Sawyer Charger vs. 222 cruiser

I’m looking into purchasing either a Sawyer Charger or Sawyer 222 cruiser and would love to hear advice and comparison from anyone who has paddled both of these boats.

Thanks!

If I remember correctly (it’s been many years) The charger will be faster and smaller volume than the 222. If you plan on carrying a lot of gear I would pick the 222… if you want to cover miles you can do it with either but the charger would be quicker. Been quite a while since I’ve paddled either and there are some Sawyer gurus on here that will chime in with more/better information.

Baja,
The Charger was my all time favorite canoe after owning many of them. It has speed due to length at 18 1/2 feet and only a 34 inch beam. The bow has some flare to deflect waves. It is a deep boat around 15 inches. I used a Charger to paddle the biggest river rapids in my life. It holds a lot of cargo. The old advertisement showed 2 guys after a successful moose hunt. The McGuffins paddled a Charger across Canada.

The 222 is the updated version, a slightly more modern design. I have never paddled one. You are trying to decide which car is best a Ferrari or a Porsche.

Ppine…did not remember Charger as being so deep…swiss cheese memory I guess. Thanks.

I thought we’d hear from ppine on this one. I remember seeing elsewhere that he was a fan of Chargers. I’ve got a fair amount of seat time in a 190 Cruiser, which I liked, but not a 222. The 190 could be a wet ride for the bow paddler with some waves, but not terrible.

I’ve attached the Sawyer catalog pages for the 222 and the Charger if that helps.

thanks to ptickner.

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Thanks! Very helpful info. So far I’ve seen those who have paddled the 222 say it’s their all time favorite tandem and those who have paddled the charger say it was their favorite, but still waiting to hear from someone who has paddled both to weigh in on the direct comparison between them :grinning: