"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
news:zDwOg.1536$gN1.752@trndny08...
Don Freeman wrote:
"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
news:vgcOg.2407$SQ1.867@trndny09...
Drew Cutter wrote:
I'm looking to do some paddle (sea kayak) on lake Huron. For 3-5 days
worth of camping. Should i buy a 17 foot (overnight kayak) or go for
expedition size (19') kayak ?
Expedition boats are good for one thing, expeditions. Their length and
high volume tends to make for an ill-handling boat when they're paddled
without a load of gear inside.

I have a 17.5 Eddyline Nighthawk, which is a high-volume expedition boat.
And even though it does handle better loaded I am not dissatisfied with
it's handling while empty either. I live in the SF Bay area so have used
it under windy conditions, though I do have to drop the skeg down in
those conditions.

Although the Nighthawk 17.5 is a boat designed for paddlers that "shop at
big and tall shops" according to the Eddyline site, I wouldn't put it in
the expedition boat class.

How would you defined expedition class then? I can easily pack enough gear
for two (probably more) weeks of kayaking/camping. It is well constructed
for the long haul, and it can handle pretty much all conditions that a sea
kayak is meant to handle. I am curious as to what other criteria are
involved?

As far as the "Big and Tall" part, all I can say is that I am not tall G.

--
-Don
Ever had one of those days where you just felt like:
http://cosmoslair.com/BadDay.html ?
(Eating the elephant outside the box, one paradigm at a time)