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Message started by intrepid_camper on Oct 5th, 2010 at 4:20pm

Title: IC's Poke Boat
Post by intrepid_camper on Oct 5th, 2010 at 4:20pm
KennyB had some questions about my kayak so am bragging about it here so I can add pics too:
My kayak is a "Poke Boat" by Pheonix.  I have a kevlar one, red, which weighs 21 pounds.  I also have a fiberglass one which weighs 28 pounds. (The company also makes a tandem kayak and one a bit larger than the 12 footer which can hold an extra 100 pounds of paddler and gear; it weighs 36 pounds)  Both of the 20+ pounders are 12 foot long boats.  I probably carry about 80 pounds of gear in it on a trip, I do not pack particularly light or minimally. (see photo) The Poke boats are built without bulk heads so I can use all the space in both ends to pack my gear.  They do not have extra floatation built into them so if they fill up with water empty, they would sink.  I pack some of my gear in waterproof dry bags and expect them to stay under the decks and keep my boat afloat should I fill up with water.  You can buy a skirt for the cockpit which works great for keeping waves and splashes out of the kayak when paddling on very windy days and also will keep you and the inside of the kayak dry on rainy days.  I seldom use the skirt because the kayak is built very well to keep the waves from lapping in, and I can usually paddle in 15 mph winds without a problem.
They do not come with a yoke, but we made yokes of a contoured and padded pine board and originally bolted them to the combing, but now use large spring loaded clamps to attach them.  The clamps are much faster and easier to use.  (see photo)
You can ask anyone who travels with me, I get a "ton" of stuff into the kayak.  That includes a 5# tent, 5# of tarps plus a lot of rope, a full canoe pack of clothes and sleeping bag, pad and etc.  A 3 gallon bucket with lid which has all my cooking utensils, a smallish duffel which carries miscellaneous, a small dry bag with necessities, and at least 20 pounds of food.  I use regular grocery store items rather than freeze dried and generally have fresh meat items for 3 days, and lots of fresh vegetables which are heavy and bulky, then resort to pasta and rice dishes and smoked meats.  I have carried up to 3 weeks of food on some solo trips.
Most of the load fits under the front and back decks and I pack in bags which will fit the contour of the kayak to use all the space available.  The canoe pack either sits behind me and I use it for a back rest and end up sitting further forward or I can fit it in front of me in the cockpit.  If I put it behind me I pack the back end a little heavier so it counteracts the extra weight of my body being further forward.  I also carry a big closed cell foam pool float which fits inside the cockpit and I can sit on it.  It is more comfortable, provides me a big PFD if I should tip, and a great water proof chair and sleeping pad at camp.  The float stays wedged into the cockpit when I portage so it adds a few pounds to the boat but is no problem when portaging.  I bring along another regular canoe pack and at portages I can put all the smaller duffels, food packs, etc. into it to make the carrying easier.  I also bring along a beach "sand chair" which gets bungeed onto the rear top deck for travelling.
I love  :-* my Poke boat.  You can order a Poke boat directly from Pheonix and they will ship or you can go pick it up from the factory.  I think the fiberglass one is tougher and would recommend it over the kevlar which is built so light that it tends to buckle under the weight if you lean heavily on front or back deck.  

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