What is considered average for gear weight per person? I have backpacked a fair bit and have my gear down to 27 lbs without food. With 2 people and shared gear, it seems easy to single portage. Are there any ultralight paddlers/die hard single portage fans around?

There may be too many tripping styles to come up with a meaningful average gear weight.

"Naked and Afraid" comes to mind when I think about ultralight tripping.

I have tried extreme measures in order to cut weight but found that weight has not been an issue for me. I take anything I want that I feel will add to my trip enjoyment. I seldom share equipment and always single portage. Depending on the time of year my pack weight is about 35 lbs - 45 lbs. without food.

figboot74: "What is considered average for gear weight per person? I have backpacked a fair bit and have my gear down to 27 lbs without food. With 2 people and shared gear, it seems easy to single portage. Are there any ultralight paddlers/die hard single portage fans around? "

I was a backpacker long before discovering the joys of canoe tripping. While not "Ultra-light" I feel I have weight management figured out for backpacking. For canoeing, I disregard weight and focus on bulk. I carry luxuries in my canoe I would never consider when hiking. However, I do want to keep everything I would portage in one pack per person.


Good Luck

Too old not to be comfortable. I take everything including the kitchen sink. I always double portage, and more then likely, triple portage. There’s always a screen house, chairs, fresh food, and way too much fishing equipment. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I like to be comfortable. Packs usually are between 50 and 60 pounds.

When I'm going UL I've hit a 19lb pack weight (not counting worn weight or food) for a 5 day trip. This was a trip which the temps hit 27!
It's doable and I was relatively comfortable, it's just expensive.
But it 100% depends on my trip plan. If I'm basecamping I like chairs, tarps, and the comforts. My pack can hit 40lbs easy. If I'm moving and I'm only in camp to pitch a tent and warm a meal then I'll go light.
But I enjoy the process of micromanaging pack weight. It's polarizing for some reason though.....some people really hate the idea of UL..... but it's my deal and my trip and I'll do it how I want :)

Tomcat: "Depending on the time of year my pack weight is about 35 lbs - 45 lbs. without food."

We shoot for similar pack weights as Tomcat. Typically in the 38-42 lb range and one pack per person including the food barrel. It took about a half dozen trips to find our sweet spot on weight vs. creature comforts, trimming down on the gear we didn’t need and stop taking too much clothing and food. I not-so-fondly remember early trips with 70+ lb food pack and 50+ lb gear packs all bursting at the seams. Heavy and a pain to get in and out of the canoes!

We use CCS Hybrid Pioneer packs and a 60L food barrel in a CCS Quad Pack on family trips (and Ursacks on solo or two person trips). Even the food barrel is in the 40-42 lbs range on a 4 person, five day trip including a 16 oz plastic flask of scotch and 1-2 ‘bottles’ of boxed wine. Our meals are mostly dehydrated, just-add-water type foods.

We like our creature comforts as well. Saw and forest axe for fire wood, Helinox chairs, small folding table for evening/rainy day cards and either a 10 x 12 CCS tarp or 9 x 9 Nemo Bugout for communal shelter. My boys like to take an ENO hammock or two for lounging in camp. I like to take cards, cribbage board and a Kindle e-reader. We often take a couple fishing poles and 2-3 small Plano boxes of tackle as well.

Keeping the gear to this weight and bulk makes for an easy double portage and on shorter portages we can often single portage.

We base camp, take the luxuries, fresh food and double portage. I have never weighed a pack and to my knowledge neither have my trip partners. I pack, put my pack on and carry it around the yard, if it’s too heavy I take something out, if it’s about right or a little light I put in some extra tackle. As I get older I’m usually taking something out and carry too much tackle anyway.

My wife’s pack of stuff that goes inside the tent is about 40 lbs. mine is probably 50 at the start of a trip. I used to be able to single portage that with the canoe but I’m getting older. So, now I double and enjoy that unloaded walk in the woods for taking some pictures and seeing more than with a canoe blocking the view. A nice thing about canoe camping is that you are not carrying for very far most of the time. So you can take more luxuries than backpacking. But there’s someone who does it every which way.

I don't weigh our packs but we've been single portaging for quite a few trips. We usually seem to upgrade a piece of gear or two each year to make things smaller or lighter.

