How to Carry A Canoe Solo

Hi, I'm Danny Lange, a professional guide and experienced canoeist, here today to show you how to solo carry a canoe.

Safety

One of the most important things we need to keep in mind is the safety of our back. We don't want to injure ourselves, so use our legs as much as possible.

Lifting it Up

 What I'm going to do is bend at the knees, creating a shelf with my legs and thighs for the canoe to rest on. This way I don't have to lift with my back.

To do this, we're going to roll the canoe away from us, and simply lean back, lifting the canoe off the ground, and onto the shelf that I've created with my legs. At this point, I'm not really holding the canoe, but my legs are.

To roll the canoe, reach over to the portage yoke, roll it towards you, take your outside hand, reach across to the gunnel.

Now it's crunch time folks, time to lift.
So we get under the canoe and roll it up, right on to the portage yoke. Now it's time to hit the trail.

Setting it Down

 We made it to the water, folks. It's time to get this canoe off our shoulders. Again, it's going to be a simple reverse action of what we did to get the canoe on our shoulders. Remember, let's keep our backs safe, people.

As we roll the canoe off our shoulders, we make that shelf with our legs, and rest the canoe down. So good to get that off our shoulders, isn't it. Simply roll the canoe away, until it makes contact with the ground, and you're done.

So that's how you carry a canoe, getting it on and off your shoulders.
Thanks for watching and paddle well!