Thanks for the tips! I've got a 16' Old Town canoe that will obviously have to ride up top and was wondering if anyone has had trouble carrying something like that over moderate rocks and ruts. I'm about to put in a Rhino Rack on newly installed tracks the length of my 4Runner. Canoe is about 60 lbs. I would strap it down extra carefully, though.
Inflatable sea kayaks sound pretty awesome, though! We live right near Chatfield so we are familiar with the gravel ponds. Would love to get into places with lakes only accessible by 4WD vehicles for the scenery and seclusion.
"I have two Sea Eagle 330 kayaks that I've had for about 10 years, they fit into some big backpacks and are really tough, never had any issues withthem. There are a ton of lakes to take them too, I often have them along for trips. One of the funnest things we've done was towing them around Coney Flats lake. On a weekday there are some smaller lakes around the main reservoir at Chatfield that are quiet and easy, great for kids. Grand Mesa is a fantastic place to take them, and the lake in State Forest State Park is a lot of fun too. Just about any pond is fun, everything looks different from the water."