Best way to portage a sit on top kayak

Wilderness Tripping
#1

Hello,

After years of canoeing and a few years of borrowing and renting kayaks I’ve decided to buy a kayak of my own. I’m thinking of getting an sot - perception illusion, ocean kayak power trident, ws tarpon are all in the running.

My biggest concern with the sot is the ease of portaging it. I’ve seen good rigs on sink kayaks but have yet to see anything about how to portage a sot. I will have to do one man portages on some fairly challenging terrain.

Any advice? Any pictures of rigs? Some of the improvised sink yokes look really good - I’m hoping there are ways of accomplishing this with a sot - if not I might end up getting a sink.

Thanks,

Ryan

#2

Either a break-down cart or
a Yaksling.

I’d opt for the cart for anything longer than “across the parking lot”

#3

Moken
I don’t know how well these work or for how long but I love the concept of just dragging the thing…



http://www.kayakanglermag.com/features/115-new-moken-12-angler-kayak.html



Moken - they have a wheel where a rudder would be

#4

Scupper Hole Cart
Wheeleeze wheels and a cart designed for the scupper holes:



http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=KFS&Product_Code=KFS-cartbeach&Category_Code=kw

#5

spring creek portage cart
I started with a spring creek portage cart and modified it.

Instead of using just one handle use one on each side to cradle the hull.

with straps/bungies in the right places I can really yank on this rig and it gets right on over most everything. it’s the 4x4 of carts. I can pull a tandem 70 lb plastic kayak or our aluminum battleship of a canoe thru all kinds of rocky rutted trail.



see my pics here:

http://www.sandslave.com/portagewheels/



here’s the link for the cart:

http://www.castlecraft.com/canoe_dolly.htm

#6

suggestion …
If a commercial carrier is not a option …and you are doing wilderness portaging…you may want to consider the old native indian portage method of using 2 appropitate length tree poles , tied together in a X @ 1 end and yoked over the shoulders or hand carried to portage a distance. Obviously, u’ll need leather thongs/waxed string/rope/whatever to tie poles and secure boat to poles and a small fold up saw/SHARP hatchet to cut a sapling down ( if necessary, try to find downed saplings 1st though.) it would help to use a sapling with a short “branch” stub on it , to hook over a shoulder.