Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Solo Tripping :: Anyone Single Portage When Solo?
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BearBrown |
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SevenofNine |
quote BearBrown: "If you do, do you have a weight limit? What ultralight gear do you take to cut weight or what do you not take at all? " I haven't weighed my gear so I couldn't tell you what my weight limit would be. However, what I usually leave behind is regular food, spare clothing (I bring just enough insulation layers) and the hatchet. My light weight gear consists of a 1.5 lb sleeping bag, ultralight kayak paddle, and a 3 lb. tent. All of the little things add up. However, if you can cut weight in your shelter and your sleeping bag/pad that goes a long way. |
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TomT |
I would love to single portage and no doubt could do it but I just don't want to take the chance of twisting an ankle or worse when I'm all alone. I might see if I can make it work on my last day out when the food is gone. |
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Bannock |
1) I like having the second, smaller pack in order to distribute the weight and so trim the canoe, and (most importantly; 2) I don't want to. :) I do have a solo, lightweight tent (3 lbs). A small, compression sacked sleeping bag. An air matress that rolled up is the size of a quart jar. Most of my stuff is lightweight and compact. I do take more stuff on a group solo than on a solo solo. For instance, I don't take the reflector oven on a solo, but with a group I do. I also have to take a pan for the oven. On a solo I eat out of the pot. With a group I have to bring a plate and bowl, etc. |
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buffalodick |
Dick |
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moosedrool |
All in all, i think my whole setup ran around 75 pounds including canoe, food for four days, etc... I sure was able to put on the miles, but i also kept wondering what i was missing with my head stuffed under a canoe the whole time. |
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GSP |
quote Bannock: Heck Bannock, with Bogs and Seven no need for a plate or bowl. It would just look like a bunch of puppies circling a food dish, all eating at once. |
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BearBrown |
quote moosedrool: That's one thing I am considering as well... What might I be missing on the portages? In all six of my trips so far, I have done maybe two portages without the canoe over the top of my head; I'm usually carrying a pack too. I feel like I may be missing wildlife, cool rock structures, side trails, the trees, etc. All in the name of not making a couple of extra steps. |
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removedmember1 |
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oldgentleman |
I carry two packs. The heavy one first, then the smaller one with the canoe. |
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SunCatcher |
I am over 50 and am not as young, strong, and spry as I used to be. What I have learned is, when I take my big pack first I learn the trail. Then a lolly gag my way back to get my small pack and canoe. I learn more about the trail, the portage, the area, and take in the sights of the portage. Then I put the small pack on my back, swing the canoe up and away I go. I enjoy this sort of thing and have come acustom to it. So no need to single portage, heck if I did I might just miss something? and what is it I am in a hurry for anyway? Just my thoughts. SunCatcher |
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kanoes |
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BearBrown |
Weight usually isn't much of an issue for me since I am a 5' 11" 250 lbs linebacker type (literally, that's what I played in high school and I haven't shrunk since). I have carried a canoe and a heavy pack accross many portages on tandem trips so far, so I think I might be able to do it solo. Just wondering who does single portage and how they make it possible? |
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Woods Walker |
My next solo I hope to have a hammock for a tent, which will shed some weight & will cut down on my food & a few other comfort items. I plan to bring a dry-bag to put water in for balancing the load. Probably only bring 3 fishing lures & 1 pole. I want to go far & deep in a minimal amount of time, cover some miles. I have done almost every type of trip other than a minimalist trip. I like to challenge myself & doing a 60-70 mile trip on a 3 day weekend, sounds like a challenge... I will probably plan a 4 day, but try to complete it in 3. |
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kanoes |
i wouldnt have to bring a tarp, but i do. im talking pure sleeping arrangement here...would you hammock sleep without a tarp? |
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Woods Walker |
The solo tent I use is a North Face Rock 22 weighs 5 lbs 14 oz. I prefer my Guide Series Kodiak pad which weighs 7 lbs Have also taken my Therma-Rest instead.. which is 3 lbs... but my back prefers the heavier one at night. My Tarp is a 12x12 weighing 2 lbs 13 oz. So if I go with a hammock it will save me almost 12 lbs 2 oz. comparing to the bigger sleep pad & almost 8 lbs with the smaller one. Not to mention cutting down on the bulk size of the pack. I use the same sleeping bag in both, no under-quilt needed with the Clark Jungle Hammock... it was pockets I will stuff with my spare clothes & fleece jacket. I know I could go with a bivy & be lighter, but prefer the hammock. |
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hiawatha |
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jwartman59 |
i still carry a heavy as heck canoe. double portaging on a solo trip is swell with me. as a matter of fact i can't imagine carrying my seventy pound canoe with any other gear. life is too short. |
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boonie |
