Profile

I got a Discovery 158 5 years ago used from an outfitter for $275 and it is a great family canoe for local lakes and rivers. I bought portage pads from Piragis that bolt on to the thwart and I don't have too much trouble portaging shorter distances (half mile or less) but this certainly isn't the canoe to take to the Boundary Waters.

It's very stable for the kids and it is a tank. If I'm worried about a tricky landing and the kids dumping us out, I can ram the bow right up on shore and I have no concerns about how the boat will handle it. You won't win any races in this boat but it is a good all around family trooper. Using the bent shaft paddles on the lakes seems to help quite a bit and I paddle it solo by turning it around backwards and kneeling while resting against the tractor seats. I'm not running races or doing anything worse than class II all over Ohio - for that, I couldn't ask for a better boat and value.

A local outfitter got hold of several of these canoes after buying a trailer for his rental business that had some rarely used but sun-damaged Packs on it from a local university field geology department. My wife got it for me for father's day at an outrageously cheap price and I couldn't be happier with the boat.

I'm used to portaging an Old Town Discovery 158 so the 33 pound Pack is just amazing in comparison. It tracks very well with a standard J-stroke and is plenty fast enough for enjoying the river. Obviously, I don't keep up with my kayaking companions when out with fellow paddlers while using my 54" paddle but that could easily be remedied by getting a yak paddle - but I like the art of paddling more than racing the canoe.

As others have done, I lowered the seat by purchasing 6 inch long stainless steel screws and brass pipe sleeves. I would rather kneel in the canoe but the standard seat placement made that difficult, as it wasn't easy to jam my feet under the seat so lowering the seat that amount seems to work well for me. I can't tell you how nice it is to throw the Pack up on my shoulder and portage it - I think it weighs less than most of my paddling friends' kayaks. What a great boat!

Oh, and about the "tippiness" - it's a solo boat so it's more narrow. Once you get used to getting in and out of it and determine where to put your feet, it's just like any larger canoe.