Canoe pack

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Portaging with a canvas pack Forest Officers making a portage (5187512121).jpg
Portaging with a canvas pack

A canoe pack, also known as a portage pack, [1] is a specialized type of backpack used primarily where travel is largely by water punctuated by portages where the gear needs to be carried over land. [2]

When worn, a canoe pack must ride below the level of the shoulders in order to accommodate the wearer also carrying a canoe. Their shallow stature typically has a lower center of gravity than a normal hiking backpack, making storage in a canoe more stable. [2]

A typical pack weight while portaging was 160–200 pounds (73–91 kg) during the North American fur trade era. [3] In order to support the heavy load of the pack(s), canoe packs are sometimes used in conjunction with a "tumpline" or "portage collar," a strap attached to the pack and placed over the top of the head. [4] Portage packs lack many features of long-distance hiking backpacks, and so are generally not used for such.

Styles

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References

  1. Stiles, Ed. "Searching for the Ultimate Canoe Pack". bwca.cc. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  2. 1 2 Furtman, Michael (1992). Canoe Country Camping: Wilderness Skills for the Boundary Waters and Quetico. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN   9781452906676.
  3. Woolworth, Alan R. (1993). An historical study of the Grand Portage, Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota (PDF) (Thesis). Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  4. Conover, Garrett (1991). Beyond the paddle: a canoeists' guide to expedition skills: poling, lining, portaging and maneuvering through ice. Old Bridge Press. ISBN   9780921820291.
  5. "Canoe Packs". paddling.com. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-09.