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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 12:01 pm 
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Joined: August 27th, 2020, 8:58 am
Posts: 18
Hello folks.

Has anyone portaged into back lakes with a kayak? I kayak mainly these days due to back/leg issues.. I cannot sit in a canoe for more than an hour without feeling a lot of pain - not so much lifting and hauling that affects me but the position on my back and circulation. kayaking is a much more comfortable way to get around on the water for me.. unfortunately I know this will limit me when it comes to getting into back lakes.. have others here had experience with kayaking and tripping? Perhaps even smaller portages are manageable? Say under 800 metres and not extremely challenging? I've wondered about buying a kayak/canoe carrier with the wheels. But I think the kayak may slip off...

Thoughts?


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 1:38 pm 
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Joined: February 18th, 2005, 12:41 pm
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Location: Denver, CO
lots of people do that. you would have to check with authorities and or informed persons if a cart is allowable, or even doable on nasty trails. Bowron Lakes circuit is ok to use carts. Quetico, no, almost all trails are too rugged to be using a cart on; if camping, you likely need several small dry bags so as to trip your boat, and then a large one to put all the small ones into for the portage. IF you can't use a cart, you need to come up with a portage yoke that will work with your kayak. A sea kayak would be the best bet for camping and covering longer distances.


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 3:42 pm 
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Joined: March 23rd, 2006, 11:21 pm
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Location: Burns Lake, BC
My first thought was that you're the first person I've ever heard that went from a canoe to a kayak because of back and legs problems... usually it's the other way around.

I can't sit in a kayak for an hour because you are locked in one position with no way of getting relief.

I would suggest to copy the design of a Knu-pac.
Get yourself an external frame pack that you could customize to accept the kayak cockpit. String a painter from the bow to the stern that hangs near your hip. Once the kayak is up, you control the level by pushing the string forward or pulling to the rear.

An alternative is for you to try a canoe that has tractor seats.
You can sit, kneel, kneel with one leg forward and the other under the seat (hurdler's), kneel without using the seat, do a hurdler's without sitting on the seat, and finally standing.
That's eight different paddling positions that can provide body relief by rotating through the needed positions.

Please don't do like all the meatballs and use your plastic kayak as a pulk so you can leave coloured curlicues (that won't biodegrade) along the portage so everyone can look at them for years to come. (or coloured dust from composites)

Edit to add... don't waste the money on a cart for the bush. They're great for pavement and paths but not trails.


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 5:42 pm 
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Joined: August 27th, 2020, 8:58 am
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good ideas, folks... @ Canoeheadted, my kayak is a fishing series by Pelican..The 100 - it's an open style. It is far more comfortable and STABLE to fish in.. I'm an angler first, camper second, I suppose... I can actually standup in my kayak and cast. it is incredibly comfortable... the seat that it came with is known for being one of the most comfortable on the market..

I intend to fish brook trout lakes in Haliburton and Algonquin. Quetico is not on the menu!

thanks!

p.s. I should add that my trips will be probably no more than 4 days thereby reducing what I bring, ideally.. my fishing partner will have his own Yak,, so we can split up the load..


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 5:51 pm 
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Location: Ringwood, NJ
I'd suggest researching posts of a user Uppa on Algonquin Adventures forum -he's a kayaker with lots of tripping experience to share, including pictures and video.

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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 6:45 pm 
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Location: Waterloo, ON
I own a few kayaks and several canoes, and both have their place. I personally wouldn’t for a second consider taking a kayak on a portage trip. Nightmare.

I think you need a pack boat. Essentially a canoe that thinks it’s a kayak. Check out the link.

https://swiftcanoe.com/boat-category/pack-boat/

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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 8:22 pm 
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Eddy Turn wrote:
I'd suggest researching posts of a user Uppa on Algonquin Adventures forum -he's a kayaker with lots of tripping experience to share, including pictures and video.



Thanks, I'll look him up...


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 8:24 pm 
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canoeguitar wrote:
I own a few kayaks and several canoes, and both have their place. I personally wouldn’t for a second consider taking a kayak on a portage trip. Nightmare.

I think you need a pack boat. Essentially a canoe that thinks it’s a kayak. Check out the link.

https://swiftcanoe.com/boat-category/pack-boat/


Never heard of this type of canoe.. looks interesting.. not in the budget right now though so it's going to have to be the yak for now. I guess I'll justnhave to keep my trips and portages short...


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 10:13 pm 
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Eddy Turn wrote:
I'd suggest researching posts of a user Uppa on Algonquin Adventures forum -he's a kayaker with lots of tripping experience to share, including pictures and video.



I watched his YouTube vids and subscribed! thanks.. they are interesting..


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PostPosted: April 12th, 2021, 10:14 pm 
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Location: Waterloo, ON
There are some big, interconnected lakes in the Temagami area where you could cruise (kayak) for multiple days with very little lifting and still get that intimate backcountry experience.

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PostPosted: April 13th, 2021, 8:14 am 
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canoeguitar wrote:
There are some big, interconnected lakes in the Temagami area where you could cruise (kayak) for multiple days with very little lifting and still get that intimate backcountry experience.



and expensive!

Quote:
Never heard of this type of canoe.. looks interesting.. not in the budget right now though so it's going to have to be the yak for now. I guess I'll justnhave to keep my trips and portages short...


Pack Canoes are a very old form of canoe. They have been around in the Adirondacks since the 1880's but were historically made of wood. With modern composites people became more fond of their light weight and ruggedness and the modern manufacturers caught on.


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PostPosted: April 13th, 2021, 9:13 am 
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Joined: November 15th, 2020, 7:21 am
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I have seen people with carts and kayaks in Algonquin backcountry and it is doable, but I have also unfortunately seen discarded carts that broke down and were left behind. Carts are really just for flat, even, well traveled portages.

Personally I generally prefer kayaking over canoeing, but wouldn't consider bringing may kayak for any trip involving more than 1 or 2 short portages. The thought of packing/unpacking everything multiple times and carrying it all for anything more than a few hundred metres is a nightmare.

Horses for courses....


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PostPosted: April 13th, 2021, 10:11 am 
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Joined: November 10th, 2015, 10:23 am
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Very interesting thread and some great insights on backcountry kayak tripping

Our group of 6 has expanded to 7 this year and we are considering bringing a kayak along with our 3 canoes for our 5-day trip to the Temagami backcountry.

Upon doing some research on the best way to backcountry trip with a kayak, I came across the KaYoke (https://thekayoke.com/). Does anyone have any experience using the KaYoke for portaging in the backcountry?

Thanks in advance


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PostPosted: April 13th, 2021, 10:56 am 
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Location: Ringwood, NJ
littleredcanoe wrote:
canoeguitar wrote:
There are some big, interconnected lakes in the Temagami area where you could cruise (kayak) for multiple days with very little lifting and still get that intimate backcountry experience.



and expensive!

Now one has to think twice before recommending Temagami. New reality, alas. A trip between Obabika and Diamond lakes looks very inviting for a kayak, but it's 100% provincial parks and would be priced accordingly.

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PostPosted: April 13th, 2021, 11:11 am 
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We had a kayaker come along on a trip in lake country with a number of portages. My experience was that not only was the kayak difficult to portage but his gear, which was of necessity packed in small, long bags, was difficult to portage. Even more of a problem was finding landings when you could relatively easily get into and out of the kayak. At some landings it was fine but at many it was very difficult to enter or exit the kayak.


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