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I have enjoyed a 17' Grumman square stern for 40 years. However, for Father's Day 2007 my sons gave me an Old Town Pack. It would be difficult to expand or improve on the functional attributes described in the previous Pack reviews.

The Pack is flat out a quality craft. We did change out the seat and move the new seat forward 3" to trim the craft out and bring the bow down slightly. A frequent comment in many of the Pack reviews is the time and energy spent keeping the Pack moving in a straight line. One weekend I tried a 220cm kayak paddle and decided a kayak paddle was the way to go. However, due to the width of the Pack and the seat position relative to a kayak, it was obvious a longer kayak paddle was needed. To shorten the saga of the search for a longer kayak paddle -- Just go to the Bending Branches web site, call the the sales department, ask how much it costs (minimal given the net results) for a special order 270cm Slice kayak paddle and then go to your local paddling store with the information to have them place an order. On a 270cm paddle, the Slice blade will yield a slightly longer shaft than the Glide blade, a real plus for reaching over the side and for keeping drips outside the craft. The 270cm Bending Branches Slice paddle is a welcome performance addition to the Pack.