Single Trip Carry Portage Techniques

I rarely portage more than a mile and a half. I still prefer my traditional packs (Duluth, Frost River). I really like my FR with the calfskin padded straps. I use the tump on either. Most of my gear is on the lighter “backpacking” end of the spectrum. I use a hammock, and eat a mix of commercial freeze dried, and home dehydrated. None of my meals require more than boiling water.

Add a 33# canoe and my favorite wooden paddle, and I’m ready.

I will admit that the older I get, the more inclined I am to double carry.

My current recent C4 Adirondack 90-mile race paddling partners during the past few years tend to be a good bit younger than my now 73 years. Two fit brothers now in their early 40's have twice paddled the Yukon River 1000-mile race with me, though the years are gaining on each of us since the last time we did that. Although I own and offer to bring a set of beefy wheels each year suitable for rough Adirondack 90 miler route trails connecting waterways, they always decline their use. I am continued to be amazed to see two of them heft the 23-foot C4 upright on their shoulders at a fast jog with our hydration and food being carried in small backpacks, as I toddle alongside. Of course I jump in for short (very short) turns at a somewhat reduced pace, but the brothers plus one of their young landscape company coworkers seem happy to do it all at speed without much help from me.

Over the full three day staged 90-mile race, portages total about five miles. However, when some of us paddle the traditional route unofficial non-race all within a single day "Cannonball-90", the overland mileage total jumps to a full ten miles. I do use wheels for that since one (mostly) on road segment is almost four miles long. Single pass carry, of course.

I break my food up into two packages, that's how I fake lightening things up. One Ursack of things that don't mind getting wet goe in a day pack. As the trip goes on, I can lighten my barrel and put in the day pack, or some version of it.

I got out of thru-hiking for all the weight counting and dehydrated food to get into more canoeing because I can bring good food, cast iron, and other things. I take two to three trips if I have to. I'm out to enjoy and relax. If it means more trips on a portage then I do that. Can't beat a fried steak in butter with rice on the side for dinner and eggs with bread and cheese and a tin of beans for breakfast. Watery food and a ultralight tarp and barely there sleeping pad?? No thanks

Could single carry but feel it takes more effort to carry one big load than multiple trips with smaller loads. Reminds me of all the productivity studies done back in the industrial revolution days. One particular study was increasing amount of coal workers could move. The initial thought was give the guys bigger shovels. More coal per shovelful means more coal moved. Did that and productivity got worse. Confused they did something illogical and used smaller shovels…and productivity increased.

The smaller shovel full was lighter. Despite moving less coal per shovelful workers didn’t get as fatigued and thus could keep a strong pace all day long.

I took a solo trip a couple years ago with a solo boat and wanted to single carry. My total load was 85 pounds. So I didn't burn myself out and still save as much time as I could I double carried the uphills and single carried everything else. It worked real well, but having done this trip many times I had the advantage of knowing where the big hills were. According to my GPS I gained 1045 feet of elevation on over three miles of portage trails on my last day.

Something that isn't often mentioned in discussions like this or that gets a flame response is getting stronger before you go on the trip. This won't suddenly help you single-portage, but if you are close to doing so, it will help. Sure, we all need to be "in shape" before a trip, but actually working on strength beyond what is gained while getting "in shape" is frequently overlooked. This could be as simple as going to a set of stairs at your local dam and simulating your load and how you carry and go up and down them. Start lighter and work your way up. You could also do this through all kinds of resistance training. I personally ensure I do loaded carries at the end of my gym sessions a few times a week. And on and on and on. The benefits for injury prevention, energy-consumption, and other things are there. Some feel this is obvious, but maybe not.

WonderMonkey said:

This could be as simple as going to a set of stairs at your local dam and simulating your load and how you carry and go up and down them.

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That's good advice.

On trips where I knew I would have a heavier than normal load (85 pound food barrel) I started taking it for walks a couple weeks before the trip. It helped me get used to the load and to figure out where it chaffed. Not only did it help build strength but it allowed me to adjust the pack and add some padding for more comfort.

Alan

Alan Gage said:

That's good advice.

On trips where I knew I would have a heavier than normal load (85 pound food barrel) I started taking it for walks a couple weeks before the trip. It helped me get used to the load and to figure out where it chaffed. Not only did it help build strength but it allowed me to adjust the pack and add some padding for more comfort.

Alan

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Good approach. Doing this and also carrying small weights in the hand simulates paddles, poles, etc. Grip strength and endurance can be worked on at the same time.

If it's not a treacherous portage, I carry the canoe and wear a pack at the same time as others do. I want to feel confident and not exhausted at the end. I did do a trip where I was NOT in shape at all, and I felt myself wanting to end my day early rather than do another portage. My lack of preparation affected my trip. I still had a great time, of course.

