Adventure Canoe Forum

Canoe Camping & River Tripping Discussion

1. 

   Dennis
   Photographer

   I made a trip over to one of our local outdoor stores the other day to see if there was anything new or interesting (or on sale) and I got a bad case of sticker shock before I left. I also must have invented about a dozen variations on the phrase, "Heavenly Manure."

   I'm wondering if anyone has ever calculated the yearly cost of owning and paddling a canoe in the pursuit of getting away from it all. More importantly, what would be the buy-in cost for a person who wants to get into canoeing? Does anyone feel like offering an estimate for the minimum kit it would take for a couple of people to enter the fabulous world of canoeing?

   Of course you would not want to throw money away on cheap gear that would need to be replaced after one season and you might not have the budget for the top of the line or even new gear. My first boat was bought used and was well worn when I got it. I guess the ultimate is a hand me down kit but let's suppose for a moment that you have relocated to a new city and that you are living within a short drive to a suitable body of water for canoeing. We're not talking rough water or survival conditions here, probably more of an urban experience with easy put ins and take outs for summer evening and weekend paddles.

   So let's hear your best expert advice for someone who might be interested in getting into canoeing. 

    

   Canoe

   Paddles

   PFDs

   Rope

   Something to put the keys, wallet and cell phone in (waterproof).

   Lead boots (just kidding). 

   Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

   Posted 6 months ago #   
2. 

   Dennis
   Photographer

   Thanks, I feel better now. 

   From what you wrote I think a person could do well with a budget of $1000 to include a serviceable used canoe, which could probably be sold again for about the same price when it came time to upgrade.

   It's a little overwhelming to go shopping for this stuff without having some idea of what to spend. Of course by the time the plastic clears the wallet it's often too late for reason.

   Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

   Posted 6 months ago #   
3. 

   natecanoes
   Member

   yep its spendy.

   but on the cheap but decent list here goes:

   Grumman canoe (new) $1300 (used) $600

   Paddles, wood straight shaft $40 each

   PFD, can be got for >$50 each

   Rope, $5

   Total rolls out to $1485 of so.

   Of course it seems that after a couple years, as the obsession becomes greater, your gear becomes more spendy.

   Two years later, your list looks like this:

   Kevlar expedition canoe: (new of course) $6000+

   Carbon fiber paddles (by now for some reason you think you need two spares apiece): $1800 for 6 paddles

   PFD, doesn't matter what kind as long as it is what astronauts will eventually wear in water on Mars: $150+

   Rope, zero stretch, floating, memory free: $80

   That comes out to better than $8000.

   Then there is racing boats (looking at a Spencer Eagle myself), whitewater, etc. And camping stuff.......

   Eventually you will just have millions of dollars worth of boats, paddles, PFD's, and rope heaped everywhere.

   I was out looking at canoes today too, and kind of thought "man, I could have bought a house by now....." But it sure is fun, and that, you cannot put a price on.

   Posted 6 months ago #   
4. 

   natecanoes
   Member

   I wouldn't mind getting a tandem canoe too. I've been looking, but nobody has any great deals on used ones so far.

   Tax return time always makes my wish list grow by leaps and bounds. New bike, new canoe, new PFD, GPS, maybe a tent, so many things I would like, so few dollars to buy em with. Oh well.

   Keep us posted on your canoe search.

   Posted 6 months ago #   
5. 

   Bryan Hansel
   Member

   Thinking about this has lead me to a few conclusions:

   1. We're not getting older. So, lighter is better for both on the water performance, car toping, and portaging.

   2. If I don't buy something near the high-end, I know I'll be sacrificing performance and probably end up buying the item again, but as a better item. This said, at some point, an item is good enough.

   Canoe: Langford Northwind 17'10" Ultra-light kevlar for $3370 (Note: I work for the U.S. Distributor of Langford and link to one of our dealers.)

   Paddles: ZRE Lightweight 8 ounce bent shaft paddles for $245 each

   Vests: Whatever fits best, has a low profile, a few pockets. Usually around $150 each.

   Accessories: Rope, bungee for thwarts, Cooke Custom Sewing packs, etc.: About $200 to $500 more.

   Total: $4560 for high-end top notch gear that'll I'll never regret.

   Used over 10 years, $465 per year. If I paddle the same distance I estimate I did in the past 10 years, that'll be 91 cents per mile.

   Nessmuking.com - Lightweight canoe and kayak travel: a philosophy and a way of life
   
   On Twitter: @bryanhansel

   Posted 6 months ago #   
6. 

