Hi All,
K... I'm back with some questions about IK's. I'm looking to purchase this year, and really could use a little advice as the options seem fairly large. Budget is no so much a concern for me as value. I don't mind spending a little more upfront for higher quality and greater durability.
I want to use these for several purposes, and I'm not sure if all my criteria will be met in one boat, but I'd rather purchase one style of boat if possible. I've read some good information on the forum here, and will try not to repeat questions that have already been answered in full.
I really like the Aire brand, and have heard great things about their Lynx and Outfitter models. I understand the Tomcat is a decent budget boat as well. Here's what I want to do though. Each of the questions contains what appears to me to be the limiting factor.
1) I want to be able to fit my family into two boats for day trips. Family consists of me with wife and two kids. Both really young (4 & 2) but will grow into the sport I want to be able for each parent to take a child in the IK with them, and possibly to fit a parent + both kids in the same IK for easy Class II float. Do I need a single or dual sized IK for that do you think?
2) I want to be able to take said IK on multiday trips with self support backpacking style gear. Can a multi day trip be packed out of a single?
3) I want to be able to run Class IV in the IK. Particularly, on low volume rivers with an emphasis on maneuverability. Can a dual be paddled with sufficient maneuverability, assuming decent Class IV skills?
4) I want to be able to hike in to trips that are not road accessible, so weight is also an issue. Is a dual ridiculously heavy, maybe a single is too heavy and I need a specialized BAKRaft or something?
Bottom line, I know that anything will work for the family stuff. Just need appropriate sizing. I also want to be able to use the same boat for a little more difficult trips and particularly with hiking in, I want to minimize the wight. I'm leaning towards a single, but don't know if that will have enough room for overnights as well. Feedback is really appreciated!
K... I'm back with some questions about IK's. I'm looking to purchase this year, and really could use a little advice as the options seem fairly large. Budget is no so much a concern for me as value. I don't mind spending a little more upfront for higher quality and greater durability.
I want to use these for several purposes, and I'm not sure if all my criteria will be met in one boat, but I'd rather purchase one style of boat if possible. I've read some good information on the forum here, and will try not to repeat questions that have already been answered in full.
I really like the Aire brand, and have heard great things about their Lynx and Outfitter models. I understand the Tomcat is a decent budget boat as well. Here's what I want to do though. Each of the questions contains what appears to me to be the limiting factor.
1) I want to be able to fit my family into two boats for day trips. Family consists of me with wife and two kids. Both really young (4 & 2) but will grow into the sport I want to be able for each parent to take a child in the IK with them, and possibly to fit a parent + both kids in the same IK for easy Class II float. Do I need a single or dual sized IK for that do you think?
2) I want to be able to take said IK on multiday trips with self support backpacking style gear. Can a multi day trip be packed out of a single?
3) I want to be able to run Class IV in the IK. Particularly, on low volume rivers with an emphasis on maneuverability. Can a dual be paddled with sufficient maneuverability, assuming decent Class IV skills?
4) I want to be able to hike in to trips that are not road accessible, so weight is also an issue. Is a dual ridiculously heavy, maybe a single is too heavy and I need a specialized BAKRaft or something?
Bottom line, I know that anything will work for the family stuff. Just need appropriate sizing. I also want to be able to use the same boat for a little more difficult trips and particularly with hiking in, I want to minimize the wight. I'm leaning towards a single, but don't know if that will have enough room for overnights as well. Feedback is really appreciated!