Canoe Packs for the solo tripper

[Robin]

When I go out solo for 7-14 days, I carry two packs in my 15' canoe. One bag is a Duluth Pack #4 Timber Cruiser at 4690 CI. My food goes into 2 Sealine water tight bags and is then placed in a Duluth Day pack at 1260 CI plus a pocket up front for another 200 CI.
I don't carry a stove or fuel with these two packs, just a twig stove.
If I carry a stove with fuel, I then move my food and stove to a Duluth Wanderer Pack at 1845 CI with added side pockets, making it about 2045 ci.

So, 2 packs, either about 6150 ci with a twig stove or 6730 with stove and fuel.
I like it that the two packs are somewhat equal in size, more cubes in one, the other more weight for it's size. I find it really helps trim the canoe better for different conditions when you can move the packs around.
I also like to throw the food pack on top of the #4 Timber Cruiser pack on a portage, although early in the trip when the food pack is full I sometimes have to make 3 trips if the trail is up hill.
Here's my outfit last August for 8 days. I have since ditched that little tackle bag for just a few fishing lures and jigs in my food pack.




What are others using today. It took me a while to figure out what worked well for me, I'm curious to see others outfits and thoughts.

 

[memaquay]

I just throw a 60 l barrel in and a day pack. If I need more, I use a 115 l seal pack. I also have a big UK camera case, but I think I'm just going to buy a cheap point and shoot and store it in my day pack. It's nice to have the big camera and lens, but I already have several thousand canoe trip photos.

OK, edited to put a pic in too.

 

[Waterdog]

For a week or more with my dog, I use two Frost River packs. The larger is the Lewis and Clark that is 4368 to 7862 ci fully expanded. The other one is an Isle Royale Back that is 2760 to 4768 ci. expanded. I think I can get away with just the Lewis and Clark if I am by myself. With Copper along, I have a three man tent and carry 15-20 lbs. of dog food. This picture shows my full kit. The Isle Royale pack houses my 30L barrel with room for tarp, poles, water bottles, axe, etc. The blue pad is for the dog to stand/lay on.



Cheers,
Barry

 

[Sturgeon]

I like the looks of those traditional packs, but I started out backpacking, and I'm not ready to spend extra cash on canoe-only gear. The Blue MEC 30L bag is a simple top loading sack with a foam back for stiffness. It holds my Ursack (food pack), cook kit, small tarp, and folding tripod stool, dry shoes...everything needed to get ashore and set up quickly in a storm and have lunch.
The grey pack is 40 L by Black Diamond. It's an alpine pack, but I trimmed all the alpine stuff off and out of it to trim the weight for backpacking. It is the most comfortable pack I've ever worn. It holds everything else (hammock, tarp2, quilts, clothes, everything that must stay dry, in contractor garbage bags etc).
I also wear a small blue waist pack ( you can see it on the wharf by the grey pack) with survival gear, camera, and snacks.
Two packs make trimming the canoe easier. This load was for a five night trip, but I've used it for up to 8 days, jam packed.

 

[Guest]

I've used several different arrangements, including a Knu-Pac with and without its frame. This pack mounts on a backpack frame that has a couple of Y extensions that the portage yoke fits into when carrying. I would secure my tent and a dry back to the frame, and secure the pack itself on an NRS Paragon Pack, which isn't a pack at all, but a harness with shoulder straps and waist belt that will hold just about anything. You can see it on the 4th last picture on this page:
http://codabone.net/canoeing/bwca/BW1006_3.htm

Now I use a Kondos Outfitter Pack as my main pack, weighing 45-55 lbs. The smaller pack is a Cabela's Boundary Waters Pack (no waist belt), which I use for food, kitchen gear, and a few odds and ends. It starts out weighing about 30 lbs. My daypack weighs about 15 lbs, and I carry it in front of me with the Kondos pack behind. The rest of my stuff - paddles, chair, and tarp poles (if used) are lashed in the boat. I wear knee pads so I don't have to mess with a kneeling pad.
The first picture on this page shows the boat loaded and ready for a 10-day trip.
http://codabone.net/canoeing/bwca/BW1305_2.htm

About halfway down this page http://codabone.net/canoeing/bwca/BW1309_2.htm is a different boat with the packs laid out for easy trimming.

I've replaced the Cabela's pack with a Sea to Summit dry bag that has both shoulder straps and a waist belt.

 

[icedragonmx]

I just throw a 60 l barrel in and a day pack. If I need more, I use a 115 l seal pack. I also have a big UK camera case, but I think I'm just going to buy a cheap point and shoot and store it in my day pack. It's nice to have the big camera and lens, but I already have several thousand canoe trip photos.

I have found a huge weight/volume savings by switching to a Canon Powershot 240 HS in a Pelican 1010 case. A nice light 20x optical zoom point and shoot. Won't do everything but will get a nice picture most days!


I have a Smaller MEC 70lt Deluxe Dry Bag with internal frame and hip belt that puts all of the weight on the hips and a Pelican 1500 that clips to the front of the shoulder straps for food on the smaller trips. Am unsure of what will be best on longer trips yet but have this summer to work it all out. The 70 lt bag holds a old Jackwolfskin Yellowstone II tent (want a Hubba Hubba NX), Helinox camp chair, NeoAir Xtherm large pad, summer sleeping bag(to be upgraded), cloth+rain suits, Siltarp2 tarp, camp towel, Win Mod 12 takedown, spare hats and bug suits, batteries etc. The Pelican will hold a small Primus camp pot and stove and food. Will need a larger case or a second bag for more food when on longer trips.

