Hello all thank you for reading this.
I am going 3 days of portage and want to buy kayak, but cannot decide what to buy. I really need to hear your opinions on these and welcome your other suggestions.

My choices are...

1. Elie Strait 140XE or Necky Manitou 14 (51lb).
they are touring kayak. they have head/tail storage and 14" long.

2. Pelican Premium Intrepid 120X ... 12" recreational kayak(51lb):
http://www.pelicansport.com/en/products/kayaks-2017/sit-kayak/intrepid-120x

the reason is...i can put my backpack at the rear storage. no need for unpacking every time.

3. Inflatable Kayak( advance element AE1012- 36LB): cheap, easy carry/store and i can sleep in the kayak.
https://www.advancedelements.com/day-touring-inflatable-kayaks/inflatable-kayak-ae1012/

When i spoke someone at the store, he says i will not feel much of difference between 14" vs 13" (12"). 15" or longer proper sea kayak will feel difference but these will be no difference. 14" touring is little bit faster but less stability in clam water like lake.
12"/13" is still usable and inflatable is usable.

Can anyone share thought on this?
Does really have not much of difference of 14" vs 12" kayak on performance? I am going 3 days of portage but struggling on kayak.
what would you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

I shopped off and on for several years for a touring kayak. The price, the options and the trade-offs would inevitably become overwhelming and I would leave perplexed and without a boat. To buy a kayak you absolutely must try several on the water. A reputable dealer will do this for you.

My story ends with me buying a solo canoe. Once I was honest with how and where I would use my boat, the solo canoe was the obvious choice. However, I did also buy a 12', 39 lb Hurricane Santee kayak for my wife and sons to accompany me on my daily canoe paddles.

While the 12' Kayak is light, it is still heavier than my 15.5' canoe. It is certainly more difficult for my wife to hoist onto the car top. My wife finds the kayak easier to paddle than the canoe but she is the only one in the family. When both boats are in the water, my sons steal my Northstar leaving the much slower, and clumsier Santee Kayake to me. My guess is that if my wife leaned a J-stroke she'd steal the canoe as well.

You should also consider the extra accessories you'll need for kayaking: Skirt, dry suit, water pump ect. For my canoe adventures, after paddle and life vest, I found that everything I'd acquired for backpacking had me equipped for canoe tripping.

If you want a kayak for tripping, do not allow your self to be sold a recreational kayak. You will regret that purchase. Buy a touring kayak, 16 ft or longer that you have paddled before purchasing. You also should carry that kayak around for a while, maybe up a few hills before you settle on a model.

Good Luck

Max,

First things first... welcome to the board and thanks for posting. I'll offer one suggestion - if you want people to see the links that you're posting, please use the Add a Link to this Message function right below the text box in which you type.

Any substantial portaging with a kayak will basically suck. Kayaks are great for open water camping trips on large lakes, etc. where portages don't exist or are very short and infrequent. There's a reason one typically doesn't see kayaks more than a few portages into the BW. They're cumbersome to carry and have no yoke (at least that I've ever seen). You could drag your kayak through the portage but do you really want to do that to your boat?

With that said, the longer the kayak, the better. Forget about the Pelican. Too short. The Necky and Strait are 14' and would be decent for recreational paddling, but where will you carry your gear? And as far as the inflatable, not in 100 years would I use one on a canoe camping trip of more than a quarter mile.

I suggest buying or renting a solo canoe. They're usually around 15' or 16' long and are very light and easy to portage. They also carry a load very well and are easy to load and unload at the portage landings. If you buy any of the kayaks above and want to do longer trips, you'll be "longing" for a canoe, solo or otherwise.

Thank you all.
It helped a lot. I have been canoe portage and I love paddling kayak (rental) so i wanted to purchase one. hmmmm this made me think more... Thank you very much.

PS. i will use link function. i did not know.

Another voice saying absolutely no the the inflatable in wilderness tripping. Too many issues to even discuss. I have kayaked and carried them into deeper Quetico and BWCA so it can be done. I used a yoke and rehearsed multiple times the loading and unloading at portages so that I would not take too long and hold up traffic. A solo canoe is a much better vessel for canoe country. There is extensive discussion on other threads about using a kayak paddle with a solo canoe.
But if you only trip on occasion and will be paddling a lot in other situations a kayak might be an option. And like OCDave I have shopped a lot and mostly walk away. There ares so many options in length, hull design, hull material, etc, etc. If you do get a kayak for the BWCA I recommend something between 13-15 foot. Much longer becomes an issue in the narrow streams and rivers with lots of bends. Shorter will not support the gear and paddle a straight line with any speed. And portaging is the big issue with the kayak. Not just the awkward carry, but weight is usually more than most canoes in use today.
And a final welcome to the group.

I guess Necky Manitou 14 or Elie Strait 140XE would be good candidate. lol
Thank you.

A Kayak doing portages in the BW is just not a good idea. It's a great idea in Voyagers National park however

As others have stated kayaking and the BWCA are doable but more difficult than a canoe. The Pelican you mentioned has the rear deck area as opposed to a hatch but that area is small, too small for your main pack, which is what I believe you were thinking.
Carrying a sea kayak with its small cockpit is a big problem as you cannot carry it like a canoe and instead you have to carry it over one shoulder (not fun).
An entry level kayak is fine as a pool toy or for floating rivers I have a few that I bought for loaners. I also have two Pungo canoes a 120 and a 140 they have a large cockpit opening and can be carried with a yoke.
Their is a noticeable difference between the 12' and 14' as the shorter one is more stable and the longer one is more efficient and faster, I use both for fishing from at times. Both have enough room for a few days worth of camping gear. The biggest drawback to the kayaks is packing and unpacking at portages the best method I have found is to put everything in small bags then at a portage drop it all in an army duffel bag. Things like skirts, pumps and dry suits are not needed for a trip like this any more than they are in a canoe.

Homemade removable kayak yokes




It can be done but my first choice would be in a canoe.

Welcome to the Board!
My choice - get a good solo canoe. kayaks are not good for portages! Check out or rent a Bell - or Wenonah Prism. Try before you buy!!!

I looked into this two years ago. I found the Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 to be the best compromise. It is a hybrid kayak with an open hull design like a canoe, but the seat sits low like a kayak. The portaging issue would still be a problem. I paddled it several times and loved it. I would have bought one, but emergency expenses got in the way. :(

-RW

Take a look at pack canoes, and the Wee Lassie (several manufacturers have a version of this). Typically sit on the bottom in a kayak-like seat, and use a double bladed paddle, giving you a kayak like experience that you seem to enjoy. No upper deck means lighter, easier to load, and easier to portage. Consider paddling a couple to see if this would fit your needs then start the serious shopping!