My gear/canoe setup for solo.

[Cariboo Canoe]

Just purchased a Seal Line pro115 pack. I wanted everything in two bags. My barrel almost fit into my cart. I had to grind two notches in the bottom edge of the barrel and now it fits in perfect. There was no sensible way to carry the cart in the boat otherwise. The black bucket will be replaced with another small airbag like the one in the front. I was thinking that I might use the bucket when needed and it could be carried laid down on top of the Seal Line bag.

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

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If I need to walk a portage the barrel can be worn with the cart attached.

In the second pic you can see one of the notches I made so the barrel could kind of lock into place.

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

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I love how compact it is. No ugly cart strapped down on top of my gear, or wheels sticking up in my way.

I also like how the pad on the waist belt of the barrel harness pushes the spray deck up just enough so that water will run off quickly and there will not be any pooling. There is a zippered hatch in this location and it tends to leak a bit if it's sagging down.

 

[sweeper]

Nicely done, What sized barrel and is it commercially available?

 

[latremorej]

Very nice!

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

Thanks sweeper and latremorej.

The barrel holds 50 liters. It is galvanized steel and I have no idea what was in it. It came from the local gold mine, so probably something nasty. I steam cleaned it, then the inside got two coats of por-15, two coats of sealer primer and then some blue interior acrylic house paint.

You can buy all kinds of new steel barrels on the internet. Some are heavier than others. Mine weighs about eight pounds with the harness. Some may say this is too heavy but I like steel.

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

I just looked up the weight of a blue plastic 60 liter barrel at Recreational Barrel Works. They are eight pounds.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Thank you for the pictures and the suggestion of nesting the barrel in the cart.. We will be doing the Bowron Lakes Circuit this year and have never been able to use a cart for canoe tripping save for one trip to Allagash Lake. Many of the Eastern routes are not cart friendly so we just don't normally take one.

It looks like the 60 liter barrel we have would fit.

 

[Guest]

Just purchased a Seal Line pro115 pack.

We have an older model Pro-pack 115, my favorite big dry bag pack. Well made,durable and comfortable. Your's look somewhat improved.

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

The 60 liter blue barrels are five inches taller than my barrel. Also I think the carts you rent at Bowron are totally different than mine. I'm not sure, but there might be an axle across the middle. You shouldn't have any problem though in a tandem.

yellowcanoe, if you like to fish bring your rods when you come to Bowron.

Mike, I think they changed the harness system. More comfortable and removable? I have heard nothing but good things about these bags.

 

[Canotrouge]

Nice and compact. Good work!!
A I would trust a steel barrel in bear country more than a plastic one... Seeing what they did to some friends canoes up here, I don't think they would have too much problems going through a blue barrel!!

 

[Guest]

Mike, I think they changed the harness system. More comfortable and removable? I have heard nothing but good things about these bags.

Likewise I heard nothing but good things about them, and have nothing but good things to say about them.

The design of the back support/padding has also been improved for breathability/etc. Ours in a 1[SUP]st[/SUP] year, 1[SUP]st[/SUP] gen 115L Pro-Pack. Still great design and construction and it looks like SealLine has continually improved the back support/carry system.

https://www.seallinegear.com/catalog/product/view/id/16935/s/pro-pack/

Much as I’d love to try a new one ours shows no sign of wear and failure after a decade + of hard use, and we have a half dozen lesser quality dry bag packs to wear out first. Kind of goes back to that “Buy the best you can and you won’t regret it” theory.

BTW, what spray cover is that with the paddle in pocket?

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

Thanks Canotrouge. Yeah, I'm definitely in bear country. Steel is also good for the many types of rodents out there that can chew through plastic barrels or buckets. I find the most important thing is to make sure any thing with an odor goes into the barrel, and keeping food off of the outside of the barrel. ( flip the lid upside down before you lay food on it ) This keeps the rest of your gear from getting destroyed.

Although I don't think a huge grizzly would have any problem popping the top off my barrel just like we would with a Pringles can. They raise up and come down with their front paws and crush to smithereens, anything under them.

 

[Cariboo Canoe]

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Mike, the spray cover is made by North Water. It was installed by Clipper when the boat was new. Very good quality, tough cover. The pocket will hold two paddles comfortably.