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To my irritation, i am finding myself probably needing to try a basic knee brace for some support a (thankfully only occasionally tor mow) wobbly knee.
Anyone wear one?
I suppose it might be something that i pull out and put on at portages…. I kneel when paddling - i can’t imagine that it can be comfortable if wearing something wrapped around my knee?
Anything i should consider which is peculiar to canoe trippimg?
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Don't know exactly what your issues are and there's a huge variety of braces from simple sleeves to mechanical monstrosities. I've used them on and off for sports and in general, the more support, the less comfort over the long term.
My first suggestion would be to talk to some kind of medical professional about what issues you have. The other is to spend a lot of time doing knee and leg rehab. Makes a huge difference.
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I use one, a neoprene wrap with a small hole for the knee I bought at the drug store. Anything longer than a few days and I have to wear it. My knee started giving out a number of years ago on the 2420m portage from Grand Lake to Rowan. Had to triple carry first time unexpectedly. Now I pack like a ninja, ultra light and unseen until you least expect it.
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I currently play rugby at the advanced old age of 39 throughout the spring and summer. Depending on how banged up I am will determine whether a knee "sleeve" , Aleve, and Icy Hot come with me on the trip. You can get compression sleeves with metal side support pieces from the drug store, not quite sure how efficient they are. I use the sleeves mostly to keep the swelling down (most of the pain), and it gives me piece of mind regarding the "support" side of things.
I second Swift's response as that is something I can control. Pack as light as possible to limit the strain on the knee. Doubling or even tripling a portage is just too many extra steps for me! kneeling in a canoe is not even possible, I could only image the pain!
good luck!
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