Hi, I am newish to the forum and have been lurking for a few months. Now I have some questions.
I used to canoe quite a bit when I was younger and living near the Adirondacks. For some reason I canoed like I backpacked: pack light and eat granola/freeze dried fruits and cook on a camp stove. Now, much older, ready for adventure, and a good amount of vacation time, I realized how much nicer canoe camping can be: steaks, reflector oven bread, large camp fires, chairs, and screen tents. I then stumbled up on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
Ok, so now I am obsessed with through paddling the NFCT sometime in the next couple years, but first I have some shorter trips to take and I am looking for canoe advice.
This summer I am planning a trip on the last portion of the NFTC, Moosehead to Fort Kent in June, over 10 - 14 days. I am supplying the canoes for 4 or us, so I bought a used Dagger Legend 16 foot. Now I am looking for a second tandem boat. This one I would like to be more of a lake boat with better speed and tracking, be 60ish lbs or less, handle some cargo, yet be a good price. Both boats I plan on keeping after the trip, so I want to make sure they have different strengths. I would also like the second boat to be a good option for a solo through paddle of the NFCT. The canoes I am considering are a 16 foot Esquif, the Esquif Avalon, used Royalex Penobscot, and, new to the list, the 165 Pakcanoe. I would love a high priced feather weight boat, but I have already spent too much.
Here are the reasons for the 165 Pak Canoe. It is lightish at 54 lbs. It is narrow, so good for solo trips. It has a conversion kit to make it slightly wider and stabler for rocky rivers. It can be packed up, so if I considered pampering myself and wanted to stay in a nice hotel, I could take it right into the room with me. This hotel option sounds better to me if I decide to also start the trip from the western end of the Erie Canal and linking it by bus between Utica and Old Forge. Still considering this, but it is not the top of my list.
So if any of the above sounds crazy let me know. I am just getting back into canoeing and leaving my sea kayaking days behind me.
I have a few questions if anyone has experience with the Pak canoes, but would appreciate any advice.
1) Rolling the Pak canoe? From the videos I have watched about the NFCT, there are frequent spots where you can use wheels to portage your canoe. In them I see people carrying the heavier items in a pack, but leaving some items in the canoe (near the center). Can you do this with the pack canoe? I would think you could damage it since there is a lot of flex. Has anyone tried the alternative of carrying collapsible wagon's? When reaching a wheel-able portage, collapse the canoe, and put it in the wagon. Perhaps carry two wagons and daisy chain one to the back of the other.
2) Does anyone have any idea how easy it is to get back into a Pak canoe? When solo canoeing I bring my kayak paddle in the boat and my kayak float bag. This makes it easier for me to get back in. I secure the paddle to a thwart and it creates a pontoon I can get my leg onto. With the flexibility of the Pak canoe, I wonder how easy it is to get back in when paddling solo? Or even tandem.
3) You can buy a conversion kit for the 165 that expands the width a bit. So it is more stable and rides higher for rougher waters. It this worth it? I mean should I get one just to convert from lake use to faster waters along the NFCT.
One last question. I hear the Pak canoes are durable, but how would it be going down a river like the Allagash. I know the Penobscot and Avalon will slide over rocks, but I read that the bottom of the Pak canoes slide less, so you get stuck.
thanks in advance for the feedback.
James
I used to canoe quite a bit when I was younger and living near the Adirondacks. For some reason I canoed like I backpacked: pack light and eat granola/freeze dried fruits and cook on a camp stove. Now, much older, ready for adventure, and a good amount of vacation time, I realized how much nicer canoe camping can be: steaks, reflector oven bread, large camp fires, chairs, and screen tents. I then stumbled up on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
Ok, so now I am obsessed with through paddling the NFCT sometime in the next couple years, but first I have some shorter trips to take and I am looking for canoe advice.
This summer I am planning a trip on the last portion of the NFTC, Moosehead to Fort Kent in June, over 10 - 14 days. I am supplying the canoes for 4 or us, so I bought a used Dagger Legend 16 foot. Now I am looking for a second tandem boat. This one I would like to be more of a lake boat with better speed and tracking, be 60ish lbs or less, handle some cargo, yet be a good price. Both boats I plan on keeping after the trip, so I want to make sure they have different strengths. I would also like the second boat to be a good option for a solo through paddle of the NFCT. The canoes I am considering are a 16 foot Esquif, the Esquif Avalon, used Royalex Penobscot, and, new to the list, the 165 Pakcanoe. I would love a high priced feather weight boat, but I have already spent too much.
Here are the reasons for the 165 Pak Canoe. It is lightish at 54 lbs. It is narrow, so good for solo trips. It has a conversion kit to make it slightly wider and stabler for rocky rivers. It can be packed up, so if I considered pampering myself and wanted to stay in a nice hotel, I could take it right into the room with me. This hotel option sounds better to me if I decide to also start the trip from the western end of the Erie Canal and linking it by bus between Utica and Old Forge. Still considering this, but it is not the top of my list.
So if any of the above sounds crazy let me know. I am just getting back into canoeing and leaving my sea kayaking days behind me.
I have a few questions if anyone has experience with the Pak canoes, but would appreciate any advice.
1) Rolling the Pak canoe? From the videos I have watched about the NFCT, there are frequent spots where you can use wheels to portage your canoe. In them I see people carrying the heavier items in a pack, but leaving some items in the canoe (near the center). Can you do this with the pack canoe? I would think you could damage it since there is a lot of flex. Has anyone tried the alternative of carrying collapsible wagon's? When reaching a wheel-able portage, collapse the canoe, and put it in the wagon. Perhaps carry two wagons and daisy chain one to the back of the other.
2) Does anyone have any idea how easy it is to get back into a Pak canoe? When solo canoeing I bring my kayak paddle in the boat and my kayak float bag. This makes it easier for me to get back in. I secure the paddle to a thwart and it creates a pontoon I can get my leg onto. With the flexibility of the Pak canoe, I wonder how easy it is to get back in when paddling solo? Or even tandem.
3) You can buy a conversion kit for the 165 that expands the width a bit. So it is more stable and rides higher for rougher waters. It this worth it? I mean should I get one just to convert from lake use to faster waters along the NFCT.
One last question. I hear the Pak canoes are durable, but how would it be going down a river like the Allagash. I know the Penobscot and Avalon will slide over rocks, but I read that the bottom of the Pak canoes slide less, so you get stuck.
thanks in advance for the feedback.
James