Know How

A pack canoe is a solo boat with an open hull, no cockpit, no deck, typically paddled with a double-blade kayak paddle from a low seat, similar to a kayak. You get the efficiency and stroke mechanics of a kayak, and the open access and easy boarding of a canoe.

One of the most common questions we hear is: "Should I get a canoe or a kayak?" It's a great question — and the honest answer is: it depends. After 25 years of helping paddlers explore the Adirondacks, we've learned that the right boat is almost always the one that best matches how you plan to use it.