Gear with food for a 10 day trip is about 50# if single portaging. We usually double as we usually go for 10-15 days and are getting older. IMHO people that have always doubled should try a single portage trip and people who have always singled should do a double. They both have their advantages and disadvantages and you learn a lot by trying both. I definitely favor doubling as I have time and like to be comfortable and well rested as well as loving the scenery along the portages. I also love to fish and single portaging with serious fishing gear is challenging to say the least.

Well stated Walllee: But why settle for only one kitchen sink when 2 is so much nicer? HAHA. I am redundant on many items including a tent, water filtration, and chairs. A cot for my Therma-Rest, and on and on. Weight is now around 45 pounds per trip and I have enough bags to do this for as many trips necessary to achieve a good basecamp location.

Figfoot and Tomcat
Does your pack weight include any fishing gear? What do you cook on?

No, I don't take any fishing gear but I take a lot of luxury equipment that take up space that could be occupied by fishing gear instead. I don't skimp on equipment. I take a full set of stakes, poles, and guylines for both my 2 person tent, and my Nemo Bugout shelter. Also take a chair, full size sleeping pad, sleeping bag, rain jacket/pants, saw, first aid kit, stove, water filter, 2 liter water bottle, as well as other equipment and it all fits inside the pack, nothing hanging on the outside ( about 37 lbs. including full 2 liter water bottle and 24 oz. of fuel ).

I only use a stove to heat water and I prefer to use my alcohol stove on solo warm weather trips and my butane stove when my wife goes or in cold weather.

TomCat ... were did you get the poles for Nemo bugout? did they come with it?

Ebay

I also have a good bit of backpacking experience and call my tripping style "LuxLight." Single portage, lightweight equipment, it's mostly the same stuff I use backpacking -- 800 fill down bag, a sub 3lb tent, a klymit static v, brs300 stove, titanium cook pot. I tend to have a more time in camp when I'm canoeing than when backpacking, so I bring things that help me enjoy my time there more. There are a few things I bring in a canoe that I would never bring backpacking like a small lantern, a big knife, a saw, a chair, a tent AND a tarp, a canister stove AND a twig stove, steaks, a small grill, a skillet, fresh food, and enough layers to ensure I will NEVER get cold. (backpacking, I just go to bed if I'm cold.) I haven't weighed my canoe gear setup, but my backpack is about 17-ish pounds loaded, no food or water, so I'd guess my canoe pack is probably in the mid 30's. I am VERY comfortable at that weight, and I can't think of anything that would make me more comfortable, except maybe a small table.

Lighter is faster. Less stuff to misplace, faster to set up and break down, faster to portage, easier to paddle.

I was a UL backpacker first, going back 20 years now. Still go every year.

Base weight for 5-10 days at altitude (nights into the 20's, occasionally) is 15 lbs. Add about a pound per day for food. And 8lbs for the UL archery gear, when appropriate.

I will find out this coming season about how that translates to single portaging, as I now own a Northstar Northwind solo.

Backpacking - my base weight is about 18lbs (depending on the weather). My pack, or I get heavier when it is colder out.
In the BWCA - I will carry about 40 lbs. I bring a lot more comfort/convenience items like a full sized saw, hatchet, chairs, table, rain tarp, etc.

MagicPaddler: "Figfoot and Tomcat
Does your pack weight include any fishing gear? What do you cook on?
"

Hello MagicPaddler.
My backpacking gear includes a 5 1/2 foot telescoping spinning rod and ultralight reel. I use an old Skoal can with some lures, flies and a casting bubble as a tackle box. When I am in the BW(or any float trip) I will bring another 6 foot spinning combo and a plano deep stow away box of tackle.
For cooking I use the MSR pocket rocket and a 1 liter pot with lid. The stove, fuel, lighter and potholder all nest inside the pot. I typically only cook one meal per day in the evening. I simply heat a liter of water and separated between my coffee for the next morning and dinner that night. The majority of my meals are cooked in a 1-quart Ziploc bag in an insulated pouch. By the time my hammock and tarp are set up my meal is done. I take a stainless steel 27 oz water bottle and fill it with boiling water add insant coffee and cocoa then shake. Now I have a hot water bottle for drying boots or socks. I really do not mind the cold mocha when I can have it instantly upon waking up. After 6 months on the trail it was more about efficiency than anything. The last thing you wanted to do upon reaching camp was spend any amount of time cooking and cleaning. On float trips I include a 10 inch aluminum fry pan and some oil. While hiking I typically cook fish on a stick over the fire.

