Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe

I just traded mine toward a kayak. I had the Pack for several years.
Yes they are light and easy to carry. However they are very unstable.
Last year I tried to rock mine to see how much lee-way I had before it
would tip. None. Leaned to the right and over and into the water I
went. ( I've also owned larger canoes over the years, so I do know how
they handle) If you are tall, they are also very cramped. I'm 6 ft
tall and it seemed like my knees were up to my ears while in that
canoe. It might be fine for an occasional half hour paddle, but for
anything longer, I don't think it's a very good canoe for the task.



H Hornblower <me DeleteThis @my.net> wrote in message news:<1hti90h65tjerfhd50qv9520gh1ikcfp4a DeleteThis @4ax.com>...
 > 12' royalex 33lb. solo canoe....I'm thinking of a purchase and would
 > appreciate comments from those familiar with this or other short,
 > light solo or double ender canoes.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

I have one that is 15 or so years old and still paddle it
occasionally, althought I've more-or-less passed it on to my kids.

Paddled with a double blade (a 270-280cm or so Mohawk works well) it's
a fine little canoe. 15 years ago, when I packed more like a
backpacker, I canoe camped out of mine on weeklong trips on the Rio
Grande and Colorado.

The Pack has gobs of primary stability and not much secondary
stability; if you lean it over too far, or get your head out over the
gunwales without a good brace, you'll be very wet very suddenly. BTW,
I'm a fairly big guy, on the wide side up top and am undoubtedly
beyond the ideal weight range for ther Pack and, again, still paddle
it occasionally.

It's not a fast canoe (no duh), but it is easy to get it up to hull
speed, and it's not much affected by the wind. The Pack is a good
choice for poking around in the watery cracks and crevices, small
sloughs, narrowing side channels and in places where multiple portages
may be necessary (it is still my duckhunting boat of choice when I
plan to haul back through the marsh to some basin pothole).

(If you want to add more stability to the Pack you can always lower
the seat another inch or so).
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

Mike McCrea wrote:

 >
 >(If you want to add more stability to the Pack you can always lower
 >the seat another inch or so).
 >
 >
Or simply kneel. Many a canoe accident started from the position of the
seat.Nearly all of them are too high; lowering an inch or two is indeed
a good first step. Get a foam pad or carpet layer's kneepads. Not only
is the center of gravity lower when kneeling, but your ability to shift
weight/position quickly in response to conditions is greatly improved.
This will more than likely aid the canoe's tracking as well.

Pete H

--
Either everyone has rights or some have privileges.
It's really that simple.
    Walt Kelly<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

I've had one for 7-8 years. Nice little canoe for getting in tight places.
It isn't fast and it isn't sleek, but it is wonderfully light and works
great with a double-bladed paddle. I find the seat a little high, and I've
been saying for years I'll lower it an inch or two. It feels "tippy" to
inexperienced paddlers at first, and I've had people tip it over the first
time they've been in it. I've never had a problem though.

Pam

"H Hornblower" <me.DeleteThis@my.net> wrote in message
news:1hti90h65tjerfhd50qv9520gh1ikcfp4a@4ax.com...
 > 12' royalex 33lb. solo canoe....I'm thinking of a purchase and would
 > appreciate comments from those familiar with this or other short,
 > light solo or double ender canoes.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

CanoePam <canoepamREMOVE.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote:
: I've had one for 7-8 years. Nice little canoe for getting in tight places.
: It isn't fast and it isn't sleek, but it is wonderfully light and works
: great with a double-bladed paddle. I find the seat a little high, and I've
: been saying for years I'll lower it an inch or two. It feels "tippy" to
: inexperienced paddlers at first, and I've had people tip it over the first
: time they've been in it. I've never had a problem though.

Yep, I agree.... one of our boats is a discovery 119k (similar size but about
10 pounds more). It's no problem with me in it, and we've carried small kids
in it too...

--
John Nelson
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 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

The Old Town pack canoe is really good at only one thing: packing in to
beaver ponds & other remote quiet waters where a 4-weight fly rod is the
rule of the day. For anything else it's a disaster waiting to happen. As
for Old Town canoes in general, I'll put my XL-Tripper (20') up against
anything any time any where under light load or heavy and heavy weather
or light (except Class 4+ extended rapids). And my Discovery 169 - when
going solo - is about 80% as good as the XL-20. Admittedly, many of the
middle-of-the-road ahem-stream Old Town models there are as good or
better models forthe same money. As for Mad River, the low initial
stability & higher secondary stability takes some getting used to,
especially in the 3'-5' waves northern Maine lakes will spring on you
with less than ten minutes' warning.

Yours in the north Maine woods,
Pete Hilton (Reg. Me. Guide) aka The Ent

--
Freedom is participation in power.
Cicero
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe 

pmhilton <pmhilton.RemoveThis@mfx.net> wrote in news:42951BA8.7070607@mfx.net:

> The Old Town pack canoe is really good at only one thing: packing in to
> beaver ponds & other remote quiet waters where a 4-weight fly rod is the
> rule of the day.

A 4-weight for fishing beaver ponds? I use my 4-weight (a Sage RPL 490) for
the annual fall run of large brown trout (most in the 4-6 pound range) and
landlocked salmon (many in the 8-12 pound range). I've got a 7' 3 wt. rod
for small waters or I've got a nice little Southbend bamboo rod that I
sometimes use.
 >> Stay informed about: Comments wanted on Oldtown Pack canoe