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Member: Sandman2009

Last Visit: 05/20/2013 11:30AM
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WildernessPaddler

08/13/2012 11:48PM

I recently moved up to Alaska for work, and want to be able to take full advantage of being up here. I'm considering getting a collapsible canoe/kayak so I can go on some remote fly-in trips. Does anyone have any experience with anything like this, because I sure don't. I've read a little bit about Klepper and Feathercraft, but I don't know much about them. Can you travel at speeds similar to solo canoes? Are they easy enough to fish out of? Is it difficult to pack supplies in them? I know new ones can cost a fortune, so I'll be looking for something used. Maybe something inflatable would work just as well- not sure.
I've never seen one of these in the BWCAW, so I realize this post might be somewhat of a long-shot, but it's worth a try.

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dsk

08/14/2012 01:50AM

Take a look at these:
Ally
They are really good, but you don't get it for nothing.

Its the std canoe for Lars Monsen ( google the words: Lars Monsen canoe)

dsk

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andym

08/14/2012 02:37AM

We have this 815 model Ally . We don't use it a lot but it is an awesome canoe. Fast, easy to paddle. Really need to use it more. We were originally going to use it to ship to MN for BW trips but then we made some good friends in Ely and store hard canoes with them.

The Ally models do vary depending on the intended use. Some of the others (I think the X11 series) are more flexible but slower. That could be good on river trips. We tried one in Ely and found it too slow. Then we tried it again and the 815 in Seattle and the 815 just moved better for flatwater paddling. But I definitely think it depends on the conditions you are going to paddle.

Pakboats make good ones too but they weight a bit more than the Ally's. I've seen them at Piragis but haven't paddled them. They could be tougher but the Ally's are plenty tough.

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Minnesotian

08/14/2012 07:51AM

Yer in Alaska, that means you will find a lot of these for sale or rent. Alpacka Packraft This is what you want. Lightweight so they can fit onto a bush plane, pack small so they can go into a backpack, and they are tough, tough, tough. These two trusted the packraft enough to hike and paddle 4000 miles, from Seattle to Alaska. A Long Trek Home And finally, this boat was developed in Alaska for exactly what you want to do.

I have been wanting this boat for a long time. I have encountered other designs that are cheaper, probably BWCA worthy, but for up in Alaska, Alpacka is the brand I would get. Look on Anchorage Craig's List. They are for sale all the time.

"We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return - prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdom." - Thoreau

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tkaser3210

08/14/2012 09:37AM

Look at SeaEagle Explorer inflatables. I've used one for over 10 years, and it's never let me down. Tough as jerkey, relatively lightweight, easy to inflate, and carries a lot of gear.

You can buy a 12' model for around $900, 14' for about $1,100.

Check out seagle.com

Aircanoe

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gutmon

08/14/2012 01:54PM

All canoes are collapsible- problem is, they don't all spring back.

"The trouble with the world isn't that people know too little, but that they know so much that just ain't so." Mark Twain

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Alan Gage

08/14/2012 04:07PM

You can build your own inflatable/folding kayak easy enough. Tom Yost has some good plans and instructions online for free:

Yostwerks

Alan

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Minnesotian

08/15/2012 10:25AM

quote Alan Gage: "You can build your own inflatable/folding kayak easy enough. Tom Yost has some good plans and instructions online for free:

Yostwerks

Alan"

Those are awesome. Bookmarked.

"We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return - prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdom." - Thoreau

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walllee

08/15/2012 12:18PM

Piragis has one on display, I don't no the make.

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mwd1976

08/15/2012 12:25PM

I know several people that have dome far north trips in Pakboats
pakboat at rei

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children -Chief Seattle

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BWPaddler

08/15/2012 12:26PM

I think my sister and bf have Pak boats (kayaks). They live near Talkeetna, AK, and have brought them to MN for a Superior adventure, and paddled 100+ miles around Yakutat somewhere there in AK (among other adventures).

I watched the assembly and launch on the MN trip. EASY to pack with gear because you can pack as you built the boat. Seemed very sturdy and launched into some serious Superior surf just fine.

I agree you need something like this in AK so you can easily take it with you to those amazing places.

Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. -Thoreau

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WildernessPaddler

08/18/2012 04:17AM

Thanks for your help, everyone. I'll have to test paddle some of these and see which I like best.

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andym

08/18/2012 11:54AM

I asked a friend who has done a number of lengthy trips in Alaska. They have both a Feathercraft double and a Klepper double. He liked the Feathercraft better because it was more comfortable for him on long days and held plenty for a few weeks.

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DanCooke

08/18/2012 01:19PM

I know of several folks who have used the Pak Canoes on extended Arctic trips, including a first Descent of the Arrowsmith River.

Dan Cooke

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McVacek

08/21/2012 08:47PM

Try Alpaca. Our friend has an inflatable kayak. He even used it for winter camping!

There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.

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dentondoc

09/05/2012 02:29PM

I just got back from a trip to New Mexico where I did a test drive of my newly acquired Pakcanoe 150/150T. I had it set up as a solo configuration. It was very responsive and has an excellent rate of turn with its slight rocker. It does not track as well as some other boats, so this might be an opportunity to utilize a yak paddle to maintain a straighter line of travel.

I'd hoped to give it a test in wind and wave, but alas the lake I was on was like glass on the days I paddled.

I acquired my craft (150T) directly from Wayfair (supplier for Walmart) which has free shipping. They are on sale, but I also found an additional discount coupon at the time I bought it. I got the conversion kit (150T to 150 ... solo) directly from Pakboats (a.k.a. Scansport) of Enfield, NH.

Alv Elevstad designed the Pakcanoe after he came to the U.S. from Norway ... where he was the designer of the Ally canoe ... that's why certain models look so similar. One difference is that the Pakcanoe has an inflatable skirt on each side, which adds stiffness to the sides. It also floats when completely full of water.

dd

May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly upon your house. May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there. May your mocassins make happy tracks in many snows, and may the rainbow always touch your shoulder. (Cherokee Prayer)

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BWPaddler

09/06/2012 11:22PM

good info dd! Thanks for sharing the pic too.

Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. -Thoreau

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dentondoc

09/07/2012 12:11AM

Here she plies the waters of Eagle Nest Lake, New Mexico at an altitude of about 8,300 feet. Beyond the hills in the distance lies Philmont Scout Ranch (for those with a Boy Scout connection). Behind me (in the photo) lies Wheeler Peak, highest point in New Mexico, at 13,000+ feet.

dd

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