I am self taught when it comes to canoe tripping.......(that is a polite way of saying I don't really know very much  ;D ) And although I seem to get around in decent style you don't know what you don't know as the saying goes.

Take portaging for example. Sounds simple enough......take the stuff to the other side. I have my druthers when it comes to "order of operations" but I would interested to hear how others do it.

I will start off.......any critics are encouraged to weigh in. I get the feeling I am missing it (efficiency).

I leave the boat in the water, pile my stuff off to the side (away from anybody else) and then slide my boat up and tie it off. I prefer to take my pack across first. I am torn between the ease of lifting the boat while in the water and not handling it twice and being able to walk a portage first without a boat so I can size everything up.......blowdowns, best way around them, potential branches which may cause "issues" etc. etc. Plus I can decide when I get to the end wether / where to drop the boat in the water on trip #2.

So perhaps it is the old story of 6 of one or 1/2 dozen of the other? After all if you take the boat first you still have to set it on the bank before retrieving your kit (I speak as a soloist). Anyways.......just curious.