Over Maximum Load

[Black_Fly]

Just weighed my gear. While I successfully whittled it down to two loads, with my dog, the total is 10 lbs over the maximum load for my canoe. I was hoping to stay in the 80-85% of max range. Also important, without that 3rd pack, I have no idea how to trim the load with the dog. Might need to add some big rocks, exacerbating the overage. Next dog will be a chihuahua.

Gonna do some more testing this week, reconsider the double blade. This is how things get dicey. Drive 1000 miles, winds are up on the entry date with no recourse but to head out with a heavy boat or go home.

 

[UCanoe_2]

Backpackers use Excel spreadsheets to develop a gear checklist and calculate weights. We can easily adapt the spreadsheets for canoe use. Here is one example https://www.poweredbytofu.com/backpacking-gear-list-spreadsheet/
I made my own, which seems to have disappeared when I tried to back up my hard drive.
Be ruthless when deciding what to pack. I tend to take more clothing than I actually need.

 

[Sedges]

If you are maxed out you might have the wrong boat for the task. Tell us more about the planned trip. What canoe are you using for this trip? Can you move the seat to adjust the trim? You are the heaviest item in the boat so moving the seat just a few inches can make a big difference.

Would you consider shortening the trip to have less food for you and the dog?

Rocks for ballast is a bad idea and a real problem if you swamp.

 

[Alan Gage]

Be ruthless when deciding what to pack. I tend to take more clothing than I actually need.

A tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, the clothes on your back, a jacket for colder weather/rain, 1.5 pounds of dried food per day, and a pot to cook the food in are the essentials (plus some lightweight odds and ends). Anything more than that is what you bring to add comfort/pleasure.

I'm not suggesting anyone trip with that bare minimum but that's how I approach the packing. I pick the bare minimum that is absolutely essential and then start adding the things I want to bring. Like UCanoe said, be ruthless.

Alan

 

[Black_Fly]

I really hate to think how much I was overloading my Magic, which undoubtedly contributed (along with my physical ailments) to being windbound for 4 days last year.

Today I tested both packs in the stern, dog in front. There is lots of room for two packs back there. I used my actual loaded camp pack (35lbs) and 4.5 gallons of lake water in a jug to approximate my food pack (34lbs). Total gear, dog and me weighs 312lbs (91% of recommended maximum). My fishing gear and front sling pack will add another 15lbs.

I tried both my Badgertail paddle and my double blade canoe paddle. I did try the camp pack in front, but it handled squirrely.


My pace with the Badgertail was 25 minutes per mile. I did two mile long tests and they were within .14 minutes per mile. My shoulder was fine, but my hand did experience some numbness. Conditions were calm to a light breeze in the bigger bay of the lake.

My unhurried pace with the double blade was 18 minutes per mile.

I feel like another 25lbs in the bow will trim it out nicely (337 total load, 99% of max). My additional gear is 15 of that, so a good sized rock in front should let me deal with a modest headwind. As my food is eaten, the rock will quickly disappear.

This was the most empirical load testing I’ve ever done. If I didn’t take my dog and triple portaged a 3rd pack, I could stay out about 3-4 weeks.

I paddled a Wenonah Encounter in WCPP, which was a huge boat. The NW Solo fits nicely between the Magic and the Encounter, and should suffice if my dog doesn’t get any fatter.

 

[Benson Gray]

I would like to know more about how "the maximum load" for your canoe was determined. There are a broad variety of ways to calculate this and all manufacturers do not use the same technique or formula. Their standard may be higher or lower than your comfort level.

Page 24 of the 1974 Old Town Canoe catalog stated, "Some regulating agencies have established formulas that limit the number of persons and/or total loading capacities of canoes. Old Town believes that a combination of canoeist's experience, type of canoe, and water-weather conditions, rather than arbitrary formulas, is the best guide in such matters."

Your approach of testing things out under various conditions is likely to provide a much better answer to this question.

Benson

 

[Black_Fly]

Not sure how they determine max capacity, but I wouldn’t want any more, especially since it’s my first trip with this canoe and given my past experience with big loads in heavy seas. I thought we’d bought it a couple times last year on Seagull Lake, which caused me to get the bigger canoe. I have to think the manufacturer knows their stuff in recommending capacity. I’m nowhere near as strong as I was 10 years ago, which helped establish my (failed) goal of 290lbs max. If wind is an issue, depending on direction, I’ll definitely revise my course to stay out of open water. Luckily, most of my planned trip is on smaller lakes.

 

[Black_Fly]

My rear lining holes were about 2” over the waterline. More load up front will increase that gap a tad. Perfect location,

 

[ppine]

Load capacities are often exaggerated. Old Town is famous for doing this.
Most tandem boats can handle around 600-700 pounds, not 1200.
On a week long trip I have paddled an overloaded boat, but after a couple of days the weight was more suitable.
This subject does not get enough attention.
Backpackers are way ahead of canoeists when it comes to reducing weight.

 

[Cruiser]

UCanoe 2 has a good point, using a spreadsheet to look over your packed goods can be an eye opening experience.

My wife helped me list and weigh every item I was packing for a trip (there was a 3.2 km portage, so weight mattered) ... it was a bit of work, but having that list was really helpful.

Looking over the various weight costs to taking certain gear was eye opening and being able to see how a few small decisions resulted in a significant added weight was very educational. I dropped almost 18 pounds from my packs and didn't really miss anything I left behind.


Brian

 

[Gamma1214]

Like most of us, there are probably things in your pack that go unused the entire trip. Look back on previous trips and think hard about what went unused then, as has been encouraged previously; be ruthless.

Regardless of those decisions, I would urge you to rethink the use of rocks for ballast. For $20(ish) you can probably get collapsible 5 gallon water bottles. When filled with water, you have 40# of ballast that is neutral buoyancy and, when empty, the additional portage weight is negligible. Much safer than weighting your hull with rocks, less wear & tear on the interior and you won't disturb the crayfish that are settling in for the winter.

 

[Black_Fly]

Here’s some of my whittled gear:
Hatchet
Candle lantern
Utensil Roll up
Various utensils
Candies
Salami
Cheese
Pita
Gorp
Flour, cornmeal, biscuit mix
1/2 my usual cooking oil
Extra tarp stakes, lines
1/2 my usual beef jerky
1/2 my usual fishing tackle
Fishing Rod gunnel clamp
Backup water filter
Extra dog food
Knife sharpener

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

Here’s some of my whittled gear:
Hatchet
Candle lantern
Utensil Roll up
Various utensils
Candies
Salami
Cheese
Pita
Gorp
Flour, cornmeal, biscuit mix
1/2 my usual cooking oil
Extra tarp stakes, lines
1/2 my usual beef jerky
1/2 my usual fishing tackle
Fishing Rod gunnel clamp
Backup water filter
Extra dog food
Knife sharpener

Do you know about how much that dropped your overall weight? That does seem like a reasonable list to cut, although, I'm not sure I could leave the salami at the house. I'd love to see your final list and cargo weight.