Figboot,

Most of my trips (not all) are light weight trips. I like to paddle and portage and see some ground. Keep things simple, easy and clean. I sleep well and eat plenty and train fairly rigorously for BWCA season. As stated before, it's my trip!!!

My pack weight on a trip with my girls (ages 11 and 12) this summer I was 12# for me and each of theirs were #20-#22, Food went with me at about #15 for 5 days/4 nights so I was at #27 total in pack and single portaged with a MN3. #80 ish carrying weight??

If it is me and one of the girls, for 5 days we can both be at #20 ish including food + Spirit 2 so #60 lbs carry for me.

If you are with another adult, I would think a day pack/canoe for one and a gear/food pack for the other keeping carry weight in the high 40's for each very doable. That would be fun. There are plenty of UL guys in this group that can share with you. Search on the site for packing list and ideas. Good luck.

John

Two people, two packs. For a one week fishing and traveling trip, one pack will be ~50 lbs., the other ~60 lbs. Single portage, I take the canoe and the light pack, wife (or the other 2nd) takes the heavier pack.

I want to get on this UL kick. 70 lbs for me, 35 for wife. heavy tent, axe & saw, and lots of heavy (and great!) food and drink. Base camp and single portage, but would like to do a trip with a lot of moving, make a huge circuit somewhere in the BW, with much lighter more minimal setup.

I’ve never weighed my packs. I just load them with the gear I want to take. Double portage, and base camp.

Personally, I don't feel like my has gotten lighter as I have gotten more experienced and upgraded my gear. It feels more like I have started bringing more as I learn more about what I like or need to bring. I have a little more redundancy, like a second filter and more cordage, and more luxuries, like my chair and cribbage board. The first year I went, I brought the bare bones gear that was heavy and just put together so it sort of worked. Now I have a tarp, nice sleeping pad, chair, thermarest pillow, and all synthetic clothing.

So the point I'm getting at is that I do not think weight is as important as some people think. Granted, that after I got all the gear I needed my pack has been getting lighter as I upgrade, but I don't spend hundreds just to have my pack slightly lighter. My intent is more about factoring weight in with quality, functionality and price, rather than just looking at weight alone.

If you are looking at a specific weight goal though, I have heard that 1/3 of your body weight (for someone in shape) is about as heavy as you want to go. I do carry more than that with the aluminum canoe, but it does get painful after a while. I could carry something closer to the 1/3 of my weight goal far more comfortably and far longer.

I prefer to single portage, but I don’t know many other people that share my enthusiasm for it so I only single portage when I’m solo. I’ve got my pack down to about 40 lbs with food. That includes fishing gear, 2 man tent, small tarp, backpacker stove with a lb of fuel and a pot/pan big enough for frying fish and cooking a side dish. There are several other little items I bring but the pack stays around 40 lbs with food for a 5-7 day trip. My solo canoe weighs around 25 lbs, so single portaging is pretty easy and makes for swift travel.

Tony

anthonyp007: "I prefer to single portage, but I don’t know many other people that share my enthusiasm for it so I only single portage when I’m solo. I’ve got my pack down to about 40 lbs with food. That includes fishing gear, 2 man tent, small tarp, backpacker stove with a lb of fuel and a pot/pan big enough for frying fish and cooking a side dish. There are several other little items I bring but the pack stays around 40 lbs with food for a 5-7 day trip. My solo canoe weighs around 25 lbs, so single portaging is pretty easy and makes for swift travel.


Tony"

Tony
What does your pack weigh without food?

MP,
For a 5-7 day jaunt, its probably just over 30 lbs. I pack very light for fishing gear, probably around 5 lbs for fishing gear, 8 lbs for food, 10 lbs for tent and sleeping gear, and the last 7-10 lbs is assorted camping gear like a saw, med kit, rope/fastener bag, bait, and water filter. My food bucket slides right into my Portage pack which is convenient for single portaging, but what’s best is I can pull it out and use it as ballast if I need to shift weight around in the boat. Here’s a pic of my little food pack which holds food and all cookware for solo trips.

The gamma seal lid helps keep things air tight and dry and the bucket doubles as a stool.

