I'm looking into the possibility of acquiring a folding canoe for future trips.  I'm looking into this option for two reasons:  long distance travel to canoe areas and fly-in trips where more than one canoe may need to be transported.  I and my normal paddling partner both paddle identical solo canoes so the hull-within-hull option is probably not going to work for fly-in transport.

Specifically, I'm looking at products made by Pakboat (US made from what I can tell) and Ally (Norwegian made).  Both have very similar designs except that the Pakcanoe has inflatable floatation tubes along the sides, while the Ally has a "floatation" mat on the canoe floor.  Both are "material on frame" designs.

I understand that the design has drawbacks including being less efficient over water than a hard-shell and the potential for bending the aluminum frame tubing.

Anyone with first-hand experience with either of these two choices.  BTW: I'm not particularly interested in "between" designs or kayaks of similar construction, mostly due to gear loading and weight issues.

Thx,
dd

What I've been comparing is the Ally 515 and the Pakcanoe 150/150T.  They are both approximately the same length (15.5 ft) and have about the same load capacity (650 lbs or more).  The Ally weighs in at about 41 lbs while the Pakcanoe is 48 lbs (each a couple of pounds lighter in a solo configuration.  Both can be had (new) for around $1850 (including shipping).  The only place in the US I can find that sells the Ally is in (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links), while it looks like (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) might be the best choice for a Pakcanoe. (Wayfair is the Pakcanoe vendor for Walmart.)  It looks like you might get a red vs green color choice with the Pakcanoe.

I've paddled locally with a guy that has a Pakcanoe 165 (I think it is).  It seemed more stable but slower than my Prism (the owner regularly stood up in it to check conditions down river).  He's used it on river trips to Hudson Bay and has tripped with Cliff Jacobson a time or two.

dd

I thought the Ally looked a bit fragile until I watched this (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links).  (I don't treat my kevlar boat that way!)

dd

Oldie Moldy wrote on Jul 20^th, 2012 at 11:37pm:

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dd

DD, My experience would be similar to Tony's, the other tripping Texas Dr. 
Which is using it set up as a tandem. Reviews you've gotten are right on.

But the outfitter also paddled the same boat as a solo. Since the seats can be put about anywhere you want. His was slightly forward, but not centered like a true solo. Trimmed the boat with gear. Seemed to work great. Had a bit of a banana shape cause it flexed some. He used a kayak paddle for a better reach and no switching sides. The seats clip into the bottom support poles with some flat webbing straps to help hold it in place.

Besides Tony I have a number for the guy who's a rep for PakBoat and goes to Canoecopia for them. He did the Scandinavian Arctic trip last year with Cliff, Tom from Minn, and the owner. Also was my tandem partner on the Coppermine trip. Let me know if you want any help contacting him.

They paddle OK, better then people might think. Best part is how they load into the float plane. Giving you some more economical options getting there and back.