We usually go with four on our trips. This year we may have up to seven. Please let me know if I'm thinking correctly.

When we take four, we have a food pack, a gear pack and two packs of sleeping gear and clothes, which is one pack per two people.

With seven, we can spread the pack weight out more, allowing us to travel faster over portages. I take my wife every year and she's like the energizer bunny, not fast but just keeps going and going. If I can, I'd like to really lighten her pack to maybe just the tackle bag and bait.

Our first day this year will be 23 miles total, 22 paddling and one portaging. Am I thinking correctly or am I missing something.

If you double portage and have three canoes and ten packs, she only has to do a single trip across, she gets the lightest pack. She wouldn't even have to walk back for second trip.

Single portaging, well not sure how you do this, less packs means heavier packs, unless your real efficient and travel light and small.

22-mile paddle, one mile portaging, where you heading?

To an extent yes. You will also have an odd number of people, so likely a three person canoe in the mix (I'd not recommend adding a solo canoe). That extra person helps a lot with portage efficiency... or in this case can take it easy as you are suggesting for your spouse.

Make sure to keep a tight gear list. While I do like to have backups, more people may mean they want to bring their own stuff... you don't need 5 jetboils on a trip with 8 people (it happened once, but only once!). Tents can also add up depending on sleep arrangements.

campnfish: "If you double portage and have 3 canoes and 10 packs, she only has to do a single trip across, she gets the lightest pack. She wouldn't even have to walk back for second trip.

Single portaging, well not sure how you do this, less packs means heavier packs, unless your real efficient and travel light and small.

22-mile paddle, one mile portaging, where you heading? "

We are heading up LIS to LLC and a small hidden lake. We won't have ten packs, only six, and we single portage almost all of them. Three packs of sleeping gear and clothes, one gear pack of pots, pans, water filters and everything else for camp (what I call community gear) and a food pack. Plus we take too much tackle so we have a literal backpack, although small, of trays. We will be fishing for 5-6 species of fish during the week.

My wife usually carries a 45lb pack on trips. I'm smart enough to bring young strong lads who are the pack mules for the trip, carrying a pack and a canoe.

THEGrandRapids: "Make sure to keep a tight gear lisWhile I do like to have backups, more people may mean they want to bring their own stuff... you don't need 5 jetboils on a trip with 8 people (it happened once, but only once!). Tents can also add up depending on sleep arrangements. "

I actually have all the gear for everyone. They bring their clothes, fishing gear and sleeping bag. I have a strict list of clothing allowed on a spreadsheet that everyone follows.

First, you should know that I am not a fan of single portage. I have seen too many injuries from those trying to carry too much. Just so you know my biases.

There are some questions:

Seven people is almost double the food for the same amount of time. Only one food pack? Maybe not? You mention you have a group of young people from 1-800-PortageMonkey. Those young lads (and lasses?) need fuel. Low blood sugar with teenagers to 20 somethings is not a pretty picture. More oil for frying fish for 7? Every recipe you have needs to be doubled.

The larger the group the more "smelly" bear stuff goes along. Toothbrushes, paste, antiperspirants, etc. The larger the group, the more likely that there is someone with medicines to safeguard.

Cooking for a larger group either takes more fuel (larger pots?) or longer time (boiling 2 sets of water?). Either way you will need more fuel. It will take twice the cook time, for example, to get everyone pancakes or fried fish. Or 2 stoves? Either way it takes more fuel and maybe more/larger pans.

You will need more eating utensils and plates/bowls. Does your utensil roll hold enough for 7 people? Mine does not. Dish washing will need more water and soaps.

More toilet products. Double the people will use more than double the TP, wipes, and hand sanitizer.

Everyone is going to fish from the same 4-5 flats of lures from the same backpack? Really? With 3 boats, no one is going to want to strike out by themselves to find fresh fishing waters with a full arsenal of lures available?

*****Remember to get the extra permit tabs from the main permit so that each boat has a record of the permit.

More extra gear:
Each boat should have a set of maps.
More PFD's - that 3rd pfd on the 3 man canoe will create an imbalanced portage carry if it is wrapped around a seat like the other 2
More paddles to carry.
More fishing rods to carry.
More water bottles (easy to forget at a portage end.)

The point is that more people is not just a few more dry bags with personal gear.

Very interesting points. We have thought about some of your points. We believe that we will need 50% more food, not doubled. We struggle to finish some meals.

We try to cook over a fire more often than not.

We usually split up the tackle trays when we go out, everyone taking a little bit of what they want.

Try as hard as you can: no loose stuff. Everything goes in a pack. If something goes in a thwart bag, the thwart bag either stays connected to the thwart when portaging, or the bag gets attached to a pack. More people can lead to less organization...and having a yard sale at every portage insures someone will forget something.

Mike

MikeinMpls: "Try as hard as you can: no loose stuff. Everything goes in a pack. If something goes in a thwart bag, the thwart bag either stays connected to the thwart when portaging, or the bag gets attached to a pack. More people can lead to less organization...and having a yard sale at every portage insures someone will forget something.

