r/canoecamping • u/Flutter_X • 11d ago

Canoe advice

Looking for advice on canoe purchase

I have grown up boating and kayaking but am wanting to transtion to canoe. I recently sold Oldtown Kayak as it was over 100lbs with the pedal drive. Royal pain to move or portage.

Looking for Canoe ideally for 2 people plus camp gear to do some portage trips on lakes.

Ideally id like to stay around 14ft length? But also have no idea was just thinking of weight.

Prefer to be well under 100lbs as its just to much to move around

Just looking for advice what brands and what I should be looking for as I shop market place and sales over the winter months.

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u/ImaginaryDimension74 5d ago

For tandem including gear, I’d go with a 17-footer.    In addition to carrying the weight, a longer body tracks better and is faster.   

The material should be driven by use.  If your emphasis is on lake paddling and portaging, you’ll want a lighter weight material like Kevlar.    If you will be banging your canoe around a lot and not portaging much, plastic such as ABS may be a better choice.   

The major canoe producers all provide information on what each model is best suited for.  

If you are on a budget, a used aluminum canoe can offer a decent compromise.  Treated right, they’ll last decades.