My pack system is not optimum, its just what I have. For down in the trees where I can rely on wood fires for most cooking other than the rainy days (where I always carry some stove fuel), I use a 3-pack system: food barrel with harness, gear pack, and day pack. For the arctic Barrenlands 30 plus day expeditions where I have no wood and need stove fuel for all cooking, and where I have a heavy royalex boat with spray deck and extra expedition type gear, I have another overflow pack that holds the stove fuel, extra stove, bigger boat repair kit (since I am running and lining many rapids), stronger bigger painter lines, and rolled up spray deck, extra TP supply, and the just more stuff one has for expedition level tripping in cold climates. But the following is my forest zone tripping pack system using a composite boat:
Barrels: For a week or under, I am using a 30L barrel and harness for food and cook kit, and a few odds and sods. I can T this up on top of my gear pack for a portage. For whatever reason I tend not to do 2-week trips, which is funny. Most of my solo trips are 3 weeks or more, and then I am using my 60L barrel and harness, and this is definitely its own carry.
Gear pack: I use an Ostrom Wabakimi pack. I love this pack. I took out the aluminum stays to save weight, so I pay a small price in pack fit and weight transfer to the hip belt, so I am taking more weight on the shoulder straps, but it still works for me.
Day Pack: It has my rain gear, wind breaker, fleece top in a drybag (which provides excellent flotation for the entire day pack), bug dope, cordage supply, several repair kit items, extra fire kit stuff, fillet knife, roll of TP, Rx sunglasses - 2 pairs, hand sanitizer, and all the little things you always want instant access to. When I am on land my bear spray is clipped onto my belt or pack straps for portaging. When I am paddling the bear spray is unclipped and packed in the daypack. This summer I also started carrying a second can of bear spray in the day pack, after a friend of mine last summer emptied a can with multiple blasts on a predatory bear that kept on coming.
My fishing rod, bow saw, and foam fillet board are tied into the boat for portaging.
When I am on a week or under trip using the 30L barrel, I do 2 trips on the portage:
- boat, I wear my PFD, plus day pack and paddles tied into the boat.
- gear pack with 30L barrel T’d up, and hand carry of camera pelican case.
If the portage is difficult, I will do a 3 trip style to reduce pain, and risk of injury. As I get older, I do this more often.
When I am 3 weeks or more I am using the 60L barrel and quite heavy with food starting out. I find for me, I cannot comfortably T up the 60L barrel even when it lightens later in the trip, and my gear pack never lightens, except for a little stove fuel consumption. I always do 3 trips on the portage:
- boat plus PFD plus day pack.
- Gear pack plus paddles
- 60L barrel plus hand carry of pelican case.
Boat trim: I paddle a prospector type boat in bow seat facing the other way. My day pack is on my side of center. The barrel and gear pack are on the other side of the center thwart, and I find this always works for good trim.
Edit: Beyond 30 days I am usually up in the subarctic or arctic with my heavy royalex boat, and also have my shotgun and ammo, plus the extra expedition gear I mentioned above, so I am doing 4 carries on the portage. My longest portage has been 6 km's. On that one, 4 portages means 7 trips, which is 42 km's of walking! I have done several 4 and 5 k portages as well. These portages take 2-3 days!
