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#1
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Expedition Boating with Kids
Kids are new to me. I've been a pro guide over 25 years, but it's
always been 12-16' paddle or gear boats. We have 3 kids now (8, 4, 1) and have taken the older ones on several Class II trips. Next year we want to do some overnighters on rivers like the East Carson, SF American, Lower NF&MF American, Putah Ck, and 4-8 day expeditions on the Rogue, Yampa, John Day, Eel in the next couple years. We did fine on an overnigther (2 adults/1 kid )with a 14' oar rig, but it's gonna be getting tighter. Especially the boys want to bring friends. Thinking about adding a larger boat to the fleet, just wonder how others have done with 16' SB's or 16-18' cats. I'm imagining (dreading?) carrying 2 adults, 4 kids under 10, a 120 qt cooler, dry box, and 6-8 med-lg drybags. I'm leaning towards a cat, but not sure which combination of frame modules would be best. What are your suggestions? |
#2
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Expedition Boating with Kids
BNick wrote:
Kids are new to me. I've been a pro guide over 25 years, but it's always been 12-16' paddle or gear boats. We have 3 kids now (8, 4, 1) and have taken the older ones on several Class II trips. Next year we want to do some overnighters on rivers like the East Carson, SF American, Lower NF&MF American, Putah Ck, and 4-8 day expeditions on the Rogue, Yampa, John Day, Eel in the next couple years. We did fine on an overnigther (2 adults/1 kid )with a 14' oar rig, but it's gonna be getting tighter. Especially the boys want to bring friends. Thinking about adding a larger boat to the fleet, just wonder how others have done with 16' SB's or 16-18' cats. I'm imagining (dreading?) carrying 2 adults, 4 kids under 10, a 120 qt cooler, dry box, and 6-8 med-lg drybags. I'm leaning towards a cat, but not sure which combination of frame modules would be best. What are your suggestions? As a scout leader I take kids aged 8-12 on canoe trips. Kids in the 10-12 range can be taught to use a small canoe, and can easily do overnight trips. For example, our group does a yearly canoe trip down one of the local rivers. With some training all of the scouts can do an overnight trip (~60km total) on a relatively placid river (only two short & simple "rapids"). The older youth, with 2 or so years of experience, easily handle a basic white water trip. So my suggestion would be to give the older kids their own boat, and let the younger ones. Occasionally we "raft" canoes (connect them into catamarans), usually with 2x4's and rope. IMO, this is not ideal with kids - they often lack the discipline required to navigate rafted canoes. A proper kit may work better, but I'd imagine that you still need a great deal of co-ordination b/w boats. Bryan |
#3
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Expedition Boating with Kids
My popularity, though normally abysmal, was seriously bothering me this
spring as I then had a young chickee to impress. I bought a 16' SB and suddenly became Mr. Popularity with the kayak bunch. I was even invited on trips! I found the raft could carry six or seven extra drybags, food and camping gear for everyone, and still leave room in the bow for the kayaker's kids or non-paddling SOs. Even strapped a kayak or two on the back when the water got too scary for those weenie boats. On the last trip there were nine of us depending on the raft for support: 3 weenie boaters, a manly OC-2 (so full of foam that it couldn't carry its own dunnage), and 3 adults or children, depending on who was in the tandem canoe, in the raft besides the rower, I'd rate the load as medium; room for a lot more gear but much over #300 more would start to seriously deteriorate the raft's performance. I had very occasional help from two bow paddlers, but found I could handle the class II 2000cfs rapids alone with ease. When we hit the braids I was quite surprised to find how little we drafted, about 5". What happened to the chickee? Well on the first trip during that first night in the tent ... So, I think a 16' SB would suit you wonderfully. A cat doesn't seem at all good for handling small kids; nowhere to put them, unless you lash them into a seat or stuff them into a river bag. And a cat is reputed to be rather a dog when overloaded. There were also three cats (with 4 people) along with us on the aforementioned trip and they had fun with little weight, but all said they would have crumbled under the load of gear in the SB. Most tripping families I know add another craft, usually a canoe or IK (duck). Mom rows the raft and Dad takes one of the kids in the duck. Or the two oldest kids take the duck. Or Mom and Dad...... Anyway, you get the idea. The extra boat provides lots more variety and opportunity to gain river skills, have 1 on 1, remove oneself from the crowd if needed, or just play in a river feature next to camp. Because variety and entertainment, along with constant munchies and frequent stops, are the secrets to heading off mutiny as the kids reach walking age (that's walking away from family outings, not toddling along). Good luck with your upsizing, and let us know how things are going. Padeen "BNick" wrote in message om... Kids are new to me. I've been a pro guide over 25 years, but it's always been 12-16' paddle or gear boats. We have 3 kids now (8, 4, 1) and have taken the older ones on several Class II trips. Next year we want to do some overnighters on rivers like the East Carson, SF American, Lower NF&MF American, Putah Ck, and 4-8 day expeditions on the Rogue, Yampa, John Day, Eel in the next couple years. We did fine on an overnigther (2 adults/1 kid )with a 14' oar rig, but it's gonna be getting tighter. Especially the boys want to bring friends. Thinking about adding a larger boat to the fleet, just wonder how others have done with 16' SB's or 16-18' cats. I'm imagining (dreading?) carrying 2 adults, 4 kids under 10, a 120 qt cooler, dry box, and 6-8 med-lg drybags. I'm leaning towards a cat, but not sure which combination of frame modules would be best. What are your suggestions? |
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