PADDLER 62
PADDLER 62
6 . Keep some old rope or , better still , bungee ties for lashing paddles and poles together to prevent you from juggling two poles and three paddles whilst carrying a heavy kit bag .
7 . In the spirit of scouting the trail first , it ’ s worth shifting your bag before returning for your canoe . This allows two walks on the trail before carrying a canoe on your shoulders .
8 . A big discussion before trips is the trolley or no trolley question . Long portages along roadsides are 100 % easier with a trolley ; however , it ’ s cumbersome and heavy to keep with you for a journey and a faff to portage over uneven ground .
9 . Not all trolleys are equal . If you ’ ve decided that trolleys are for you , look for solid wheels ( noninflatable ) that are easy to store in your boat and check that they have a solid connection to the boat .
10 . Consider how you carry your boat . Practice getting it on your shoulder . Doing it fresh in a car park is different to day six , halfway through a canoe journey . Can you carry tandem ? Can you simply just drag it ? Putting your back out in the wilderness , lifting a canoe onto your shoulders becomes the thing of living nightmares .
Going with the wind or drifting with the flow is the ultimate dream of canoeing . Rarely does this happen without some work thrown in . You can take away useful things to make that hard work on your next journey more bearable .
Dave Janes has spent a lifetime in boats . Dave is an accomplished expedition paddler with first descents and first ‘ portages ’ to his name , and he is always looking for the next adventure . Dave is an experienced coach at Plas y Brenin ( the National Outdoor Centre ), sharing his passion and enthusiasm with students to enable and encourage adventures and wilderness experiences .