Sounds like you need to be looking at lightweight solo canoes. As with a kayak, you sit down inside the hull and paddle them with a double-ended kayak paddle.
The Nighthawk Columba solo canoe has a capacity of 400 pounds and weighs 33 pounds.
There is no need to haul 100 pounds of gear and food unless you are going to be in the wilderness for a month. You should be able to get your kit down to around half that with lightweight camping gear and dehydrated food. With 50 pounds in a backpack or Duluth pack it would not be difficult for somebody your size to solo carry a 25 or 30 pound Kevlar/carbon canoe.
Another option is inflatable kayaks. The Aquaglide Blackfoot XL weighs 33 pounds and has a 600 pound capacity.
Still you want weight carrying capability and “protability”… and you are a big person. Especially that part that sits in the kayak. I recommend a canoe.
If you ever get the chance to paddle a Current Designs Isle, do it. That will at least give you some idea of what it is going to take for you to have the real kayak experience. It might not turn out to be what you’re looking for, but at least you’ll know what you’re missing if you have to settle for a barge.
@magooch said:
If you ever get the chance to paddle a Current Designs Isle, do it. That will at least give you some idea of what it is going to take for you to have the real kayak experience. It might not turn out to be what you’re looking for, but at least you’ll know what you’re missing if you have to settle for a barge.
I paddle an Eddyline Caribbean 14 SOT. Capacity of 400 lb. and it weighs 50 lb. I seriously considered a pack canoe, but decided to stay with a SOT. I do lots of multi-day trips. Some require me to carry all my water for 4-5 night trips, so the weight can add up…plus I’m a full-figured gal which doesn’t help with the weight total. I’m very happy with my kayak.
agree with magooch, for a full size boat the Isle is a really nice greenland style big boy boat. I have it in Kevlar, which is 50 pounds but it is 18 feet. If you’re going that length, the CD Titan feels much bigger inside (I thought uncomfortably so) and CD used to make a British style big boy boat that was very roomy (don’t remember name right now).
Someone your size might want to consider a 2-man kayak like a Pamlico 14T and remove the extra seat and use it as a single seater. This is what i did for use as a fishing kayak.