Portaging is the core skill of BWCA travel. Learn how to carry your canoe, pack efficiently, and tackle long portages without wrecking your back.
A portage is an overland trail connecting two bodies of water. You pull the canoe out of the water, carry it (and all your gear) across the trail, and put it back in the water on the other side. This is how you move through the BWCA — lake to lake, portage to portage.
Portage distance in the BWCA is measured in rods. One rod equals 16.5 feet. There are 320 rods in a mile. A 20-rod portage is a quick scramble. A 300-rod portage is a solid mile of carrying a canoe through the woods.
Quick math: divide rods by 320 to get miles. A 160-rod portage is half a mile.
Yoke pads
Bare wood yokes dig into your shoulders on long carries. Yoke pads — foam cushions that strap to the yoke — are worth every penny. Thicker is better.
One person carries the canoe; the other carries the gear packs. This is the standard approach and lets both partners move at their own pace. For groups with small children or on very long portages, teams sometimes do a double-carry: leave the canoe halfway, go back for more gear, and then carry the canoe.
Everything that doesn't go in the canoe goes on your back. Two large portage packs (also called Duluth packs) is a common setup — one per paddler. Use waterproof liners inside the packs. Anything you might need mid-portage (water, snacks, bug spray) goes in an accessible side pocket or a small daypack.
Portages over 200 rods (~0.6 miles) require pace and strategy. Go at a steady, slower pace rather than rushing and burning out. Stay hydrated — carrying a canoe in warm weather is real work. If the trail branches, look for cairns, blazes, or worn ground to stay on route.
10 Longest Portages in the BWCA
Know what the hardest carries look like before you go
Portaging is the core skill of BWCA travel. Learn how to carry your canoe, pack efficiently, and tackle long portages without wrecking your back.
A portage is an overland trail connecting two bodies of water. You pull the canoe out of the water, carry it (and all your gear) across the trail, and put it back in the water on the other side. This is how you move through the BWCA — lake to lake, portage to portage.
Portage distance in the BWCA is measured in rods. One rod equals 16.5 feet. There are 320 rods in a mile. A 20-rod portage is a quick scramble. A 300-rod portage is a solid mile of carrying a canoe through the woods.
Quick math: divide rods by 320 to get miles. A 160-rod portage is half a mile.
Yoke pads
Bare wood yokes dig into your shoulders on long carries. Yoke pads — foam cushions that strap to the yoke — are worth every penny. Thicker is better.
One person carries the canoe; the other carries the gear packs. This is the standard approach and lets both partners move at their own pace. For groups with small children or on very long portages, teams sometimes do a double-carry: leave the canoe halfway, go back for more gear, and then carry the canoe.
Everything that doesn't go in the canoe goes on your back. Two large portage packs (also called Duluth packs) is a common setup — one per paddler. Use waterproof liners inside the packs. Anything you might need mid-portage (water, snacks, bug spray) goes in an accessible side pocket or a small daypack.
Portages over 200 rods (~0.6 miles) require pace and strategy. Go at a steady, slower pace rather than rushing and burning out. Stay hydrated — carrying a canoe in warm weather is real work. If the trail branches, look for cairns, blazes, or worn ground to stay on route.
10 Longest Portages in the BWCA
Know what the hardest carries look like before you go
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