Headed up the Gunflint in a couple weeks and my little brother is now looking at renting a kayak because he was unable to find a canoe partner for the trip. I checked with Tuscarora Lodge, where we are entering, and they do not have any canoes for rent.

We have looked at the options and considering that we have a canoe already, renting the kayak is cheaper than a 3 person canoe. My brother is also not the best paddler so putting him in a solo canoe isn't a great idea either. My buddy or I could take the solo but we would rather not since we planned this trip and little brother is just tagging along.

So is there somewhere on the way to Round Lake where we could pick up a kayak? The closer we are to Round Lake, the better. Another option would be to buy a kayak since little brother just bought a house on a river, so suggestions on a model would help too.

I know Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte rents kayaks. You could check them out then just pick it up on your way up Hwy 61. Not sure what kayaks they have, but a call to them should let you know if they have something that suits your needs.

A couple things to keep in mind with kayaks. The kayak is going to be much faster on the water so your little brother is going to have to adjust his speed or spend a lot of time waiting for you to catch up. However, where the kayak is great on the water its equally as bad on portages. They don't hold a lot of gear but loading and unloading the gear from the kayak at each portage can be a real pain. Then you have the issue of how to portage the kayak itself. You can get portage yokes for kayaks but you'll need to plan on where to put the yoke when on the water. Also getting in and out of kayaks at portages isn't as easy so if you've got a lot of portages to do a kayak may turn into a big hindrance.

Also I'm not sure I'd want to put the rookie with little paddling experience in a boat by himself. Especially when you've already mentioned in another post that he doesn't like to follow instructions given to him.

Sawtooth's kayak rental page

You may find some at Hungry Jack Outfitters & Cabins. They have a handful of kayaks. Give'em a call.
Do NOT get him one of those plastic tubs that will zig-zag all the day long. If ya gonna rent a kayak be sure it's a pleasure to paddle and not a nightmare. :-)
Something with glide & tracking.