I guess it's time I consulted this forum on the subject of solo boats. Yesterday I went to the Swift event at Trailhead here in Ottawa. I was interested in checking out their pack boats to see if this could actually be the right solution for my solo tripping needs. They were offering in stock boats $300 off and any that were ordered that day would be $200 off so it seemed like a pretty good deal to take advantage of. Unfortunately I walked away empty handed, mostly because it's still a lot of money, but also because I just can't figure out which configuration will suit me best.

I am definitely drawn to the Swift line of solo boats and have test paddled the Keewaydin 15 and test-tripped the Osprey last year. The problem I had was with the removable yoke (which I ended up forgetting at the last campsite and had to shell out another $80 for -- but that's another story). I could not find a way to position it so that I could carry my canoe pack at the same time. In addition it wasn't a good shape for my neck and shoulders and mostly ended up biting into my shoulder blades even when carried alone. I brought this issue up yesterday talking to Bill Swift, who said many clients will replace the bolts with longer ones and install spacers on the underside of the yoke to provide more clearance. Sounds like it would work, though it will set the boat up higher when carrying which suggests it would be harder to control while carrying. I presume a rope affixed to bow and stern thwarts would sufficiently offset this issue though still not as convenient as simply holding a thwart or the gunnels for balancing. Anyone have experience with this?

The bigger question though concerns the solo canoe versus pack boat debate raging in my head. On the one hand I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to canoes. I absolutely love canoes and could wax poetic about them for paragraphs on end but will spare you. And of course a big part of the joy of canoes surrounds their handling with a single blade paddle--that's where the skill element comes in and the real joy of paddling. On the flip side I'd be a fool to ignore the increased efficiency one gets with a kayak paddle. And these pack boats have a MUCH MUCH more comfortable sitting position! There's just no denying that at all. But when I spoke to these guys about using a standard canoe paddle with the pack boat seat it was clear this wasn't the desirable option as the lower position and automatic centering in the boat doesn't allow you to shift your weight as you normally would for comfortable and stable single-blade paddling. They did speak of a combi seat that would allow both positions but I wasn't able to see it. Also it adds another $500 to the already high price tag. And of course, really I have no experience yet paddling the pack boats so I don't know for sure I would like them even with a double blade. But they certainly look great for this.

Anyway, this year I want to try out some different pack boats and stack them against the regular solos. Specifically it seems I'm most orienting to the Keewaydin 14. However, I see online (You Tube vids, trip logs) where various paddlers seem to be tripping successfully through the Park interior with the Adirondack Pack 13.6. When I asked the Swift guys about this they definitely said it wasn't intended for that -- I guess just the handling and seaworthiness, though there was a guy hanging around who paddles his Pack 12 on the St. Laurence with ease, apparently. Also, I note the boat's lack of tumblehome suggests it would be easier to load and unload, something one maybe wouldn't think about without standing there looking at the two side by side.

Last point is about the pack seat for portaging. I note again that they offer a higher and lower version of the pack seat, and I'm wondering if the lower version would provide the extra clearance to be able to carry a pack at the same time without having to modify the removable yoke as above.

I know several of you out there are using solo boats of one kind or another. I would love your input on all of the above points. And thank you very much in advance!