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moosedrool |
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tg |
in order to pack that light some creature comforts stay behind. my packing list is never the same. my core items are all pretty lightweight and compact (MSR Hubba tent or Warbonnet hammock and tarp, Western Mountaineering Summerlite sleeping bag, Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack or GG Solo portage pack, POE Ether sleeping pad) but i do carry a bear vault for my food supply, saw +/- axe for firewood. also need to have a good system for lashing paddles and fishing rods to the boat for easy carrying tg |
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kanoes |
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kanoes |
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buffalodick |
Dick |
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Woods Walker |
quote kanoes: "i still dont buy the claim that hammock sleeping is any lighter than a decent true solo tent." Well with the hammock... no tent poles, no kitchen tarp, no sleeping pad... I see big weight savings, along with bulk. |
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Amok |
I'm guessing that a lighter sleeping bag/minimal tent (bivy)/ 3/4 pads/stakes may be as light as a hammock/rainfly/underquilt(pad)/stakes. I won't comment about comfort of a hammock vs. tent as I don't know. I'll find out sometime this year (I own a Byer Moskito Hammock & tarp(s) and I have not tried it overnight yet.) |
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moosedrool |
I have some pretty hard rules for weight on portages relative to body weight. the fact that i'm a very fit 6'4" 200 lbs makes carrying 75 lbs well within my personal safety limits on most carries. Being relatively young (32) doesn't hurt either. I also eat from the pot i cook in, only bring a spoon (used for cooking and eating), etc. I try to have more no-cook meals as well which saves time and fuel weight. Peanut Butter Bagels are pretty good up there and give you a lot of the nutrients you need. Even that, i rarely go on solos with the intent of single portaging - for many of the reasons already listed. |
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TomT |
With my hammock I use a full size 1/4 inch closed cell foam pad. I don't know the weights but a lot of bulk saving right there. |
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PortageKeeper |
quote kanoes: "im not counting a tarp as a must have with a solo tent. id like to hear about honest weights. including the required tarp for a hammock, underquilt/pad, ropes, stakes." I single portage at least 80% of the time when solo but my kit is like TG's. I was much into ultralight backpacking before I was doing much canoeing, so for me, a pack weighing more than 45 lbs on any trip is heavy. When solo, I've done three day trips with about an 18 lb pack but most solo trips average between 20-25 lbs. My hammock kit weight vs my solo tent kit weight: HH UL Backpacker Asym w/fly and stakes = 2 lb, 1.5 oz. Home made Primaloft overquilt and JRB down underquilt 30*F = 3 lb, 5oz. Total wt = 5 lb, 6.5 oz. (I'd save by using a down overquilt, but I'm sold on Primaloft in the hammock) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Designs Light Year CD solo tent = 3 lb, 8 oz. Primaloft bag 20* = 2 lb, 8 oz. BA Ins. Air Core Mummy Pad = 1 lb, 5 oz. Total wt = 7 lb, 5 oz. Difference in wt = 1 lb, 14.5 oz Two pounds probably doesn't sound like much, but that's big to a ul backpacker. Shave off everything and soon your pack is twenty pounds lighter than the next guy. Also, for me being 55, I regenerate much more thoroughly when using a hammock vs a tent, and ground sleeping. This allows me to single portage more often. |
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buffalodick |
So my sleeping system includes hammock/fly, sleeping bag, windshield pad from Walmart. I don't take a theramrest because of space/weight. I'm pretty sure this is lighter than a tent with the usual thermarest pad plus a tarp. Dick |
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Amok |
A little under 2 lbs difference? You could lose about another lb with a lighter sleeping bag, making it a 1 lb. difference :) When I get home, I'll weigh my stuff. I know the tent I prefer weighs more, but it's comparable to 'normal' tent weight. And I KNOW that I can buy better stuff that is much lighter. |
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nojobro |
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buffalodick |
quote kanoes: "im not counting a tarp as a must have with a solo tent. id like to hear about honest weights. including the required tarp for a hammock, underquilt/pad, ropes, stakes." Kanoes, MY Hennessey hammock with all ropes, etc., bubble pad and hex rain fly weigh in at exactly 3 lbs. 12 oz. I did not include the sleeping bag because it is universal to both tent and hammock. Dick |
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Jeriatric |
quote nojobro: "I'll probably have to triple portage. LOL. Not because I'm bringing excessive amoutns of stuff, but because I need to keep my weights way down. I'm hoping to double, though." Being able to consistently double portage would be a major victory for me. |
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BearBrown |
quote Woods Walker: "I have single portaged before, but more as a trial run only doing it a couple of times on an entire trip... I found i could do it, but shedding more weight would be better. Your best bet to do this would be in mid June woods walker, when the days are longest. This would allow you the most daylight for traveling. 20 miles a day would be a lot of work in my opinion, but if you are efficient, are in good shape, and have good weather you could probably cover that much ground during the long days of early summer. |
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buffalodick |
Dick |
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kanoes |
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