TUMPLINES AS A CARRYING AID

Related Topic: Portaging a Canoe

Just about any load can be secured and carried using a tumpline. Tumplines, in one form or another, have probably been around since men and women started walking upright. By transferring weight to the top of our heads and spine, the tumpline keeps the load nearly over our center of balance. The further a load is from being vertically over the center of balance, the more force there is to contend with, and the more overall work our bodies have to do. Example a 40Kg load:

A tump of about 5 or 6 meters long will be sufficient for just about any load. Any strong material that can accommodate a comfortable head strap about 60- 70 cm long and about 5 cm wide can be used. Traditionally, tumps are made of leather. Some alternatives are wide web belting similar to a car seatbelt, or simply a folded canvas headband with rope tails.

Using a Tumpline to Carry a Canoe

On looking at the table above, it seems that a tumpline is no aid to carrying a canoe. Effectively, it does little to reduce the workload. Nevertheless, it greatly improves our ability to carry a canoe over distance. It gives the carrier the advantage of being able to shift the weight of the load back and forth between his or her neck and shoulders. For most of us, these muscles give up long before our legs. When one set of muscles fatigues the other can take over allowing the first set to rest and recover while the carrier continues to move along the trail. By using a tumpline, most canoeists find the maximum distance they can carry a canoe before resting increases dramatically. A personal limit of 500 meters may become 1500 meters or more.

A tump on the canoe also provides considerably more control, particularly on steep ascents where your hands can be free to grab onto whatever you can.

Tying the paddles in as shoulder rests, the tump is tied to the center thwart about 20 cm. out from the gunwales, and the tails are wrapped around and around the thwart back to the gunwales. The head band just lays over the paddles and goes between the blades. When carrying the canoe, by sliding the "V" shaped paddle blades back and forth, the carrier can shorten or lengthen the headband. A shorter headband puts more weight on top of the head which uses neck muscles, and a longer headband drops more weight on the shoulder muscles.

Putting a Tumpline on a Wannigan and Other Loads

Lay the tump out in a long "U" and place the wannigan across the tails. Leave enough length that the head band will just hook over your thumb when your elbow is on top of the wannigan.

Bring the tails across the top on the outside of the headband.

3. Tie the tails around the head band straps and swing them under the side handles. Recheck the headband length.

4. Tie the tails at the back after passing them under the vertical straps.

Adjust the length of the tump after every carry until you find the optimum length for yourself. When you decide what feels best, do the "thumb-elbow" check and make a mental note of your thumb position.

With most loads you can simply untie the knot at the back and slip the tumpline off and on the package. You rarely have to retie a tumpline once you are on a trip.

Other loads

Plastic barrels have been gaining popularity as containers on canoe trips. Tumpline-based commercial harnesses are available. Some people make their own harness with or without a rigid frame. Apparently, Ministry of Natural Resources tree-planting bags are good to carry them.

A pair of army-surplus duffel bags tied together with a tump is a cost-effective way of carrying gear. Pair the bags one on top of the other, pointing in different directions. Tie as you would a wannigan, but pass the tails through the end of each bag -- under the tie cord of one bag and the under bottom strap of the other. Tie off at the bottom.

Large tents, hockey bags, coolers, etc. are all candidates for a tump