{"id":2266,"date":"2009-10-11T11:55:10","date_gmt":"2009-10-11T16:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/?p=2266"},"modified":"2010-02-27T23:23:28","modified_gmt":"2010-02-28T04:23:28","slug":"a-few-basic-considerations-when-portaging-through-your-wilderness-canoe-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/a-few-basic-considerations-when-portaging-through-your-wilderness-canoe-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"A Few Basic Considerations When Portaging Through Your Wilderness Canoe Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"p92500081\"So you heard of wilderness canoeing<\/a> and would like to give it a try because the idea of trading civilization for the wild\u00a0for several days sounds like the perfect escape you are looking for. But if you haven’t done it there are several things you should consider because wilderness canoeing is more than just your average canoe trip on\u00a0your favorite\u00a0lazy river.<\/p>\n

Wilderness canoeing can\u00a0be an\u00a0entire down river trip where portaging doesn’t exist, or wilderness canoeing can mean portaging several miles over difficult trails\u00a0to\u00a0reach\u00a0your paddling destination. And because portaging is one of the most physically demanding\u00a0activities\u00a0in canoeing you might wonder why anyone would do\u00a0it when other\u00a0canoeing destinations are much easier to access. Well the answer is that\u00a0if you want to be among the very few who have paddled remote\u00a0destinations such as the\u00a0Adirondacks and the Boundary Waters\u00a0then\u00a0you have no choice but to portage because there are no roads\u00a0or outfitters to\u00a0provide you easy access.\u00a0So in other words if you\u00a0aren’t willing to walk in\u00a0you will likely never see it.<\/p>\n

Here are a few basic considerations for portaging.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. It could take twenty minutes\u00a0for shorter portage or several hours for longer more difficult portages\u00a0so\u00a0time manage\u00a0your\u00a0portaging wisely and don’t\u00a0risk portaging \u00a0into dark.<\/li>\n
  2. Portage difficulty depends on terrain as well as distance so if you haven’t experienced the trip first hand you need to research\u00a0and careful plan\u00a0your trip so you know what to expect and are prepared.\u00a0There are plenty of resources available to conduct your research such as maps and Internet forums. Also be sure the entire group is\u00a0aware of the challenges and is up for\u00a0it.<\/li>\n
  3. How far into the wilderness is your base camp?\u00a0 You’ ll be miles from a cell phone signal\u00a0or medical\u00a0attention so be sure to let others know the details of your trip and have a plan for\u00a0the easiest portage\u00a0route back to civilizaton\u00a0in case of emergency (or in case you just get sick of it and want to get the hell out).<\/li>\n
  4. Your gear might feel light when trying on your packs\u00a0at home but\u00a0realize you will factor that same\u00a0weight with the weight of\u00a0your canoe and the physical demands of portaging over trees, steep trails and through water and\u00a0mud, so remember that you can never be too light for portaging and eliminate any gear or food\u00a0you don’t need.<\/li>\n
  5. A\u00a0lighter solo canoe designed for portaging can mean an additional 40-45 lbs while a heavier canoe can mean an additional 55-65 lbs of weight on your shoulders, and while you might easily handle this extra weight on shorter portages it will\u00a0seriously\u00a0slow you down on the longer portages. If you are looking for a new canoe designed for wilderness canoeing consider a lighter solo design. The Wenonah Wilderness is a popular solo canoe designed light\u00a0for portaging<\/a> might be my next canoe purchase.<\/li>\n
  6. There are many\u00a0waterproof backpacks options on the market so\u00a0be sure that you invest in good quality equipment\u00a0that is meant for\u00a0extreme portaging activitities. NRS has a selection of high quality waterproof bags and backpacks designed for canoe portaging.
    \n\"\"
    \n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Portaging sometimes offers a challenge you just can’t resist. The images below were taken on a very short but extremely steep portage from Little Fish Pond to Fish Pond in the St. Regis Canoe Area. On this day we left our gear back at the camp and only brought along the essentials…otherwise we would have never attempted this portage and opted for the\u00a0easier route. This portage is actually much steeper than the photos depict but the advantage was that it was just as steep on the other side so after a brief portage of about 100ft we were able to\u00a0effortlessly slide our canoes down the trail to the waters edge.<\/p>\n