When it came time to portage, I was able to pull out the bags fairly easily and come back for them. We almost always keep our canoes at the “top” of that portage, unless we’re feeling unusually energetic. If it’s buggy, wear a bug jacket on the portage (and zip up the hood). Browse our selection of premium Canoeing Portage Packs, Barrels & Bags. Yes, the canoes get a break from carrying all the weight once in awhile. Find him on Twitter here. Windproof Travel Umbrella. Canoes are designed and built to balance perfectly on your shoulders when portaging. Better to take breaks than get injured because you pushed yourself too hard. Avoid extra effort; don’t clip things to canoes. One person takes the canoe, the other takes a lighter pack. Oh hey there! Mikaela is a Wilderness First Responder and Whitewater Rescue Technician. Get all loose items either inside a pack or barrel, or clipped to a pack or barrel, before you start portaging. It sounds rather benign. There is a wealth of information on gear, food, cooking, canoe routes, first aid, orienteering, and how to paddle a canoe on flatwater or in whitewater. Your email address will not be published. Start by rocking the canoe gently back and forth on your thighs like a pendulum. Canoe packs are “must-have” items for canoe trips with portages. Once you clip something to the canoe all that handcrafted balance goes away. Yokes are positioned so that a canoe will be perfectly balanced and it doesn't take much to throw that off. Read More: My First Trip as a Canoe Guide: Lost Gear, Death Threats and More. Remember that if you portage your canoe, you will need to carry these things, so it pays to try and keep items in large containers to reduce the number of trips from take-out to the next put-in points. According to most dictionaries, to portage is to carry boats and gear from one navigable body of water to another. Barrel harnesses and equipment packs are designed to be worn without a life jacket. With a canoe, some people actually prefer the cushioning of a life jacket on their shoulders, but most people I’ve paddled with find it makes the yoke of the canoe slide around on their shoulders. “Portaging seems logical when you’re confronted with a rapid you don’t want to paddle,” he says. If you’re carrying a barrel or an equipment pack, take a paddle in each hand. Sealant (such as Aquaseal) Bailing wire (copper, small roll) Nylon cord … First, take all the gear and loose stuff out of the boat. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Actually, I do it slightly modified, but the way he has demonstrated is what a lot of people do. To do away with this challenge, both paddlers raise and turn the bow of the canoe upside down with the stern resting on the ground. In this article, I discussed how kayakers can portage their kayaks easily. The most difficult thing about portaging alone is “committing to throwing the canoe onto your back,” Mason says. He turns the canoe toward the back and sets himself at the bow seat. There are some essential supplies and gear that you will need to pack for your overnight canoe or portage trips, such as first aid, water, food, and some other vital items. When the timer goes off, they should stop and wait for everyone to catch up. From here, “it’s easy for one person to scoot under the center of the canoe while the other supports the bow,” Mason says. Paddlers position themselves on opposite sides of the canoe and use the carry handles at the bow and stern. My book goes everything you need to know for planning food for long trips + 35+ meal ideas. Mason emphasizes a more controlled raise: releasing the yoke with the hand next to the stern, reaching between your knees, and bending your arm around the hull of the canoe. Some people say to take all the heavy stuff – canoes and food barrels – in the first trip. You can read more about that story in the below post. Do yourself a favour and eliminate the FRO (f***ing random objects). The rest is just walking and eventually taking it of your shoulders in the reverse way you got lifted it. Mason shares portaging with his 14-year-old daughter Willa. I do the first method he demonstrates. If you want a painless portaging experience, best get an ultralight canoe. Just tip the canoe over at the front of the canoe without the help of your partner. Honestly, the easiest way to understand how to lift a portage onto your shoulders is to just watch this video. As long as the back end of the canoe is in contact with the ground, and you are not carrying the complete weight until you slide yourself under the yoke. Just lifting this arm will turn over the canoe overhead in a controlled manner; spin your body as you lift and place the yoke on your shoulders. One man turned around, looking almost offended, and replied “How can a canoe tripper NOT love portages? Don’t worry. Here’s the platonic ideal of the portage: as you drift toward the landing, everyone stows loose gear, clips on water bottles, and so on. Two paddlers can bring the canoe on its head and overhead for longer portages on level ground. Now reach across to the far gunwale with the hand closest to the bow. Make lightweight, delicious and healthy food in the wilderness. So if you’re reading this hoping to learn how to portage a canoe, know that I am sharing guidance and tips to give you the best portaging experience possible. Oddly, there is a lack of information on how to portage a canoe properly. Overturn the process to place the canoe down. When transporting