I have paddeled a mohawk solo 13 on rivers and loved it, but I was borrowing it… Cant seem to find one for myself so looking for something similar. there is a mad river freedom solo, 14.5 ft. 54# or a wenonah fusion 13 46# for sale near me. any ideas?
Hi welcome to the forum.
That is a popular size and type of canoe and I assume you are buying used. Sounds like you want something around 40-50 pounds in a pack canoe. Used everything are priced higher this year because of covid19 and condition is more important than age IMO.
See if whoever is selling will let you try it out.
Tell us what you are finding and price and condition and likely someone can help you.
Here’s the Mohawk specs: Mohawk Canoe Models, Specs, and Review | Boating Geeks
Freedom solo is a bigger boat but a bit narrower. Will be heavier. Well regarded, but may not give you the fizz like the Mohawk. Freedom specs are easily found.
Solo canoes are difficult to find. That was true before covid. It’s especially true now. I think most people would prefer the Mad River to the Mohawk. Whichever is “better” doesn’t really matter though. If it’s a solo canoe in decent shape for a fair price, buy it and paddle it until the boat you really want shows up—if it ever does. If you loved the Mohawk 13, you’ll at least very much like the Freedom Solo.
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@ScottFree makes a good point about availability in the used market for any solo in particular. I looked around a lot over the winter here for anything rec-kayak or solo canoe and only found some really beat up super old stuff and mostly tandems. Spring came and a neighbor was selling a 14’7” poly tandem really cheap in pretty good shape and I got it as at least it was a canoe. I tried it as is and wasn’t too happy. I ripped it all out and put a center seat location as if it was a true solo and other than being a little heavy out of the water it made a darn nice solo.
Just throwing that out there as an option if you can’t find what you want. I’m sure I could sell it as a solo for twice what I paid for it plus what it cost to convert it.
You won’t find any Royalex canoes new and Mohawk Canoe hasn’t made canoes since the demise of Royalex. The Mohawk Solo 13 is a nice boat but you will be lucky to find one used. The MRC Freedom Solo is also a very nice canoe.
Personally I would pass on the Wenonah Fusion. I paddled one and wasn’t impressed.
I seldom see the Old Town Next mentioned in these discussions of 13’ pack canoes. Is there something wrong with them or something that sets them apart from the others? Pricing seems to be ok.
I have zero experience with the Mohawk, so I may stand corrected, but I don’t think it was a pack boat… sometimes called a hybrid.
The Freedom certainly isn’t… designed with depth/seat to be paddled with a proper canoe paddle, not a kayak paddle.
I’m guessing the Fusion and Next are both hybrid boats from their names.
Seems the op want’s a ‘proper’ canoe.
There’s one in Durango right now for 400$ craigslist.
I wasn’t sure as well to what the OP was looking for mentioning the Fusion. Or if they were looking for a conventional solo short canoe with canoe paddle.
I’m paddling my 14’7” converted to a solo with a center seat with a kayak paddle and it works well. Although I need a 250-260 cm length and that isn’t really a problem for me unless I’m threading it thru a really tight spot. 
Neither the Mohawk Solo 13 nor the Mad River Freedom Solo are pack canoes, at least not in the way most people think of pack canoes.
The Wenonah Fusion is a little bit more oriented in that direction. It could be ordered with a rudder and had a fairly low seat geared toward the use of a double-bladed paddle.
The Old Town Next is more of a pack boat in that it is shallow and designed to be used with either a single-bladed or double-bladed paddle. But it is not a Royalex boat like the aforementioned. It is a very heavy, three-layer polyethylene rotomolded hull that weighs 59 lbs which is pretty stout for a shallow, 13 foot canoe.
Yep this gets into the weed with the thread what’s a canoe and what’s a kayak etc.
I saw the 59 lbs and thought that’s pretty heavy myself and sounds about right for 13’ as my 147 Guide stripped of those heavy seats and yoke comes in around 70 lbs.
59 lbs or 39 lbs in the water I don’t think is that big of a deal but if you are toting it a mile it is huge. So at least to my way of thinking durability and usage play a part in what you want and of course cost. My opinion is the 3-layer poly looks pretty bulletproof if you can live with the weight.
I guess the term pack canoe and hybrid canoe. Maybe like all packs are hybrids but not all hybrids are packs.
Canoe vs Kanoe?