Tony

I think to make a cut from double portage to single portage, space is more of a consideration than weight, though they are both important. If you can get all your stuff into one pack (or two - I've seen some folks portage with a pack on the back and chest) that will go further toward making a single portage doable. Now... packing less stuff and ultralight gear will make a considerable impact on your space as well as weight.

Your biggest space savers will obviously be your sleeping gear: bag, pad and tent... and food. Get ultralight (freeze dried food) versions of those, and you've gone a long way toward trimming the volume of your gear to something that can be hauled in one trip. At the same time, you'll also make your overall load lighter, even if you make the weight you carry on one trip greater. Does that make sense? You may carry 30 pounds twice on a double portage vs 45 pounds once (not including canoe) once on a single portage? It's an easier load carrying 30 pounds twice. But you might be limited to only being able to fit 45 pounds in each of your packs, so you are forced to carry 2 packs but split the load evenly between them. Getting ultralight gear will allow you to put more stuff in one pack, but you may have to pack that one to its capacity to hold everything. Now you're only making one trip, but your pack is 50% heavier - overall using less time and energy. Just throwing rough numbers out there - not finely calculated.

I'm going to stop now. I feel like I'm talking in circles and I'm pretty sure everyone gets the concept.

On 3-night basecamp trips involving day trips for my wife and me, we try to divide items into 3 packs of around 35-40 lbs each, plus the one canoe, of course. That makes for a comfortable dbl-portage, one item per person each trip. That's with dehydrated foods, stove for cooking, tools for evening fires, tent, fishing gear, some in-camp luxuries: chairs, tarp w poles, napping hammock.

It's fascinating how light some of you guys pack. My daughter and I went for an 11 day Quetico trip last spring. the barrel pack weighed about 60 pounds at the beginning of the trip--it has all the food and kitchen stuff. The portage pack weighs about 50 and includes the tent, tarp, saw, grill, clothes, sleeping bags, crazy creek chairs, books, pads, a hammock, and other stuff. The tackle box is lashed to one of the canoes. We take two Kruger Sea Winds, so we are already packing heavy! So we double portage. I do the canoes and my daughter does the packs. We are going for 14 days next spring so may have to get a little more creative to keep the weight and volume down!

I am by no means a "diehard" single portager, but I do prefer to go that route if possible. If the trip is longer than two weeks, then food weight alone makes it pretty tough to make single-portaging work unless I'm headed so far north that I could catch fish with a sharp spoon (to lessen the packed food weight).

Keep in mind that backpacking ain't canoeing. You have the weight on your shoulders for a very, very, very small percentage of the time while on a canoe trip. There's no "need" to go ultralight, unless you enjoy the experience. You can single-portage while being very comfortable, as I've done for years, while being far from ultralight. Lots of variables come into play, of course, but it's certainly doable.

I think age has something to do with the common advice on this topic. The average age of canoe folks is on the high side, so the limitations that come with age (or maybe it's wisdom? :) might force many to double/triple portage...and if that's the case, why not bring enough to be comfortable?

never weighed my packs either, over the years i got an idea of not to bring back. items i never used or food i never ate.
i know there was for me a mental comfort thing about having all the extra clothing, or food, but i got over that.
experience and number of trips will help you scale down your pack load.
it's your trip, take what you want and enjoy it.

The only double portaging I have ever done was on trips longer than a month, and even then we would double carry (pack on front and back) before we would double back on a portage. Of course, I was a LOT younger and fitter then.

However, our family trips we set up to single portage with a light pack on the canoe carrier and a heavier pack for each of the other 2. We don't specifically pack with weight in mind...more a matter of having enough room for everything. However, we don't pack much extra gear or clothing. No camp chairs or bug shelter. We carry a very lightweight rain tarp. We do carry extra weight in the sleeping department since 2 people like to sleep in hammocks but I only like a tent.

for canoe camping, I've found that compactability is much more important than weight. My wife and I bring a LOT of food and wine (and she brings a LOT of clothes) on our 10-11 day trips and probably start out with packs that weigh 70# (hers) and 50# (mine). However, our rule is that everything must fit, or strap securely on to, one of the two portage packs, or the canoe.

We single portage all but the very longest, and the very shortest portages.

Even though I have to help her put on her pack, she has no problems carrying it for a mile, which is longer than most portages. For me, the hardest part is getting the canoe on my shoulders with a full pack, but once it's up there, the walk is easy.