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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Saving time on portaging
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| straighthairedcurly |
Grandma L: "My solution - get a Sherpa service - Grandsons - works great!" +1 Hurray for my 16 year old son! He covers a LOT of ground much quicker than me. He often gets to the end and then comes to relieve someone of their load part way through. We usually try to single portage with the canoe carriers toting a light pack with their canoe. However, we did the leapfrog method when we were bushwhacking the PMA this summer or if we felt lazy. I figure if we don't at least have the option of single portaging, then we are carrying too d*** much stuff. |
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| nctry |
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| deerfoot |
Savage Voyageur: "Yah, I don’t understand any of this, says the guy who does triple portages. I also find it hard to do this with a group of 6-8 guys. Telling my buddies who goes halfway then all the way with what would be ridiculous. +1 and the same with old salt |
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| Selfsuffi |
I generally double up on portages because I really do like the walk and to look around and really see what is around me rather than just looking straight down to see where my next step has to go. I just think peoples style of traveling plays into this more than anything. I am not against either method ....well, right up until your pack is in my way. :) |
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| Stumpy |
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| old_salt |
Every portage is different and what makes sense on one portage makes no sense on the next. Each one in the party needs to know what they are responsible for. If someone needs assistance, others need to jump in and help. The party will be no faster than the slowest/weakest person. |
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| nctry |
Selfsuffi: "I understand this method of leapfrogging and also the 1.5 trip portage. This is fine if it is a nice portage that is seldom used. I think there would be carnage on the portage if this is done at any of the busier portage near entry points or in areas of high traffic. I just envision a portage with packs and canoes piled up and blocking areas where people pass each other from different directions or in swampy portages taking up a dry spot that others would want to walk in. Just my two cents. Whether your stuff is at the beginning, middle or end it’s a matter of placing your stuff anticipating possibly other portagers coming through. I highly dought one or two packs properly placed in a central area is considered carnage. I don’t do it to save time, I do it to keep myself fresh. If time was an issue I’d do a shorter trip. If your carrying carnage? Well you can deal with that! |
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| ZaraSp00k |
Stumpy: "one trip it." yes, and to save even more time RUN! another way would be to plan a trip where every portage is very short, or even a pull over or better yet, no portage, that would really save time spent on portages |
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| Banksiana |
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| scat |
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| Marten |
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| treehorn |
BobDobbs: " If you are happily walking a mile portage all the way through with a 50+ pound pack plus a tandem canoe, you are pretty baddass. I usually start those long portages that way, but too much pressure on my shoulders makes me set the pack down 1/3rd of the way through usually. It's a grind. |
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| Jackfish |
mcsweem: "this will solve all your problems, portage help " LMAO Mike... I'm not sure, but I wonder if the rangers might consider those mechanical devices. :) |
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| Tomcat |
Marten: "I should probably point out that leap frogging only has an advantage when the portage is too long for you to do without over exerting yourself. When you push yourself to exhaustion your body has fallen behind in its processes. Lactic acid builds in your muscles and feels like lead until it works it way out. Many paddlers can't travel very many hours because of this condition. Rest early and often is my mantra for a full day of enjoyment." +1 |
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| mcsweem |
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| nctry |
Jackfish: "mcsweem: "this will solve all your problems, portage help " Now a days, they're the only “kids” you can get to work! But for $275 that’s a ram good deal. |
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| bwcadan |
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| BobDobbs |
The only thing I have to add, is that if it fits your budget, consider upgrading your portage packs and you might find there isn't a need to double portage/leapfrog. My wife carries the heavy pack, a sealline 120. Probably starts each trip with 70+ pounds. She can't lift the damn thing, but once I help her put it on, she's off like a rocket down the trail. I take the light pack - a CCS guide, plus the canoe. I probably start off with 50+ pounds. The thing I love about this pack, is that if I configure it correctly, I can get the boat to rest on the pack while I carry, which is definitely less fatiguing. We can go a mile quite happily like this. On super long portages (like JAP lake) I might have to dump the canoe partway through and go back for it, but then she'll have a snack ready for me when I finally get to the end! |
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| ZaraSp00k |
I take as much time as I damn well please If I want to race, that's what my Corvette is for |
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| arctic |
On the second trip, you carry the entire way, while your partner goes back to the halfway point to get your first load. The tough part is figuring the halfway point, if you are not aware of how fast you usually portage. Sometimes the half-way point is NOT the logical place to drop gear and half of the TIME is a better choice. Ideally, for me, the ideal portaging style for trips up to two weeks is to SINGLE CARRY every portage. Very doable if you travel light. |
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| ckelley |
