How many packs?

[Odyssey]

Oh, I'm sure you can come up with odder portage exercises than that. You'll get the satisfaction of weirding out your neighbours but run the risk of losing your tripping partner. Better not chance it.

 

[yellowcanoe]

the correct number of canoes is : One more
The correct number of packs is: One less

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Solo, I use my #3 Duluth Cruiser, which is 90L, plus a small waterproof day backpack. That fits everything, including my Losi 3-person tent. My kitchen is minimalist; food is all commercial freeze dried and hand snacks.

In the impossible scenario that my wife would be along, all of her stuff could easily fit into my #3 Original Duluth pack, which is 87L, with plenty of room to spare. Actually, I'd probably use my GoLite Gust pack for her, which is about the same capacity but is much lighter and has hiking pack ergonomics.

If we brought chairs, they would get strapped onto the packs somehow not be placed inside.

 

[Nodrama43]

My wife is 5' tall and has a torso length of 16" (vertical) so she may end carrying the food/kitchen barrel depending on how it fits her. I am going to see if everything else will fit in something like a CCS Pioneer or Adventurer and I will carry that one.

 

[Guest]

We always try for two packs and a small third that the canoe bearer can wear while portaging.. The barrel for food.

Back in the day, when we tripped in tandem canoes, that is what we at least strove for. It is so much easier, even with minimal portages, to have everything contained in as few bags/barrel as possible, even if that is just for loading/unloading, hauling into a site and repacking during camp breakdown.

At least strove for. There were always miscellaneous chairs, personal day packs/bags and bulky Therma-rests, as yet stuffed into or strapped onto a big pack, each Tetris packed separately to fill various nook and cranny hull voids in the crowded hull.

We were most often in 15 and 16 foot tandems, so space for large packs between seats/thwarts/yoke was quickly overtaken with large packs. I don’t like stuff stored above the gunwale line, at least if water’s edge packing permits. If I have to do the unorganized drop-in at an awkward landing I’ll stop a mile downstream at some beach or cobble bar to better rearrange my gear.

Using bigger tripper tandems would have eliminated some of that Tetris fitted hull load and selective trim packing, but family-wise we each went into solo canoes before any big canoes ever appeared on the rack.

(Those bigger tandems are now little used loaners, and really should be for sale soon. We simply don’t use them enough)

In many ways I prefer tripping in solo (or soloized) canoes. On the usually 4-boat family trips we each carry our own personal tent*, clothes, sleeping bag, pad, selected comfort items and etc, etc. You want it, your bring it. Common gear gets divvied up as space/weight/volume is appropriate for paddler and boat. Food, somewhat by design, is usually carried in two (or more) hard shells in different boats.

*Three tents, plus #2 son’s preferred Hennessey Hammock strung from the trees. Three two-man tents*. I snore. So does the missus, apparently while sleeping on a foam pad worse than me. So does #1 son, worse than either of us. It is a freaking cacophony of GGRRZZZGTT elk bugles through the night.

Embrace the distance.

*#1 son uses a more expansive “ almost-3-person “ Sierra Designs 2-door, 2-vestibule model, so if there are hammock hanging prohibitions or a dearth of trees he can accommodate his brother without getting too cuddly. His bro’s gear goes in one of the tent vestibules in any case.

Finding space for a couple smallish tents is often much easier than finding space for one or two big ones. Quieter too. GGRRZZZGTT

In a (never-happened) worst case capsize loss or pin scenario we would still have gear enough to get by, and using soloized tandems we have enough extra hull to finagle paddling out with a bowman.

That is on family trips. On any trip with friends I want to be totally self-sufficient with my own gear load, including tent, tarp, food and stove. Axe/saw/firestarter/first aid/phucking name it.

I want everything I want for a solo trip in that environ. If my companions choose to skip bringing a tarp I will gladly haul one in large enough for everyone.

I will happily share my tarp with you. I’ll even share my bourbon with you. Just don’t ask to share my tent, and get the heck outa my comfy, well insulated wind chair dammit.

 

[dougd]

No Title

For a month long trip back a ways this was all I had for gear. Two Duluth packs containing all my cloths, sleeping bag/pad,food,cooking gear and such. A day pack for the easy to get to stuff and a boat cart. I miss those days. Now a days it seems I bring even the bathtub!

 

[Nodrama43]

I had a very nice conversation with Dan at CCS today. He advised me to build a box the size of a Pioneer (85 liters) and see what all will fit in it so I did.

2 sleeping bags in compression bags
2 sleeping pads
2 pillows
CCS 10x14 tarp with ropes/stakes.
Large first aid kit
2 Helinox swivel chairs
1 Helinox table
3 24x56 camp towels
Sea to Summit Shower
Purcell Voyager grill.

I still have plenty of room for two compression bags containing clothing and also for the tent across the top of the bag, under the flap. The axe will go on one side and the lightweight fold up saw on the other. Total weight for everything will be close to 40 pounds. I still have the 540 cubic inch top pocket for rain gear , light jacket bug spray etc. If I do need more room in the Pioneer I can always put the chairs on the outside under the compression straps.If I can get all the food, kitchen stuff and a couple other misc items in the food barrel pack I will be good to go. I figure I will carry a small daypack size bag for little stuff needed while paddling. Fishing stuff will all stay in a thwart bag that stays on the canoe during carries. Once I figure out a color I am going to place that order. They normally only build the barrel pack with pockets in blue but Dan said he would build it in what ever other color I wanted for a small upcharge. Nice people for sure.

edit......so carrying a 40 pound canoe along with a 40 pound pack........nope.....not going to happen. Double carry it is.....

 

[yellowcanoe]

They=Dan+Karen( his wife). Lots of companies making good quality gear including canoes are not many "they" but more one or maybe two.

 

[Nodrama43]

when I bought my barrel bags last week I talked with Karen also. She kept right on sewing while we talked about stuff. They are getting ready for Canoecopia and plenty busy.