Canoe 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]

Portaging with a canvas pack

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]

Information

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.^[5]

Styles

• traditional canvas or Duluth pack^[6]
• nylon pack
• pack basket
• barrel