On 24 May 2005 at 7:29, Dave Reynolds wrote: > In your opinion, what is the best all-around vehicle for sea kayakers. > I currently drive a ford escort hatchback and it suits me fine. I have a Suburu Outback wagon that I specifically bought with kayak trips in mind. The built-in roof rack works well with both Yakima and Thule rack attachments and the all-wheel drive and higher road clearance is good for those rough logging roads. Although I've taken as many as four boats + paddlers + gear (which was admittedly too much), I can accommodate three boats plus paddlers & gear for a week long trip. Plus, even loading the boats on their sides, it's just slightly under 7 feet so I can board the ferry without paying overheight fees. Evan Dallas Woodinville, Washington *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On 5/24/05, Evan Dallas <evand_at_pensionresourcegroup.com> wrote: > On 24 May 2005 at 7:29, Dave Reynolds wrote: > > > In your opinion, what is the best all-around vehicle for sea kayakers. > > I currently drive a ford escort hatchback and it suits me fine. > > I have a Suburu Outback wagon that I specifically bought with kayak > trips in mind. Last winter my wife and I were cross-country skiing in Winthrop (which I highly recommend: 200 miles or more of groomed trails) in north central Washington State. We were parked in our Isuzu Trooper in the downtown lot getting ready to watch the annual "ski with your dog" races when the lady in the car next to us asked us how we liked Winthrop. I said that we loved Winthrop but that we were lucky to be allowed up the valley highway in to town. She asked if there had been weather problems and I looked over the parking lot and said, "No... we weren't driving a Suburu." Forty years ago it was the Volkswagen Beetle that was ubiquitous here in the Northwest but now if any single car is everywhere it's a Suburu Outback. Testimony to the nature of the car and the proclivities of the drivers. But we were driving our second Isuzu Trooper. It's bigger than the Outback and doesn't get the gas mileage (we get 16 to 18mpg while our daughter's Outback gets 25 to 30) but there are advantages. It's easier for me to get into the Trooper than an Outback... especially after a long day paddling or skiing. And a LOT easier to get out of. We never have to worry about whether we have room enough for all the gear we want to take. There are racks from both Yakima and Thule available. We can tow a bigger trailer than a Suburu Outback (which, oddly enough, I can't remember ever seeing being used as a tow vehicle). The ground clearance is higher. However, the Trooper is tall and while that's great for us bigger folks inside, it's a struggle to put a big kayak up there. Or even a small kayak. Or even x/c skiis. Heck, it's not easy to even touch the roof let alone put something up there. But it has one great advantage over any of the Suburu models: it's cheap to buy. Due to all the adverse publicity over their supposed tendency to roll over you can buy them for a LOT less money than an Outback or Forester; at least on the used market. We bought a 1999 Trooper with 70k on the speedometer for $7,000 two years ago. It had some body damage but has run pretty well for us ever since. And the other great advantage is that they rise high over the plains of Suburus in the parking lots of the Northwest so we never have to wonder where we parked the car. In fact the lady in Winthrop told me that she loves Troopers and always parked close to one if she could. "It makes it easier to find my Outback" she said, and grinned up at me. Craig Jungers Royal City, wA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:42 PDT