your canoe over longer distances (like during a portage), you can reduce arm and shoulder strain by carrying the boat overhead on your shoulders. First of all, you have to stand amidship, holding the gunwale with both hands and tilting the canoe so the hull is pushed against your legs. I’m not all that muscle-bound and rely much more on technique rather than strength. As a teenager, when his father was filming the National Film Board of Canada’s celebrated Path of the Paddle series, Paul remembers marching the rugged trails of the Petawawa River over and over again on the lookout for the perfect shot. Once your kayak is securely out of the water, pack all your gear into … Keep high glycemic index snacks available. For someone who doesn’t love portages, I do a heck of a lot of them. The following lift procedure can also be used when lifting a canoe to place it on a roof-top car rack: Hold the Canoe gunwale with both of your hands and tilt in a way so the hull seems to push your legs. However, most of these items will go bad and be useless if they become wet, so we are going to fill you in on how to pack for your trip and keep your gear and supplies dry. Oklahoma Kayak Fishing – The Top Kayaking Destinations, Explain The Fastest Kayak And An Average Kayak Speed, Can I Buy A Kayak From Walmart? While portaging, your arms are typically occupied and swatting mosquitos off your face becomes difficult. Those canoes look awful peaceful, but something tells me that carrying all my gear is not going to be a breeze for me… Crucial to consider when planning any canoe trip are the portages you’ll encounter and what your team will be able (and willing) to tackle. Frustratingly, canoeists I meet usually confirm this conclusion. Use a barrel or equipment pack instead. Repair-Kit Options. Just lift the canoe over your thighs and center it with your hands and raise it even higher (over your shoulder), Shake the canoe from backward to upward to create motion and push it even harder to your shoulder. Add to Cart | Add to Compare. I secretly carried 8 full size mars bars in my barrel for a week in preparation for a long portage on the Noire River. More heavy-duty than most hiking packs, the shorter height of a canoe pack makes it easier to carry a canoe and a pack at the same time. I’m also really good at it, if I do say so myself. Now, while your partner holds the canoe up, you slip backward and place yourself under the yoke. Free Shipping On Orders $175 Or Over. I do three big rocking motions like in the video, Then I flip the canoe over my head; the arm that had been supporting the canoe is now pointing upwards with my elbow bent at 90 degrees and the gunwale resting on top of my bicep. Failing that, fit your yoke with thick pads. James is a professional kayaker and his hobby is fishing! http://www.algonquinoutfitters.com/ Reservations: 1.800.469.4948 Algonquin Outfitters can show you how to easily lift a canoe to carry it on the portage. Then, grab the center of the hauling yoke using both hands, raise the canoe so that it stays on your thighs. Or at least in as few trips as possible. If I wanted to spend my trip walking, I’d ditch the canoe and do a hike. Traditional #3.5-Smoke Blue. $146.95. Know exactly how much stuff you have before your start portaging. Portage Conditions Save yourself a lot of discomfort and wear a bug jacket. The right canoe cart for you will depend on your specific needs, the portage conditions, as well as the weight of your fully-loaded watercraft. Before everyone starts getting gear and heading off down the portage train, plan your attack. As long as you don’t attempt Stairway Portage, that is! Then, both of you take hold of the opposite gunwale with your left hand and the other gunwale with your right. Take your gear out Before you try to portage your kayak, try to get as much gear out as possible. You can learn more on About Me. Now the canoe is lopsided and you must use effort to keep it balanced. And I know this will sound obvious but remind yourself how many canoes you have. If you get stuck in the rain during your canoe trip, you’ll be glad … The best way to portage a kayak is by having your paddling partner help you, with one person carrying the bow and the other carrying the stern. No metal frame. And obviously, you should practice canoe country courtesy at portages: keep your gear to the side of the portage landing, never completely block the portage path, and quickly vacate the portage landing so that other camping parties can … Read more on my About Page! An easy thing to do is fill up a backpack, or dry bag, with gear, so … The person in the front, leading the group, shouldn’t be portaging a canoe so they can see where the trail goes. When the canoe is resting on your shoulders … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some portages can be confusing. For short distance stretching 100 feet or less, such as transporting the canoe from the vehicle to the water’s edge or lifting over a beaver dam, Mason suggests a tandem upright carry. Touché. Have questions? This is a marathon, not a sprint! Let’s get portaging! In canoe country a portage is … Don’t be afraid to put the canoe down if you’re tired. The next part is the most significant but also the hardest. On my next trip I’ll film myself doing a few different methods of lifting a canoe and add it to the post. Place amidships and slip the canoe up to your shins, unlock side facing out. 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