I am looking at purchasing a good canoe carrier, I live in Eastern Ontario..any reviews or recommendations on a brand? I need it for opening weekend this year in Algonquin, first time bringing my oldest son (10 years old)and it may be just better for him this way...please help...

Are you looking for advice on a car-top carrier or a dolly for portaging the canoe? If it's the former, I think most people use the foam blocks that slip over the gunnels.

If it's the latter, you should let us know your proposed route; most of the portages in Algonquin aren't suitable for using a dolly, and you'll be better off solo-carrying the canoe.

Would be the dolley...trip would be walking the old railroad tracks from Grande Lake...

We've pulled the canoe along railways beds and longer portages (with a new cart) and have found that they work great on the cart trails. Rail beds are difficult, depending on how far you are going. The large loose gravel makes it very difficult to travel far. We did 4 or 5 km on a railbed like the one at Grand and found it to be a real struggle. I think it is faster to portage your canoe or just carry it on the railbed although you use up much more energy carrying. I guess my point is that using the cart isn't as easy as you are hoping it is. The large gravel rolls under your feet and under the tires. We were 2 men with 2 full packs and fishing gear.
Also, the railway bed is the private property of the railway and is not a park trail. I'm not saying that people don't use it, many do, but it isn't park property.

Hopefully this helps.

I bought my cart at Trailhead in Ottawa, after looking at them in Bushtaka, MEC and another store just down from MEC. I couldn't find anyone to rent one to me for a reasonable price for a weekend so for twice the price of a rental, I bought one.

Little known regulation governing the rail roads is that they may be used to access fishing and hunting. Even though it is private propery if you have fishing or hunting gear you can not be charged with tresspassing. (I should say that the charge would not stick if you challenged it)

The railbed from Achray is getting overgrown and has a few deep ditches. My brother hiked it last year with his packsac and found it difficult to reach Stratton Lake. I would rather paddle to the chosen destination.

Hi

i saw your post and thought back to Dec, when this matter was enjoyably discussed. i believe there are some illustrative pictures of carriers as well,

http://www.network54.com/Forum/352882/thread/1226081697/last-1227195273/The+Solution+To+Portaging

hope this helps,

algoalex