FML Outdoors.com

By Chris Walden

(Shown left to right) Aluminum, ABS and Kevlar canoes.

Continually renting from an outfitter is like golfing with rental clubs. It’s OK the first few times, but you end up needing your own custom gear selected for your own needs. The first – and arguably most important – piece of equipment is the canoe itself. Let’s discuss some of the materials and lengths to consider, and a few other important features to keep in mind.

Different Types of Canoes

Modern canoes come in many materials with varying strengths and weaknesses. The most common of these materials are aluminum, ABS, and Kevlar. Wooden canoes are still made. They are beautiful, but are too fragile when bumping up on the endless rocks in BWCA, and tend to soak up water making them very heavy on a portage. Carbon fiber hulls are gaining popularity, but are still rare and more expensive.

Aluminum

Aluminum canoes are heavy, making them a beast to portage between waters. They also dent pretty easily when encountering rocks, and are tough to repair if the are punctured. They are fairly inexpensive however, with new 17′ canoes starting around $1,000.

ABS and Rolalex

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, also called ABS and Royalex, is a lightweight and durable plastic material that has become the best selling canoe material. They are lighter than aluminum making them much easier to portage, and are less likely to be damaged on rocks (particularly in whitewater). Good quality ABS canoes start around $1,250.

Kevlar

Kevlar is becoming the material of choice for serious BWCA visitors. Canoes are very lightweight, durable, and can carry more gear than their counterparts. Longer three and four seat Kevlar canoes can be easily portaged with one person. But at $2-3,000, they are the most pricey.

Don’t forget the Rocker

Another thing to consider is “rocker,” the amount of arc that a canoe has from bow to stern. High rocker means more arc and more maneuverability; low rocker means more flat and more speed. High rocker is needed when agility is required, like in a quick river with rapids. This is unneeded in the BWCA, where most paddling is on lakes and slow rivers, and the few rapids should be left to the pros. Most 16′-17′ expedition canoes should have 1” -1.5” of rocker.

Canoe length is the third thing to consider. A 16′-17′ two-seater canoe is a good all-around workhorse. They are seaworthy, maneuverable, and can hold lots of gear without being cramped. I’ve have two kids, age 6 and 8, who sit comfortably on the middle seat of my three-seat, 20′ model. Four-seat canoes are out there for those with bigger kids, like to carry lots of gear, or just like to boat with others. Longer canoes are also faster; three less experienced paddlers can keep up with two veterans in a smaller canoe. Longer boats are more expensive, of course.

No yoke about it…

A portage yoke with shoulder pads is technically unneeded, but I think they are vital. I wouldn’t take a canoe without one to BWCA.

To sum up, there is no perfect canoe for everyone. Cost, construction, and size need to be chosen according to each need. Now go and start creating fun memories!