Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Aluminum Canoe - Portage tips
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deerfoot |
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MikeinMpls |
Make sure you make lifting it onto your shoulders a two-person operation. It is very easy to become injured in any number of ways just getting the canoe lifted up. Secondly, make sure another person in your party (your son in this case) is able to carry the canoe, should you become injured. That means that another person in your party (your wife and/or daughter) must be able to assist getting the canoe onto your son's shoulders. So, it's a family affair. Lastly, practice before you leave. Practice in a grassy area where the boat will not become hurt, dented, punctured, etc, should she get dropped. Good luck. Mike |
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brantlars |
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thlipsis29 |
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paddy3001 |
But maybe the best advice I can suggest is to make your 20 year old portage it and save your back! |
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AmarilloJim |
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The Great Outdoors |
If the canoe is real old, the brand Sea King was sold by Montgomery Wards and it may be one of theirs. Shouldering an aluminum canoe is a lost art, but easy to learn. Most people today can only use the Kevlar lifting technique, and are beyond help!! :) If you are ever in Ely, stop by the shop and we can show you the proper way to do so. |
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schweady |
What's the second canoe? If it's a rented Kevlar, make sure you are nice and take turns... |
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marsonite |
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schweady |
marsonite: "Definitely practice lifting it. We used to lift aluminum canoes by grabbing it by the front thwart and fipping it on our shoulders while leaving the stern resting on the ground. It's a lot easier and the aluminum can take the abuse. " Agreed. Most of our guys wound up doing it this way pretty often, but we were borrowing or renting, so I shuddered to see the owners' reactions when they were returned. Apparently, no worries. :-) |
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Bannock |
Get a good set of yoke pads for the yoke. Practice getting the canoe up onto the portager's shoulders. You need not worry about damaging it, so you can rest it on its point and walk it up. Use two or more people for the lift. The canoe can be cold or hot and noisy. Be aware of that. You'll probably want foam pads to sit on. On the water, you'll be fine. In camp, you can use it as a table. You'll be fine. Remember at one point, not all that long ago, aluminum was the lightweight canoe. |
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HayRiverDrifter |
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The Great Outdoors |
Then wrap your right forearm underneath the canoe and flip it up using your legs to move upward at the same time. The pads of the yoke should land squarely on your shoulders when you do this. Like he said, try it with a square stern with gear strapped in, and a pack on the back-now you're portaging!!!!! :) |
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Fortunate1 |
schweady: "marsonite: "Definitely practice lifting it. We used to lift aluminum canoes by grabbing it by the front thwart and fipping it on our shoulders while leaving the stern resting on the ground. It's a lot easier and the aluminum can take the abuse. " I see no issue with this method. It has been done many times to my aluminum canoes from the newbies. I used to pick up the canoe and flip it. But in looking to change it up. I can now pick up my Grumman and shoulder it with one arm. You may ask what's the point, no point just something different. I get bored with same ol same ol. |
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paddlinjoe |
marsonite: "Definitely practice lifting it. We used to lift aluminum canoes by grabbing it by the front thwart and fipping it on our shoulders while leaving the stern resting on the ground. It's a lot easier and the aluminum can take the abuse. " This is a good idea. An alternate additoin since you have a group, is one person in front doing the above suggested on coordination with the , with the middle carry person can create an easier lift for the carrry person. Two other items to check ahead of time at home. Check the shoulder pad width for the most likely carry person. A good fit there helps a lot with heavier canoes. Second, check/correct the balance on the canoe. Neutral, or slightly tail heavy is much better than front heavy. |
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tbomb4000 |
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oldguide2 |
If you are at all worried and have enough portages to make it daunting for you, then I agree with several posters that you should rent Kevlar. I also support using local outfitters whether in Ely or Grand Marais. One of them can even walk you through how to put up a canoe. If you see someone at a portage doing it well ask them for tips. One final last minute suggestion. If nothing else you can always put the front end on a tree branch or in the crotch of a tree, then walk under and pick it up. |
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dasunt |
For any who don't know, you can often rent canoes from local universities and community colleges. The Univ of Minnesota will rent canoes and camping gear to you. It's cheaper than other options if you have a way to transport the canoes. The community colleges are even cheaper than the U of M. Sadly, when I looked at the U of M's site this year, they no longer list Duluth Packs for rent. I rented from them in the past (they were cheap), but now it's going to be outfitters near the BWCA that get my money if I need an extra pack. |
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IdealTarHeel |
