Folding Canoes?

[KC]

Any suggestions as to which folding canoe is best? Anyone had any experience with folding canoes?

I'm planning a trip to Alaska's Southwest interior in summer of 2004. I want to fly into Lake Kulik and canoe back to Aleknagik. But bush pilots say no canoes. However, one will welcome a folding canoe and even give a discount in trade for the canoe after my hunt.

KC

 

[Erik in AK]

Klepper(already famous for their folding kayaks) makes a good one. Have you considered an inflatable kayak? Aire and Moravia both make good one and two man versions with plenty of capacity. I know some guys up here that use them to float hunt some rivers too small for conventional rafts.

Just a thought

 

[KC]

Erik:

I'll look ino Klepper folding canoes.

I've seen pictures of inflatable kayaks and frankly they don't look too relaible or stable. Have you had any personal exoerience using one?

KC

 

[1_pointer]

KC- I'll get in touch with a prof at my undergrad college. Two summers ago him and his wife floated a couple of rivers in AK with a folding kevlar canoe. He said it was as stable as any other he's ever used!

 

[JoseCuervo]

Inflatable Kayaks are pretty stable. And very forgiving, but you have to assume you will be wet, as they have self bailing floors. Any boat with a self bailing floor will get you wet.

I have taken IK's (Inflatable Kayaks) thry Class IV rapids, and not had problems. A couple of years back, I put my 8 year old daughter in the back of one, and we would go thru class III rapids, and even punched a hole or two, that on second thought, I probably should have avoided.

There are guys that will put a small frame between two of them, and make a mini cataraft, that is incredibly stable.

If you have a buddy in one, you can put your boats side by side, holding each other's boat, and together you can go thru some huge rapids, as stable as can be.

The folding Kayak thing seems a bit "unnatural" to me.

For what it is worth....

 

[IanF]

Klepper, klepper, Klepper.....!

OK, Im biased - but after using them seriously in the military - I gotta say they are the best.

The construction is the most easily repaired under field conditions - the capacity in a double (Quattro) will go up to 1200lbs!! Naturally this is not recommended.

Pricey - but it will not be something you want to leave behind after your hunt - Its gonna be part of the family now! If I may make one suggestion - go for the zipped access panels in bow and stern.

I will be taking mine across to Norway later this year - you gonna hunt seal - you gotta do it from a canoe! :0)

Rgds fm over the pond

Ian