Looks like people are too stupid to camp and ruin things, so now everyone must watch videos before going to the BWCA.
On one hand it makes sense because some people are totally oblivious, but on the other this just smacks of more dumbing down of society.
How has this changed? Watching a video has always been the norm every time I have picked up my permit. Are they just increasing the number of videos and the amount of information?
I am truly sorry that you feel so inconvenienced by this.
I don’t see anything wrong with it.
A video format “might” stick in people’s brains better than a printed format, it just depends on how people are wired.
Yes in the recent past they always required a short video and quiz at the ranger station prior to receiving a permit. Last year they didn’t require anything except for an online permit and found out the result of letting noobs in without any training. I’m all for whatever it takes to protect the BW!
I really don’t see how a video or any training is going to change peoples actions. Dumbshits are going to be Dumbshits and respectful people are going to be respectful people. No Video or training is going to change that. But like stated this may be what we have come to in this country. In the 80’s and 90’s I spent 100’s if not 1000’s of hours in the BWCA. I’m not sure with all that is required these days if I’d bother going there again ever again, even though I loved going there for many years.
Every year we see people who can’t launch a boat. Don’t know they can turn their headlights on & off with a switch. Don’t know it’s not polite to answer a phone and talk at the table in a restaurant.
Why should we assume these people know the proper way to behave in the Boundary Waters if they have never been told / trained / informed the proper way?
Education is never a bad thing.
I’m all for it. Should be this way. Won’t change the lazy ones but we still have to try
If you can’t find the time and take 30 minutes to watch a couple videos before heading into the BWCA you won’t find the time to leave no trace and leave it better than you found it.
This is not new. Last year was the anomaly; with covid last year, there was nowhere you could physically pick up your permit, so they let you just print it off from your computer and you were good to go. Every other year, the group leader or alternate leader (whoever is picking up the permit) has to watch the video and take the test before they’re allowed to get their hands on their permit. It’d probably be a good idea if everyone (not just the trip leader) had to watch the video and pass the test. It certainly wouldn’t hurt anything.
I also get the impression the 2020 season was particularly worse than years past. Perhaps a number of people who normally would not enter the BWCA made trips due to Covid. The Sag/Seagull area tends to get more abuse than other areas perhaps due to the the lack of portaging. I remember bypassing a prime campsite in the area due to the state left by the previous campers and that was 20+ years ago. If I recall they were requiring bear proof food canisters for those entry points last season. I’m not sure if that was due to lack of trees caused by the Derecho a number of years back or if it was a simple case of nuisance bears and novice campers. From my personal experience and progression, remote camping food training is not a bad thing. It’s also not new. I recall BWCA camping training dating back to the 1980s when I was in high school.
I’m sure the people who have been going up there for years and following the rules feel this is an inconvenience.
However, maybe it will teach a few of these rookies a lesson. Maybe not. If just a few of them watch this and learn to obey then it will have been worth it.
Obviously the biggest item affecting this is the pandemic. I believe that a lot of people went into the BWCA because another portion of their lives weren’t available. Once things go back to normal, I think they will too, thus reducing the number of people going in there. The people that will continue to go there are the people that have been going there in the past, who probably aren’t the problem.
I’m sure the people who have been going up there for years and following the rules feel this is an inconvenience.
Actually, in my experience the people with years of experience in the BWCA are the ones who are familiar with “Leave No Trace” principles and desire to see an increase in this education for every visitor. We understand that though this may be second nature to seasoned wilderness veterans, it’s necessary to introduce these guiding principles to new or less frequent visitors.
LNT education — whether via video or in-person with a USFS ranger, has been part of the BWCA permitting process for a while now, or at least it’s supposed to have been. Whether your outfitter in the past required you to watch the video probably depends on where and when you got your permit and who was working that day. Cooperation on this detail seems to be sporadic at best, unfortunately.
Actually, in my experience the people with years of experience in the BWCA are the ones who are familiar with “Leave No Trace” principles and desire to see an increase in this education for every visitor.
That’s fair, and I’m sure you’re right. I think we can both agree that the “leave no trace” problems were not from people who go there regularly though. They came from rookies.
I think we can both agree that the “leave no trace” problems were not from people who go there regularly though. They came from rookies.
No, the problems stem from the folks that just don’t care or give a rats a$$. Rookies or seasoned veterans, those that do not care, can be found in both groups.
No, the problems stem from the folks that just don’t care or give a rats a$$. Rookies or seasoned veterans, those that do not care, can be found in both groups.
Then how come this problem seems to be amplified this year more than before?
I do agree that lazy or careless people exist all over in the outdoors but clearly there’s been more of it lately.
Then how come this problem seems to be amplified this year more than before?
Usage was up, folks had more time to go. If I normally would be able to schedule in 2 trips, this year my work schedule might of allowed 4 trips. Anytime usage goes up, so does the number of issues. No different than any other activity.
I am truly sorry that you feel so inconvenienced by this.
Thank you for your concern. It almost seems genuine. 
What I am inconvenienced by is other people’s laziness and carelessness.
I did make a trip last summer to the Lac La Croix area and by and large everything was clean. I did pluck some garbage off a site on Lac La Croix (FYI… aluminum beer cans will not burn in a camp fire). This site had been heavily used for many decades as was evident due to the cache of rusted cans. I took a few of those too to make the pile a little smaller. We also carted off some glass we found at the last campsite on our way out. There was one outboard in the no motor zone on LLC but all-in-all things looked good despite some of the stories on the Gunflint side.
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