Fair enough. Camped at Pancake Bay PP but don't have much of a review. A buddy doubled me from there to the Soo and back for some stitches .....
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5 Day Ontario Trip Itinerary - Help needed
- Thread starter kurtrules
- Start date
I didn't camp at Pancake Bay but stopped there for a quick break. It looked like a really nice spot with great views of the water. Some of it was a little close to the Trans Canada, but I would stay there for a night to see what its like. The sunrise over the water in the morning would be stunning there.
kurtrules
Well-known member
The thing is, I've never been on a boat and a bike at the same time. So this 2 hour ride is something I am looking forward to. Having said that, thank you for the invaluable tips.
Noted.
Noted.
Are these good? I'm thinking about getting one.Bring a Thermacell!
They are absolute life savers and work amazing. Buy the simple ones that run on a butane cartridge and take the pads, not the newer electric ones with the liquid - nothing to spill, easy to transport on a bike, no batteries, easy to light. They take 10-20 minutes after lighting to take effect, and only have a 10-15' radius of effectiveness, but they are magical.
When you need more pads you can sometimes find the bulk packs for decent price (I just bought 2 of the 48 hour kits for $29 each from Marks Work Wearhouse online) or if you can find a deal on the pads separately, you can buy the cylinders for a Conair butane hair styler for 2 for $11 on Amazon. They're the exact same as the Thermacell cylinders but cheaper LOL.
Some have even rigged up the thermacell cylinders to be refillable.
Personally, for the magic they work, I just buy the 48 hour kits and am happy. I find the pads last longer than the 4 hours advertised, closer to 5-6 before the bugs start to come back around. Each butane cylinder lasts around 12 hours.
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jdmsteR
Well-known member
Hey as @PrivatePilot mentioned already, yes they definitely do work! Not the most effective if there's any sort of breeze however
I have a regular version which seems to do the trick, and you can typically find it on sale for less than $20. Finding deals on the refill pads and cartridges is less common
For group camping trips, my friend will bring along this version which runs on an isobutane canister and has a quicker noticeable effect on the mozzies:
Backpacker Mosquito Repeller - (Gen 2.0)
I've looked into the DIY refill canisters that some have done but I'm personally not interested in messing around with a flammable pressurized cylinder for the trouble
The pads I like to rotate/flip every hour or so to get the most out of them!
If you place them 6-8 feet upwind they regain effectiveness in this case.
fzrcraig
Well-known member
I did a similar trip in July 2019 - it went like this:
Burlington to Muskoka (in-laws)
Muskoka to Mississagi PP (north of Elliot Lake)
Mississagi to Lake Superior PP (snowmobile trail to Hwy 129 and backroads to 17 north of SSM)
LSPP to Wawa/Chapleau/Sultan Rd. to Windy Lake PP north of Sudbury
WLPP to Muskoka
Muskoka to Burlington
LSPP was awesome. The other two, not so much. Wouldn't ride the Sultan Industrial Road again - straight as an arrow, thick gravel and crazy logging trucks.
Carried small tent, light sleeping bag and pad, jetboil for instant coffee. Little food - ate on the road. Picked up beer, water, snacks along the way.
I hope so! July 21ish is what I’m thinking.
J_F
Guest
not sure if the route is set?
for a change of pace, avoid the Muskokas and the associated GTA traffic/idiocy
Ride the Highlands
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www.ridethehighlands.ca
some very beautiful roads/scenery
much less traffic and expensive sh!t
for a change of pace, avoid the Muskokas and the associated GTA traffic/idiocy
Ride the Highlands
The Highlands Loop
This route gives you the full tour of Ontario’s Highlands from end to end to end.
www.ridethehighlands.ca
some very beautiful roads/scenery
much less traffic and expensive sh!t
they work really well..
Here's how I modded my butane canisters
You can buy a permethrin spray for horses at TSC that has the same active ingredient in for cheap to soak the pads in too.
I really like the new Thermacell USB rechargeable device though, really great for travel.
kurtrules
Well-known member
not sure if the route is set?
for a change of pace, avoid the Muskokas and the associated GTA traffic/idiocy
Ride the Highlands
The Highlands Loop
This route gives you the full tour of Ontario’s Highlands from end to end to end.
some very beautiful roads/scenery
much less traffic and expensive sh!t
Thanks for the suggestions.