If you counted paces correctly to determine the halfway point and each person walks at a similar rate, then they should meet back up at the halfway point. Both people end up walking the distance of the portage twice versus three times when double portaging. |
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| sns |
Last trip we did 1.5's until the final day, when the lighter loads tempted us into singling. |
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| riverrunner |
I have slowed way down as the years have passed wish I had done it sooner makes for a much nicer trip. So much to see, so much to do. I have done those peddle to the metal trips. Looking back, I should have cut mileage or added time. |
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| sedges |
Most people can manage to get down to a three load outfit. My partner is less than swift on the portages due to old injuries and now artificial knees. She carries a bulky light pack with sleeping bags, pads and clothes and makes one trip. I do two trips, one with the canoe and one with a heavy pack, in about the same time she does one. Finding half way, or any division, is a matter of counting paces. Learn your average pace and figure your distances. Even on real messy terrain the paces average out well enough. At my age, I divide up any portage much over a quarter of a mile. |
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| Michwall2 |
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| arctic |
ZaraSp00k: "I'm trying to get away from the commuter mentality when I trip As for "leap-frogging", I think of efficiency more than speed. Why walk a portage three times when you can do it in two, especially if it's buggy or swampy? Less chance of injury as well. |
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| jwartman59 |
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| timatkn |
ZaraSp00k: "I'm trying to get away from the commuter mentality when I trip I bring my whole family now, we are fairly slow, the kids like to take in the sites, we bring more stuff, kids can’t carry as much as an adult...great trips. But before that my wife and I traveled much like Bobdobbs and singled it...really enjoyed that too...I mean at best you are traveling between 2-3 MPH down the portage. Try that the next time you”commute” and tell me what you missed by going so fast? Commuter mentality? Makes no sense to me... To the original poster, I have always thought of leap frogging as how Marten describes it. Not sure if it saves time but you are making progress without too much fatigue. All of the methods mentioned have their merits though. T |
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| boonie |
rtallent: "nctry: "Jackfish: "mcsweem: "this will solve all your problems, portage help " :) Don't you guys start butting heads now . . . :) |
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| firemedic5586 |
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| Bearpath9 |
ZaraSp00k: "I'm trying to get away from the commuter mentality when I trip I agree. I don't go up there to rush around, I go to relax, and enjoy the wilderness. I suppose I could borrow my son's Viper if I wanted to race, but even that doesn't appeal to me much. It will take me as long as it takes me. |
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| rtallent |
nctry: "Jackfish: "mcsweem: "this will solve all your problems, portage help " Man, those are some baaaaaa -d puns, Ben. Really got my goat. |
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| HighnDry |
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| Michwall2 |
arctic: "ZaraSp00k: "I'm trying to get away from the commuter mentality when I trip While I try to appreciate each portage for the unique chance to experience what is there, there are portages that I want to go back and walk the whole thing again and others I'd just as soon not. |
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| sedges |
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| Chicagored |
I have to recalculate with every trip. I'm just getting older and slower with the passing years. m |
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| Savage Voyageur |
I’m not going to micromanage a portage. This might work with two people. If it works for you, hey portage on, but not for me. We just haul the stuff over the portage. |
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| Grandma L |
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| arctic |
jwartman59: "I’m not a watch guy but on longer portages will use my watch to get an idea of how much of the portage I have completed. " I've done that as well on long portages. |
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| Northwoodsman |
Chicagored: "During portages, I sing the 100 bottles of beer song in my head. Its like a mantra and forces me to focus on keeping track of the song, rather than grumbling about the portage. After I do it once or twice at the start of a trip, I use it as a fairly accurate guide to how far I've gone depending on which "bottle" I'm up to. I can use it to determine the half way point easily. " If I did this, I would be cutting my trip short to go have a beer. |
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| Marten |
To me a leap frog is when I carry a load a third of the way across a portage and go back and haul the second load two thirds of the way across. You have leap frogged past the first load. From the two thirds point you go back and get that first load and carry it to the end. You then go back and get that last load that is most of the way across the portage. No distance is saved but it is much easier on your body and a lot of time is saved because you are not wasting time with hands on knees and sucking wind after pushing yourself too hard. This style will allow you to do longer portages and not ruin your day on the first one. Note that you drop that load and recover as you go back for the other pack. Coming back across the whole portage is more rest time than you need. The trick is to have a lot of shorter rest breaks. With experience you learn how far you want to carry and a watch will aid in dropping that first load. The first drop will seem too soon but remember the next one is twice as long. If you drop packs in the same place you have no rest time. |
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| BobDobbs |
treehorn: "BobDobbs: " We're young (by the standards of this board), LOL. Even if you have to dump a canoe/pack partway down the portage, you're still saving an awful lot of time compared to going all the way back to the beginning to get it. |