Love it or hate it, portaging - or carrying - a canoe is part of nearly every Boundary Waters canoe trip. It’s also probably the most challenging part. No Worries! We'll show you 3 ways to get a canoe on your shoulders.
To begin, roll the boat on its side so that the hull - or the bottom - is up against your legs. Then grab the top of the gunnel with two hands and lift the canoe off the ground.
Grab the middle of the yoke with your non dominant hand and reach with your dominant hand to grab ahold of the opposite gunnel. The canoe is now resting on the top of your thighs.
Take your hand off the yoke and hug the bottom of the boat. Now you’re set up to get the canoe up and on your shoulders.
Use momentum to your advantage. This is not a matter of strength, in fact, trying to power through this is a good way of hurting your back! Instead, rock the boat to generate momentum that allows you to effortlessly roll the boat onto your shoulders.
Even with the proper technique, getting a canoe onto your shoulders can be a challenge. In such cases, you might need a friend to help.
This is done the same way as the solo-flip, but with a second person in front, helping to lift and turn the boat over to get on your shoulders.
Inevitably, you’ll find yourself on a long portage, with screaming shoulders, and in need of a rest. Getting the canoe on and off and back on again can expend a lot of energy. That’s were a friend, and the T-rest come in handy.
This involves your portage partner putting down their pack, holding the bow of the canoe up while you gently let the tail end of the canoe down and rest on the ground. Once they have the canoe secured, you can sneak out from under it, shake out your shoulders for a few minutes, then crawl back under to continue on your way.
Finally, let’s talk about getting the canoe off your shoulders.
This is done by reversing the sequence you took in putting the canoe on your shoulders in the first place.
Place one hand on the gunnel and another, the hand on the side that you want to lower the canoe, around the belly of the boat and lift and roll it off. With both hands grabbing ahold of the top gunnel and the canoe resting on your thighs, you can now lower the canoe onto the water - or ground!
You need to be careful in rolling the canoe off your shoulders! Most of the time you will have rocks or other people to avoid. So go slowly!
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Note: No footage was taken within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Please abide by regulations and the strict no drone policy in the Wilderness area.
29 сен 2024
