Cliff Jacobson (author of ‘Expedition Canoeing’and many other canoeing books) used a PakCanoe 170 this summer for a trip on the Noatak river in Alaska. After the trip he had some observations about the cost of flying canoes on bush planes. His comments relate to using “Beavers”, but I think what Cliff had to say is relevant to almost all canoe trips where a bush plane is involved:
Alv,
On the flight out, the pilot put four people and their gear (sans folding canoes) into the Beaver. And it was a long (2 hours) flight out. On the flight in, we had 3 plus two folding canoes and half the gear in the first flight—1.5 hours. The second flight with 3 aboard and the remaining gear was pretty light. Each flight (round trip) cost $2100. We originally figured three flights in and out for the six of us—that’s always been the plan when we used hard boats. Turned out that “three and three” was no big deal with the folding canoes. That means we saved $2100 by eliminating one flight. We were all very surprised at the savings, but it was real. What’s interesting is that in Alaska they won’t fly hard boats (external loads) on airplanes. Why? I don’t know. They’ve been doing it in Canada for decades. That’s the main reason we used the folding canoes — most people who do the Noatak use inflatables (rafts or SOAR boats). The few folding canoes available for rent were all Ally’s. Why? I don’t know because the Pakboats are clearly better on all counts. This is not an idle call. I would encourage anyone who doubts this to simply compare the boats side-by-side. The Ally’s are flatly primitive compared to the Pakboats.
We were loaded for a 14 day trip. Indeed, we had one “bear barrel” (required in Gates of the Arctic Natl.Park) just filled with whiskey. Really! We also had a huge (15 foot square netted tundra tarp and everyone had the new Eureka! Tundraline tents which are bulky and heavy (12 pounds). Still, there was plenty of room in the Beaver. I would have sworn that two folding canoes and two people would have maxed out the load. No way. And remember, it was a long flight in and out, with climbs over mountain peaks. We were all very impressed.
I might also add that the Pakboats seemed just as quick as Royalex hard boats. They turned every bit as well and frankly, took less water in the rapids. The Noatak offered just one long day of Class II rapids, nothing serious, but enough to keep you focused. The big surprise was the micro-burst which sent one canoe about 50 feet into the air and kept it airborne for at least 200 yards before dropping it into the river. And there was NO damage. Not even a scratch. Yeah, Alv, we’re way impressed. For years, I’ve told people how neat these canoes are, but this trip drove the point home. They are quite exceptional.
Since the pilots generally halve the useful load when an external load is carried on a float plane, it should follow that paddlers who choose folding canoes over hard boats should be able to save on flight in and out on just about any trip. That’s a lot of money saved. Given this scenario, six people could easily use a Single Otter and three PakCanoes and save a second flight in. On a long trip we’re talking real big bucks here using a big plane like that.
With a crew of four people you would probably need two flights on a Beaver whether you use hard boats or PakCanoes. The savings come when you go with six — here you can eliminate the third flight. For flights up to about 1.5 hours, 3 people, a folding canoe and all their gear for a two week trip will work. The problem with putting four people, 2 folding canoes and gear in a Beaver is that you will bulk out (run out of space) before you exceed the maximum load of the aircraft.
Cheers,
Cliff Jacobson
Outdoors Writer and Canoeing & Camping Consultant
