I've been very happy using my Rival for multi-day trips on rivers with lots of class III and IV rapids. The Rival carries 210 lb. of me and 50 (or more) pounds of gear quite well. The gear does not affect the boat adversely in any way except it requires more effort to make it accelerate. That shouldn't be too surprising. Otherwise it maneuvers just as well loaded as when empty. It tends to be a little wetter probably due to less freeboard.weeMac wrote: Have you done any multi-day trips in your Rival?
It does roll when loaded but it takes more effort to initiate the roll. Once you get it up to the brace part of the move the extra weight seems to act as ballast and actually helps to get you upright. Try to keep the load in the center and as low as possible.
I have a bilge pump and highly recommend them. The weight is minimal - less than 4 pounds - and it will make the trip much more enjoyable. It's not fun to empty a boat with a bunch of gear strapped into it. You pretty much have to find some dry ground to roll the water out. The extra weight makes it very difficult to drain by lifting the boat up and out of the water. I use a NiMH battery and have not run it out of juice on a trip yet.
The battery weighs only about 1.3 pounds and cost only $55 with the charger. I think you can get an extra battery for about $30 if you really wanted to be certain you wouldn’t run out of juice.
On these kinds of trips we typically portage the gear when running the big\technical drops. It’s a lot more fun and less stressful to do the big stuff without a load. Fortunately, the rivers we’ve been on have made this approach possible.
Photos of a trip we did last May can be seen here.
All of the boats you see there handled this 6-day trip nicely. For me, the Esquif Vertige seems an excellent solo tripping craft – particularly if you like the Rival. The Vertige hull is very similar to the Rival’s. It’s longer, taller and wider than the Rival and therefore drier when loaded. If you are comfortable in the Rival you will step into the Vertige and be right at home.
The Esquif Nitro you see on this trip is a fine boat too. It handled the load easily and would make a great choice for this kind of tripping. The Nitro has fantastic secondary stability. I often tease my paddling friend that the Nitro makes him look like a better boater than he is. (The teasing is also prompted by jealousy of his skill.)
Ultimately, just about any solo boat you can find will work if you can get your gear to fit in it. What is “best” is a matter of personal preference that can only be determined by experience in the model of choice.
Where are you going?
Dave
