Why not make one for the site and ask/beg Adam put it under bwca basics? Better yet give it a link on the main menu? How about Board members build, craft and reach a consensus what we consider good behavior at portages? I'd be happy to aggregate and publish the data for all. I also didn't want to steal Ozarkers thread!

I'll throw out a few:

I've been taught that it is good manners to hang out on the lake while others are exiting or entering a portage - less confusion and no chance to mix gear.

Don't throw your gear out all willy-nilly when loading/unloading.

At each end of the portage pile all your gear including the canoe(s) to one side of the landing. If the landing is tight, stow it up the portage off to the side.

If you meet someone on the portage, the person without any gear moves out of the way. Another one I follow, and I know many people on this site do as well, is if you see any trash (I always find line among other things) pick it up.

DON'T race another group to the Landing, especially if they are clearly closer!!!!!!!!!! or if you do, don't get Pissy if you loose!!

Don't stop for a snack of apples on the portage on your way from Lake 1 to Lake 2 while your empty canoes are still sitting in the water on the other end. This happened to our group on our way out after 11 days and 120 miles. We wern't happy campers...no pun intended.
I agree, a published portage etiquette guidelines should be as important as "leave no trace"

yeild to a person portaging a canoe regardless of if you have a pack on or not.

Keep all your gear stacked in one spot off to the side and out of the way.

If you need to rest 1/2 way through the portage, find a spot off to the side and out of the way - also goes for dropping gear if you find you took too much.

If you are going back over the portage to get more of your gear and there is a group going the other way, offer to carry something over for them.

There are guidelines.

Portage Etiquette or Road Rage

pork eater - I have been guilty of "racing" to the portage before, but only on trips when my group has 1 canoe, we single portage, and the other canoes are likely to be slower (e.g heavy load, groups with kids, etc.) I don't see anything wrong with it if I am 95% sure they are more likely to clog up the portage than I am. Just like golf - if your the slower group and the group behind you is always waiting for you, it's rude if you don't let them 'play through'.

Honestly, this falls under the "common sense" category. Although common sense is really not so common.

HPD,

Thanks! I vaguely recalled this being discussed and appreciate you retrieving the thread. :) I think there is some mining to be done.

keegan99usa, you nailed it. It is common sense and it isn't common. I don't think a person needs to watch a video or read a book to have proper manners, but I can only speak for myself. No matter if I'm out mountain biking and someone comes up from behind and stays on my rear wheel or on a portage or skiing a groomed trail I always GIVE WAY. When I go into the woods I go with a bit of an expectation that I might run into morons out on the trail. Of course I get angry just like anyone else, I simply try not to dwell on it very long and get on with my trip. As I've said before it's a roll of the dice.

Guitars , oh never mind :-)

I use one rule : He with the load gets the road

are you a truck driver bmac?;)

I think most people follow this rule but for those who don't. I submit that you walk on the right side of the path, in as much as we drive on the right side of the road. At least on some of the wider, more "paved" portages. Otherwise I agree with giving the person with the load the right of way.

I wave any of my portaging rights to someone carrying a canoe or a load heavier than mine.