QuietJourney Forums - portage style

Apr 23^rd, 2026 at 3:28pm (UTC)

QuietJourney Forums › Boundary Waters / Quetico Discussion Forums › General Boundary Waters / Quetico Discussion › portage style

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portage style (Read 7602 times)

intrepid_camper Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1348 Location: Northern Minnesota Joined: Jul 12^th, 2004	Re: portage style Reply #30 - Apr 19^th, 2013 at 1:54am	Quote Print Post
	I use a yoke we made specially for the Poke boats we paddle. It is a 3/4 inch clear board with a curve cut out of it for one's neck; and it is long enough to just cross both side combings at the balance point. I use a 4" metal wood wowrker's clothespin-like clamp on each end, I can JUST get it to span the end of the board and hook onto the combing; on each end of the yoke. Yoke is padded with an inch of closed cell foam and that is covered over with some cordura which is tacked all around (like upholstery). Since my yak is just 28 pounds it works for me; something heavier might not be able to rely on the clamps. I have broken the board in the past, but it is easy to make another one back at home. Without a yoke I can still portage with the yak resting on my head and both forearms to support it. It is fine for short portages but gets tiresome on longer ones. With the yoke I can carry a portage pack and the kayak. The yak rests nicely on the top of my pack behind my head.


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zski Inukshuk Offline Posts: 447 Location: IL Joined: Sep 30^th, 2010	Re: portage style Reply #31 - Apr 19^th, 2013 at 4:13am	Quote Print Post
	IC, Thanks. Poke boat says a lot. Super lightweight and strong. One of these days hope to get down to berea for a test drive. I'm currently working with a 58# plastic behemoth.


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jaximus Senior Member Offline Posts: 343 Location: wisconsin Joined: May 12^th, 2010	Re: portage style Reply #32 - Apr 20^th, 2013 at 9:40am	Quote Print Post
	ive never solo tripped and ive always been in a group of 3 or more, so that kinda helps with the margin of error portion. the past few years my canoe (we usually have 2 or 3 canoes) has done the portages in one trip. we have 2 taller guys that like taking the canoes and the two shorter guys take the 2 community packs. we have a self imposed rule of one personal pack only. there are 2 'community' packs, one for the food stuffs and the other for the tents. that leaves one person per item 2 canoes, 2 packs, 4 people. we trade off when necessary as well. ive done quite a bit of work on my canoe to streamline the portage process, so the paddles/rods easily store up inside. from landfall to everybody walking the portage with gear its about a 3 minute process. we all enjoy the fishing aspect the most, so the longer we spend on land, the less we get to fish. if there was a way to troll a line behind us on the portage and catch fish im sure my group could find it. with that said, half of the people in our group are a tiny bit OCD about being early to everything so we try to get to our destination ASAP! the other half is pretty laid back so sometimes we have issues on portage days.


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Jim J Solo Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1195 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Joined: Apr 6^th, 2007	Re: portage style Reply #33 - Apr 20^th, 2013 at 3:35pm	Quote Print Post
	jaximus wrote on Apr 20^th, 2013 at 9:40am: with that said, half of the people in our group are a tiny bit OCD about being early to everything so we try to get to our destination ASAP! the other half is pretty laid back so sometimes we have issues on portage days. That's probably the most important thing about portage styles. Having everyone in agreement. To me it's all part of the trip, not just something that needs done.


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ripple Inukshuk Offline Posts: 52 Location: marengo, iowa Joined: Jun 3^rd, 2009	Re: portage style Reply #34 - Apr 29^th, 2013 at 5:59pm	Quote Print Post
	Well, we like to paddle real hard to get the canoe about 2/3 on shore, so we don't get our feet wet. Then we get out and drag the canoe up another 10 yards before we unload... OK, not really. Usually tandem and do one trip on the short ones (one guy gets food pack and canoe; other guy gets big gear pack and "day pack" slung on front; hand carry or bdb paddles and rods) or leapfrog stuff on the longer ones. Have not been efficient or light enough to single trip when soloing, but that is OK, I enjoy the walk backs.


