BWCA Old Town Guide 119, 5 nights in the BWCA? Boundary Waters Gear Forum
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TDBauer
member (23)member
  
09/26/2018 03:01PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Say what!?

Those two words above were by far the most common response I received when I told people I was using an Old Town Guide 119 on my third solo trip of the year.

People thought I was nuts. But I did it. And it worked out well, very well in fact. Granted I did not have long portages and the biggest lake I was on was Alder Lake (or maybe East Bearskin). It pretty much rained all last week while I was there, but my cheap canoe didn't care.

I'm 6'1", 260 lbs, carried a single 40lbs pack in the bow, some fishing gear, and a second 25lbs pack at the stern. Used a double bladed paddle, made good time clipping right along. Canoe felt stable and didn't have any troubles with wind or waves despite mother nature trying to test me in it. Fun to fish out of, explore in... all for a new canoe less than $599. I was looking hard at a Swift earlier in the summer, as well as a Nova Craft Fox 14.

Sure, it's heavy compared to most (48 - 49 lbs), but it can also take a beating (not that I plan to bang it around) because of its three layer poly hull.

I did find that it was best to have about 30lbs of weight in the front of the canoe which helped with trim (could maybe just move the seat forward three or four inches), and a double bladed paddle seemed to be a must-have to help with tracking straight when under way. I also opted to paddle on the less windy sides of the lakes I was on when things got gusty - but I do that anyway no mater what canoe I use when on solo trips.

No fancy trip report to share... I think the biggest news is that I used an Old Town Guide 119. My two earlier solo trips I used a Nova Craft Pal. I prefer my Guide 119 - it was more enjoyable to me.

Happy Solo paddling

 
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09/26/2018 03:46PM  

what type of portage yoke did you rig up?
 
TDBauer
member (23)member
  
09/26/2018 03:55PM  
Didn't use a yoke. Longest portage was only 52 rods...all the others were half that.

I'm a big dude and just picked it up and carried it gingerly on my shoulder. It worked well carrying it that way from my SUV to the landings on the lakes around where I live. Since I knew the portages were going to be short on my BWCA trip I didn't fret too much about not having a yoke.

But, with all that said I have been looking at yokes, a quick detach one I found online from a company in New York looks promising. I do plan on using the Guide 119 for other trips next year, and a yoke would make things easier... not all the portages will be short!
 
09/26/2018 05:31PM  
Glad it worked well for you TD. Hope you are already starting to think of next year's trip.
 
TDBauer
member (23)member
  
09/27/2018 10:42AM  
I have four major trips planned for next year, but only one or two will see the Guide 119 being used.

2019 will be a good year.
 
09/27/2018 12:08PM  
I had an Old Town Guide 146 that I took on a trip 2 years ago. The thing was heavy. I liked it on the water, but those canoes are meant for rivers. There is no keel so it tends to drift if you stop paddling. Plus mine weighed 82lbs. I sold it last month and bought a 17ft Grumman Eagle instead. 2 and a half feet longer and 15lbs lighter.

Both canoes were tandem instead of solo so it is a little different, but I think the same concept applies. The Old Towns do work and can work really well, but there are better options out there. So no offense to you and your canoe, I was sad to see mine go, but I would make that trade again and might recommend you to do the same if you don't even have a yolk.
 
TDBauer
member (23)member
  
09/27/2018 04:10PM  
A1t2o: "I had an Old Town Guide 146 that I took on a trip 2 years ago. The thing was heavy. I liked it on the water, but those canoes are meant for rivers. There is no keel so it tends to drift if you stop paddling. Plus mine weighed 82lbs. I sold it last month and bought a 17ft Grumman Eagle instead. 2 and a half feet longer and 15lbs lighter.


Both canoes were tandem instead of solo so it is a little different, but I think the same concept applies. The Old Towns do work and can work really well, but there are better options out there. So no offense to you and your canoe, I was sad to see mine go, but I would make that trade again and might recommend you to do the same if you don't even have a yolk."


Ouch, yeah, 82lbs would be no fun.

I actually did buy the Guide 119 for more river use than anything. My cabin is about a mile from the middle section of the St Croix River, and there are lots of small lakes around. The Guide 119 does have a keel though, for which I am glad in such a short canoe.

There surely are better canoes out there depending on what a person is looking for. But I don't mind the 48-49lbs weight in a solo canoe. I like that it can take a beating compared to Kevlar, and it can hold a whopping 500lbs. To be honest, I am surprised I ended up liking the Guide 119. I still dream about the Swift Adirondack Pack 13.6, but for the money it scares me.
 
09/27/2018 08:41PM  
Good for you. Getting out there is what is important. In my early adult years my one canoe was a Sears, 15 foot, chopper gun fiberglass canoe. I have fond memories of that canoe.
 
carmike
distinguished member(1721)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/28/2018 08:45PM  
Good for you. In my younger and more penurious days, I did my solos in a two-person 18' Osagian and then, moving up in the world, a Penobscot 16. They worked just fine...Not ideal, obviously...but as long as there wasn't a big cross wind, and as long as I wasn't in a hurry, I caught just as many fish and had just as much fun in the guys lucky enough to be paddling those $2000 solos.

Now that I think about it, I probably had *more* fun...I certainly could've spent more time working so I could've afforded those nicer boats. :)
 
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