Re: [Paddlewise] Opinions on double "foldables?"

ralph diaz wrote:
> 
> MSN/RiDem wrote:
> >
> > Next year I am hoping to purchase a "foldable ", probably a double based on
> > the following needs. Have been looking (on line) at the Klepper  Expedition
> > II, or Folbot Greenland II. [snip]
> > Mostly I am seeking strong opinions, to weigh against my own still yet
> > uninformed opinions. (I am a big fan of the dialectic!) [snip]
>
> If money is no object, then I would think the Klepper Expedition double
> would be the best choice of the two you are considering.  This is not to
> knock the Folbot Greenland II.  It is an excellent boat and certainly
> would do just fine in the situations you describe.  But the Klepper is a
> better boat.  Folbot never claims to be building a boat as good as the
> Klepper at a third of the price. [snip]

> Packing gear into a closed space.  If you set your mind to it, there are
> ways of getting everything in via the cockpit.  There are a number of
> hints in my book.  Basically, shove things in with a paddle half and
> string tethers from the bags you shove furthest in, so you can retrieve
> them latter.

No quarrel here with Ralph's comparison of Klepper and Folbot.

Just a small addendum to my earlier post:  The Greenland II is much easier to
pack than the Kleppers, I imagine (I have no personal experience with Klepper,
though I have watched companions pack them).  The reason is that the forward
and rear decks of the G II can be **unzipped** easily for packing while the
hull is fully assembled.  No strings or push-the-bag-in-with-a-paddle
folderol.  Allows for more efficient packing, also.

Even so, I imagine you would be using the spaces to the sides of both paddlers
for storage, whether in a G II or a Klepper (either of the versions Ralph
mentioned).

Ralph, maybe you should speak up about some of the Long Haul side storage bags
-- a real advantage for expedition-style stuff like the Dempseys do.

--
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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