Inflateable canoes! Anyone use em for bushcraft?

[Bigfoot]

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

I'd never heard of Ally canoes before (thanks for posting the link) but they look absolutely like the sort of thing I would go for. Pricey yes but I have just watched a youtube video of one doing some whitewater work so they seem to be a quality build.

 

[Disco1]

I get a lot of punctures on my bike hate to think about a inflatable canoe

 

[rancid badger]

I'd never heard of Ally canoes before (thanks for posting the link) but they look absolutely like the sort of thing I would go for. Pricey yes but I have just watched a youtube video of one doing some whitewater work so they seem to be a quality build.

In the bigger scheme of things, Ally boats really are not that expensive at all. They're a lot more than most inflatables but they're more or less real canoes, in the same way that folding kayaks are more or less real kayaks. A folding canoe or kayak will perform almost exactly the same as their "hard shell" counterparts, while the same simply cannot be said for any inflatable "canoe" or "kayak".

Inflatables have a place of their own but they come with serious disadvantages and drawbacks,(as do all the alternatives to be honest!). You have to weigh up the various pro's and cons, then decide what best suits your requirements.

Getting back to price, the Ally boats are actually very competitively priced compared to royalex and the better quality composite canoes. Try comparing an Ally to any of the bigger brands royalex boats for price and you'll see what I mean.

I wouldn't waste my money on an Ally for white water paddling, regardless of the marketing hype and bullsxxt, an Ally canoe will be destroyed in fairly short order if you rag it down white water on a regular basis. You'll bend the alloy poles and abrade or eventually rip the skin, when you hit rocks in fast moving, shallow water, simple fact of paddling life.

However, for paddling slow to medium speed, deeper rivers, canals, lakes,lochs and even a bit of estuary type coastal paddling, an Ally makes a very good, serious boat that has the weight and (some of the) storage advantages of an inflatable, without the windage and puncture problems.

The big disadvantages of Ally's are the size of the bag they come in (HUGE!), and the time it takes to put them together and take them apart again.

I'd also have to say, I seriously doubt an Ally will hold its value like a decent quality hardshell canoe ( Mad River, Nova Craft, Evergreen, Wenonah, Swift and even Old Town, Venture or Hou). The Ally, by virtue of what its made from and how it goes together/comes apart is going to suffer from knocks and bangs and simply wont last like a plastic canoe. I imagine it will stink after a few trips too, much like a damp tent!.

I've been seriously considering one myself,mainly for the weight factor advantage but for me, the drawbacks listed above, pretty much outweigh the benefits.

Good luck and remember; it doesn't really matter what you paddle, as long as you use some common sense, get some coaching and instruction and always wear a BA.

best wishes

Steve

ps: there's really nothing to beat a proper canadian canoe-

 

[Wayne]

I own several canoes. Canoeing and bushcraft seem to me to be a prefect blend.

I lead a few canoe based expeditions each year, we often take Pakboats with us as some float planes dont like strapping a canoe outside these days.

 

[boatman]

Is a skeg that important? When I got my touring, hard, kayak rudders or skegs were promoted as almost a vital component. After the control lines wore through I removed my rudder and never noticed its absence. Paddles and positioning the body did the job. I didn't bother for my sit on top kayak and even with a sail a rudder is not needed. But inflatables may be different but I would be interested in what way they are.

 

[Wayne]

I dont have a skeg on any of my boats. 2 sea kayaks and 4 open canoes. I adjust trim by moving my gear around the boats. I am sure there are times when having one would be handy but they are not essential.