Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Single Portaging Solo?
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WaveRunner |
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boonie |
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Paddle4Hike |
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boonie |
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MacCamper |
Mac |
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beanpole |
I'm not a gram counter. I enjoy my luxuries and my camera gear and I generally carry the food for me and my partner. |
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RoundRiver |
To those single portaging and doing so with such focused packing on essentials only and keeping it simple, I applaud and respect your discipline. There is certainly freedom in keeping it simple. To those who responded soloing in your 70's - congrats, you are an inspiration! Happy paddling! |
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TreeBear |
For me, so many of my solos are only one night or two nights. There's not that much food and I am trying to get the most out of that experience so, for that reason, I single portage. Now, that may change mid-trip depending on what canoe is along. I do not have an ultralight canoe. I currently own an '82 Mad River Kevlar, Beaver 17, and a Grumman LW 18. I also have taken solo trips with different canoes from the outfitters and camps I have worked for. None of my canoes at least are below 50 pounds so tack on 30 pounds of gear (or more depending on how much camera stuff I bring along) and the portages can be pushing 90. That's a lot I have found. I even have taken some solos with old aluminum (desperate times, my canoes were elsewhere and I had what my outfitter had available) and then the portages were closer to 120 pounds for single portaging (and I have seen that number go well past 150 pounds while guiding.) What I have learned? The injuries hurt worse than the pride and they keep reminding you about them long after the trip is over. I've taken some good falls solo and it's a long limp out of the woods. |
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straighthairedcurly |
Here is a link to my gear list for a 1 week trip: Solo trip 2021 packing list Quick summary: Base weight = <23 lbs. Canoe gear = 38.5 lbs. Daytime clothing = <5 lbs. Consumables = 10 lbs (mostly food) |
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sns |
Kermit: "It can certainly be done, but nearly every gear/food consideration has to be working towards said goal. For me, honestly, I hate portages. Loathe them really. So single portaging solo trips is paramount. Reading this was like looking in a mirror... |
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Voyager |
#75 canoes and a heavy pack. As Calvin Rutstrum used to say, " making the portage in 1 trip is a genteel necessity." 375 |
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Jaywalker |
I also love Blatz’s photo. |
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tumblehome |
40 pound canoe 30 pounds of gear and clothing 15 pounds of food which includes the pack Paddle Fishing pole PFD It adds up to a heavy load that is not practical for a trip with many portages. If you go in one or two lakes then sure. I travel every day and like to put on miles. It's safer to take two trips over a portage. Can it be done? Sure but it ain't fun and can be unsafe. Tom |
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sedges |
I really enjoy the walking time. My ankles get stiff in the canoe. I carry my camera on the return trip and take my time. I'm always looking for birds and plants and bugs. Portages get me into habitats I don't see from the canoe, at least not close-up. I am still capable of covering some ground starting early, moving steadily. In my old age I am also more capable of being still. I enjoy finding a comfortable spot in a habitat of interest and letting critters come to me. |
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IowaGuy |
If you're bringing fishing gear (one of my favorite pastimes in the BWCA), or any other kind of extra gear for a hobby besides paddling, it's hard to get your weight down low enough to single-portage comfortably. Plus, I do some lightweight backpacking also, and I'm constantly trying to cut pounds in that pursuit. It's nice to go into the BWCA and actually bring along some fun things like fishing gear, binocs, real food, a book, camp shoes, a hammock to lounge in, a decadent sleeping pad, etc. As Stu Ostoff says, nobody has solo portaged into a lake that he hasn't been able to double-portage into... |
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QuietSolo |
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Blatz |
Single |
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MagicPaddler |
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tumblehome |
Where is the food? In the picture by Blatz, No PFD. Ounces= pounds Unless it is 70' day and night, no jacket or other clothes. And trip duration changes things. Just sayin. Be honest here!! |
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cburton103 |
