Originally Posted by Alaska Dean
Just something to think about, especially if you are moving here (Alaska). Many people do use small pontoon boats, just like "outside" but many more go for either regular river rafts or the bigger pontoon boats. You very soon will get to the point where you might want to fly out on a wilderness trip and float for a week or so. I ended up buying a regular river raft with a rowing frame that collapses easily and have never been sorry that I did. It will haul a lot of gear, tent, bags, cots, cooking gear, food in the ice chest in the rowing frame, another ice chest that you can use for a dry box, etc. It is light enough so that my wife and I can put it in the water too. The pontoon boats are nice but if you are going on an extended trip, you are limited on gear you can haul(unless you have a BIG pontoon boat but the frames are harder to break down for fly-in trips). Do you think you will want to fly out on trips? Do you think you will mostly float local rivers? Where will you be living and do you know what rivers you will be around? You might be happy as a clam up here with your pontoon boat or you might get to the point where you wished you would have held out a little and waited and gotten something else. My $.03.
take care,
Dean