sure to have enough dry clothes to suit the weather or one might find themselves hiding from the cold in a sleeping bag. I’ve found it convenient to have a simple large plastic bowl + collapsible water container (free standing). The bowl is useful for many things & completing laundry is one of them. I use a bar of Castile soap & scrub clothes in soapy water in the bowl & transfer it to soak in non-soapy water in the collapsible container, ringing (squeezing) the clothes between, then I change out the water in the collapsible for a second rinse before going on the clothesline. A black water container with ‘shower nozzle’ can be a nice treat after weeks without a shower, though it will have mosquitoes charging for the experience if done in the woods during bug season. A washcloth & the plastic bowl are a good compromise to get clean without as much hassle & less likely to get devoured (with a lean+ this can even be done in the tent, with some care). Clothes can also be washed ‘set it & forget it’ style using heavy duty black trash bags. Load the bag with clothes, water, & soap, then set it in the sun to heat the water. Occasionally squish the bag around to move the water, then ring & rinse once done. It helps to put some material beneath the bag to keep it from getting punctured. I usually just go with the two water containers though the bag method works well too & is less time + labor intensive to free you up to do other things.

That is a very impressive trip, six weeks with children & dogs. I bet that was an amazing experience though I’m guessing it was also a bit ‘stressful’ on the parents at times haha. In the end, I’m sure it was worthwhile & it will be a trip those folks will never forget.

Longer trips require pretty much the same gear as shorter trips, and more food and fuel. The others are spot on to mention hygiene for yourself and for your clothing. I usually use a bearcan for a week’s food, and if you remove the food a bearcan makes a very good washtub for clothing and also for bathing.

I used to work as a manufacturing engineer, and for a while I regularly went to international factories for weeks at a time. I learned that it took about a week to achieve the mindset of “this is just where I work for now” rather than being a visitor in the factory in Poland, China, wherever. Similarly it takes about a week to get in the groove of a wilderness trip. Then, the last four days or so, I tend to lose the groove as I mentally prepare for the end of the trip. It’s the time in between that I can just continually live the life of whatever I’m doing (wilderness travel or international worksite)….that just becomes the lifestyle every day. Doesn’t seem to matter if that middle part is three days or three months. It was a really distinct and predictable mindset shift. My longest solo wilderness trip to date is 3 weeks. The limit for me seems to be the food supply and a bit of loneliness. If you find yourself listening to your weather radio just to hear a voice, it might be time to start heading back!