One of my favorite places to paddle is Killarney Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada. My last trip to this natural playground was particularly special. We were able to capture a magical 5-day canoe trip for PaddleTV. I got to test out the featherlight Swift Cruiser pack boat for the very first time, with the help of our old friends at Killarney Outfitters.
If you enjoy solo, multi-day paddle adventures, then definitely add this hybrid-style craft to your off-season scouting list. I'll get you started with some basics about pack boats, since I haven't covered the canoe designs. After that I will discuss my first-hand experiences with the Swift Cruiser. Let's get into it.
What is a pack boat?
A pack boat is the ultimate solo-trip paddle craft that combines the best features of a canoe and a kayak. A pack boat uses the body of a sleek, lightweight canoe. There is a kayak style seat built into the center of the canoe. This means a double-bladed, kayak-style paddle is used (no J-stroke necessary with this guy).
What are the advantages of a Swift Cruiser?
A canoe is an excellent choice for multi-day paddling trips. Especially paddling trips that involve portages (like we saw in Killarney Provincial Park). The open cockpit of the canoe makes it easier to pack and stow gear in bulky bags. This gear can then be carried more efficiently over land during the portage.
Things have to be compartmentalized in smaller doses when packing a kayak. This means more work when it comes time to reconfigure for a lengthy portage.
Canoes are also more stable than kayaks, which is another advantage of the pack boat approach. I found that the Swift Cruiser had excellent initial stability (sitting flat), as well as secondary stability (holding the boat on edge).
Standard Canoe vs Pack Boat
A pack boat, or a “pack canoe,” preserves the assets of the canoe (i.e. stability, storage capacity, and portage management). The pack boat gets the canoe closer to the paddling performance of a kayak.
Middle Seat, Foot Pegs and Sculpted Gunnels
This is done by adding in a middle seat, foot pegs for generating extra purchase, and sculpting the gunnels to avoid any knuckle-knocking while using the two-blade paddle. Because of the difference in sitting positions, pack boats have a lower center of gravity than a classic canoe, which gives it the edge in windy conditions.
Lightweight Canoe that is Easy to Carry
Pack boats are also significantly lighter than standard canoes, which makes them more nimble on the water and much easier to carry on land. The Swift Cruiser even come with a removable yoke to assist in the portage process. It can be screwed on as a shoulder brace when needed, and then simply tucked away when not.
How much do pack boats weigh?
One of the clear advantages for solo paddlers is how ridiculously lightweight pack boats are. For instance, thanks to its carbon-kevlar composition, the Swift Cruiser 14.8 weighs only 25 pounds, while the 16.8 only notched the scale up to 29 pounds.
I was able to pick them up with little more than a finger. That's pretty spectacular for something that looks and smells like a canoe. These boats are not only a breeze to carry, but they feel fast and maneuverable on the water. I was able to get a good clip going (the boat held its course beautifully), and using that exceptional secondary stability, I was also able to turn swiftly whenever I wanted.
Is the Swift Cruiser a comfortable boat?
The kayak-style seat in the Swift Cruiser pack boat is super comfortable. When I was younger, I used to be able to get away with sitting on just about anything. Nowadays, a good seat is a must. The lumbar support, in particular, was clutch. It's also worth noting that in the larger, 16.8 (16 feet, 8 inches) Cruiser, the seat is on a track, which allows it to shift forward a bit in order to compensate for a fully-loaded canoe. And finally, the openness of the canoe body allowed me to sit cross-legged, or stretch out my legs whenever I wanted.
So in conclusion, the Swift Cruiser pack boat (particular emphasis on the 14.8) was incredibly fun to paddle. Given how light, quick, and comfortable it was, I'm in agreement that this is the ultimate solo-tripping boat. If you have the pleasure of making it out to Killarney Provincial Park (here's another episode of Paddle Tales to entice you with), there is no better craft for that kind of adventure. If you liked this review, then make sure to head over to my PaddleTV channel for more gear-talk, paddling tips, and plenty of other beautiful paddling destinations.
