Kayak
Also: hardshell kayak, rigid kayak
A kayak is paddled with a double-bladed paddle, sitting facing forward. Hardshell kayaks are faster than packrafts, but heavy and bulky.
- 1Packraft
- 2Hardshell kayak
- 3Canoe
- 4Folding boat
- 5Sectional boat
- 6Inflatable kayak
According to Wikipedia, kayak and canoe are the two main subgroups of canoes. A touring kayak is 3.5 to 5.5 m long and 50 to 85 cm wide. Compared to a packraft it has much more waterline and tracking, but you need a car or boat trolley. A packraft is shorter, wider, more stable and fits in a backpack.
Sources and further reading
Research as of 13 Nov 2026. We have marked manufacturer information as such.