Looking for feedback from owners of any brand. How they worked for you ect ect. Asking because I have an upcoming trip where I will face a 5 mile portage so I am looking for something useable and packable
Eckla
German brand. Atlantic 260 and 200 are the two models, different in tire size. Very packable.
Dont buy this one!
Hi, I am sort of in the same boat.
All I can tell you is I tried the one below but it has dissapointed me and just wonder if others have anything to say on this item, because it is made by a company that makes quality items, Seattle Sports.
http://www.rei.com/product/752710?vcat=REI_SEARCH
The “tires” are great, folds nicely and it worked fine in the store on the smooth floor. But once I tried it at home, to get the boat from the back of my townhouse to the front to load it on my car, on fairly smooth grass terrain, to my surprise, it “callapses” (closes) very easily and then it just comes apart…
golf cart caddy
i use an old golf bag carrier (with wheels) and it works great and is fairly small and compact, also easily modified to your special requrements, the legs extend out to give good ground clearance
I like my paddleboy
But I’m not sure I’d endorse it for a five mile portage.
MTB Tires…
whatever you do, use a cart with at least 20" wheels and MTB tires for that distance…they handle roots, ruts and rocks much better than the smaller wheels, and the height puts the toggles at near waist height, with the boat level to the ground…it stinks to be tail dragging the boat every time you cross a low spot in the portage trail using the smaller wheels…
now if getting the cart in a small hatch or cockpit is the goal…bummer…if it’s a large cockpit or a canoe, it’ll really pay off to use the larger wheels.
mighty mite
We used our mighty mite while camping this weekend, and it worked great on both asphalt and grassy areas that weren’t too level.
got mine at Cabelas
I agree with the person stating the larger wheels are better over roots etc. Those larger wheels usually come with skinny tires. So it is a trade off. The fatter tires will float better over mucky and sandy areas. Lots of rocks and roots? Big wheels and skinny tires. Lots of muck or sand? Fat tires.
I find the one I got with little balloon tires does great. I am portaging on trails or dirt roads and no cross country as yet. It straps on in seconds. I take off the wheels and toss them in the back. The bent tubing it is made from is just a touch too big to fit into any of my kayaks storage areas. I strap it to the bow or stern rigging.
paddlecart
I use a cart from paddlecart.com. It’s sturdy and comes apart for storage. Rolls well over all the terrains I have encountered. Fits in all the hatches of the kayaks I have. It’s listed in the accessories here on Pnet. Goodluck.
PADDLEBOY
http://www.paddleboy.com/pages/End_Carts.html
I use this one for my canoe sailing rig. They have two different tire models.
The further along you can slide the cart up, the more avantage it can lend (best amidships if possible).
I’ve dragged mine (even with the small tires) all over the place, up and down hills and over rough terrain. It folds quite nicely for storage, all though it is a bit long when folded.
My second choice…
As I was saying, as much as I like the tires of the Seattle Sports cart (they are actually tires!), the main problem that the unit ‘closes’ at the slightest bump and then the cart collapses. Another thing I don’t like is the way the cart is attatched to the boat itsel, (by using one strap), the cart - before it collapses - it slides off and starts heading in a different direction from the one you are pulling :), but only a little (that is managable), but when it hist some very MINOR bumps… that’s it, end of ride.
One that believe will address both issues is this one
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=48787&sc1=Search&feat=sr
Again, I can not tell until I actually try it!!..but it appears this one will not ‘collapses,’ AND I Like the way it will attach to the boat. Seems to have plenty of bungies and hooks to keep the cart in position.
I just want cart, MAINLY to transport it from the back of the house to the front (it kiils me every time lifting it!). I don’t think the ‘wheels’ are meant for the sand in a beach or any rugged terrain though.