Can any folks knowledgeable about T-Formex comment on how the performance of this material has turned out? If you've got a T-Formex canoe what are your impressions? How does T-Formex compare with Royalex?

I have a Wenonah Wilderness in T-Formex and had an Old Town Tripper for 23 years. The Tripper was used on many river trips and was very durable. It just got too heavy for me to carry. I have less experience with the Widerness, but my impression is that it will be quite durable as well. Mike Cichanowski, owner of Wenonah canoe told me at Canoecopia several years ago that their experience with T-Formex was they found it to be more durable than Royalex.

The Wilderness in T-Formex is the boat I'm looking at. As far as I can tell it's the only solo boat by Wenonah made in T-Formex--it fits what I'm looking for--something I can use to paddle the local streams here in the Cities. Thanks for your thoughts on it.

Prospector: "Can any folks knowledgeable about T-Formex comment on how the performance of this material has turned out? If you've got a T-Formex canoe what are your impressions? How does T-Formex compare with Royalex?"

https://kitchi-gami.com/2020/12/27/t-formex-canoes/

Some background from Wenonah's perspective.

Brian

BrianDay: Some background from Wenonah's perspective.

Thanks for the very informative link!

Prospector: "

BrianDay: Some background from Wenonah's perspective.

Thanks for the very informative link!"

You bet!

My take is that you would have to do a side by side comparison to tell the difference between T-Formex and Royalex. I owned a Royalex canoe and it was great but too heavy for me. I tried out a T-Formex canoe on a trip in 2020 and would have believed it if I had been told it was Royalex. They are slightly heavier but I think that is mostly due to how long they have been working with Royalex and design. As time goes on they should learn to bring the weight down slightly.

One thing I don't like about these canoes as much is the lack of a keel. Aluminum canoes have a keel that helps so much on open water and weigh the same or less. I traded my 14' Old Town for a 17' Grumman Eagle that weighs less, is faster, moves in a straight line, and haven't regretted it once. My brother has a 17' Old Town Royalex canoe and struggles to keep us with me, any wind or waves also affect him twice as much.

I know aluminum gets a bad reputation because of weight, glare and noise, but people are still using them for a reason. They can be painted too and still look great.