Count every item
Confirm rods, coolers, personal bags, food, motors and shared equipment before the aircraft departs.
The field guide
LIVE WELL
AT CAMP.
A careful first hour, a clean camp and a deliberate hunt make the week safer and better.
Choose your guide
YOUR CAMP.
YOUR EQUIPMENT.
Your first hour
LAND.
SEPARATE.
CONFIRM.
A departing party may be boarding the aircraft that brought you in. Keep incoming and outgoing gear in separate piles, identify your bags before the plane leaves and locate the camp Garmin inReach immediately.
Clearly mark every item with coloured tape and your party name. Remove exposed fishing hooks before aircraft loading so pilots and ground crew are not injured. If low water requires hip or chest waders for your location, Wesley's will tell your group before departure.
Locate communication
Find the inReach, verify charge and review check-ins, non-urgent messaging and SOS use.
Learn the systems
Review fuel, boats, motors, generator, water, stove, chainsaw and camp-specific instructions.
Set up clean
Secure food and trash immediately. Do not leave fish remains or food waste near camp.
Watch fires and smoke before travelling
Wesley’s monitors summer fire activity while preparing camps. Fall travel still depends on actual conditions: the month alone is not a guarantee of clear skies or safe access.
NASA FIRMS satellite fire map helps you view detected hotspots. It is not permission to light a fire, an evacuation map or a substitute for local instructions. Use Ontario’s current fire information for restrictions, and confirm conditions with Wesley’s and Pickle Lake Airways before departure.
ONE BUTTON
FOR LIFE SAFETY.
For a life-threatening emergency, activate the Garmin inReach SOS and follow the response team's instructions. Then contact Wesley's through the provided emergency number or inReach when possible. For a non-life-threatening problem, message Wesley's first so a safe aircraft and care plan can be coordinated.
Guests are responsible for medical evacuation and other extra flight costs. Travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation is strongly recommended. There is no cellular service at camp; satellite text, the inReach or a guest-supplied Starlink Mini are the realistic options.
Before pickup
LEAVE A
FRESH START.
Weather and aircraft timing can be uncertain, but camp cleanup cannot wait. Finish early, stage the load and be ready when the aircraft arrives.
Clean completely
Wash and put away camp gear, remove food and fish remains, and carry every piece of trash out on the plane.
Secure and drain
Pull boats up, tie them securely to a tree or approved anchor and remove the plugs so rainwater drains.
Charge and place
Charge the inReach and leave it in its designated, easy-to-find location for the arriving party.
Leave two to three days of margin after the trip, carry extra food for weather delays and choose flexible commercial flights. Remote floatplanes cannot fly safely in every condition.