Have you ever had to back track to retrieve items at a previous portage? We left a camera off to side when I forgot to pick it up when the others came over the portage with the remainder of our stuff. Fortunately, we were spending the night about a half mile or so from the portage, so the next morning we returned for it.

I have left my PFD on the end of a portage a couple times. I try to keep everything in a pack or strapped to the canoe or a pack now. Helps me from losing stuff I would rather not.

Not yet, fortunately. I have lost a couple of tent pegs at a camp site. I pity the person who left eyeglasses at the Birch-Carp portage this August.

I don't think I have left things at portages but my first trip was with Scouts. I think one Scout had to paddle back to just about every portage for something - and once or twice multiple trips back to same portage. We got use to waiting.

This is the rare mistake I've yet to make.

I left a Nalgene bottle at a portage and didn’t realize it until two lakes and three portages later. That was a long trek back for it. Since then I try to have no loose items, not even water bottles. I always clip them to a pack or person.

Tony

I had to backtrack three portages to get back to a spare pfd that I had left behind. I was on my first solo and my partner was none too pleased!

Never. Everything is either strapped to the canoe or in one of 3 packs while on the water and at portages. I never have any individual items loose out of the canoe. So far this has worked very well for me, and made me a much faster portager. Even 5ough I double carry, I’ve lapped people at portages because they paused to what to carry or where things were.

Using an outfitter, I brought a group of students out some years ago. We headed to Stuart Lake. We had a great trip in and a wonderful evening with steaks. We woke up the next morning for breakfast only to discover that one of our food packs was missing. We checked every pack and even paddled back to the last portage. Nothing. Apparently, it was left at the outfitter and no one realized it. Despite not having the extra food we all did survive. Lesson: check and double check your gear before you depart.

I took an early-season trip up LIS one year with my sons, both young at the time. When we made camp that night, we found a pair of lined men's nylon pants, nothing fancy. I recall thinking that it would be one more thing to have to pack and carry out.
Later on, my sons were messing around in camp near the lakeshore and one fell in. The water was cold and it was turning really ugly weatherwise. I was never so grateful as I was that night for another person's "left behind"!

Got a tow across moose on the way to knife unloaded all the gear the tow boat left we did the 10yd portage and that's when we realized the paddles where still in the pickup. Did I mention tow boat left?

46plymouth: "Got a tow across moose on the way to knife unloaded all the gear the tow boat left we did the 10yd portage and that's when we realized the paddles where still in the pickup. Did I mention tow boat left? "

Wow that's a big one.

So you really up the creek without paddles.

How did you fix the situation?

Watched a boy scout group leave a food pack at the west end of Curtain Falls portage. Figured they would be back eventually, was sitting in plain sight on the shore line.

I have left hat on Kekekabic Lake was high winds and when we got to the other side I wasn't going back.

I usually go right at the portage so haven't had this problem :)

Spartan1 has left his PFD at a portage at least once. Not sure, but might have been a total of two occasions in some 42 years. But I remember the one because he had a LONG backtrack to retrieve it. It was a beautiful day, and I sat on a warm rock and waited for him. :-)

He also left his PFD once on the dock at Poplar Creek/Little Ollie Lake when we were starting out on a trip. Didn't discover it until we were at the portage to Lizz. He paddled back by himself and I stayed with our gear.

Fortunately, just once and it was easily fixed with the help of other campers. On the portage from Shell Lake to LIS there is a flooded out section of the portage. I forget now, but maybe a hundred yards or so?

When we got to LIS, we couldn't find a paddle (what a dumb thing to lose). I walked back and couldn't find it. At that time another group came across and asked if I lost a paddle cuz there was one on the other side of the washed out area. When I said it was ours, they let me hop in and took me back to get it. A nice act of kindness. That is the only item I can think of we've left behind.

bpaddle: "I usually go right at the portage so haven't had this problem :)"

Portaging Pencil lake to Frost River going downstream there is a fork you need to turn left at!

Not at a portage, but I left my TP at the campsite on Lynx Lake one time.
Fortunately I was only half ways across the lake when I realized my mistake.

