On 13-Dec-2004, "Jim" wrote:

I suppose it depends on how much weight you are going to carry over
what distances, as well as your personal preferences and
budget, but a trio of padded straps might be worth considering.

For backpacks, I definitely agree that a waist belt is crucial.
However, for a big canoe pack, I find them next to useless.
When portaging with such a big pack, I can't stand straight anyway,
so the weight isn't transfered to the belt. A tump is more
useful in these conditions.

I'd agree it's worth considering depending on the size of the pack.

Mike

Thanks for the informed opinions. They are all very helpful.

That NRS harness is really cool. Mine will be pretty basic, but much
cheaper.

My pack bag is about 70 litres with a double-pull zipper from one end to
the other. (It's really just an old hockey equipment bag, but I think
it will work very well for this purpose.) The harness will be
completely removable, but I should be able to access the contents with
the harness on if necessary. I hope to be able to pack everything I
need for a weekend solo trip in that one bag. I'll still need to do the
portage twice, once for the canoe and paddles, once for the pack.

Tedr