A Mental Reset: Back to the Boundary Waters

A Route That Demanded—and Delivered

5 days.
40+ miles paddled.
15 portages.
Zero screens.
Plenty of sore shoulders.

This wasn’t just a quick weekend escape. It was a true wilderness trip—one that required months of planning, gear checks, and route mapping. We pushed hard through headwinds, rocky portages, and long stretches of silence. But we earned every moment: crisp mornings, fresh shore lunches, campfire meals, and nights under the stars.

We caught fish. We told stories. We slowed down.

Resetting in the Wild

Right now, I’m in a season of transition—growing Temperance & Penn, continuing my career search, and doing my best to show up fully as a partner, father, friend, and son.

Like many others, I’ve felt the mental clutter that comes with screens, schedules, and the constant pressure to “do more.”

Out in the BWCA, all of that disappears.

You can’t fake anything when your only goal is to keep paddling forward. The rhythm of the canoe, the quiet between conversations, the simplicity of cooking a meal over fire—it clears your head in a way that very few places can.

I came back tired, scraped up, and full of gratitude. Grateful for the friends who came with. Grateful for the forests and lakes that held us. And grateful for the reminder that disconnection can be the most powerful way to reconnect.

Why Public Lands Matter More Than Ever

This trip also made me reflect on something bigger—our access to public lands.

We’re living in a time when public lands in Minnesota and across the U.S. face growing pressure—from budget cuts to environmental threats to shifting policies that could limit future access. Places like the Boundary Waters don’t stay wild by accident. They remain wild because generations of people chose to protect them.

And now, it’s our turn.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have taken this trip, to have spent uninterrupted days in a place that’s still untouched. But that privilege comes with responsibility. It’s more important than ever that our voices are heard, and that we support the people and organizations fighting to protect these lands for future generations.

Stewardship isn’t just about building gear that lasts—it’s about protecting the wild spaces where that gear gets used.

Building With Purpose

Temperance & Penn was born from the belief that what we carry and how we carry ourselves in the outdoors matters. That design can be intentional. That the products we make should reflect the places we use them.

This trip tested some gear, sparked some ideas, and gave me the space I needed to return with a clearer head. Whether it’s a product, a project, or a paddle route—sometimes the best way to move forward is to step away.