tumblehome: "I think the single portage guys are not being honest. I don't see why they wouldn't be honest here. In the world of lightweight backpacking, it's very feasible to only have a 10-15 pound baseweight (everything except consumables. Say you're doing a 7 day trip with 1.5-2 pounds of food per day, so that adds 10-14 pounds. Add let's say 5 pounds of extra canoeing related stuff (two carbon fiber paddles, a fishing rod and light tackle box, and PFD). That puts total weight of non-canoe gear and food to somewhere between 25-34 pounds. Add a 35 pound canoe, and that's doable for many fit paddlers who are so inclined. You could certainly go a bit lighter than this too, but this probably approaches a reasonable lower end weight wise. |
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EddyTurn |
cburton103: "I don't see why they wouldn't be honest here. In the world of lightweight backpacking, it's very feasible to only have a 10-15 pound baseweight (everything except consumables. Say you're doing a 7 day trip with 1.5-2 pounds of food per day, so that adds 10-14 pounds. Add let's say 5 pounds of extra canoeing related stuff (two carbon fiber paddles, a fishing rod and light tackle box, and PFD). That puts total weight of non-canoe gear and food to somewhere between 25-34 pounds. Add a 35 pound canoe, and that's doable for many fit paddlers who are so inclined. You could certainly go a bit lighter than this too, but this probably approaches a reasonable lower end weight wise." For a trip that takes longer than few days over some challenging territory I'd add to the essentials: repair kit (2lbs); first aid kit (1); rain gear (2); warm clothing (2); extra gas (1lbs/10 days); spacious tarp and a chair for a rainy day (3-4lbs); sun hat, rain hat... a big pack to carry all this gear. My single-carry load is about 40lbs of equipment plus food, scotch, photo and canoe gear. |
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sns |
cburton103: "I don't see why they wouldn't be honest here. In the world of lightweight backpacking, it's very feasible to only have a 10-15 pound baseweight " Exactly this. I describe myself as a UL backpacker with a 24 pound Canoe for a hat. |
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RoundRiver |
Got me wondering how many people on BWCA.com who do solo canoe trips single portage and how many double portage? Feel free share reasons why. Thank you for helping with my curiosity on this. |
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sns |
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Blatz |
tumblehome: "I think the single portage guys are not being honest.That's my pack base weight stuff in that picture. There's a change of clothes , polypro long underwear ,a fleece and a rain coat in a stuff sack there. There's even a chair and pillow in that picture. My Tarptent,quilt, and pad weigh very little. Did I give a weight? I think it was around 14 lbs |
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Tony |
Tony |
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sns |
I'm carrying about 53-55 pounds (starting weight - less at the end). Pretty reasonable to single... That number includes: Canoe Single Blade Double Blade UL Solo Yoke (DIY) PFD Fishing rod/gear Portage Pack (DIY) All clothing Rain gear Canister stove/cook kit Food for a week Stuff for fish fry Chair Hammock/Tarp/Quilt/Pad Saw & Knife Maps Binocs Bug shelter (DIY) Phone/power bank/SPOT water filter Bear Hang kit First aid/toiletries/misc gear tidbits Headlamp Swim Goggles Like Blatz (great photos!) it's two packages...Canoe with paddles & Rod attached, and the Pack. My hands are free. |
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Jaywalker |
timatkn: "…This isn't in reply to the poster I quoted anymore but when someone posts they want help/ideas for single portaging why does it always devolve into people spouting off about how they double portage? How does that answer the question? How is that helpful? Why is there a need to even comment? …. " Many of us do veer off topic pretty easily, but in this case Roundriver’s original question was “who singles and who doubles, and why”. Later in the post he expressed interest in single portaging. I’ll say again, I’m impressed by all who can single portage. I’m never going to be in that camp, but I’m always interested to see how you all do it. And any single-portaging BWCA.com member paddling by my camp is welcome to come sit in my bug shelter and have a glass of wine and some charcuterie anytime. |
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tumblehome |
I assume no fishing. I assume the food is in the pack too. I assume no jacket or rain fly I assume the PFD is somewhere else. No rope to hang pack No maps. The Granite Gear pack in the picture. No portage yoke. I know people can pack very light which is awesome! Kudos. I see a picture of a pack, canoe, and two paddles but not sure if the picture is also the whole scope of things or not. For me, it doesn’t look like fun if the only thing a canoeist is worried about is how light everything is. But that’s just me. I do 100 mile trips in a week but I still carry fun stuff. A saw A little tackle. Water purifier Some bourbon Food that is tasty My total pack weight is probably 55 pounds plus my canoe/yoke Still puts me under 100# but more than I wish to do on a single portage. But I don’t rush it out there either. I used to when I was in my 20’s. Cheers, Tom |
