Hey Yall,
Wondering if anyone here has developed a sweet system for portaging with a fully loaded boat with overnight gear in the t-zip with a bow bag on the boat. I specifically have a decked gnarwall and use a bow bag. Here in Washington every new river adventure sure seems to include portaging due to wood, but say you have a long walk around an un-runnable gorge but dont want to fully take the boat apart, any hand strap points anyone has added, to carry a heavier boat like a pack?
Roman Dial has a youtube video of the old days of boats with no big booty and they all used to just attach their packs to the bow in a way that they could just use the backpack straps like normal and have the boat over head. I've done this and it works well, but I'm not going back from the bow bag, it changed my boating experience ha ha
carring a fully loaded t-zip boat
Re: carring a fully loaded t-zip boat
I glue 2 alpacka grab loops to the inside of my cockpit, at the bow, right about where my toes touch when I'm sitting in the boat. These patches are glued about a fist-width apart.
Then I connect them with a loop of ~5mm p-cord. This creates a handle that I can grab while shouldering the boat, w which allows me better control of the boat when portaging.
Not perfect, but much better than without.
Then I connect them with a loop of ~5mm p-cord. This creates a handle that I can grab while shouldering the boat, w which allows me better control of the boat when portaging.
Not perfect, but much better than without.
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androidmids
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Re: carring a fully loaded t-zip boat
After lots of trial and error, I settled on 3 methods.
#1 for short portages. 10 feet, I added tiny little d-rings to each of the exterior nylon rings on the front and reay of my packraft, and then connected them all with bungies, which give me a great handle anywhere I need it. I found that if I hold it where all the weight is in the rear where the dry bags are stored inside the tizip, it balances ok. The bungies also work for keeping a pack on top stowed, and so on.
#2 for 20-30 feet, I found I can literally flip the packraft over and stand up inside. prop it on my head sort of like the old canoe portage days. If the drybags inside the tizip are balanced front and back, I hold it centered over my head. If they are in the rear, i let the weight settle down by my butt and hold it higher up.
#3 my go too approach for longer portages NOT involving bushwacking... I have a tarp, I lay the packraft on the rugged tarp, and I drag it. Havnt popped or punctured or torn one yet.
#1 for short portages. 10 feet, I added tiny little d-rings to each of the exterior nylon rings on the front and reay of my packraft, and then connected them all with bungies, which give me a great handle anywhere I need it. I found that if I hold it where all the weight is in the rear where the dry bags are stored inside the tizip, it balances ok. The bungies also work for keeping a pack on top stowed, and so on.
#2 for 20-30 feet, I found I can literally flip the packraft over and stand up inside. prop it on my head sort of like the old canoe portage days. If the drybags inside the tizip are balanced front and back, I hold it centered over my head. If they are in the rear, i let the weight settle down by my butt and hold it higher up.
#3 my go too approach for longer portages NOT involving bushwacking... I have a tarp, I lay the packraft on the rugged tarp, and I drag it. Havnt popped or punctured or torn one yet.