Boundary Waters
AUG 27 - SEPT 2, 2026 | Boundary Waters, Northern Minnesota
Details:
Location: Boundary Waters, Northern Minnesota (Superior National Forest)
Dates: AUG 27 – SEPT 2
Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Applications:
Application Date Window: OCT 14 - JUL 9
Fundraising Commitment: $500
Group Size: 9 Eagles
Applicants will be notified of their status on or by DEC 19.
Overview
This Expedition is for the Eagle who is eager to explore a pristine and remote part of our country; for the Eagle who wants to swim in cool, clear lakes and listen to loons at night; and for the Eagle who wants to experience camaraderie that can only be found through small unit teamwork.
For four nights Eagles will travel by canoe across wild lakes and rivers, portaging all gear and supplies over-land, and setting up camp on the shores of a summer paradise. By day, it’s all about exploring, covering miles on water and land, and having a blast. Working together under the summer sun will earn those invigorating swim breaks. By night, fix your gaze to the starlit skies above and open your ears to the sounds of loons calling across the still waters of tranquil lakes. Breathe deep and unwind with your teammates as you share a warm dinner around the campfire, then prepare to do it again the next day.
Highlights
5 days and 4 nights of canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Experience a not often visited or well-known part of the country
Adventure
A true sense of being in the middle of nowhere (you will be)
To slow down the pace of life and focus only on basic needs and your teammates
To immerse yourself in a living time-capsule of the last ice-age
INFO SESSION
December 1 | 7–8 PM ET
What’s Included
Camping gear
Canoe rentals
All meals on the water plus a celebratory dinner
Lodging and shuttles resilience training
App Group
Training Plan
What is Portaging?
A portage is a section of land that connects two bodies of water. While out in the Boundary Waters, Eagles will portage dozens of times as they traverse the many lakes and rivers to get to the next campsite.
Portaging is hard work! It includes hauling large, heavy packs across terrain that can be rocky, soft, uneven, etc. It also includes putting the 17’ kevlar canoes on your shoulders and carrying them to the next body of water.
Portages can be as short as 100’, or as long as one whole mile.
Level of Difficulty
4 out of 5.
What makes this trip difficult?
Consider constant movement for several hours per day. Between breaking down camp in the morning to paddling and portaging up to 15 miles in a given day, with the elements, then arriving at camp to then set everything up again. The days can be very long and exhausting.
Physically the movements are not strenuous like doing 100 burpees, but you are constantly on the move, and if it’s a big lake, you have strong wind fighting you to knock your boat off course.
The sheer vastness and remoteness of the area is not to be underestimated. There is no “I can leave and get picked up”. An early exit would require a helicopter and a life threatening emergency.
Eagles should be comfortable spending several days with only the people in their group, with no outside contact and no resources aside from what is with the group.
“In the civilian world I have been hiding a lot of my trauma in past experience behind a mask and not letting anybody see the invisible pain. Around a team like RWB I know I’m with other veterans and team players that I can takeoff my mask and be the real me and those around me understand the pains and challenges.”