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Bearpath9 |
My pack goes about 45 lbs., the canoe a little less. The pack contains 2 bear vaults, pants, shorts, 3 pair socks, one pair sandals, small stove and propane for same, tent and sleeping bag. Food goes in the bear vaults, freeze dried. I use one bear vault for garbage after I empty it of food. Oh yeah, two pair of skivvies. I'm 63, and in reasonable shape. I usually fill the pack about 1/2 full and go on my daily hike with it a month or so before I leave. My hikes are usually a mile, give or take. I do bring a pole and some tackle. Curious as to how far I'm gonna get, but that's my goal. |
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merlyn |
I do pack ultra light for hiking but canoe tripping allows me to indulge my gear fetish. So if you see a fat old guy huffing and puffing on the portage don't feel sorry for him. ( he will, however, allow you to carry his stuff for him if you insist.) |
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straighthairedcurly |
tumblehome: "I think the single portage guys are not being honest. My linked list is 100% complete and accurate. I weigh everything myself because I don't even trust published weights. I still have places I could shave weight if I researched lighter boots (but I need good ankle support), a lighter paddle, a lighter pack (but I like the bombproofness of my EarthPack), and left the tarp at home (but I like the security of bringing it). My rule is that nothing goes in the pack without being weighed and added to the list. For the Border Route Challenge that I didn't get to do last summer, I had a lower total weight because I planned "no cook" foods (so no stove or pot or fuel) and left off the book. Shaved 3 lbs. This year, I bought a new cell phone and based my choice partly on saving weight...lol. It can become an obsession. |
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Blatz |
tumblehome: "OK fair enough. But in the picture there is either stuff missing or it’s in the pack.I have a blast in the BW and don't worry about the weight.It just evolved that way. Everything you see in the canoe is ALL of my stuff. I just got out of the canoe before starting the portage.Like I said before, that's my pack base weight. It's a common measurement for everything but food. My map and PFD stay in the canoe. My BeFree is a perfect water bottle. . I'm 63 and do mile long single portages with that gear. I don't fish. I'm a wilderness traveler. I'd like to add that I come from a Bikepacking background. They tend to be the most weight conscious of all human powered traveling because of the extreme limitations for space to carry things Honest |
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timatkn |
Jaywalker: "timatkn: "…This isn't in reply to the poster I quoted anymore but when someone posts they want help/ideas for single portaging why does it always devolve into people spouting off about how they double portage? How does that answer the question? How is that helpful? Why is there a need to even comment? …. " Okay I stand corrected, maybe my own baggage here :) T |
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Kermit |
To accomplish this: my solo canoe has full carbon gunwales/thwarts/seat and my paddles are all carbon to shave off a few pounds. My tent and tarp are both made of Dyneema so incredibly light and they don't absorb moisture/weight. My Therm-a-rest inflatable sleeping pad and down quilt are both the lightest versions within an acceptable R value range. My cook system is incredibly simple with just a small gas can, power burner, and titanium cup and spoon. All my meals and half my snacks are dehydrated in a Dyneema food bag. I use a small Silky F180 saw, Platypus gravity filter, Garmin InReach Mini, and a Heilnox Chair Zero. I take audio books on my iPhone (that stays on airplane mode) to listen to at night and small power bank to charge it when it does eventually die. I even researched weights of PFDs before buying. None of these things are inexpensive. Hell, some are downright stupidly expensive. But I've tried to use annual sales and 20% off codes to piece together a kit that lets me get to a portage, throw my pack on my shoulders, clip my paddle in, flip the canoe, and go. Best of luck! Be forewarned, if you do start playing the ounce shaving game, it's highly addictive. |
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Kermit |
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timatkn |
tumblehome: "I think the single portage guys are not being honest. Straighthairedcurly provided specific weights for her single portaging. Seems pretty reasonable to me... This isn't in reply to the poster I quoted anymore but when someone posts they want help/ideas for single portaging why does it always devolve into people spouting off about how they double portage? How does that answer the question? How is that helpful? Why is there a need to even comment? Why would someone want to single portage? Who cares...it's their trip...but most likely answer is to see if they can. Some people like a challenge or a change not a testament of why they shouldn't do it :) Good luck RoundRIver. |