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I purchased the Old Town Camper to use for a 14 day trip in the Quetico. It had its plusses and its minuses. The huge weight capacity made it handle the load quite nicely and was very stable while loaded. I had no trouble keeping up with the loaded Minnesota 2 that my buddies were using despite my 11 year old son sleeping while leaning on the packs behind him. It tracked extremely well and was a pleasure to portage as it was so light.

The negative is because of the high load limit, it rides high and has a bit too much rocker for fishing while unloaded. One light stroke intended to straighten out the travel direction would result in a 180 degree turn if uncorrected quickly. More time was spent correcting the trajectory of the canoe than fishing. A big negative in my book.

I suspect this canoe would do well in relatively fast water because it is so responsive and extremely stable.

Overall, a great loaded tripping canoe, but a poor choice for fishing unless you have some willing soul to steer while you fish.

I also had a Royalex Camper. It was a very stable canoe. It could pack a tremendous load as well. When fully packed, it was hard to beat for handling and for speed. I solo paddled my son and 2 weeks of supplies and outran a Kevlar Wenonnah Minnisota II. It was also a pleasure to handle on land because of the weight. Mine had the original cane seats. Quite comfortable.

This canoe is hard to beat for camping and canoeing. The problem I had was that I like to fish from the canoe. With its short length and slight rocker, it is nearly impossible to paddle slightly and maintain a straight course so I could cast and retrieve. The nimble handling is a detriment to fishing on flat water.