Below is information that may help in choosing the best boat. We both rent and sell camping gear----tents, packs, and sleeping and cooking gear. See below for a complete list.

Our very popular Complete Outfitting Packages are also available.

The canoes are made of Royalex (a plastic foam laminate), fiberglass, kevlar and foam core kevlar lay-ups. The Mad River canoes are all hardwood trimmed. All canoes have a bench style seat for versatility in paddling position. The kayaks are either rotomoulded polyethylene, fiberglass or Kevlor construction. They may be carried over the shoulder, overhead with a yoke or on a portage cart.

Camping Equipment Rentals & Sales

We provide you with top quality gear. You can be assured of a good night's sleep with either a Quallofil, Hollofil II or down sleeping bag, and either a closed cell foam pad or a Therm-a-Rest mattress. Tents are freestanding, lightweight nylon with floor and no-see-um netting. Cook gear is stainless steel. Our rugged canoe packs are waterproof and comfortable to portage.

All equipment is available to rent or purchase individually.

For details or camping gear rentals, please click here.

Trade in Your Old Boat!

Yes,we do sell our used gear and boats at the end of the season and Yes, we do take trade-ins of your old boat - contact us - we have boats in every price range. Click here to see this season list of Used Boats for sale.

Choosing Your Canoe

The canoes below are arranged by length. In selecting your boat please first consider the purpose and style of your trip. If you are planning a basecamp trip with coolers or heavy gear you will want a boat with a hull of Royalex plastic lamination like the Camper or Penobscot. If you are planning a trip with a lot of portages you will want to pack lightly and use the lightest weight boats like the Northstar, Northwind, Escapade, or Mattawa and keep your gear light. Generally the longer boat will be faster and a wider boat will be more stable. Our largest volume boats are the Kipowa or the Minnesota II or III. Hemlock's Nessmuck is a double paddle solo canoe with the single seat on the floor like a recreational kayak. Solo canoes, like the Magic or Rapidfire, Paddle like a sea kayak, but are light weight.

Choosing Your Kayak

Our sit-on-top kayaks are perfect for a casual day trip on a lake or down the Saranac River. The recreational kayaks have large, easy in and out cockpits, and are similar in use but may feel more stable and be slightly more protective in messy weather. If you are planning to paddle some distance the touring kayaks are recommmended. Children love the Carolina 12 or "Umiak". It is a joy for small people because it's sized for them: narrow enough to be fast, close to the water for easier strokes and rockered enough for easy turning. The sea kayaks are longer, have rudders, and have two sealed bulkheads for gear storage. Generally the sea kayaks have tighter cockpits to facilitate a drier ride. Sea kayaks will have perimeter safety lines, and shock cord storage space on the front and rear decks. Single cockit tandems like the Loon 160T are fine for day trips or shorter overnights, but they do not have dry storage. The longer two cockpit tandems are for open water multi-day trips. These boats, the NW Explorer & Expedition, become more limiting in smaller streams.