BWCA two canoes or one? Boundary Waters Group Forum: Canoeing with kids
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   Group Forum: Canoeing with kids
      two canoes or one?     

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paddlefamily
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04/08/2013 07:27PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Planning a late summer trip with my kids ages 14, 11 and 8. Trip will be about 5-6 days with med/small lakes or rivers. It will likely be semi-base camping (three nights in one place, two in another).

I will be the only adult. Would you do two canoes or one 3 person 20'? I've handled a 20' and am fine with it, but am trying to figure out what will be the best for the kids. I think I can get four of us in a 20' as the 8 year old is really small and can easily sit on packs. It's not my favorite length to portage, but we're probably not going to do difficult or awkward portages.

Thoughts?
 
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04/11/2013 10:31PM  
Good time to introduce the 14 year old to a solo...tie together for a catamaran later
 
CrookedPaddler1
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04/12/2013 09:04AM  
I spent many years guiding youth groups. I would not have a problem putting the 14 and 11 year old in a canoe together and you taking the 8 year old with you. You won't be able to travel as fast, but since you were thinking of more of a basecamp style trip, it should work out fine.
 
04/12/2013 11:15AM  
I have the same dilemma (ages 14, 13, 11). My kids have paddled their own canoe in BWCA before, but only when there were two adults just in case... Whenever I've taken them by myself, we've been in one canoe.

This year, I think they will be BEGGING to bring two boats and I haven't got my answer yet. One has been begging for years to bring a kayak (and yet she'll want out of it after 30 minutes I'm betting). One "vehicle" would be much less headache for me. I know we'd all fit fine in the SR Quetico 18.5... One child (my 10yo!) has portaged a 16' canoe for 30+ rods by herself (with supervision but not help). Not sure I'm up for that level of diligence and yet I know it's the next phase of family tripping evolution.

In the end, I'm leaning towards asking kids what they want, and if I'm right that they want more boats, then setting some goals for them to "show me" at home before we go... show me that you can paddle the kayak 2 miles in our lake... show me that you can carry the kayak from lakefront to mailbox and back... show me that you can carry a canoe the same distance... Heck, maybe I'll need a solo boat for myself, if little one does a kayak and the older two take their own boat, I'll be odd man out - hee hee.

Let us know what you decide paddlefamily! It's kind an awkward stage.



 
paddlefamily
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04/12/2013 06:07PM  
Thanks everyone for the insight. Here is where the trip stands.

If I take the kids by myself, I'll probably do two canoes, and let the older two paddle their own. I think I'll probably have to portage both canoes some of the time, but that isn't a big deal. I'm intrigued by bumabu's idea of using a solo canoe. If I use a tandem and a solo, the older two have options for using the solo. And, if they don't want to solo at some point, I'm wondering if I could put myself and the 8 year old in it? She's less than 50# and could fit like a pack would.

My husband is considering coming with, and if so, I think we'll still do two canoes. If the kids bail, then we'd switch to one adult and one kid per canoe.

We have a 10' kayak, but I don't think it's work the hassle. We did a day-long paddle last year with it and the canoe and the novelty of the kayak wore off after about 2 hrs. I paddled it the rest of the way. I agree. BWP, I'd need them to prove themselves before I'd even consider it.
 
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