Water gear

What is the best gear for getting down the river? This is a new area for me. Canoe, fishing boat, kayak... which is better? What makes one better than another? I would need to carry a pack also, so there would have to be room for that. Any thoughts on this?

 

That would be very much dependant on what was happening.
In lots of instances it may be deadly to use waterways
I have a friend who go's as he calls it Sacking
He has two heavy duty waxed canvas sacks he gets in one up to his armpits complete with braces and tightens it
he puts his kit in the other with a tether and then just jumps in and drifts downstream!

He thinks its fun, I think he is barking mad. No idea if it is just him or there are other nutters out there!
I always remember it as a possible option but I think a very last option.

 

...slightly off topic, but, I thought I would share a photo of my kayak fishing rig!!!

There's also ample storage space as the kayak has a massive fishing hatch, perfect for storing a pack and/or camping gear. It's also been manufactured using polypropylene which mitigates the risk of cracks as in when using fibreglass.

 

for me it has go to be a canoe, i used to go one one man canoes trips. in canada where i live you can go from one side of the county just about everywhere with the longest portage being 10 miles, that area is called grand potage by the way. I have a great canoes certified for white water https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royalex, it is a three seater and can carry 660 lbs of supplies and three people yet weight only 78 lbs. It cost more used than my car at the time . i know if i have my canoe and my bug out bag and a few other items i can survive just about anything, i can move, fish,hunt, and sleep under the canoe.
so for me it got to be a canoes,

 

canoe is the perfect survival vehicle

further on about canoes , you can really go far in canoes, two canadians went from winnipeg canada , down to the mississippi , then out around texas, around mexico and central america , the up the orinoco river to the negro river and the crossed over to the amazon river and back down to the ocean . all in a canoe .
https://www.amazon.ca/Paddle-Amazon-Ultimate-000-Mile-Adventure/dp/0771082568
https://www.amazon.ca/Paddle-Amazon-Ultimate-000-Mile-Adventure/dp/...
It was crazy. It was unthinkable. It was the adventure of a lifetime. When Don and Dana Starkell left Winnipeg in a tiny three-seater canoe, they had no idea of the dangers that lay ahead.

• Reviews: 25
• Format: Paperback

• Author: Don Starkell

so in conclusion the canoe is the perfect survival vehicle

 

I don't know a lot about boats or watercraft, but I would think the type you chose would be dependent on the type of water you expect to be in.

I agree with Arctic Bill. My first choice would be a canoe, but that is what I am most experienced with, and would suit my purpose on inland waterways, and rivers. I don't have to worry about crocs like Keith does. I probably don't have to be to concerned about being swamped by larger boats.

If you were in open water or near the coast, maybe even on a large lake; I would want something much more substantial.

 

Certainly

I'm a Kayak Fisherman (Indian Ocean - Nice and warm) so my rig fits my requirements for a stable, yet, rugged platform. When you are trying to land a big fish, it's critical that your fishing platform is stable with little to no chance of flipping. But, fair enough, as stated, it's not completely on topic