I posted a note a while back about the buyer's guide in Canoe and Kayak
magazine, and the only response that I got said that whitewater solo
canoes are not intended to carry the person and 100 pounds of gear,
food, and water. I weigh 175 pounds, and sometimes need to carry water
on muddy rivers, so the 100 pound cargo number is probably in the ball
park. 7 days of water, at 1 gallon per day, weighs 56 pounds.

So, what should I be looking for if I want a whitewater canoe for
tripping? My only canoe is a 15 foot Old Town camper, rigged for solo
whitewater or tandem fla****er. It is good for carrying lots of stuff,
not bad in big water, but not good for quick maneuvering.

My take is that Bell has a bad reputation for durability, Mohawk has
been sold and is not up and running yet, Esquif has a range of canoes
and a local dealer, and Mad River offers Outrage X. There are some
other niche companies, but those seem to be the usual vendors. I figure
I want a Royalex boat, something that will take some abuse, we scrape
rocks a lot on the local whitewater run. I don't want a radical design,
since I have essentially zero time in whitewater canoes, and prefer not
to swim a lot.

For those of you who may remember my past postings, I am still looking
for a good deal on a used whitewater canoe. I am starting to consider a
new boat rather than pay $800 for a boat that has been beat up. Also,
my weight has dropped from above 200 to 175, so my weight is not so much
an issue.

Richard



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