Portaging with Paddles.

[Jim Dodd]

In my early years of lugging big AlumiCraft canoes in the BWCA. I learned a trick to stick the paddles on top of strn thwart, and under the stern seat. Those BB bent blades tucked in nice.

Now when ever I build a solo, I place the thwart to hold my paddles while portaging. The thwart is placed about 26 to 28" from the front edge of the seat.
here's a few pics.

How do you portage your paddles ?

Jim

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

Back in the "good ole days" when I was luggin' a 17' Grumman, I actually used the paddles to form a yoke, lashed to the thwarts. My tandem Wenonah has a yoke so the paddles are lashed inside. If I don't have a lot of 'stuff' to carry by hand on the 2nd trip for my pack, I just carry the paddles.

However, at my age and current physical shape (I'm a wreck) I try to plan trips with minimal (and short) portages. Most of my trips these days are on rivers.

Jon

 

[Muskrat]

I like your style Jim, but I usually just carry the canoe down to the river and then go back for the paddles and the cooler. That gives me a great idea though, my cooler already has an add on locking latch for the rapids. Maybe I should add portage paddle holders to the cooler.

 

[Odyssey]

My paddles used to fit snugly wedged between seat and thwart similar to Jim's method. Since swapping out that thwart for a kneeling one this doesn't work so well. Now I'll either use fasteners of various kinds ( velcro straps, rubber coated large twist ties, bicycle inner tubes) or simply carry them (ugh).

 

[memaquay]

Our ports up here are often little better than rabbit trails through swamps, so I use my paddles as supports, kind of like a hiking pole (OK, a cane). Has saved me from going over several times.

 

[stripperguy]

Solo is no different than tandem carrying, except for sharing the load.
I (we) typically strap the PFD to the seat, and then slide the paddle between the seat and PFD.

Below is a photo from last weeks daytrip, with of all of my stuff, along a trail as I waited for my paddling buddy to catch up. It's kind of hard to see, but if you zoom (somehow, maybe go to the Picasa source?) in, you'll see my PFD zipped around the seat, and the paddle poking out the back.
This has worked well for me, whether for a 1/2 mile sprint or a 5 mile sojourn. Paddle doesn't bounce around, I can't stand listening to a loose paddle (or any gear) clanking and rattling as I walk along.
This even works when tandem carrying shorter distances, where we rest the boat seats (with PFD's) on our heads. We just tuck the paddles on the far side of the seat.



One final note:
In the ADK's we carry, nobody portages! Don't ask me why, that's just how it is...

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

... so I use my paddles as supports, kind of like a hiking pole (OK, a cane). Has saved me from going over several times.

That's what my paddling partner does with both paddles. (neat idea though)

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

No Title

We use a lightweight 500 denier Cordura bag with full-length zipper to store the paddles in camp (to keep them from blowing around), to store the spare paddle when on the water and to carry all three paddles on the portage. The bag is clipped into the canoe hardware with shock corded snap hooks. It is secure and keeps my wife's hands free to adjust her pack. We like to not have anything loose to carry, just the canoe and the two packs.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Our ports up here are often little better than rabbit trails through swamps, so I use my paddles as supports, kind of like a hiking pole (OK, a cane). Has saved me from going over several times.

I find myself using a paddle as a cane more and more ! Even to pry myself up out of the seat. This getting old SUCKS !

 

[Mihun09]

Typically just jam the blades between the hull and seat drops, the drops are wrapped with pipe foam, they stay in place for portaging. The carbon spare takes a walk with us since it has been abused too much already and it being a bent doesn't jam in well.

 

[Seeker]

If solo (in something really light that you can portage on one shoulder), I usually use a double blade. This gets tucked up under the thwarts, maybe with one bungi to keep it from sliding around. If I'm using a smaller tandem canoe on a solo trip, I use my walking staff for one side, and use the paddle on the other, as a yoke.

If tandem, I usually use both paddles as a yoke.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I find myself using a paddle as a cane more and more ! Even to pry myself up out of the seat. This getting old SUCKS !

Here here! Me too.! Double can stay in the boat under a thwart. The break apart doubles make terrible canes.

Rather than being mean and jamming my paddles under a seat these work better and are more respectful

http://www.oldscoutoutdoorproducts.com/about.html

BDB's

 

[snapper]

A boat I picked up from Conk last year has bungee cords run through the thwarts that I can tuck the blade & grip end of the paddle under. Prior to using this type of system I would slide the blade under the seat and tie the shaft of the paddle onto the thwart in front of it. Nothing fancy but it worked.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[MacCamper]

The BDBs are good but I found them a little lacking in tenacity. Thus I crafted my own, larger units, for a lot less cost and more flexibility. Like hauling small racks of lumber. They also go inside my canoe a paddle straps etc and on the outside of my packs for loose items.

 

[JagDaddy]

I did the paddle portage yoke thing ala' 'Path Of The Paddle' haha for the first few months I had my Supernova. Then I bought a generic ash yoke from Harmony cut it to fit, clamped it in place to the gunnels and drilled the gunnels and yoke at the same time. I used a couple 1/4" carriage bolts, washers and a 1/4" nut with a large knurled plastic grip on it from Ace Hardware. Total cost of yoke and hardware about $30.

Goes on and off fast and stores about as compact as anything else. Should I do a trip with real portages, I'll put some foam pads on it, right now my PFD works fine for the distances I carry.

 

[sweeper]

Thanks yc, great idea for a weekend build

 

[MagicPaddler]

I use little plastic clips and shortened screws on a small piece of wood. They are stuck to the canoe with silicone calk or RTV.


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[sweeper]

Made up 3 sets tonight for painter lines and paddles

 

[Canotrouge]

No Title

I make these, they are pretty and they work awesome!!