Re: [Paddlewise] Yaks on Pickups???

dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote:
> 
> Don't rule out a pickup truck because the roof is too tall for you.[snip]

> If you put a cap on the bed you get a large sleeping area but then you give
> up the ease of loading and unloading......  How often are you going to be
> kayaking and camping from the vehicle as compared with just taking the yak
> to the put in?

My two cents:  Toyota's Tacoma-line 4-cylinder X-Cab 2WD pickups (at least
through the '96 year) are low enough to the ground that Hully rollers on a cap
are very manageable by one person.  In addition, the legroom in the back seats
of the cab is significantly better than Ranger or Nissan or the Chevy S-10. 
(All are comparable in bed size, horsepower options, etc.).  It is not comfy
for those in back, but you CAN take two regular-size adults as passengers in
the back seats of the cab in the Toy Tacoma X-Cab PU's.  [For the xenophobic: 
last I heard, the 2WD Toyota PU's sold in this country are assembled here, but
the 4WD's are assembled in Japan.  Go figure.]

On the value of a canopy:  one which maintains the cab's roofline is perfect
for somebody who is a loner much of the time, and has just one passenger most
of the rest of the time.  I drive to put-ins the night before and crash in
back, moving gear to the cab.  No wet tent to deal with in the am, and it's a
quick launch.

Wet/nasty gear on the way home?  Goes in the back.  Remove later and hose it
out.  The small cab (re:  minivans and station wagons and (shudder) SUV's)
heats up fast and allows enough room to change clothes unless you are an NFL
linebacker or Momma Cass.  Separating yourself from wet gear makes the cab
really comfy.

We have two of these X-cab PU's in our family of two, and LOVE 'em!

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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