My family of 4 - son (20 yrs), daughter (15 yrs), me (53 yrs), wife (won't tell you) - are going to the BWCA. I went there three times as a Boy Scout in the early 80s. My question is about ONE of the canoes I will be taking. The canoe is an 18' foot aluminum. I think the brand is Sea King (but not 100% sure). Anyway, I am interested in finding out any tricks, tips, suggestions that will help make that canoe more comfortable BOTH PADDLING AND PORTAGING. Please, please, please save me from myself. Nothing is too small/too big of a suggestion. |
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justinrlees |
I recommend new bolts, washers, and screws if you have had a pair on there for awhile. And before you leave, tighten them as much as you can. I'd also recommend thick shoulder pads, as you're gonna want as much comfort carrying the aluminum canoe as possible. Sounds like a fun trip! Nothing like enjoying the BWCA with the family. Have fun. |
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old_salt |
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oldguide2 |
Picking up a canoe is all technique. Get some one who knows what they are doing to show you. Then practice it. It's all in the flip motion you make. If you are having trouble getting it up, bring it up to your hip first and rest it there, then do the flip. Having watched people portaging the last few years, it seems like the art of doing the flip is becoming endangered. One of the best I saw at this was none other than Dorothy Moulter. As for portaging the advice about a yoke is well taken. Patty Borquin in Ely used to make great yokes. I used to make my own out of high density foam. That way I could customize the fit. Once you have the boat up take a second to balance it. You should be able to portage a well balanced canoe with no hands, using your neck muscles to make small corrections. You definitely should be able to portage using one hand. Having done the nine mile a number of times plus bush whacking portages up in the Canadian bush, you need to be able to switch hands on a long portage. You don't know portaging until you've picked up a Grumman with water in the bow tank while standing there with an 85 pound food pack. Or try a square stern that weighs in at 125. |
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GraniteCliffs |
By the time I hit about 50 i had switched to Kevlar and never looked back. My advice? If you are taking a limited number of portages I would certainly take the aluminum canoe. If you are out for a number of days and are taking a fair number of portages I would give some serious thought to renting a Kevlar. Unless, of course, your 20 year old is a strong young lad! |
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The Great Outdoors |
dasunt: "For any who don't know, you can often rent canoes from local universities and community colleges. The Univ of Minnesota will rent canoes and camping gear to you. It's cheaper than other options if you have a way to transport the canoes. The community colleges are even cheaper than the U of M. I'm kind of at a loss for words when reading this post about renting canoes and camping gear from local universities and Community Colleges. With all the talk about northern Minnesota not needing mining or other jobs frowned upon by certain groups, one would assume the canoeist would do everything they could to help the local economy by renting their gear (if needed) from an outfitter that tries to earn a living in a community on the edge of the BWCA. Amazing!! :( |
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IdealTarHeel |
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4keys |
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analyzer |
For any who don't know, you can often rent canoes from local universities and community colleges. The Univ of Minnesota will rent canoes and camping gear to you. It's cheaper than other options if you have a way to transport the canoes. The community colleges are even cheaper than the U of M. Last time we went to Crooked lake in 2005, we rented 63 lb fiberglass canoes from Inver Hills community college. I think they might have been Old Town Pack canoes or something like that. If you had a student ID, they were $27 for a week. We did not, so they were $45 for the week. Granted that was 13 years ago, but even at that time those canoes would have rented for over $100 for the week elsewhere. So if your son is 20, and a college student somewhere, I would check and see what he can rent with his student ID. You might be able to get into something that's 50 or 60 lbs instead of 85 or 90, relatively cheap, and your knees and shoulders will thank you. |
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Lailoken |
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BWPaddler |
The Great Outdoors: "dasunt: "For any who don't know, you can often rent canoes from local universities and community colleges. The Univ of Minnesota will rent canoes and camping gear to you. It's cheaper than other options if you have a way to transport the canoes. The community colleges are even cheaper than the U of M. Point is that he plans to rent from NO ONE at the moment. Assuming $$ is the reason, why not point out options that will help him love the BWCA within a budget? But YES - you would also have tons of rental options closer to the BWCA as well, and many reasonably priced. Some even "rent to own", lol! BWP - a fellow TarHeel! |
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The Great Outdoors |
BWPaddler: "The Great Outdoors: "dasunt: "For any who don't know, you can often rent canoes from local universities and community colleges. The Univ of Minnesota will rent canoes and camping gear to you. It's cheaper than other options if you have a way to transport the canoes. The community colleges are even cheaper than the U of M. True enough, but point is the more a person attempts to save from getting their gear to use in the BWCA by purchasing them from businesses far away, will make more and more businesses that rely on the summer visitor's tourist dollars, go out of business. When traveling through Ely, look at the number of empty buildings. Every dollar spent elsewhere has contributed to this happening! |