A slight change in plans.
Based on inputs and recommendations from Shane during our last ride, I have decided to extend the route and include Thunder Bay as part of the plan, since that will allow me to cover the west as well as the north shore of Lake Superior.
This is how the route stands now; pretty much have my heart set on it:
24th July, Day 1, leave at dawn: Burlington - Sudbury - Sault St Marie - LSPP - Wawa (or beyond - White River/as far as possible until dusk)
Day 2: Wawa/White River - Thunder Bay
Day 3: Around thunder bay - Terry Fox Memorial/Kakabeka Falls/Ouimet Canyon
Day 4: Thunder bay - Wawa - Chapleau - 129 down to Iron Bridge
Day 5: Iron Bridge - Deer trail loop - Manatoulin - 3pm Ferry down to Tobermory - 9pm Burlington (If the ferry season remains suspended then I would take the 400 down)
I have not decided on when I would camp vs motel. Also, @fzrcraig , I'll skip the Sultan route for now; as much as I would like to explore that off-road, I am more keen to include both LSPP and 129 to complete the Algoma loop as part of this ride.
Any helpful tips would be welcome.
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Hack
Well-known member
Northern ish Ontario...
Get off the road b4 dusk.
It never fails.. Every time I've been north of the Soo pretty much at least half the folks I talk to be it at a gas stn. or store advise me to not ride at dusk or at night.
One time I was filling up at a stn. and (I cant recall the name) a First Nations police officer parked nearby got out of his SUV, walked over to me and in a friendly manner warned me about the danger in riding come dusk...
This was at about 7pm in August... Luckily my motel was only a few km further down the road.
I've been up there in my truck b4 many times and it's TRUE... the wildlife is abundant come dusk...
Get off the road b4 dusk.
It never fails.. Every time I've been north of the Soo pretty much at least half the folks I talk to be it at a gas stn. or store advise me to not ride at dusk or at night.
One time I was filling up at a stn. and (I cant recall the name) a First Nations police officer parked nearby got out of his SUV, walked over to me and in a friendly manner warned me about the danger in riding come dusk...
This was at about 7pm in August... Luckily my motel was only a few km further down the road.
I've been up there in my truck b4 many times and it's TRUE... the wildlife is abundant come dusk...
That part about the sled trail really tweeked my interest. What was that like and what were you riding?
Keep in mind that the speed limit on the TransCanada is 90/km/hr for long stretches, with police enforcement before, after and within smaller towns.
If you are planning on leaving before sunrise on the first day, and you are not stopping much on that day, then Wawa will be an easy target. I think last year on my trip out to BC I made it as far as Terrace Bay on day 1 and I was easily there by dark. The advantage to this is it will give yoy more time to get off the bike on day 2.
Your day 2 is only 5hrs, so it will give you the opportunity to see the Terry Fox Memorial on your way to Thunder Bay, leaving you more time to explore the falls and canyon on your day 3. The Terry Fox memorial is nice, but it won't take a lot of time to see it, so you will still have time to spare once you arrive in Thunder Bay if you want to check something else out.
Day 4 & 5 both look good, but won't give you much time for any exploring if you were hoping to get off the bike. If you start early on your day 4, then you can make it to Iron Bridge well before dark, get your lodgings sorted and then do a run up and down the 129 without any luggage to have a bit more fun on the southern portion of the 129.
If you skip the camping, it will save you time for set-up/take down and also save weight, but it will probably cost you at least double to motel it.
Approx $40/night vs $100/night. Regardless of how you choose to sleep, if you want to be communicating with family each night, then be mindful that some of the super small towns might have poor cell reception/wifi. Motels that are just outside the small towns may be worse for this access, so read up on places beforehand or stay in town than just outside it.
kurtrules
Well-known member
Noted.
Yes, that's the plan. Sunrise is at around 6am on the 24th July. I am looking to leave home by 4:30am and ride out until dusk. This night will definitely be spent in a motel.
This day I plan to push it, so it will be the longest.
How is the wildlife activity at night on the 400? I was thinking that if the highway is safe from that perspective, I can sleep early the day before, wake up around midnight, ride through the night, and the next day. Perhaps shoot for Thunder bay.
Noted.
Noted.
Oh, I wasn't aware of that! Thanks for the tip, will definitely be useful in planning.
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