Much can be said of the topic of how much weight to bring on a canoe trip based on the model of canoe you’ll be paddling and the strength of the paddlers during a portage, etc. As a rule, PLEASE don’t pack gear based on canoe capacities. Instead, consider how much weight you’ll want to lug over a 900-meter portage for the sake of “comfort” at the campsite later. Most seasoned canoeists carry as little as possible and never approach the canoe’s weight limit.
The maximum weight limit for gear and passengers for a 12-foot canoe is 400 pounds, and a 16-foot canoe can hold a maximum of 1000 pounds. Larger canoes like a 17-foot model can hold 1200 pounds, while an 18-foot canoe can hold 1400 pounds, and a 20-foot canoe can hold up to 1900 pounds.
Table of Contents
What Affects a Canoe’s Weight Load Limit?
The maximum weight load is different for different sized (and shaped) canoes, so it’s not accurate to give one answer that settles the issue. Many factors affect the canoe’s ability to carry a load. Some factors are length, width, depth, material, construction methods. Heavier canoes like aluminum and fiberglass generally hold less weight than their kevlar and ultra-lite composite counterparts.
In the chart below we offer the maximum weight capacity (sometimes referred to as the “industry capacity”). Please note that this is NOT the recommended weight load to carry, nor is it particularly safe. Most canoe manufacturers offer another rating which is called “Optimum Load Range” and this refers to the best, most efficient, and safest load range.
It’s referred to as a “range” because it usually varies by several hundred pounds. As a general rule, the OPTIMAL LOAD RANGE is a number that averages out at approximately 50% of the maximum load rating.
It is also crucial to understand that there is most definitely such a thing as having a load that is too heavy (less than 6″ freeboard), and a load (or lack of one) that is too light. You know you are too light if your canoe sits right on top of the water and doesn’t go below the water line more than an inch or two.
Freeboard
Freeboard is a metric canoe manufacturers use when designing a boat. It is the distance between the gunwales (side rails) at center and the waterline (like plimsoll lines on a freighter). The more freeboard showing the drier you will stay but you’ll be more vulnerable to wind.
The less freeboard showing, the more likely you are to get wet from waves, or even possibly swamp the canoe and capsize if the waves are significant.
I personally like to stick with around 10 inches of freeboard on my tandem tripping canoes. This gives me good control of the canoe without making me nervous about taking on water or swamping.
Is a Heavier Canoe More Stable?
Cargo load is definitely a factor in stability, and yes, a canoe with a substantial load feels less “tippy” than an empty canoe. However, there are numerous other factors that determine a canoe’s stability far more than its cargo or payload weight. For example, the canoe’s hull profile and the presence of outriggers have an even bigger effect on stability.
If you’re curious about how I stabilize my canoe so I can WALK AROUND in it, check out this article!
What if my Load is Too Heavy or Too Light?
The consequences of being too heavy range from waves being able to crash over the gunwales, to having your canoe swamped by waves as your canoe is too heavy to ride over the waves in time, so they just crash through the waves and the canoe takes on water.
The consequences of being too light are also dangerous. Even a light wind can take a solo canoeist off course and into trouble if he’s paddling an ultra-lite 18-foot kevlar tripping canoe with no baggage and no partner (trust me, I know this because it’s happened to me several times). The light Kevlar canoe with no gear becomes like a sailboat and it becomes very difficult to fight the wind with corrective paddle strokes. If stronger wind catches the underside of the craft, you can even be flipped over, simply because you had no partner and/or no gear to make the canoe just a little less flighty and susceptible to wind.
How Much Weight Can my Canoe Handle?
| CANOE LENGTH IN FEET | AVERAGE WEIGHT LOAD CAPACITY IN POUNDS |
| 13 | 575 |
| 14 | 700 |
| 15 | 825 |
| 16 | 973 |
| 17 | 1073 |
| 18 | 1362 |
| 19 | 1670 |
| 20 | 1800 |
How Much Weight Can a 12-Foot Canoe Hold?
