Folbot vs Klepper
BBabin1629
dwellers with real space constraints so a foldable is a natural. I have
sent for info from Ralph Diaz, but I'm also looking for real life
comparisons of major brands from owners. Folbot is half the price of
Kleppers and Feathercraft. Is it also half the quality? Opinions are more
then welcome. Thanks.
BBabi...@aol.com
Bob Babin
Mitch Rosenberg
I see you ordered Ralph Diaz's book... it's excellent. I have a Feathercraft Expedition K2, and a
Feathercraft K-Light (I'm taking the double on the maiden voyage this weekend!). Try going down
to your locan kayak store, and take a few for a test drive.
I ended up deciding between the Feathercraft and the Klepper. It wasn't a matter of which one was
better (both excellent), but a matter of which suited our needs. Kinda like apples and oranges
(Apples & PCs?). We also live in Vancouver, British Columbia, and as the Feathercraft is
manufactured 20 minutes fom my place - I like the after purchase service.
Both Klepper & Feathercraft offer some information on theor WWW Pages:
http://www.Feathercraft.com
http://www.klepper.com/
Good Luck!
Mitch Rosenberg
Mi...@Mindlink.net
HTTP://Mindlink.net/Mitch/
frank malinowski
>My wife and I are beginning our education on foldable Kayaks. We are city
>dwellers with real space constraints so a foldable is a natural. I have
>sent for info from Ralph Diaz, but I'm also looking for real life
>comparisons of major brands from owners. Folbot is half the price of
>Kleppers and Feathercraft. Is it also half the quality? Opinions are more
>then welcome. Thanks.
>
>BBabi...@aol.com
> Bob Babin
I have a Folbot Greenland ll and I have paddled a couple Feathercrafts on demo days. I have seen and closely inspected Kleppers but =
have not paddled them. The key question are YOUR needs. The Klepper is well made, some of the fittings are simply excellent. The Fea=
thercraft is shaped more like a traditional kayak. The Folbot and Klepper hulls look to be very similar hydrodynamicaly. The Folbot =
weighs less and assembles more quickly. That is important to me. If you want to sail upwind then you want the Klepper. The newer Fol=
bots come with an adequate downwind sail option. I have not found anything the Folbot will not do but I do mostly bay paddling. For =
me the size, weight, ease of assembly and price make the Folbot a winner. But if you want certain features you may want a different =
kayak.
John Chapin
>My wife and I are beginning our education on foldable Kayaks. We are city
>dwellers with real space constraints so a foldable is a natural. I have
>sent for info from Ralph Diaz, but I'm also looking for real life
>comparisons of major brands from owners. Folbot is half the price of
>Kleppers and Feathercraft. Is it also half the quality? Opinions are more
>then welcome. Thanks.
One thing I'd add is that Folbot's reputation for customer support is excelent.
I can speak from experience that this company takes pains to see that their
customers are satisfied... Personally, I think that Folbots are great boats.
I have no complaints about my Folbot Greenland II in terms of quality. My
biggest complaint is that I still have to work for a living, instead of
paddling all the time!
John Chapin jch...@panix.com
John Y. Liu
newsgroup for $2,000, a lot of money but way less than a new one. I've
seen used K-Lights for a little less.
Dan21660
boat than klepper... easier to assemble, more stable, less individual
parts, less metal clips and buckles and screws, less expensive ( a little)
and more sailable..... Dan Arshack
William Siler
It is also, like the Folbot, better suited to tall people.
Bill Siler
Dan21660
Len
In article <3152BF...@Mindlink.net>, Mitch Rosenberg <Mi...@Mindlink.net> says:
>
>Hi Bob:
>
>I see you ordered Ralph Diaz's book... it's excellent. I have a Feathercraft Expedition K2, and a
>Feathercraft K-Light (I'm taking the double on the maiden voyage this weekend!). Try going down
>to your locan kayak store, and take a few for a test drive.
>
>I ended up deciding between the Feathercraft and the Klepper. It wasn't a matter of which one was
>better (both excellent), but a matter of which suited our needs. Kinda like apples and oranges
>(Apples & PCs?). We also live in Vancouver, British Columbia, and as the Feathercraft is
>manufactured 20 minutes fom my place - I like the after purchase service.
>
>Both Klepper & Feathercraft offer some information on theor WWW Pages:
>
>http://www.Feathercraft.com
>http://www.klepper.com/
>
>
>Good Luck!
>
>Mitch Rosenberg
>Mi...@Mindlink.net
>HTTP://Mindlink.net/Mitch/
>
>BBabin1629 wrote:
>>
>> dwellers with real space constraints so a foldable is a natural. I have
>> sent for info from Ralph Diaz, but I'm also looking for real life
>> comparisons of major brands from owners. Folbot is half the price of
>> Kleppers and Feathercraft. Is it also half the quality? Opinions are more
>> then welcome. Thanks.
>>
>> Bob Babin
Just noticed your interplay on folding boats, have you looked
into the folding Porta-Bote? Check out their home page at
HTTP://www.island.net/~stevelen/ you may find it most interesting,
Len Hannah
Dan21660
You should also check out Nautiraid... thier new distributuion set up
resluted in prices being slashed....I personally like them more than
klepper ( less doodads to brake and lose, less screws and pieces.. more
stable and better for sailing)
Deborah Walters
I found it interesting reading Kilgarvan's comparison of his tandem
Klepper versus his single Folbots. I too own both a Klepper and a Folbot
and would say many of the same things - but in reverse, since I own
a tandem Folbot (Greenland II) and a single Klepper (Arius Classic).
I like the Klepper becasue it is so much lighter and more manouverable.
As far as workmanship goes, it's hard to compare because of the different
materials, but I do notice that when I pick up the Klepper by the cockpit
coaming to portage the boat, that it is all very rigid and solid
feeling, while with the Folbot there is so much flex in the coaming
that I don't feel comfortable moving the boat in that manner.
But again this may be the difference between a tandem and a solo.
I do find that it is lots easier to put together the Klepper than the
Folbot - mainly because the sponsons have so much higher volume in the
Klepper - even though it's a single.
The Folbot customer support has been very good. I bought the Klepper
used, so can't speak concerning it's service.
I've used the Folbot on a solo trip to the arctic and found it to be
quite servicable. One thing that is nicer about the Folbot is the
metal keel plates at bow and stern. I found these very useful on my
trip as I could move the boat up a rocky beach by picking up the bow
and rotating the boat 180 degrees about the stern, and vise versa.
I plan to take the Klepper up there this summer, but it did do well
in Baja last winter.
On both boats I use Ralph Diaz's idea of adding closed cell foam
padding between the frame and the hull to make the hull a little
less prone to damage.
In terms of flying, last summer I had all my camping gear and food
for five weeks and the tandem Folbot and it fit within the standard
baggage allowance. With the Klepper I've also been successful in
avoiding excess baggage charges.
Deborah