The Righteousness of Lightness – Helpful or harmful?
There is a lot of discussion on canoeing boards about decreasing weight, both in canoes and gear. For many, the quest for lightness becomes quasi-religious. A few years ago, when the aches and pains of a lifetime of debauchery began to make themselves known on a daily basis, I began to explore the righteousness of lightness too.
This is what I found out:
My students are the ones who have pushed me back into the incredible rightness of heaviness. Here’s a few pics:
This is a 110 pound girl effortlessly carrying a 75 pound cedarstrip.
The infamous “triple” carry that many of us do on good portages.
The meeting of the new and old – barrel meets canvas
90 pound 14 year old carries two barrels probably exceeding his weight.
The old tin-can-shuffle with 85 pound aluminium
The two barrel-one bucket carry through the swamp.
I call this one “Freestyle”, or “Portage Ballet”, although there has been a recent debacle over the terminology. There is a kid behind her with a boombox that is playing CCR “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”. Her signature move is to use the paddle as a pivot in the mud and fling herself across to dry land. The grace that she did it with made me cry on two occasions.
This is what happens when the freestyle move known as the mud-divot doesn’t work.
Finally, I told these girls that some people won’t carry a canoe if it weighs more than 30 pounds. You can see the look of surprise and laughter on their faces.
I’ve decided I’m going to be a newb again. I’m going to buy a cheap Canadian Tire tent, cover it with a blue poly tarp, carry a ton of gear and have the best time of my life, just like a did when I started canoe tripping. I’m not going to worry about the proper canoe footwear, or the best quick dry pants, and I’m never doing an entire trip with only two pair of underwear again. I’m going Heavy! I’m leading a new movement in Canoeland! Heavy is back!
There is a lot of discussion on canoeing boards about decreasing weight, both in canoes and gear. For many, the quest for lightness becomes quasi-religious. A few years ago, when the aches and pains of a lifetime of debauchery began to make themselves known on a daily basis, I began to explore the righteousness of lightness too.
This is what I found out:
- Be prepared to pay a lot of money .
- Be prepared to suffer the slings and arrows of humiliation if you admit to making more than one carry across a portage.
- You had better be happy wearing a hair shirt (the same hair shirt, and no change of underwear) for an entire trip.
- If you don’t dehydrate your meals, you are out of the Club.
- Liquor is a no-no.
- Be prepared to use a kayak paddle in a solo canoe.
- Make lists that are pages long that show all of the stuff you don’t bring.
- Get a really large line-of-credit to stay on top of all the most recent gear.
My students are the ones who have pushed me back into the incredible rightness of heaviness. Here’s a few pics:
This is a 110 pound girl effortlessly carrying a 75 pound cedarstrip.
The infamous “triple” carry that many of us do on good portages.
The meeting of the new and old – barrel meets canvas
90 pound 14 year old carries two barrels probably exceeding his weight.
The old tin-can-shuffle with 85 pound aluminium
The two barrel-one bucket carry through the swamp.
I call this one “Freestyle”, or “Portage Ballet”, although there has been a recent debacle over the terminology. There is a kid behind her with a boombox that is playing CCR “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”. Her signature move is to use the paddle as a pivot in the mud and fling herself across to dry land. The grace that she did it with made me cry on two occasions.
This is what happens when the freestyle move known as the mud-divot doesn’t work.
Finally, I told these girls that some people won’t carry a canoe if it weighs more than 30 pounds. You can see the look of surprise and laughter on their faces.
I’ve decided I’m going to be a newb again. I’m going to buy a cheap Canadian Tire tent, cover it with a blue poly tarp, carry a ton of gear and have the best time of my life, just like a did when I started canoe tripping. I’m not going to worry about the proper canoe footwear, or the best quick dry pants, and I’m never doing an entire trip with only two pair of underwear again. I’m going Heavy! I’m leading a new movement in Canoeland! Heavy is back!
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