Pakboats seem to be popular with the fly-in folks, easy to transport the
boat by floatplane, cheaper to transport a folder than a rigid canoe
etc. People that have tried them on expeditions report being pleasantly
surprised. I plan to buy one the next time I have a trip where
transporting a rigid canoe becomes a hassle or a big expense. I imagine
that one gives up a little performance compared to a rigid canoe.
Besides the transporation advantage, they are easy to store.

That said, I have not paddled one or even seen one.

Richard


Emir wrote:
Hi,

I'm thinking of buying my first canoe (rentals add up after a while), and I
saw that there are folding canoes (Ally and Pakboat seem to be the biggest
brands). All the info I managed to find through Google is largely sales pitch
from retailers, and 1 or 2 actual experience (at least that's how it's
presented) information.

From what I gather, they're very light and compact (packs into a duffel bag
you can check in on a commercial airline) and have been used successfully in
backcountry expeditions (aside from size/weight, they're easy to repair and
are flexible enough to glide over rocks rather than scrape). That's all
theory, I don't know anyone who has had first-hand experience with them. To
make matters worse, canoers I know here in Ontario are traditionalists and
have scorned me for even suggesting a canoe should be made of something other
than cedar strips (I somewhat exaggerate, but you get the point). Aside from
the price (starting around US$1,500), are there any serious drawbacks?

I was wondering if anyone on this list has one of these modern gadgets and
whether you'd be willing to share your experiences.

Thank you all very much in advance.