Dell Magic is very light. I have a portage yoke that I used to carry a Royalex solo canoe (about 70lb). A kevlar magic is so light that I wonder if a yoke is needed?

I would recommend useing a yoke for any canoe regardless of how light it is. It's the easiest way to travel. It puts the weight on your shoulders a nd balances it out. A clamp on yoke is easy to put on and remove at the end of each portage. I wouldn't think of carrying my solo (about 36 lbs) more than 200 feet without putting my yoke on. It's just the wise thing to do.

How would you carry it without a yoke? Sure, you wouldn't need one if you were carrying the canoe from car to water, or for a 5 or 10 rod portage, but for anything else you want the canoe up on your shoulders.

I have portaged my Magic a few times without the yoke when I left the yoke in camp. The longest portage I did was 50 rods. It was uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to do it very often but it can be done. Unless you are only going to do a couple of short portages I would bring a yoke.

Yes, a yoke is needed, otherwise you'd have to hold it above your head at arm's length, hold it on one shoulder, or drag it. None are good options for more than a few yards.

Seriously? Without a yoke? No way.

I purchased a Bell a padded shoulder carrier when I bought my Rockstar. You put it on a gunwale at the balance point, pop it up on to your shoulder and take off. It's good for short portages where there isn't a lot of difficult terrain. Plus it takes only seconds, literally, to put it on or remove it. As for comfort it's not too bad. I wouldn't use it on anything like an Alumacraft or large tandem but for the light stuff it's pretty handy...

I have a kevlight RockStar about same weight as Magic, I have flung it up and put my head on the webbed seat, and carried it a few yards before to lakes around here...but in the wild I use a yoke. It actually is the only way to go for Safety sake. Kind of dangerous on a portage not being able to balance the canoe and really see where your going, I would think.

SunCatcher

I've carried my Magic with the seat resting on my shoulders. I wouldn't do it for much distance and certainly wouldn't do it carrying a pack.

Use the yolk they make the portage so much more enjoyable.


Jb