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waltermelons
Member

Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2010
Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010 - 1:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post

Hello,
A friend and myself will be going on a canoeing trip to Voyageurs this coming summer. We have done quite a bit of research about canoes and what will be needed for our trip. We plan on surviving a month long trip on the water and we have a rough estimate of what sort of gear we will need to do so. As far as canoes go, we figure we would need about an 18'er with at least a 34" width and 13"+ depth with 2"-4" of rocker. Our total load cap would be about 400-450 lbs. At first, we were looking into a basic aluminum, but we figure it would not meet our demands, so we've decided to move up to fiber-glass (also because we've been offered a pretty good deal for one). The offer we were looking into is for a Sawyer brand canoe, any info on these would be great. However, I do need a bit more info about possible portaging and also about repairs on-the-go. Feedback from experienced paddlers about extended treks and their load cap. would be ideal.
Thank you.
-Walt
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ed
Moderator

Post Number: 719
Registered: 03-2004


Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010 - 10:59 am:   Edit Post Delete Post

Walt:
You might try posting this on myccr.com. I seem to recall some discussions about Sawyer canoes over there.
Also, there are several canoeists who might step in and answer your other questions about load capacity etc.
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canoebear
Member

Post Number: 520
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010 - 4:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post

waltermelons,

Need to look into "Product Reviews fer Canoes".
'Twas an owner/ operater of a food-mart gas station wher all thru tha 1980's I sold alot of different brands of canoes out of ther.
Tha Sawyer brand was 1 of them that I sold that, in it's time, 'twas in high demand.
Sawyer 18' 6'' 222 Cruiser Canoe in battle ship grey, layed-out in fiber-glass is tha way to go, if U can get 1 in ship shape condition. 'Twas tha 1, I preferred. Fiber-glass lay-out screams thru wind waves. Cheap to repair, but breakable.
I'm a proud owner of a Sawyer Autumn Mist 14' Solo Wilderness Kevlar Canoe in evergreen.
Both of these cruise with tha best of them, bare-none!
As far as aluminum canoes with standard keel goes, look into old 18' Grumman Canoes/or Osagian Canoes with side sponsers. Both these here canoes will take tha adventuresum to "Hall & Back" safely. Nothen wrong with metal canoes. Outfitters who rent them, never get rid of them,
but they all tend to switch-out tha plastic 1's fer newer models. What does that tell U?
But, metal canoes be cold/or hot as far as weather dictates & abit noisy too. At times oxidation may rub off on clothes + equipment too. Be abit on tha heavy side fer portagen.
I carried them along with a pak sak on my back fer 20 years UP NORTH along portage path.
U can leave metal canoes stored out side fer years & still will be like new.
Be indestructable fer sur. If dented, use rubber hammer to pound-out tha dent.
Watch tha "Deliverance" movie, that kind of sums whole thing-up, Heya!






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canoebear
Member

Post Number: 521
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010 - 6:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post

watermellon,

ed no's all bout exploren + mappen tha True North
in his Nova Craft canoes.
That may be worth looken into.
I no a woman down my way that has sum watermellons 2, Heya!
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ed
Moderator

Post Number: 720
Registered: 03-2004


Posted on Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 7:48 am:   Edit Post Delete Post

Last Summer, we used our 16' Nova Craft Prospector type hull on a planned 45 day trip with my wife and dog.
Start weight was about 785 pounds.
2 large packs
2 day packs
2 food barrels
2 Pelican boxes
1 chain saw, accessories, 20litres fuel plus bar oil
1 Jack Russell Terrier
2 Adults
2 spare paddles
Not a lot of unused space left over.
But doable.
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canoebear
Member

Post Number: 522
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 11:18 am:   Edit Post Delete Post

"?"

Kicken round idea of getten sum food barrels, [maybe]? Couple Fall seasons ago 3 Black Bears layed-waist our encampment & got to our food cache supply, 'twas no falt of ours.
Woodn't matter what we stored our food in. Them Bears wer determined with purpose to cash-in on our food provision an hour after we set-up camp, on our very 1st night. Lucky fer us we wern't at tha crime scene & in tha canoe callen-out to moose.
Looken into yellow Eureka Stormshield 50Lit.Barrel Harness Combo.
'Tis olive barrel thin is a Canadian & out west wild river rapids thin, but may be tha True North way to go. Used to soft expedition food packs with plastic liners, but now, subject to a change.
ed, do U use 2(30lit.)/or 2(60lit.) barrels, what brand & style harness?
Ther be a couple places in Ontario wher I can buy Eureka Brand but shippen be extreme.
U cann't obtain 'tis product in tha US, only in Canada.
Yer input be of sum help to a non-impulse buyer.
Like I said been kicken idea round fer a few, Heya!
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ed
Moderator

Post Number: 721
Registered: 03-2004


Posted on Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 9:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post

Canoebear:
I am using a 60L and a 50L Eureka Barrel.Both harnesses are Eureka types and the small one is mostly fabric that surrounds the entire barrel while the 60l barrel has a harness that is mostly comprised of straps that go around the barrel.
I am surprised that you can't get them from Eureka in the US.
You could also try these guys:
http://www.recreationalbarrelworks.com/
Again, made in Canada, so that might be a problem.
Ed.
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woodncanvas
Member
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Monday, March 8, 2010 - 9:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post

You could check out canoe guide in most recent issue of Canoeroots....available in digital edition at http://www.canoerootsmag.com/

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