A canoe pack, also known as a portage pack, is a specialized type of backpack used primarily where travel is largely by water punctuated by portages 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. Their shallow stature typically has a lower center of gravity than a normal hiking backpack, making storage in a canoe more stable.
Canoe pack: Information
A typical pack weight while portaging was 160–200 pounds (73–91 kg) during the North American fur trade era. In order to support the heavy load of the pack(s), canoe packs are sometimes used in conjunction with a "tumpline" 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.
Stiles, Ed. "Searching for the Ultimate Canoe Pack". bwca.cc.
Furtman, Michael (1992). Canoe Country Camping: Wilderness Skills for the Boundary Waters and Quetico. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9781452906676 - Buy this book.
Woolworth, Alan R. (1993). An historical study of the Grand Portage, Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota (PDF) (Thesis). Minnesota Historical Society.
Conover, Garrett (1991). Beyond the paddle: a canoeists' guide to expedition skills: poling, lining, portaging and maneuvering through ice. Old Bridge Press. ISBN 9780921820291 - Buy this book.
Wuthrich, Diane (2022-10-29). "What Is The Best Backpack For The Beach?". Backpacks Global.