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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Solo Tripping :: Tandem trip just turned solo
 
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chiblkhwks
04/11/2015 06:57PM
 
My June trip has just turned solo. I'm actually more excited about this trip now. Have been wanting to try solo. I just have a couple questions about packing. I own a 60L Barrel and Harness and a CCS Guide pack. My thought was to load the 60L barrel with food and all non tent gear and then bring a small backpacking pack I can fit tent, sleeping bag, clothes in. My other thought was to get a bucket with gamma seal for food and fill the guide pack with food bucket and all the gear(would that be to big for a solo canoe/will it be difficult to trim the canoe with one huge pack?). With everything in one pack I would be able to single portage like I normally do on my tandem trips. Thoughts? I'm not completely against renting packs for the trip as I will also need to rent a solo canoe(Don't think paddling my Aurora solo would be the best option).
 
HighnDry
04/11/2015 07:48PM
 
quote gkimball: "I would avoid packing any gear with food other than stove and cooking related items.



You don't want food odors on anything but the inside of the food barrel and the equipment it takes to prepare food. This is the origin of separated food and gear packs."



I agree with gkimball. On my previous solos, I carried the gamma bucket for a week or a few days. I have never needed more food than that and have often packed less. This has left plenty of room for cookware. I have managed on one trip to get the bucket into a large portage pack but I double portaged anyway. The boat was a breeze to haul (48lbs) over a mile + portage (at least I thought so at the time). When it was the portage pack's turn, it seemed less strenuous. It might have just been my perception though. I imagine that anyone could pack light enough to get it all into a single pack that would allow one to carry everything (boat + pack) at once. I would opt for a smaller bucket of perhaps 3 gal sized - online bidding sites and the other one with the "guy's name" are familiar resources but there are many. Have fun with your planning and enjoy your trip.
 
chiblkhwks
04/13/2015 06:51PM
 
Thanks for the advice. Probably going to end up loading up the guide pack with everything in larger stuff sacks to take out and help balance the canoe. We'll see tho, still have a month and a half to figure it out and change my mind a bunch of time.
 
Frenchy19
04/13/2015 05:44PM
 
quote boonie: "Frenchy19-



I started carrying the canoe first after a guide I met in the BW suggested it. Since it's the last thing picked up out of the water, it saves putting it down and then picking it back up again. The same for the packs. He said it saves a lot of lifting over the course of a day with many portages and he's right."



That certainly makes sense!
 
nctry
04/13/2015 07:36PM
 
quote Frenchy19: "quote boonie: "Frenchy19-




I started carrying the canoe first after a guide I met in the BW suggested it. Since it's the last thing picked up out of the water, it saves putting it down and then picking it back up again. The same for the packs. He said it saves a lot of lifting over the course of a day with many portages and he's right."




That certainly makes sense!"






Your not really lifting it like you would to portage it to just move it aside. If your on a long portage leapfrogging it won't make a difference. You still have to put it down to go back and then re lift it into the water at the end. Unless you have someone to hold it in the water while you go back for another load. I carry a pack with the canoe so it makes sense to take my other pack first to get to know the trail. Kind of a safety thing.
 
boonie
04/12/2015 08:04PM
 
Frenchy19-


I started carrying the canoe first after a guide I met in the BW suggested it. Since it's the last thing picked up out of the water, it saves putting it down and then picking it back up again. The same for the packs. He said it saves a lot of lifting over the course of a day with many portages and he's right.
 
butthead
04/12/2015 07:07PM
 
I used a Woods Mason bag ( Chinook pack ) on first few solos. Packed with 3 separate 20 liter roll top dry bags, and tent. Easy to pull a bag or 2 for trimming the canoe, quick to repack at next portage. You could do the same with the Guide pack.
Never worried about a separate pack for food, my food needs do not justify that (5 liter dry bag fit inside my Ursak).


Went to 2 smaller backpacks quickly though. Daypack to carry with canoe and internal frame backpack. No single portaging for me!


However you pack, enjoy the trip! Let us know how it went.


butthead
 
gkimball
04/11/2015 07:17PM
 
I would avoid packing any gear with food other than stove and cooking related items.


You don't want food odors on anything but the inside of the food barrel and the equipment it takes to prepare food. This is the origin of separated food and gear packs.
 
Exo
04/11/2015 10:31PM
 
Bear vault or Ursack should get you along just fine. The CCS Guide Pack is cavernous.


My GG Great Northern Nimbus fit just fine in a Bell Magic. 1 pack does bring up the issue of trimming options...
 
Frenchy19
04/12/2015 09:10AM
 
quote boonie: "I have typically done 7-8 day solos with a small pack to carry with the canoe that will have sleeping bag, pad, clothes. Everything else including the food in a lined BearVault would be in a medium sized pack which would be the second portage load. The second pack also allows me to make a small adjustment to the trim.



Of course, I am not carrying bacon, eggs, sausage, steak, etc. in the BearVault. . ."



+1 Pretty much the same for me with the exception that I take the larger pack first so I can see what I will be walking on when I have the canoe and smaller pack on the second trip. I have come to enjoy double portaging as the empty trip back gives me a chance to take in the scenery and dig around the woods to a degree that I do not do when carrying.
 
boonie
04/11/2015 09:50PM
 
I have typically done 7-8 day solos with a small pack to carry with the canoe that will have sleeping bag, pad, clothes. Everything else including the food in a lined BearVault would be in a medium sized pack which would be the second portage load. The second pack also allows me to make a small adjustment to the trim.


Of course, I am not carrying bacon, eggs, sausage, steak, etc. in the BearVault. . .
 
boonie
04/11/2015 09:59PM
 
BTW, depending on what kind of food and how much you plan to take, another option that has been used by some is a Vittles Vault from Petco.
 
OldGoat
04/12/2015 09:43AM
 
I double portage -- Granite Gear Quetico with almost everything I'm taking in it. Small day pack with water bottle and rain gear that I carry when taking the canoe. This gets placed all the way forward to trim the boat when underway.


General portage routine for me is


Carry Canoe (and day pack) half way through the portage --
Return and carry Granite Gear pack all the way through --
Go back and bring the boat the rest of the way


In my case the canoe is less comfortable to carry than the pack, so this breaks things up and gives my shoulders a break.


Good luck with your first solo -- it can become addicting.


Goat