"Is it my imagination or do most folks on this board prefer to walk through the woods hands free? That would seem absolutely foreign to me"

I always carry a paddle in one hand and use it as a walking stick when needed - like taking a big step up or down on one of those slimy big rocks in the portage trail; and constantly in use when walking the corduroy to keep from slipping off the muddy logs.  Very handy for balance when I have to high step over a log in the trial also.  Two paddles, so I can carry one for each of the two loads - if the trail is particularly difficult or has a lot of corduroy to walk, I'll find a stick and use that on the return trip for the boat.


as to the original question - in Quetico, I travel everyday and may do 40 to 50 portages a trip, so I try to go as light as I possibly can - but I don't like sitting on bare rocks or logs - I bring along a gardeners kneeling pad - I have several different ones - the lightest weighs 1.6 oz, others go up to 3.6 oz.  I can often sit on the ground with my back against one of the sitting logs if I want back support.  Going ultralight, I only bring a 3/4 length Thermarest (the lightest 1" version) - I put the kneeling pad under my heels for cushion when sleeping.  If I can't sit while filtering water, I can kneel on that pad.  lots of utility for minimal weight. 

I took one on a quick backpack trip this weekend - aside from its other uses, it works well to pad the back from any rounded items that might poke me in the back.   

and just by the way, I took the same Thermarest I used in Quetico on this little backpack - worked fine for 6 nights in Q, but I got a leak somehow this weekend, and it would deflate after a couple of hours - lots of wild rosebushes around, might be i picked up a thorn somehow - haven't checked it for leaks yet - gald it held up in Q.

I do bring a chair on local river trips, where there isn't any portaging - being of a modest size, I can fit in a kid's size fold up chair - labels say they are good to 150lbs - and it folds up to no longer than 20", so it fits inside a drybag.  Not as comfortable as a full size chair (which everyone else brings), but the low height above ground is an advantage, as I can conveniently use my stove and cook from the chair.