Inflateable canoes! Anyone use em for bushcraft?

[GGTBod]

Its good solid advice, last few years there have been a lot of accidents and sadly not enough people even give two minutes to think about safety let alone read advice, The GGCT website is covered in great info too, i've read every bit on that website and watched every video many times, also spent a lot of time on their forum boards discussing the journey with experienced users of the trail as we've been pencil planning doing this since last summer, there have been a lot of issues of people doing crazy things like crossing the centre of lochs in inflatable and regular canoes and such and people needing airlifted to safety after capsizing in the centre of lochs when the conditions turned on them and these people not even wearing wetsuits and worse. I personally never try to cross open water in my inflatables and always wear a 5mm neoprene wetsuit and a 75N vest and we're coastline huggers through and through, i enjoy being alive and want to stay that way. I'm not what you'd call an adrenalin canoeist by any measure i like calm tranquil waters. Thanks for pointing out the advice regardless

 

[oldtimer]

I've got a Sevylor Colorado. Its main advantage is that it packs up to go in the back of my van so I can use it on my travels. I gets most use along the coast of southern France, but it sometimes gets an outing on our local river. I know purists don't think much of inflatables but it suits my purpose.Ideally I'd have a sea kayak and a canadian canoe, but neither wold fit in or on my van.

It comfotably takes two with a pack apiece. One of these days I'll fulfill my dream of going all the way down the Loire in it.

 

[GGTBod]

That trip down the Loire sounds like a perfect way to fill a summer, your point about storage is a good one, i live in a high rise tower block and without inflatables the largest kayak i could have would have to fit in a 2m x 1.5m lift

 

[Irvy]

I've been sniffing around looking at ads for kayaks but I have the same problem with no storage in a flat. Would love to investigate the islands at Lomond. I messaged the marina at Balloch but they don't offer canoe storage there

I'd be bricking it with an inflatable in case the bottom burst open on it :lol

 

[birchwood]

Have you guys that live in flats seen the Point 65 sit on top kayaks? I forget which model it is but it comes in sections that clip together. You can use two or three sections, I think each bit weighs in at about 20kg.
My friend has one and she gets all three bits in her VW camper.

 

[GGTBod]

i came down the river tyne for 11 miles at 46cm deep at the riding mill measuring station, every rapid we scoured over the underlying rocks and several times got stuck, not a mark on it other than scuffs and a year later the same one is still going strong with not a single puncture, we did have the exact same worries when we got our first one, even if the bottom burst completely you would still stay totally afloat and be able to still paddle as the sidewalls are 2 separate inflatable compartments to the inflatable floor

 

[GGTBod]

They look great for sticking in the boot of the car but that's still around 60 kilo to carry to take the whole kayak out, both my inflatable kayaks are just over 12 kilo each and fit in a large rucksack with space left for PFD and paddles and other kit

 

[Bootstrap Bob]

Why limit yourself to an inflatable? Are you sure that's what you want or is it just your first thought?

If you don't want to go to a rigid canoe due to size why not consider an Ally canoe? This goes for all you guys with limited storage too.
http://www.canoeexpedshop.co.uk/ally-all-round-canoes-142-c.asp

There are loads of people over on Song of the Paddle who use these for tripping because they can be packed down and carried and even taken as luggage on a plane.

If you just want to paddle out to and island then fair enough but why not make a trip of it and take in multiple camping spots.
Make the canoeing part of the journey and you will gain great pleasure from it.

I'm about to head off to the Inverpolly area in Scotland for a week long canoeing trip which means multiple lochs and portaging between with rigid canoes. It will be tough but the sense of achievement at the end will be immense.

Last Easter's trip down Loch Shiel to give you some idea. Before you ask, yes the children will be coming along again too.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/fo...uit-the-Kids-go-Wild-Again!&highlight=pirates

 

[Irvy]

I'm hoping to get into canoeing this year and make a camping trip of it. Looks so peaceful and relaxing.

 

[GGTBod]

They definitely look cool bits of kit, canny steep on the prices though but still carryable with the largest one being 21kilo

 

[The Lord Poncho]

For around the price of the Ally options, you could also take a look at these:

http://www.waylandkayaks.co.uk/folding_kayaks_and_canoes.html#Double_folding_Kayaks

 

[GGTBod]

Again looks like a great bit of kit for chucking in the boot of a car but at 41kilo without any kit at all it's a bit much to be carrying any distance, i'd imagine a portage of any reasonable distance with that plus kit being a bit of a nightmare (especially solo) even with a portage trolley unless on perfectly even ground, that's one of the true beauties about the inflatables it's out of the water, deflated and into a backpack and walking any portage in 10 minutes and back out and on the water in another 10 and even not deflating it they weigh 12 kilo thereabouts and it is easily upturned and walked on your head solo, between 2 of us we get a boat each and our kit on our backs with ease, i never in a month of sundays believed i'd enjoy owning them as much as i do before buying one

 

[Irvy]

I'd love to have an inflatable when I'm up the local hills, plenty of small remote reservoirs and lochs that never get paddled because of no access. I've seen a few that are geared for fishing too which would be cool.

 

[crosslandkelly]

This guy has a whole series of vids, using an inflatable canoe.
[video=youtube;AGSsGzkP-1g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGSsGzkP-1g[/video]

 

[Irvy]

The sevy colarado seems to be a popular choice. Definitely be tempted as Summer draws closer.

There are always a few canoe snobs that look down on them but for wild camping these look great.

 

[GGTBod]

Just make sure whichever one you get it either comes with a skeg or you can buy a skeg for it, it makes a hell of a difference to handling and straight line tracking

 

[oldtimer]

Just make sure whichever one you get it either comes with a skeg or you can buy a skeg for it, it makes a hell of a difference to handling and straight line tracking

+1 on that.

 

[Irvy]

Is it really hard to make any progress in them even with a good skeg? I imagine a good bit of kit weight would help it sit lower in the water if you get me.

 

[GGTBod]

I make great progress on both of mine which are mostly used in a strong tidal river, i mention the skeg as once we lost a skeg going backwards down a small set of rapids when the water level was really low and it jammed in the gaps between some rocks, it took us nearly 3 times our usual amount of time to get back home through the tidal part of the river without the skeg

 

[Irvy]

That sucks man. I've seen a few vids where folk have attached motors to them, spinning blades near an inflatable would be squeaky bum time for me.