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Ally (Bergans) vs. Pakcanoes

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Good day my esteemed canoeing kin,

I was absent from the site for a while. I discovered (re-discovered) motorcycling and did a fair bit of it for a while, neglecting most things canoeing. In fact, I just got back from a two-week motorcycle trip through the Himalayans, but that’s a different forum…that and my first, non-romantic, love is still canoeing!

As my wife and I are inching toward retirement, we are starting to make plans. Some variation of those plans includes RV camping (with canoe and motorcycle), and our RV of choice is a truck (slide-in) camper. We both like our critter comforts, so we are looking at campers with full facilities, so no pop-ups for us. The bike goes on the front of the truck, but where should the canoe go?

The puzzle to solve is how one can transport a hard-shell canoe with such a vehicle without a.) adding many more Chiropractic treatments along the way? We already have a 34-pound canoe but balancing on top of the RV while handling a 16’ canoe sounds risky. b) getting said canoe rubbed off the camper by some older bridges that are less than the standard min. 14’ clearance. I admit, item b. is a bit less of a concern, so I suppose we are predominantly trying to solve item a).

One potential solution, so I thought, may be a folding canoe, something one can put together and take apart as needed. There is an origami type canoe, but I don’t care for the shape. The only two canoes I am considering at the moment are Ally or PakCanoe.

If anyone here has any wisdom to share on how to solve above items a. and/or b., please don’t be shy.

I am also looking for some detailed input on your Ally or PakCanoe paddling experiences.

We are talking tandem canoe. We mostly (90%) paddle flat water. I’d love a fast hull, so no blow-up canoes. We don’t plan to paddle with dogs. I strongly prefer a kneeling paddle position. I like heeling my tandems when I paddle solo, so a middle seat or even kneeling thwart would be good. Symmetrical shape is preferred but not absolutely necessary. Half of my paddle time (right now once a week) I am paddling solo.

Your input is much appreciated!!
 
I have very limited exposure to Ally canoes but I found one this summer. It is an older model 15' boat, weathered but serviceable, and it surprised me by actually being a boat I wanted to paddle. Setup time is probably in the 30 minute range, requires a rubber mallet, and fairly easy for a newbie to cock up by assembling parts askew. That doesn't sound like a long time, but I can see it getting old after a few assemblies/disassemblies.

This summer I also bought - purely because it was available for a song - a MyCanoe Duo origami canoe. It is, to put it charitably, Aesthetically Displeasing, but it is by far easier to set up, take down, and store than the Ally. I plan to do a 100+mile torture test on it either this winter or this coming spring, so will probably have a detailed report once you've already bought something.

I have no experience with the PakCanoe, but I will buy the first decent Feathercraft K-light kayak I find.
 
I have no experience with any of the packable canoes. But since you're going to be in a pickup camper, have you considered a trailer for the canoe(s)?


 
Never messed with either either but a trailer was my first though as well. Maybe an enclosed trailer for the scooter and strap the canoe on top of that? Would also look pretty cool going down the highway with the bike on one side and the canoe on the other.

Welcome back.
 
Both packcanoe and ally are making things that lasts.

Ally's are stiffer then the packcanoes
The ally flatwater 17 is the quickest of then all.
All are symetrical.
Assembly times are close to eachother. Some peiple are fast and do it in 20 min or less.

Most do about a Halve an hour .

The ally in the picture is a 15,5 that is not currently in the catalog. I use it tandem and solo. We fit in it with a out a week of food and gear in it.

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I have a 17' PakCanoe and have used it extensively in northern Canada and Alaska. It is well suited for fly-in expeditions, and does well in big lakes and whitewater. It is beamy (38") and slow. Their 16'5" canoe is much narrower and I'd assume faster. They take 30 minutes or so to put together (with some experience). Packed, they're a 60 pound duffle which can get unwieldy--I think the Allys are lighter, but difficult to find in the US. My 17' does not have a center thwart, but you can get a detachable clamp-on yoke. You could probably rig up a clamp-on center/solo thwart for soloing, but it wouldn't be as secure as a fixed thwart. (The thwarts are part of the ribs, and snap onto the gunwales and chine/keel rods.) PakCanoes come with bench seats, adjustable for height. Have you looked into inflatables (e.g. Sea Eagle--looks interesting)?
 
I have a Pak 165. I chose it because it serves as another canoe for fly in trips. I chose 165 because you can switch the rear seat to the middle easily. The duffle they pack into is big. The canoe is slower but worth it for what it can do. Trimming it with weight is important as it flexes easily. Sitting in the middle with no packs and it has too much rocker. Because of set up time I think finding a way to put your canoe on top of the camper would be the way to go.
 
I have no experience with any of the packable canoes. But since you're going to be in a pickup camper, have you considered a trailer for the canoe(s)?


Morning, Steve.
I have considered a trailer but would prefer to not make the vehicle any longer. Backing up a small trailer like that will also be a trick unless I unhook the trailer every time. Probably my third option for now.
 
Never messed with either either but a trailer was my first though as well. Maybe an enclosed trailer for the scooter and strap the canoe on top of that? Would also look pretty cool going down the highway with the bike on one side and the canoe on the other.

Welcome back.
Hadn't thought of that...:unsure:
 
I have a Pak 165. I chose it because it serves as another canoe for fly in trips. I chose 165 because you can switch the rear seat to the middle easily. The duffle they pack into is big. The canoe is slower but worth it for what it can do. Trimming it with weight is important as it flexes easily. Sitting in the middle with no packs and it has too much rocker. Because of set up time I think finding a way to put your canoe on top of the camper would be the way to go.
Good point, Marten. I hadn't considered the "shape shifting" aspect of those types of canoes, but it makes sense. Not too much paddle information on either of the canoes, Ally or Pak. Perhaps that's a bit of a giveaway as well. They are niche products. Thank you!
 
I have a 17' PakCanoe and have used it extensively in northern Canada and Alaska. It is well suited for fly-in expeditions, and does well in big lakes and whitewater. It is beamy (38") and slow. Their 16'5" canoe is much narrower and I'd assume faster. They take 30 minutes or so to put together (with some experience). Packed, they're a 60 pound duffle which can get unwieldy--I think the Allys are lighter, but difficult to find in the US. My 17' does not have a center thwart, but you can get a detachable clamp-on yoke. You could probably rig up a clamp-on center/solo thwart for soloing, but it wouldn't be as secure as a fixed thwart. (The thwarts are part of the ribs, and snap onto the gunwales and chine/keel rods.) PakCanoes come with bench seats, adjustable for height. Have you looked into inflatables (e.g. Sea Eagle--looks interesting)?
The Sea Eagle does look interesting. I wonder how stiff they are when soloing...or in general. Similar technology as many of the blow-up paddle boards. Assembly work is pretty easy... :unsure:
 
I recently purchased this older Portage Pal canoe trailer for $175. After some repairs ( wiring, broken fender mount, wheel bearings), I plan to hook it to the back of my truck camper and head to northern Maine next week for my first trip with the trailer.
I would rather load the canoe on the camper top but even a lightweight canoe would be too hard for me these days.

20250904_153535_Original.jpegDSC00093.jpeg
 
I think you made the right decision getting the canoe trailer. Years ago, I had a truck camper and thought of putting the canoe on top but even back then when I was young and strong, after trying I could see that putting the canoe on top of the camper was just too much. On trips when I needed the canoe I would leave the camper at home and stay in a tent. In the end everything worked out OK
Best on your trip up North.
 
Beautiful canoe and nice camper setup, Robin!
Thanks to all of you for chiming in as well!

There are some tall-van options, and I am looking into whether they might work for campers. One is https://kari-tek.com/. Currently only available in the UK. The other one is DropRacks https://rec-salute.com/collections/the-racks
I reached out to both to see if they have (or if the have contemplated) solutions for RVs. I'll keep you guys posted.

It is becoming apparent that alternatives to hard hull canoes are either slow or a pain to deal with or both. I am leaning toward dismissing those.

Steve in Idaho, your trailer idea just moved up to 2nd place ;).
 
Steve in Idaho, your trailer idea just moved up to 2nd place
I've been impressed with the idea ever since meeting a couple who were using a Yakima trailer (basically a frame for their rack system) to haul a heavy Clipper TSL1 behind their Subaru. It was balanced well enough to eliminate the need for backing it up - instead, unhooking it and rolling it back by hand.

But I like the idea of an enclosed trailer, or at least an enclosed portion for gear. An inexpensive option would be installing a homemade storage box on a Harbor Freight utility trailer and attaching racks to that.
 
I've posted this pic in other threads but it seems appropriate for this one. When you want to go for a paddle you can leave the Camper truck at the takeout and take the motorcycle and canoe trailer to the put-in. It would also give you more "critter comforts" space in the trailer which might give you a bit more room in the camper.

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