next season I want to start camping out of a canoe with my youngest. I currently camp out of my kayak (Necky Zoar) and love it. I have read a bunch of reviews and that was fun but I need to hear from other paddlers. My checklist is simple. Roomy, durable, not expensive (sub $700). Toss me a bone.
tandem?
I assume you are looking for a tandem. Are you looking to do big lake trips or small water. If you are not getting into anything big a 16 footer would be fine. I really like Wenonah boats but to get one sub 700 you would have to go used. Lots of guys like old town canoes but I have never paddled them.
canoes for trip
A used canoe would be the trick, and you can get a used Souris River Quetico Duralite 17 foot for near $700.00.
If you are interested give us a call at (800) 848-5530.
To look up this canoe go to http://www.sourisriver.com
this one
Standard+ beginner and expert boat
Old Town #169
Good boat and cheaper about 600 bucks
Expert? Suggestion is ok, but "experts"
would pass on that one.
Check out canoes by Mohawk
Other P-Netters I know with solo Mohawks are really pleased with them, especially because you get a lot of quality for the money. Prices for new Mohawk tandem canoes start near $800. You want to keep the price under $700 dollars, but for the extra money you get exactly the boat you want, while you might need to “settle” for what you can find if you get a used boat. Check out the Mohawk website for details.
Also, try posting your question on the “Advice” board, and be sure to describe the conditions (water type, approx. paddler size and gear load) you expect. You will get more responses there.
canoe
Find a usde canoe.I spent about 2 months looking on all the web sites papers and such.I bought a mad river synergy fully set up with pedastill seats thigh straps float bags in mint contition for 399.00 then for my tandum so my wife can go i found a mad river freedom fully set up with 5 air bags cane seats and pedalstill seats paddles knee pads thigh straps and more for 450.00 both these boats are in fine shape and you dont have to worry about that first scratch!!if you need some help with were to look e-m @ scneptune@prodigy.net
Buffalo Canoes
In Jasper, Arkansas, on the headwaters of the Buffalo National River, is Buffalo Canoes which manufactures excellent quality whitewater tandem tripping canoes. Their standard 15’8" boat has a freeboad capacity of over 700 pounds and is very stable from flatwater through Class III whitewater.
This Royalex boat is very durable, and can be purchased with either aluminum or wood thwarts and vinyl gunnels. It is designed for outfitters and had extra Royalex layup in the customary wear sports for longer life, and is generally sold in about the $700-750 range new.
Buffalo’s web site URL is http://www.buffalocanoes.com/.
I think that you would find this boiat to be as good as any other, moderately priced and just about perfect as an all-around tandem canoe (that can be easisly paddled solo) for canoe camping trips on flatwater or moderate whitewater.
weight
Good advice above. As you have garnerred, weight is important. If you plan on portaging then keep it in the 60-68 pound range or lighter. If rivers only then weight is not that big of a deal as long as you can load and unload from the car.
Galyans
If you have a Galyans sporting goods store close by check them out. They sell the Bell Northwind in royalex for 750$ with thier name on it. They were just purchased by Dicks sporting goods so the name has changed and they are getting rid of all products with the Galyans name so i’m sure you could get one real cheap. I have one and love it. And the price makes me love it even more. I paid 549$ for mine 2 years ago.
A problem. Buffalo is a pig on
flatwater. And another. In 1974, its whitewater handling was acceptable. (Because it’s basically just a Blue Hole OCA clone.) In 2004, there are numerous tandems which outhandle a Buffalo on whitewater.
Markk… There is no reason to exceed
70 pounds for a river canoe. Higher weights bring bad handling, because of polar inertia. And if you come to the Chattooga, you will be facing at least a 400 yard uphill portage at the end of each run.
Old Town Guide 147
I would suggest the guide. It bears 900 lbs is has plenty of room for camping gear. I’ve owned mine for a few weeks now and just came back from my first overnight trip in it. We had a blast; it was easy to handle in the salt marshes in SC even with strong tides.
If you are going to have to portage for any considerable distance, be prepared to get a workout. It’s a heavy boat.
You might try reading the ORIGINAL post
to get an appreciation of my suggestion. There are, indeed, better handling whitewater boats. I paddle a modified Old Town Cascade that started as a tandem, but which I converted to a solo boat with saddle, foot pegs, thigh straps and airbags. It started with about 3" symetrical rocker and now has about 4" of rocker. It spins on a dime, yet I can paddle as straight downriver as most people do in a flatbottom boat.
I have also paddled the Buffalo 15’ 8" boat literally thousands of miles on flatwater AND whitewater, but NEVER found it to be a pig. Perhaps it is more the paddler than the boat. The Buffalo is roomy, stable and inexpensive. It meets the needs of the author of this thread, which is why I suggested it. My comments were not intended for a highly experienced open boat whitewater river runner who prefers a shorter, highly rockered boat tricked out for taking Class IV drops.
Buffalo boats have more Royalex than ANY other manufacturer’s products, and will not wear as quickly, thereby increasing the value of the boat by extending its useful life. On my recent Lower Canyons trip I sincerely wish I had a Buffalo with me instead of my Old Town with the bags removed to carry gear. The extra space and greater stability would have been a welcome addition to a super trip of 9 days.
Go used
I bought a used canoe at about 1/2 the cost of a new one, through paddling.net actually. You can get a lot more for your money as long as you’re willing to be patient and wait till the one you want comes along. I own a Mad River Revelation, it’s very roomy, durable and stable. It’s great for fishing and camping, and handles the whiewater well. However, it’s awful heavy for long portages and slow. It all depends on where you’re going to use it and for what. Find a good deal and then research that specific canoe to see if it’s what you’re looking for.
Used
I concur with buying used. Since 1997 I have purchased three canoes. What I paid for all three would be the cost of one of the canoes if purchased new. Going forward I plan to buy my next canoe (replacement this time) as new, but with the experience of paddling various canoes that I have owned or rented. My next canoe will be what I want and not guessing.