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Saw this Youtube video by Joe Robinet I enjoyed which might be informative if you haven't already seen it: https://youtu.be/jd5AEjeE_CY

The one thing about canoe tripping versus backpacking that I envision as a possibility, especially given my lack of experience, is getting swamped out in the deep section of some lake and finding out that my pack didn't float (or quickly floated away) despite my precautions to the contrary. If...

In my sailboat days, I spoke with a guy who sailed on Lake Superior. He said he always wore his PFD -- because it would make his body easier to find. :eek:

No Title Agreed! Don't have any pictures of it in the water yet, but just took this one out in the yard.

Thanks for the tip on the varnish -- that's the sort of thing I wouldn't have thought about until after a problem had developed. As for the portage yoke, I bought a generic cherry yoke from Algonquin Outfitters next door for less than half the cost of the one sold by Swift. But I have to...

Hello again Everybody, As mentioned in my other topic, I've been silent the past couple of days because I went to Canada to test paddle boats at Swift Canoe. I tested an Adirondack 13.6 with a kayak paddle, a Keewaydin 14 and 15, and a Shearwater. The latter three all being standard solo...

Hello again Everybody, I've been silent the past couple of days because I've been camped over in Algonquin Provincial Park so I could test paddle some boats at Swift Canoe which is right next to the park. I tested an Adirondack 13.6 with a kayak paddle, a Keewaydin 14 and 15, and a Shearwater...

Turtle, Old adage about learning to sail: You can learn to sail in an afternoon, but you spend the rest of your life learning to do it well. ;) Glenn, Thanks for the detailed response. By "low seat", I meant sit-on-the-hull pack-boat style seating. "High seat" was for a standard canoe-style...

Basic aircraft design: light, strong, cheap -- pick any two. Also works for camping gear. May also apply to canoes.

Determining the length of the double is one of many remaining mysteries to be solved. I'm hoping to nail it down while I'm testing the boats. But I did find a formula for the canoe paddle that enabled me to measure here at home and determine a 54" or 56" length for my single blade. :)

I equate effort with energy and energy impacts enjoyment. The more energy I expend on the trail, the less energy I have to enjoy my time in camp. But there is a balance I try to find. If I'm exhausted from travel when I get to camp, I might not be up for a spectacular sunset. On the other...

Agreed. When I first started backpacking a few years ago, my kit weighed in at about 45 pounds. I could carry that weight for quite a few miles, but it did take a toll on my enjoyment. My current typical pack weight heading out the door is in the low-thirties, but that usually includes over...

I wanted to be sure to thank everyone for their responses to this topic. As with my earlier Starting From Scratch post, I have again learned a lot and particularly on this topic, had a key assumption dispelled. I am now very open to either style of seat whereas a month ago I was definitely...

I wanted to be sure to thank everyone for their input...I've learned a lot and feel much more confident in my ability to make a wise decision and purchase a boat I'll still be happy with two years from now. I'm really looking forward to my upcoming test paddles and hope to finish the shopping...

Jim Dodd and BWCA66, Thanks for your suggestions, but weight is a factor. I'd love to have the waterline of a 16-footer, but in my backpacking (soon to be portaging?) days, ounces count. As for a small tandem and its inherent flexibility, it is highly unlikely my wife will ever accompany me...

Brian, I definitely intend to try all three next month and the store has confirmed they're available. The big question for me given my very limited experience, is whether I'll be able to tell which boat is most efficient. The Keewaydins are both a bit longer, presumably longer at the water...

Frozentripper, I've just shopped the Kestrel and it is a fine looking boat...with wooden gunwales. My last sailboat had quite a bit of teak on it and that experience has caused me to favor composite gunwales over wood. But the larger factor is the increased cost -- I am willing to pay for a...

Turtle, Yep, I do believe you are correct that first deciding about high (standard canoe/kneeling) or low (pack boat style) should be the priority. I just started a new topic I hope will help me answer that question...

Trying to decide on a first boat for 3 - 10 day solo trips in Algonqin PP, Michigan rivers, and the BWCA and the point was made in a different post that I should first choose between standard canoe seating with kneeling as an option (what I'll call "high" seating) or go with...

Backpacking the past few years has sustained my desire for being "out", but watching Youtube videos of canoe tripping has infected me with a new fever -- and the desire is all I currentIy have. I'm well equipped for backpacking, but I don't (yet) have a canoe, paddle, or PFD. I've been doing a...