I have a 17’ sea kayak and I live about .5 miles from the beach. It’s just far enough that carrying it and my gear is not an option so I’m looking for a decent cart that could handle some rougher asphalt and dirt roads that could still fold up and in fit in my kayak. I’ve seen the smaller ones with plastic wheels and those don’t look like they’d work to well. The larger ones with bicycle wheels would work great but I don’t want to deal with hiding it or trying to lock it up somewhere. Any Advice?
suggest you build one
with larger wheels for rolling ease and leave at launch site. Unless you will land elsewhere and do not wish to walk back. We live 3 blocks from water and similarly cart walk ours to paddle. My current cart is a $2 thrift store wheelchair from which I removed all but seat sling, main wheels and brakes. As other than cart, no apparent value to steal. Has always been waiting my return from paddling. Wife had built take-apart from PVC pipe, fittings and 12 inch wheels. She currently uses another rig we fabbed from jogging baby stroller.
www.paddlecart.com
www.paddlecart.com
I’ve gotten some good miles in running my kayak to and from the water over the years. My routine route is a few miles instead of a half mile, but this works great.
All you need is an oval hatch. It fits right into even my P&H Sirius and Bahiya, which are only 20.5" wide.
It’s built from brushed marine grade anodized aluminum pipe with a stainless steel rod for an axle. It’s durable, and it’s made in the USA - South Carolina.
I’ve owned a few carts, and this one is my favorite, especially for what you’re talking about. Not just pulling it from the water to the car parked alongside it, but going a distance with it. I’ve currently got a C-Tug at home as well. The paddlecart rolls easier and packs much smaller.
beach type ?
– Last Updated: Apr-19-16 9:53 AM EST –
soft sand asks for plastic balloon tires.
Plastics are durable yet mileage tests over asphalt aren't done here. Short runs of 1-200 yards done 30-40 times show no 'appreciable' wear. You would need a butane soldiering iron with plastic repair tip. See Utube.
and a spare wheel.
For long road hauls, something stronger than the usual strap/clamp connection. I do not know what that would entail.
Straps come loose over longer hauls usually when cornering. Can cause subdural hematoma.
However, advanced use of a cart with loaded hull is disconnection and connection when hull is floatable.
We're using the strap/clamp connection for floatable connections.
I have a Wheel EEze. No problems
A Wheel EEze in parts fits into a Solstice Titan over and in the load but leaving not much for a sleeping bag.
have 3 different carts
I have 3 different carts:
The one I use the most is this one: https://www.rei.com/product/738003/quantum-engineering-stern-wheels-cart. Pros are that the straps hold it in place (so the boat tracks well behind you) and it fits in the hatch. Con is that it goes under the stern of the boat, so you still have to carry a lot of the boat’s weight. I do use this for an 10 block walk to a launch point near my house.
I also have a Wheeleez Beach Cart - http://www.wheeleez.com/kayak-cart-beach.php. Great for soft surfaces and you can put it center under the boat so it carries more of the load. Not cheap, can’t fit in a kayak, and you have to be careful strapping boat on it to get it to track straight behind you and stay straight tracking. I pretty much only use it when I am going across distances on sand.
And I have a variation on this one - http://www.wheeleez.com/kayakcanoecart-tuff-tire.php (frame is not Wheeleez, but Seattle Sports I think - but I replaced the tubed tires with the Wheeleez solid ones). You can put it center under boat to carry the weight, the wheels fit in the hatches (but frame has to gets trapped on top of deck). has issue with being careful strapping kayak on to get the wheels pointed straight and staying straight so that the kayak tracks behind you.
I do exactly that
– Last Updated: Apr-19-16 11:41 AM EST –
We live about half a mile from a good launch beach and cart the sea kayaks there.
I use a Wheeleez Kayak Cart Mini with Tuff Tires. This is the smaller frame with the smaller hard rubber tires (not pneumatic). The smaller frame folds up and, with the wheels removed, fits in the front hatch of my NDK Pilgrim Expedition. The wheels go in the rear hatch. The larger frame will not fit inside my boat.
My husband uses the standard size Sea To Summit frame with the standard size Tuff Tires. His boat is higher volume and can take the standard frame inside.
Both carts work very well. Their only weakness is that beach sand getting between the wheel "bearing surfaces"--there are no bearings--wears grooves in the frame's axle portion. I replaced the affected part only on mine, after about 70+ miles. If you do not haul through sand, this should not be a problem. Now it is worn again, but the tires also have less tread, so this time I will buy another whole cart.
I would ditch the 12' straps that come with the Wheeleez and use shorter straps instead. 12' is way too long.
Previously, I had used a Quantum stern cart. It had to be placed too far back on the stern, so more weight was carried by me. I would recommend against that cart with a sea kayak unless it is ultralight.
Thanks Guys/Gals!
Some good options there. Exactly what I was looking for.
I have that same cart
Wheeleez with tuff tires, works great in sand.
Not in deep sand
The mini Tuff Tires don’t float well in sand, though they are great in surface sand with a hard bottom, or on dirt or pavement.
For frequent use in deep sand, the pneumatic gray tires would be better. Wheeleez makes them in both standard and mini versions.
yeah, packed sand trail
it does bog down a bit on the 50’ wide beach but that’s not really an issue compared to the 1,000’ long path.
These carts are great
My only wish is that the small frame could accommodate both the mini Tuff Tires and the mini fat tires. You can’t swap wheels on the same frame.
dang (I was going to ask that)
– Last Updated: Apr-20-16 1:17 PM EST –
My only other request would be to get one in forest green so I can hide it at the launch and expect it to be there when I return...
But best cart I've had, sure is more sturdy than the last big-box model.
Ordered mine Tuesday and got it Thursday
Standard FedEx shipping, Wow that is fast.