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db Web-lackey Inukshuk Voyageur Offline Posts: 5460 Location: Just off the beaten path. Joined: Sep 14^th, 2002	Re: portage style Reply #35 - Apr 29^th, 2013 at 6:38pm	Quote Print Post
	ripple wrote on Apr 29^th, 2013 at 5:59pm: Well, we like to paddle real hard to get the canoe about 2/3 on shore, so we don't get our feet wet. Then we get out and drag the canoe up another 10 yards before we unload... That doesn't explain the colored rocks I've seen on short portages...


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Snow_Dog Voyageur Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1858 Location: Twin Cities Joined: Jul 11^th, 2003	Re: portage style Reply #36 - Apr 30^th, 2013 at 1:08pm	Quote Print Post
	Old Salt wrote on Apr 12^th, 2013 at 8:29pm: I load up everyone else in the party first. If I've done it efficiently, there's not much left for me... Que sera... I let Old_Salt load me up before I head across. All them small stuff gets strapped into the canoe until it weighs about 80#. Then he loads me up. Usually I have the heaviest pack on my back, another full-sized pack on my chest, a smaller pack slung over each arm, and then OS rolls the canoe over the top of me and onto my shoulders. OS then heads off down the trail in front of me to stir up all the skeets really well attract the mosquitoes away from me and scout the trail unencumbered. He tells me this is the most efficient way to do it so he will remain fresh and alert for when it's time to fish.


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Snow_Dog Voyageur Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1858 Location: Twin Cities Joined: Jul 11^th, 2003	Re: portage style Reply #37 - Apr 30^th, 2013 at 1:33pm	Quote Print Post
	Seriously though, how we portage is going to depnd a lot on who is on the trip and how many there are. Solo, I usually take the canoe and a light pack first and come back for the heavier pack with the daypack across my chest unless I suspect the portage is unusually tricky. Get the heavier load across while fresh. I sometimes triple towards the end of a long day of portaging. Just depends on my energy level. Safety trumps speed, always. When with my usual paddle partner Tim on 2-man trips, we generally single the portage. I get canoe and light pack, Tim gets monster pack and daypack. All incidentals are strapped into the canoe or onto a pack. We'll do about 100 rods at a time and then take a 10 minute break before resuming. The 10 minute break usually happens at any point that looks more interesting, flora-wise and I'll use the time to photograph and just enjoy the woods around me. On trips with 4 or more, it usually takes a portage or two to evolve to the system we'll use the rest of the trip but then we stick with that system in order to maximize efficiency and ensure that everyone knows what they'll carry each time so nothing gets left behind. 2nd to last load scouts the landing to be sure that nothing is left behind except that which the last person usually carries. If there is anything that was forgotten, this person either carries it or reports it to the last person when he meets him on the trail so that person knows to get it. Last person does one final sweep of the landing before loading up as well. Never once have we had to go back to retrieve a forgotten item with this system. I'm always in hiking boots for a portage and I wet-foot it. I'm not into balance beams or rock-hopping with a load on my back, either. Plow through!


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Snow_Dog Voyageur Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1858 Location: Twin Cities Joined: Jul 11^th, 2003	Re: portage style Reply #38 - Apr 30^th, 2013 at 1:42pm	Quote Print Post
	Somewhere, buried within this forum, is a great discussion of portaging etiquette, which I can't seem to find. It was a few years back though.


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mastertangler Inukshuk Offline Posts: 3111 Location: florida Joined: Feb 1^st, 2010	Re: portage style Reply #39 - May 1^st, 2013 at 11:27am	Quote Print Post
	Snow_Dog wrote on Apr 30^th, 2013 at 1:08pm: I let Old_Salt load me up before I head across. HA! Good one SD....... I stumbled across this Old Salt portage training video (He still looks good).......Always remember........"Do, or do not. There is no try" (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links)


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