Rods and paddles tied inside with boat with shoe laces I keep in a thwart bag. Instead of rod holders I use a couple of plastic clamps on the gunnel in the same thwart bag. One pack, one barrel, and a 5 gallon bucket. Depending on the portaging I still bring my outfitter frame pack - the one with shelf that folds down at the bottom. Strap the bucket on the shelf laying down, strap the barrel on top of the bucket, put my rubber boots under the straps, hang the thwart bag and off you go. Wouldn't do this with one of my heavier boats, but with the light one it works during warmer months. This is 2-3 day stuff, and not for shoulder season. Being retired now, I just double everything - why not?

WonderMonkey said:

Something that isn't often mentioned in discussions like this or that gets a flame response is getting stronger before you go on the trip. This won't suddenly help you single-portage, but if you are close to doing so, it will help. Sure, we all need to be "in shape" before a trip, but actually working on strength beyond what is gained while getting "in shape" is frequently overlooked. This could be as simple as going to a set of stairs at your local dam and simulating your load and how you carry and go up and down them. Start lighter and work your way up. You could also do this through all kinds of resistance training. I personally ensure I do loaded carries at the end of my gym sessions a few times a week. And on and on and on. The benefits for injury prevention, energy-consumption, and other things are there. Some feel this is obvious, but maybe not.

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This is the approach I have been using starting in the spring each year to prep for trips. I carry a 60# OT Penobscot RX around the local nature center from March to the paddling season, working up to 1/3 mile. I began doing this in 2017 to condition myself for a 3 week river trip. Along with swimming laps and walking, this routine worked well for me. One issue I noticed last season was I am not as agile on my feet as I was previously. I am 77 now but hope to be able to make trips for a few more years.

I don’t mind doing double portages because on the return trip I get to enjoy the sights I might have missed under the canoe or other burden.
Jim

WonderMonkey said:

Something that isn't often mentioned in discussions like this or that gets a flame response is getting stronger before you go on the trip. This won't suddenly help you single-portage, but if you are close to doing so, it will help. Sure, we all need to be "in shape" before a trip, but actually working on strength beyond what is gained while getting "in shape" is frequently overlooked. This could be as simple as going to a set of stairs at your local dam and simulating your load and how you carry and go up and down them. Start lighter and work your way up. You could also do this through all kinds of resistance training. I personally ensure I do loaded carries at the end of my gym sessions a few times a week. And on and on and on. The benefits for injury prevention, energy-consumption, and other things are there. Some feel this is obvious, but maybe not.

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Working out will surely help, and may be all you need for an easy trip. But for a hard trip with long portages 3 or 4 days a week at the gym for an hour or two won't get you to where you need to be. I think tripping that includes lots of portages is about the best exersize you can do. If there is a workout that can get you as strong at the beginning of a trip as you are at the end of one I'd like to know about it. Other than another type of expedition like backpacking or mountain climbing I don't think you'll get there. That's OK though because I think we all expect to get stronger as a trip goes on.

Boatman53 said:

I don’t mind doing double portages because on the return trip I get to enjoy the sights I might have missed under the canoe or other burden.
Jim

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My sentiment exactly. I always enjoyed the walk back while portaging.

I'm a double port guy too. That trip I referenced above was as close as I got to single carry. I did it to save time because it was a long drive and late in the season so the days were shorter. It made a big difference, what usually took 4.5 hours only took about 2.5.

I always liked that walk back for the second load, and thought of it as a "walk in the park." I don't think I would miss it though if I could do a single port comfortably.

When it’s just my wife and I, we always single carry. We tend to travel far, fast and light when it’s just the two of us. We pack for our paddling trips nearly identically to the way we pack for extended backpacking with the addition of the canoe, paddles, PFD and fishing gear.

We both carry loaded packs with ultralight gear. Paddles are strapped to the canoe. We wear the PFD’s. I carry the canoe. About 25 percent of the food is also in my expedition sized technical backpack. I usually have the fishing tackle. My wife also carries a fully loaded technical expedition pack with whatever food she can fit inside it. She carries a front pack with whatever food is left until it is gone. She carries the fishing rods in her hands.

When backpacking, we’re accustomed to long days in the mountains. This has conditioned us nicely for long portages with all the gear. If we get a portage of more than a couple miles, we’ll drop the gear and take a break.

Being 70 now, I'm unable (and really don't want) to carry the loads that I did years ago. For the most part, my canoe trips are in the Adirondacks. On trips that involve carries of a half mile or more, I try to minimize the gear I take. However, I do take some items that would be considered luxuries, mostly because being comfortable in camp and having my photography/videography/field recording equipment available is important to me. Neither of my canoes (the Sawyer Autumn Mist - 32 lbs. and the Hornbeck Classic 18 lbs.) are particularly heavy, so I am able to manage the carries, but in most cases I make multiple trips. I rationalize it by thinking of it as exercise for my legs, which after sitting and paddling for a period of time usually feels good (as long as I'm not carrying too much weight).