Forest Officers making a portage (5187512121)

A canoe pack, also known as a portage pack, is a specialized type of

backpack A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...

used primarily where travel is largely by water punctuated by

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

s where the gear needs to be carried over land. When worn, a canoe pack must ride below the level of the shoulders in order to accommodate the wearer also carrying a

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

. Their shallow stature typically has a lower center of gravity than a normal hiking backpack, making storage in a canoe more stable. A typical pack weight while portaging was during the

North American fur trade The North American fur trade is the commercial trade in furs in North America. Various Indigenous peoples of the Americas traded furs with other tribes during the pre-Columbian era. Europeans started their participation in the North American fur ...

era. In order to support the heavy load of the pack(s), canoe packs are sometimes used in conjunction with a "

tumpline A tumpline () is a strap attached at both ends to a sack, backpack, or other luggage and used to carry the object by placing the strap over the top of the head. This utilizes the spine rather than the shoulders as standard backpack straps do. ...

" or "portage collar," a strap attached to the pack and placed over the top of the head. Portage packs lack many features of long-distance hiking backpacks, and so are generally not used for such.

Styles

*traditional canvas or Duluth pack *nylon pack *pack basket *barrel

References

{{reflist Luggage Bags Camping equipment Hiking equipment Water transport