Canoe Cart

[Glenn MacGrady]

I also have the many-named Swedish Boat Cart, which I got from Cabelas for about $75 after a bunch of discount finagling. I've manhandled it solo over some rough paths and it is very easy to control on smooth paths. I would definitely get solid tires rather than inflatable tires if they are now available. You don't want flats in the woods, and my cart's tires go flat in my garage in about two weeks without any punctures whatsoever. I just assumed it was the cheap tires.

 

[wgiles]

I use wheel barrows to haul rock and soil quite regularly. I have switched to the wheelbarrows with dual wheels and it makes a huge difference in stability. I would not want a wheel smaller than a wheelbarrow wheel for a canoe cart and might want something taller than that, if I could get it. The large diameter helps to roll over obstacles, while the wide tire helps for soft ground. Wheelbarrow tires seldom hold air for very long and slime is of no use because they are inner tube tires. I like to be able to regulate the tire pressure, but I have never found a situation where low wheelbarrow tire pressure made rolling easier. I don't have a cart, at the moment, but I can see situations where they could be handy. I think that I would want one with an aluminum frame, but steel might not be that much heavier.

 

[TheIndian]

Lotta good insight there guys thanks. And really appreciate the photos! Nice photo Glenn!

There's certainly plenty of variables when it comes to the condition of the trails we carry on. I too was never really a fan of the cart but sometimes I can see it coming in handy. Like when you trying to bring your big hot tent, stove and kitchen sink deep into the woods LOL and that just too much gear to carry...

Right now I torn between the roll-eez cart and the many-named Swedish boat cart (why Swedish?). Doing a quick Bing search, I don't see anything called roll-eez...wheel-eez yes...but not roll-eez. You think they similar stripperguy?

I like the simplicity and big bouncy wheels of the roll-eez but I also like the clearance, non inflatable tires and the tire diameter of the Swedish cart...who knows, maybe it come with Swedish Massage!

Thanks again All!

 

[Guest]

I think robin has a better idea than I had. A cart just for gated roads to the launch. When I used a borrowed center cart for a rougher trail (to Long Pond) I had an awful tome keeping it in place on the canoe. Any suggestions?
Turtle

 

[stripperguy]

Lotta good insight there guys thanks. And really appreciate the photos! Nice photo Glenn!

There's certainly plenty of variables when it comes to the condition of the trails we carry on. I too was never really a fan of the cart but sometimes I can see it coming in handy. Like when you trying to bring your big hot tent, stove and kitchen sink deep into the woods LOL and that just too much gear to carry...

Right now I torn between the roll-eez cart and the many-named Swedish boat cart (why Swedish?). Doing a quick Bing search, I don't see anything called roll-eez...wheel-eez yes...but not roll-eez. You think they similar stripperguy?

I like the simplicity and big bouncy wheels of the roll-eez but I also like the clearance, non inflatable tires and the tire diameter of the Swedish cart...who knows, maybe it come with Swedish Massage!

Thanks again All!

Oh yeah...in the years since I bought my Roll-Eez the company changed names to Wheel-Eez, same product, different name.
And, the Roll-Eez has a fair amount of clearance, the other photos didn't really show it very well. Here's a better view.

View attachment IcZLwOlSjjsqVkpzAFAMVMqmmSX1xvOY0XOEDEfDtdbl_K6Nm18CMQwg1M8zxbjISMP5fburk0J9lp94CQdIUwWIZNTq8bwSjWPe


Lastly, here is a link to both soft wheeled and hard wheeled carts in use over some pretty rugged terrain. You'll notice which cart is in the lead!

 

[Guest]

stripperguy, do you have the big or small wheel-eeze cart?
Turtle

 

[stripperguy]

stripperguy, do you have the big or small wheel-eeze cart?
Turtle

I, uhmmm, dunno!! Wheels are about 13" OD and maybe 10" wide?


Just looked at their website...OUCH!! Prices have surely gone up!
My cart seems to be most similar to their Small Boat Cart, WZ1-SBC
Wheel color is gray instead of the bright orange that I have, but otherwise looks the same

 

[yknpdlr]

Another disadvantage with a low profile cart with the canoe not being carried very high off the ground is that when negotiating trails with sharp dips, the bow or stern will drag on the higher terrain.

 

[Guest]

Stripperguy, You sure the cheaper canoe beach cart isn't the same as you have? The small boat cart has 16.5" wheels and I'd have to mortgage the house to get it.
Turtle

 

[southcove]

When I was a strapping lad growing up in CA's Sierra Mtns, my father and his friend had an aluminum hand truck that the nose plate had been cut down and a shaped piece of wood to help locate the hull of the canoe...the long length of the truck enabled good tie solid tie down and often this 'vehicle' pulled double duty at the camp site, hauling in loads of car camp gear, 5 gallon jugs of water, ice chest, wood, tools, etc.

Home Depot had one on sale last week for $40, with an 800lb capacity, big beefy tires too. Downsides - it's staying at the first put in!

 

[stripperguy]

Stripperguy, You sure the cheaper canoe beach cart isn't the same as you have? The small boat cart has 16.5" wheels and I'd have to mortgage the house to get it.
Turtle

On closer examination, the WZ1-KCB kayak cart has the exact same frame construction...still, it's $266.
Even so, I would gladly swap my cart plus the $133 differential for your house! Let me know if we have a deal.

 

[TheIndian]

Whoa! The WZ1-SBC is super expensive! Looks like the better of the three options (the mini cart, the standard kayak cart and the small boat cart) but that thing is just too much money. And of course of the three...the SBC has the highest weight capacity...the other two are like between 30-80lbs
The Swedish one looking a bit more attractive now

 

[snubber]

I think robin has a better idea than I had. A cart just for gated roads to the launch. When I used a borrowed center cart for a rougher trail (to Long Pond) I had an awful tome keeping it in place on the canoe. Any suggestions?
Turtle

I've had pretty good success in keeping the cart and canoe aligned by running lines from the each side of the cart to a forward point on the canoe. On shorter paths with obstacles I just grasp the lines from the cart in the hand I'm pulling the canoe with. I'm also planning to find a foam or other material to increase friction between cart pads and bottom of the hull.

Having the canoe aligned and firmly strapped to the cart is key.

 

[frozentripper]

When I used a borrowed center cart for a rougher trail (to Long Pond) I had an awful tome keeping it in place on the canoe. Any suggestions?

I built my own and it looks something like Robin's... the hull rests on two foam-covered lengths of aluminum tubing about four feet long. The front and rear ends of each aluminum piece can be fastened with ropes to a thwart or yoke to prevent the cart from twisting out of alignment as rocks hit each wheel. As the canoe's being pulled along, the rocks tend to knock the cart a little further back on the canoe and that tightens the ropes, helping to keep the cart aligned properly. Don't know whether I've explained this well enough, a vid would show this better. A longer base on the cart helps keep it aligned better than a shorter one... eg. four feet of support vs two feet.