New Air Bags

[Kelly-Rand]

I ordered and received two new nylon bags from Mohawk Canoes and haven't put them in the canoe yet but I note that there is no tube and roberts valve just a fast fill port for an electric pump. So how do I adjust the air pressure when I'm on a multi day trip or even between cloud and sunshine? Is there some new tool that folks use?

[Dennysdad]

Very good question
I first tried carrying a very small Phillips screw driver to depress the center of the valve
That sucked. The only solution I found was to unscrew the valve
Which I say sucked but not as much.
Would love to hear of a better way also

[creek1r]

I use a ball inflator nozzle (?) to depress valve. Onle 2 inches long and stores in boat. To top off bag, I use cheap plastic accordian type gas filler you can get at auto parts store.Also stores in boat.

[Kelly-Rand]

Thanks for reply.

Do you have a picture of a ball inflater or can you describe it in more detail? Or are you talking about the little needle that you use to inflate footballs etc...?

[creek1r]

Little needle to inflate footballs. Correct.

[Dennysdad]

Love it!!!
Ball inflatter about the size of a small Phillips but so much better idea
Great

[bruce]

just another reason why Mohawk isn't REALLY here any more. Too cheap to provide an easy inflator but I'm sure they didn't lower the price of the bags. I once had them refuse to replace a defective 75 cent plastic buckle for a $100 lap belt unless I sent mine to them first. Some companies are just destined to fail.

[Don Beyer]

Yeah, I gave those bags a try. One of them was leaking right off the bat. And those 'valves' are insane. Whoever designed those probably wasn't a boater.

[magicmike]

Yeah, Richard thought i was a jerk for bringing up those stupid valves 2 years ago when i got mine. I ordered 2 sets and the first ones seperated and leaked within 6 months.

[Dennysdad]

Loved Mohawk still have a viper but
One of my 2 I purchased does not hold air well
That and the valve thing makes me cringe a bit

[kx250guy]

Mohawk canoes is dead .. they just don't know it yet ........ sad

[Dennysdad]

YES Very sad indeed
Among others we all owe a lot to their development of the sport
I was hanging on in a time warp until my son prodded me into the
Newer poly boats. A very grateful dad I might say

[Atucky]

I gotta say I was never a big fan of the air bag nozzle, they would flap around when on top of car, and end up tearing. After getting into pyranha's, and using their bags, I liked the single hole much better. Simply unscrew to deflate, or unscrew and blow air in to inflate. Does this not work with Mohawk bags?

[Kelly-Rand]

Thanks for all the input. One bag is in and I'm working on the lacing cage for the second.

New question or observation. I've only had one other open canoe that I sold ten years ago and stopped paddling almost 17 years ago about the time of the first Hudson Armada. I've paddled decked boats exclusively since, but when I was paddling open boat I'll never took the bags out of the boat and it was always stored out doors with the bags inflated. For the 12 years I owned it the bags were still functional when I sold it. I do have another tandem that was a once or twice a year family WW boat that I bought voyager bags for and would take them out after every paddle and store. These bags have failed at the seams after about ten years of once a year usage.
Now days all the open boaters I paddle with deflate and inflate their bags after every paddle trip. I would think that all that folding and unfolding of the bags would wear them out much quicker.

So what has been your experience?