Mike"

Excellent advice for any size group.

Michwall is right in so many ways on this. I have done several trips with 7. I don't have all the answers, but this is what we do for what it's worth.

1. Everyone is responsible for their own back packs to include tackle, rods, chair and food day packs. (count them = 7)
2. We have a few extra 55-65L backpacks to haul community items. One each for: (1) Kitchen cookware, plates. fillet knives and table. (2) First Aid, Platypus, tarps, rope and hatchet (3) Camp food.
3. Bait bucket
4. There usually seems to be one tent that makes it's way into the group items to carry.

Add all these things together along with three canoes and you have 14 items and possibly a tent or two that need to be carried. This works out perfect for double portaging. We used to try and single or do a single and a half portage, then we got smart and just decided to slow down, take in nature and double portage. This made our trips better. Since you only have to unpack from your canoes one time, I'd definitely suggest you double portage. Just plan for the extra 45 minutes.

From experience, here are a couple other tips: We usually get one 2-man canoe and two each 3-man canoes. This allows a little more haul space in the extra 3 man canoe allowing you to more adequately haul your gear. Also, If you don't have extra backpacks for the community bags, it may be worth buying a couple less expensive 65 liter bags. A couple hundred bucks divided by 7 people doesn't add a lot of expense to the trip and you'd also have them for future trips.

Hope this adds some value to your trip.
Happy Paddling!

Darin

PointMe2Polaris: "Michwall is right in so many ways on this. I have done several trips with 7. I don't have all the answers, but this is what we do for what it's worth.

1. Everyone is responsible for their own back packs to include tackle, rods, chair and food day packs. (count them = 7)
2. We have a few extra 55-65L backpacks to haul community items. One each for: (1) Kitchen cookware, plates. fillet knives and table. (2) First Aid, Platypus, tarps, rope and hatchet (3) Camp food.
3. Bait bucket
4. There usually seems to be one tent that makes it's way into the group items to carry.

Add all these things together along with three canoes and you have 14 items and possibly a tent or two that need to be carried. This works out perfect for double portaging. We used to try and single or do a single and a half portage, then we got smart and just decided to slow down, take in nature and double portage. This made our trips better. Since you only have to unpack from your canoes one time, I'd definitely suggest you double portage. Just plan for the extra 45 minutes.

From experience, here are a couple other tips: We usually get one 2-man canoe and two each 3-man canoes. This allows a little more haul space in the extra 3 man canoe allowing you to more adequately haul your gear. Also, If you don't have extra backpacks for the community bags, it may be worth buying a couple less expensive 65 liter bags. A couple hundred bucks divided by 7 people doesn't add a lot of expense to the trip and you'd also have them for future trips.

Hope this adds some value to your trip.
Happy Paddling!

Darin"

That's an interesting take.

In my group, my wife and I's gear all fits into one pack. This includes our clothes, tent, cots, pads, a hammock and extra shoes. The other two's gear, including two tents, fit into another pack, they don't use the helinox cots like we do, so the second tent equals out in space. We then have a community gear pack that consists of saws, water filters, pots, pans and everything else needed for camp. Lastly, we have a food pack that has breakfasts and dinners in a kitty litter bucket. On top of the bucket is our snack/lunch pack that is just a 3 day assault pack in reality.

All of our fishing rods are secured to the canoes, leaving only the tackle backpack and the leech lockers loose in the canoe. We never have anything else loose to carry.

With 7 there should be 3 1/2 packs of personal gear, the community gear pack and the food pack. I'm thinking the snack bag will probably have to go in the pack that is only half full of the 7th person's gear.

We usually do a pack for each person then one food bag. Tackle goes in a personal day pack and there is no bait bucket. Our double portage plan is once with the personal/divided group gear and the personal daypack on your front, the second portage has one person carrying the canoe and the other takes the food pack, paddles, and rods all tied together. Sometimes we grab a paddle or the rods on the first portage to make the second easier.

With more than one canoe, I would prefer to split the food bag into one per canoe, give it to the stronger/younger canoe, or take some group gear in exchange for the food pack. Generally more people makes it easier because you still only need one set of cook gear, one rain fly, and so on.

The new bear container rules are throwing a wrench in things and we may be forced to rethink how we portage, but the kids are getting older and might require a whole new plan anyways. What I need to do is swap out the aluminum canoe for a Kevlar canoe and single portages might become possible.

bombinbrain,

:-) You're probably not wrong on the interesting take. We figure if we're going to double portage, might as well split community items up in smaller portions therefor lightening the load of all community bags. Keep in mind, 3/4 of our trip is usually base camping, so we do tend to take a few luxury items that likely wouldn't be taken on a loop style trip (we've had to shed luxury items on some trips). This is how we've come to prefer our packing method as unorthodox as it may be, but it works for us. As far as the fishing rods go, we all take telescoping or break down rods that fit in our personal backpacks, but I totally get strapping them to the canoes if you have traditional rods. Been there and done that. Works great.