   Dennis
   Photographer

   All the answers are valid but I think a lot of people would be discouraged by the high end range of the numbers. I was cruising through some local ads for boats and it seems that 99% of them were for some sort of motorized boat including a lot of jet-ski powered boats. That seems like a shame since we have some really great places to canoe around here. Maybe people feel like they need the sound of a loud motor to drown out the voices inside their heads.

   Sometimes I wonder if people are afraid of the effort it might take to develop skills or even the desire to physically test themselves. Power at your fingertips can be rather seductive I guess. I found several canoes for sale locally for under $500 dollars, some that came with a few extras to boot. I imagine they were being sold by people wanting to "move up" to something that goes faster and makes more noise.

   It's generally a good idea to buy the best quality on the first go around but I don't think many people are likely to do that. Many can't fathom any sort of ten year commitment or relationship. No one I have run into recently seems to think that far ahead about anything. It would be great if more people did because then there would be a lot less waste.

   I'm hoping we can figure out some ways to get people interested in things that will have a more positive effect on the world and themselves. I'm beginning to see it around here with bicycling and I hope people will extend it to other outdoor sports as well.

   Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

   Posted 6 months ago #   
7. 

   James
   Class V

   I would say you could get into the game with a nice paddle, PFD and SeaLine bag. So, somewhere around $250.

   Most of the rental places in Southern Missouri have some pretty nice boats. The shuttle usually runs $25 and a boat rental with shuttle around $35 from Ozark Outdoors. You also have to figure that you're MPG is really going to suffer with a canoe strapped to the roof. For weekend jaunts I'd say rental is the way to go. Just get yourself a nice paddle.

   When you start going on multiday trips then renting gets expensive.

    

   Here's my kit:

   • Nova Craft Prospector 17' $1600
   • 2 Patagonia PFDs $200
   • Bending Branches Expedition Paddle $129
   • Sawyer Venture Paddle $79
   • Werner Bandit Paddle $190
   • Yeti Tundra Cooler $329
   • Various SeaLine bags $150

   Then throw in a tent, sleeping bags, stove, etc and you just spent more than the average golfer.

    

    

    

   We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.
   
   http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe

   Posted 6 months ago #   
8. 

   stevet
   Member

   No one mentioned a rack system for the car....new has got to be 2-300 for a name brand. I think it's worth the money for the peace of mind...having done homemade ones and used Yakima, I'll take the Yak anytime.

   Posted 6 months ago #   
9. 

   James
   Class V

   Steve-
   Good point. I sort of forgot about that one as I put my bikes on it too.

   Just bars and towers run 300 bucks for my car.

   -James

   We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.
   
   http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe

   Posted 6 months ago #   
10. 

    Bryan Hansel
    Member

    The canoe accessory for a Yak rack is pretty inexpensive, so it'd end up around $300 for the rack. Foam blocks and straps run in kits from $20 to $70.

     

    I don't think that the price point that I put out there is that high--lots of newbies spend Here's a new list on the middle of the road. This will get you a canoe that is worth owning, unlike a Coleman or Pelican.

    Bell Northwind Royalex $1519

    Bending Branches BB Special Bent Shaft $79.99 each

    MTI Cruiser Lifevests $55 each

    Accessories $200 - $300

    That'll put someone in a boat at about $2000 with a good supply of paddling accessories.

    Nessmuking.com - Lightweight canoe and kayak travel: a philosophy and a way of life
    
    On Twitter: @bryanhansel

    Posted 6 months ago #   
11. 

    blackraven15
    Member

    wow, I guess we got lucky! We are just starting out with the canoe camping ... we rented our first year and found it extreamly expensive so we decided to gear up our selves ... this is what we've bought

     

    used ceadar ribbed fiberglass canoe 16 feet: 400

    2 PFD canadian tire : 18.49 each

    2 cheep wooden poplar  paddles (our canoe came with 1 aluminum paddle for a spare): 14.99 each

    1 set of 4 tie downs: 14.99 for the set

    2 pool noodles to cut up and use as padding on the car: 3$ for both

    we have yet to buy some rope

     

    so far we are under 500 ... 484.95 im sure with the rope we will be under 500 .... not too shabby!

     

    Posted 2 months ago #   
12. 

    Hueyav8r
    Member

    Good job BlackRaven, shows you can enjoy a new sport without out spending a ton of money.

    Posted 2 months ago #   

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