Loggers toilet paper wasn't going to cut it, because I was on day one or two on a 6 nite solo. I paddled back and got it, since I had "NO squares to spare" Seinfield.

I left a rod case on a portage in Wabakimi at the other end of a long windswept lake. The younger couple with us graciously paddled back to retrieve it. I was amazed at how little time it took them as they were very strong paddlers.

I left my favorite tripping hat hanging on a tree branch at a lunch stop on the the Big RV between Upper Pawshowconk and Shoal Lakes in crown lands east of Wabakimi PP about 4-5 years ago. When I realized I had left it behind, I was not going to ask my partner to backtrack for it. I imagine it is still hanging there since that route has so little to recommend it given the grueling portages which took us 11 days to clear that it is unlikely anyone has passed that way since we were there.

I still think of that hat that was on so many Canadian trips with me. So suppose it is fitting that it was left there.

On my first trip across the border route in the 70s, we’d camped on a campsite between Lower Basswood Falls and Table Rock. Kind of a rainy day so we stopped on an island campsite for a bite to eat on Crooked.

My old chessy (Ruby) got to be quite a frisbee dog. On just her second week, she had quite the game of unzipping her pack and having her frisbee in her mouth. We’d land and we got our tosses in and then eat lunch or whatever. While we did that, she’d hide the frisbee and when leaving I was supposed to ask where is it and she’d go get it and we’d be off once it was put away.

On this particular day, we just loaded up and took off. About a hundred yards out, she was going nuts and I knew exactly why. I told Vern we had to go back, and when he asked why, I just said trust me.

When we got back to the spot we’d stopped, without a word said, she went right to the spot and got her Frisbee, hopped back in the canoe and we were off. If there is a doggie heaven, both her and Bernie are sharing notes.

Just picturing that story of Ruby made me smile.

That's a great story :)

nctry: " If there is a doggie heaven "

I think that's just called heaven. Any place without dogs certainly is not heaven.

Sunglasses.

Left them on the end of the first portage out of Brent into Conmee. I spent the next couple of days on Conmee fishing and wishing that I had those sunglasses. I found them on my way out, right where they fell off of my hat when putting the boat down and into the water. I've developed a lanyard-system for my glasses to prevent this from happening again.

RTurner: "That's a great story :)

nctry: " If there is a doggie heaven "

I think that's just called heaven. Any place without dogs certainly is not heaven.


"

Amen!

nctry: "

bpaddle: "I usually go right at the portage so haven't had this problem :)"

Portaging Pencil lake to Frost River going downstream there is a fork you need to turn left at!"

I took at right on the portage from Caribou to Clearwater when I should have gone left. Last portage of the trip involved popping out back into the lake at a campsite and paddling back to where I started.

nctry: "On my first trip across the border route in the 70s, we’d camped on a campsite between Lower Basswood Falls and Table Rock. Kind of a rainy day so we stopped on an island campsite for a bite to eat on Crooked.

My old chessy (Ruby) got to be quite a frisbee dog. On just her second week, she had quite the game of unzipping her pack and having her frisbee in her mouth. We’d land and we got our tosses in and then eat lunch or whatever. While we did that, she’d hide the frisbee and when leaving I was supposed to ask where is it and she’d go get it and we’d be off once it was put away.

On this particular day, we just loaded up and took off. About a hundred yards out, she was going nuts and I knew exactly why. I told Vern we had to go back, and when he asked why, I just said trust me.

When we got back to the spot we’d stopped, without a word said, she went right to the spot and got her Frisbee, hopped back in the canoe and we were off. If there is a doggie heaven, both her and Bernie are sharing notes. "

<3

HighnDry: "Sunglasses.


Left them on the end of the first portage out of Brent into Conmee. I spent the next couple of days on Conmee fishing and wishing that I had those sunglasses. I found them on my way out, right where they fell off of my hat when putting the boat down and into the water. I've developed a lanyard-system for my glasses to prevent this from happening again."

Thumbs up for the ol' lanyard - never leave home without it.