 

[memaquay]

Thanks Icedragon, i'll look up the powershot. My camera equipment has always been smarter than me, I'm looking to go simple and smaller.

 

[Mihun09]

All of my tripping photo's from the past years were taken with a Canon Powershot A3000, right until the Bird River trip last year when I started taking the Nikon. I kept the Powershot in a smaller Pelican, the 1150 I think and it housed the GPS as well, with extra batteries and the Pelican is a great place for car keys et al. Now, I have a 1450 Pelican that again has the Nikon, the Canon, GPS, keys, etc.

 

[Bob B.]

Barry,

That picture of your dog, pacs and canoe is awesome ... Man I love your canoe!

Bob.

 

[Robin]

Sturgeon: Two packs make trimming the canoe easier.

I agree.

 

[yellowcanoe]

1 30 liter barrel with harness (Ostrom) and one Woods Mason Pack.. For trim. For portage trips I wear a Nikon AW 100 on a lanyard around my neck for pictures. Otherwise I take a Rebel DSLR with way too many lenses in a Pelican Box.. ( six..they weigh what must be 20 lbs)

 

[Waterdog]

Barry,

That picture of your dog, pacs and canoe is awesome ... Man I love your canoe!

Bob.

Thanks Bob, its been a great canoe so far, but the dog is the best. I should say too that on the rare occasion that I travel in a composite solo, I do lighten the load with some Granite Gear packs. I have an immersion pack and a superior one, roughly the same volume packs as the canvas ones. The material on these is courdora. I've always washed them after a trip and neither of them show any wear whatsoever and they are substantially lighter. I've been considering a solo trip without my dog that would require less overall weight and allow single portages. I have some nice Alder Stream Canvas packs and have been mulling over the merits of a custom canvas version of this Bell pack. Jane's packs are well made and use a lighter canvas than the ones from Frost River. As noted by Robin and others, I could than have more trim options while soloing and be able to single port if I choose. Anyone ever use something similar? I bet she could build me something provided I wasn't packing the two halves too heavy.



Cheers,
Barry

 

[red langford]

I don't think I have a picture of the packs outside the canoe but here is one of the canoe loaded.

Ostrom Canoe Pack
Ostrom Barrel Harness.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Barry I don't see those packs anymore on Granite Gear site. If there was demand I am sure Jane would build some but we might have to make it worth her investment.

 

[Waterdog]

Yellowcanoe,

Just to clarify, the Granite Gear bags I mentioned aren't the one pictured. I don't recall the name of the one pictured, but it was offered on the Bell Website up until they stopped taking orders. I always thought it was a neat idea but wondered how well it would ride on the back during a port. I think it was about 7900ci total. I wouldn't build one that big for solo tripping though I don't think. I think about a third of the volume that I carry is for the dog and I wouldn't have a 30L barrel.

Barry

 

[Guest]

I put everything in a Sea Line Boundary Pack. Slide it behind my seat under the rear deck of my kayak. Off I go! On portages I pull pack out, install home made yoke, shoulder the yak and on the trail!

 

[snapper]

I have a couple of "paddling only" type packs but they're too big if I'm going solo. For my solo trips I'll use my Go-Lite ultralight backpacking pack that can open up to about 3500 cubic inches. I'll also use an old Lowe day pack I have for other items. Between the two I can better balance the canoe and have all that I need. Not exciting stuff so sorry for the lack of photos.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

 

[Seeker]

I try to get it all in one pack if I can, for single portaging, if it's that kind of trip. For that, I have a Go-Lite Gust. I added a couple mesh pockets to the sides for water/fuel bottles/sandels, but I really try to get everything inside.

If it's a 'fat' trip, where I have only one or two short portages (Low's, Long Pond part of the St Regis), I may actually carry a wannagan or an old NATO/Bundeswehr rucksack for the food and kitchen, and put the rest of my stuff in the Gust or a smaller ULA Conduit pack (which then doubles nicely as a large but still comfortable daypack for hiking trips off the waterways).

 

[latremorej]

Backpacking first, I don't have any canoe packs. I use my old Kelty backpacking internal frame pack. 5200ci I think. I have a cooler backpack from igloo for the food bag. I stash it or hang it in areas where the rodents are used to eating people food.

 

[tump_lion]

solos out to about five days i'm good out of one green canvas pack with various dry-bags with compressor sacks in them inside -- i have two 'woods' packs, #200 and #1, a #200 imported clone, and a duluth 'northwoods' -- plus a couple mid-range synthetic, but similar style packs -- for much longer than that i bring a second bag and load them both a little less -- generally carry both bags at once over portages...then the canoe by itself...i also have my 'purse' which is a waxed canvas satchel that i clip onto the front straps of my larger pack -- it's small enough that it doesn't block the view of my feet on all but verticals and large enough to hold most of the incidental junk i want at-hand, plus a nalge of gorp, a nalge of fluid and my map case...i'm new to the front-clip pack but it's the best solution i've used so far...seems to help the pack balance a little better on the back, but that could be my imagination...