Plastic-nylon portage carts??

In the trip I am planning I will have to portage 9 dams and some of the portages are a couple miles long on pavement but the others are only possible by portage cart down the railroad tracks.

I´m curious about these portage carts that are made from plastic and nylon. They appear to be about 3 pounds lighter than the others I´ve used that had rubber tires and aluminum frame. Anybody tried one of these plastic ones? Will they stand up to some trail abuse?

I think this one from Sea to Summitt is actually made for paddle boards but maybe it can haul canoe or kayak, too?



http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=XT+Cart&o1=0&o2=0&o3=655



Here on Amazon it is called a SUP cart

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-XT-SUP-Cart/dp/B00UCNTWNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1473260222&sr=1-1&keywords=xt+cart



This one from NRS doesn´t get very good reviews on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/C-Tug-Boat-Cart-Solid-Tire/dp/B005XN1SGY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N32KPM66A58DESSNYM27



I searched for more information on NRS for this c-tug boat cart but apparently they don´t have it in their catalog anymore…but it is still available in some online stores.


Going down railroad tracks

– Last Updated: Sep-07-16 11:39 AM EST –

(abandoned I hope), you will want a cart with high clearance..Those carts do not have it.

Moreover an end load cart is worse than no cart at all for mileage. You will have more than half the boat weight that will be pulling your arm down.

Railroad tracks are difficult.. Make sure you can secure your boat so it does not slide end to end

I can do that with my Swedish style cart. Center mount carts take all the weight off your arms and shoulders and you just guide it

The downside is that its bulky. It does store in a canoe as it folds up.

Its the choice among commercially made carts for people doing portage trips along the 740 mile long Northern Forest Canoe Trail

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68566?feat=5490-GN2&page=all-terrain-boat-cart&attrValue_0=Gray&productId=1151467

Others here may have DIY ideas but the goal is high clearance and center loading

what boat
What boat will you be portaging>

13´Delta kayak, loaded with 50 pounds ge
I´ll be portaging a 40 pound Delta thermoformed kayak loaded with 50 pounds of gear. Total less than 100 pounds including paddling gear in the cockpit.

The railroad tracks are active, but fortunately I only have to go about 200 to 300 yards to get around the dams.

My hope is to carry the portage cart inside the rear compartment, but if that is not going to be possible then I could install brackets on the stern deck so I can bungee the cart topside. Not ideal because it is bulky and will weigh 8 or 9 pounds and would certainly interfere with rolling.

The one I have used on all my other trips is the typical inflatable tires with aluminum frame. It breaks down enough to fit inside the stern compartment. If nothing better comes along I´ll continue to use it even though it weighs 9 pounds.



https://www.amazon.com/TMS-CART-CANOE-KAYAK-KY001-Carrier-Trolley/dp/B0082365AQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_468_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EKY463GFBCV5R3MVXGP2