Anyone take one of these to the BWCA's? I have a chance to buy one for $900 with both seats, spray skirts, anchor trolley, rod holders, etc. Wondering if anyone has used one up there.

I was curious and so looked online. My main question is where do you put your stuff? It seems like once you account for leg room (and I'm guessing your legs go pretty far in front of you in a boat like this), it seems like your only cargo room is the space behind the stern paddler. And with a 450lb weight limit, you may not be able to take much stuff anyway. Plus, it weights 71 lbs. It looks like it is designed for day tripping to me. Unless you are two light paddlers who pack really light.

But, I've never paddled one. It just doesn't look like a tripping design to me.

Wonder how you would portage that thing.

quote awbrown: "Wonder how you would portage that thing."

That was my question? But for a fishing rig on small water I'd think it would be nice? The son of a friend has a solo Native boat and really likes it for paddling on Ozark streams. I went to the Native website but our internet is too slow to peruse it and check that model out.

My intention was to use the 14.5 in solo configuration. Plenty of room for gear then. It ways 10 more lbs then my Wenonah solo

I looked on the web site. The heavy boat is the Ultimate FX. The 15 footer. The Ultimate 14.5 is 59 lbs. It can be solo or tandem, just add the second chair or take it out. As it is basically a canoe and open (just has spray skirts for covering fore and aft), the cargo room should be similar to the Weonah Wilderness I all ready paddle. It is slightly larger at 15.4 feet. Weighs 49 lbs in royalex. Wilderness is 30 inches wide at the middle with a center depth of 14 inches. The ultimate 14.5 is 30 inches at the middle wide, and 12 inches depth.

So in comparing the two boats, the Wildnerness is a foot longer, 10 lbs lighter, the same width with approx 2 inches more depth in the middle.

I have paddled the Wilderness a great deal. It looks like a trade off of features. The Wilderness is lighter and probably easier to protage. Would carry somewhat more gear but not a great deal more. The Native is much more stable and designed to fish even standing up. Native is designed primarily for fishing. Wilderness for touring.

I would be interested in anyone that has used the Native Ultimate 14.5 in solo configuration and how they liked it.