For those of you who travel with your partner, what percentage roll tandem versus two solo canoes? I’m not really asking the advantages/disadvantages of each. It’s kind of like folks who ride motorcycles. You’re seeing both people who have their own bike instead of two. Just curious if couples are paddling more solo?

Annual Guys Trip
We have a group of 4 that we've been going with since 1999. As of the early 2000's, two of us have been in a solo on nearly every trip.

Father/Son Trip
We each take our solo.

Family Trip
4 of us - we do two tandems.

Two buddies, two solos, every year since 2019. On group trips, same two buddies, same two solos, rest of group in tandems, also every year since 2019.

We go tandem all the time. If we have an uneven number (usually a grandkid) they will be in the middle. As they get bigger, and they all are, they are telling me that Papa will be going in the middle soon!

Tandem, even when it’s just me and my dog. But he doesn’t help paddle.

90% of my trips are either me and one of my kids or me and the dog.

I have a Souris River Q16 that works well with for my trips with a kid or solo with the dog.

My wife and I always paddle tandem. That way if she decides to take a break and quit paddling, she is never left behind. The two guys who usually go with us normally paddle tandem too since we provide the canoe. The only time our group uses a solo is if there is an odd number of people and we don't want 3 in a canoe.

Thank you for the replies.

To put my question in context...I usually travel alone with my dog and run a Wilderness. I have a friend who wants to take some trips with me but also has a dog. I'm thinking we would be better off with two solo's rather than a bigger tandem.

iCallitMaize: "Thank you for the replies.

To put my questing in context...I usually travel alone with my dog and run a Wilderness. I have a friend who wants to take some trips with me but also has a dog. I'm thinking we would be better off with two solo's rather than a bigger tandem. "

I’m in the exact same situation. Usually solo with a dog in my NW Solo. When a good friend wanted to join me on a trip a few years ago with her dog, we went with two solos. She loved canoe tripping and we now do a trip together every year. We’ve stayed with two solo canoes rather than a tandem mostly because of the dogs.

Husband and I travel tandem. We met paddling and our synergy in a canoe together is tough to beat!

When it has been the 3 of us on a trip (me, hubby, son), we have always used a 3-person canoe, but likely the next trip together will be a tandem and a solo. However, I will miss the 3 of us powering through a storm all in perfect sync with the Scouts on the shore exclaiming, "Wow, you look like you know what you're doing!" LOL.

Tandem unless there is an odd number of people. Then the solo person gets a solo canoe.

Husband and wife team here paddling tandem (and very seldom with anyone else in the party) since our first trip together in 1979. Couldn't ask for a better paddling partner or life companion, and we celebrated our 53rd anniversary in Quetico last September. Still single-walking portages in our mid-70s.

TZ

Wife and I go tandem. We're in it together, literally.

Tandem for sure. Solo might be fun but I'm going on a trip with my buddy to hang out with him, not do my own thing with him in the area. Also the cost of 2 solo canoes is prohibitive.

iCallitMaize: "Thank you for the replies.

To put my question in context...I usually travel alone with my dog and run a Wilderness. I have a friend who wants to take some trips with me but also has a dog. I'm thinking we would be better off with two solo's rather than a bigger tandem."

If you don't know how everyone would get along in a tandem then no way I'd take a chance. I can envision frustration sharing a tandem but not with two solos.

Wilderness seems like a luxurious boat for your pup. My current pup has a good thing going and isn't into sharing. My black lab would have been equally content in a solo or a tandem with new friends.

The Wilderness is a solid tripper. It plenty of space up front for Jade. She sometimes wants to sit between my legs as well.

The two dogs are best pals but I still think we would be better served with the two solos.

Awesome photos of your pups.

Tandem.

I have no friends to trip with, so I go with my son now. I also try to get out for a solo every couple of years.

When together, we rent a tandem - Northstar 17, SRQ 17, etc. When solo, I bring my Wenonah Prism.

It may be getting to the 2 solo territory with my son as he likes to get out EARLY for fishing and stay out a bit later than I like to. It's a bit difficult for him to paddle the tandems, solo.

Since my wife and I got our solos, we always use them over a tandem. I'll use tandems with the kids (ages 14-21), but only when needed.

Husband and wife team here who usually travel with our dog so we paddle a tandem. The few times we’ve gone with others it’s been another couple in a tandem.

Thank you for all the comments. Looks like there's a fair share of both.

Interesting to read the comments.

I love the camaraderie using a tandem with my wife, brother or friend.

I can totally see the flexibility of solos though when someone wants to sleep in or stay out on the lake longer or vice versa… I haven’t figured out how to solo paddle a Northstar 17 with some wind yet…makes me wonder if I should of gotten a 16?

T

timatkn: "Interesting to read the comments,
I love the camaraderie using a tandem with my wife, brother or friend.
I can totally see the flexibility of solos though when someone wants to sleep in or stay out on the lake longer or vice versa… I haven’t figured out how to solo paddle a Northstar 17 with some wind yet…makes me wonder if I should of gotten a 16?
T "

I was coming across north end of LLC in a 17....my fishing buddy was not feeling well. Had the 55lb boss lady up front. Rocks in bow and stern. Paddling with every ounce in my body and was going backwards/sideways...it did fish fine solo.