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brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1464
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2012 - 2:47 pm: | 
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I saw this blog on the Temagami-style carrying bar. I am a Keewaydin alumnus and Keewaydin's historian (The Keewaydin Way). I am not commenting on the blogger's innovation, but his historic references.
http://paddlemaking.blogspot.ca/2012/08/temagami-s tyle-carrying-bar.html
Interesting find in Boys Life. Peter Huberth, like Heb Evans, is a Keewaydin alumnus. (Evans' book is a great reference on traditional methods.)
The traditional carrying bar was not lashed with marline hitches, as the blogger says, though it appears so in the photos. Nor are there any overhand knots on it. The lashing actually doubles back to form a double lash. For some reason Heb’s photo is not of the double-back lashing, but the single. The single lash wears out quickly where it meets the edge of the paddle blade.
The carrying bar in that photo has been hand routed (also can’t be seen) in the traditional way to prevent the lashing from slipping from the left and right anchor points. In the 1970s, I watched the last Metis guide at Keewaydin make a dozen with an axe and pocket knife.
http://www.ottertooth.com/keewaydin/admin_K/book6. htm
There is lots of stuff and photos on carrying bars, tumps and other traditional camping methods still used at Keewaydin in The Keewaydin Way, if anyone is interested.
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street
Member
Post Number: 16
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 - 2:29 pm: |
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Hi Brian - hope that you are doing well and looking forward to summer 2013. After a few years of using the clamp-on carrying yokes, I would like to go back to the traditional paddle rig, but cannot find a traditional shoulder pad similar to the one shown in the Boys Life photo. Any ideas? I use a wide-bladed paddle, so it might be best for me to use velcro straps instead of something that the paddles slides into. In any event, after hours of searching the net in vain, I cannot find anything remotely resembling traditional shoulder pads that could be modified. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1494
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 7, 2013 - 1:07 pm: |
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Street, I researched the source of Keewaydin's portage pads. They haven't been used since the 1980s. Few canoe carriers actually used them and they died off. The pads were probably made by Woods Bag and Canvas from wool and leather. Portagers tell me that they got waterlogged, were itchy, and your shoulders came out blue — literally. Pre-colorfast days, I guess. |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1206
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 - 8:55 am: |
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Not traditional, but this Hooligan Pad is easy on your shoulders:
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Paddling/BoatOutfitt ing/PRD~5010-671/hooligan-gear-yoke-pad.jsp
When I used a wooden canoe , without a yoke, I used to lash my paddles across the thwart. Gets hard on the shoulders.
I use this Hooligan pad these days and it is pretty easy to portage with. Just make sure you aren't wearing a synthetic shirt or sweater or the pad will slip around on your shoulders.
I carry my paddles in my hand, lashed together and as I am getting older, they make good balance sticks as you negotiate down or up rock faces while carrying a pack. |
street
Member
Post Number: 19
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2013 - 12:38 pm: |
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A belated thanks for the very helpful information, Ed and Brian.
I ordered up a Hooligan pad and modified it by adding a horizontal strap into which paddles will slide (see photo).
I had mixed results - some portages great, some not so great.
Ed was spot on with the warning about slippage on synthetic shirts. One of my dri-fits has slightly rougher material, so I wore that one while carrying. A bigger problem is that the Hooligan is cut for a yoke, not a carrying bar, so I had to use narrow paddles (not my wide-blade) and lash them relatively close together - as wide as the Hooligan would allow was not as wide as I would have liked.
I am not sure whether I will use it next year or not.
Nevertheless, I do appreciate the excellent (as always) advice. |
street
Member
Post Number: 20
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2013 - 12:42 pm: |
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p.s. Here is a photo that shows the problem with the shape of the Hooligan. You can see that the pad is too narrow for my paddle. You also can envision how much I had to stretch the Hooligan to get it to work even with narrow paddles. |
street
Member
Post Number: 21
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 9:03 am: |
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About to attempt to make some custom canoe pads. Anyone have any thoughts about dimensions? Especially neck space. Neck space 8.5 inches? |
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Temagami general