I’ve outlined some average weights of the most popular lengths, but there are a few companies that make 12-foot canoes. These are usually meant for a solo paddler, and their weight limit is around 400 pounds. You can find a couple of good ones on OLD TOWN’s website.
Why Do Some Canoe Companies NOT Display the Maximum Weight Capacities?
Mike Chichanowski is the founder and owner of the Wenonah Canoe Company in Wenona, Minnesota. He is one of the best authorities on nearly anything related to canoes, and his company has put out a statement outlining the reasons that his company (and we found a few more with the same philosophy) does not publish maximum load capacities. Here’s just a brief paraphrased overview:
Weight capacities published by many canoe companies are highly misleading for several reasons.
1 – If you know the weight of your gear and paddlers, you still may not get an accurate calculation since extra water in the bilge (bottom of canoe) can add significant weight to an unknown quantity.
2 – If you push the official weight limit with your gear, your canoe will perform poorly and inefficiently, and if you have to load and unload and carry gear, you’ll be sorry you even approached the maximum weight limit.
3 – Weight limits can vary on the basis of a paddler’s skills.
Wenonah does give a general capacity rating of 1 – 10 out of 10, so something rated 9 out of 10 can hold quite a bit of weight. Explanations are given of each canoe, its purpose, and how many paddlers and gear it can safely handle under normal conditions. For example, the ESCAPE model is meant for two adults with lots of gear on an extended wilderness trip, while the Itasca is meant for three to four adults with all their gear in nearly all situations.
Can I Calculate the Maximum Weight my Canoe Will Carry?
There is a very rudimentary calculation you can use to quickly determine general and broad weight limits. If you measure a canoe’s length and width in feet, you can multiply those 2 numbers together and then divide by 15. That will give you the basic number of average-sized people the canoe can safely hold (with a small amount of cargo added).
For example, I have a 17-foot long canoe that is 33″ wide, so I’d use the following formula:
(17′ x 2.8′) / 15 = 3.17 which means my canoe can hold just over 3 people. In real life, I know that’s true since I have a third seat and enough room for a few cargo packs.
Examples of Good Canoes and Their Maximum Cargo Weight Capacities
| BRAND AND MODEL | LENGTH | MAXIMUM LOAD LIMIT IN POUNDS |
| Lifetime Kodiak | 13′ | 600 |
| Mad River Serenade | 13’1″ | 300 |
| Old Town Discovery 133 | 13’3″ | 800 |
| Osprey Canoe | 13′ | 600 |
| Radisson Aluminum | 13’6″ | 800 |
| Mad River Explorer | 14’6″ | 850 |
| Nova Craft Canoe Fox 14′ Solo | 14′ | 550 |
| Pelican Explorer Deluxe | 14’6″ | 800 |
| Swift Prospector 14 Solo | 14′ | 650 |
| Nova Craft Prospector 15 | 15′ | 850 |
| Swift Prospector 15 | 15′ | 900 |
| Langford Prospector 15 | 15′ | 750 |
| Pelican Canoe | 15’6″ | 800 |
| Mad River Malecite | 16.5 | 850 |
| Mad River Journey | 16’7″ | 1100 |
| Nova Craft Prospector | 16′ | 1000 |
| Scott Canoe Prospector Kevlar | 16′ | 940 |
| Swift Prospector 17 | 17′ | 1150 |
| Nova Craft Prospector 17 | 17′ | 1200 |
| Waterstream Aluminum Classic | 17′ | 770 |
| Mad River Expedition 176 | 17’6″ | 1175 |
| Mad River Expedition 186 | 18’6″ | 1250 |
| Nova Craft Prospector 18 | 18′ | 1400 |
| Swift Keewaydin | 18’6″ | 1200 |
| Clipper Mackenzie 186 | 18’6″ | 1600 |
| Grumman Square Stern | 19′ | 1100 |
| Wenonah Itasca | 19′ | 1900 |
| North Lakes Freighter | 19′ | 2000 |
| Clipper Mackenzie 20 | 20′ | 1900 |
| North Star Northwind | 20’6″ | 2000 |
| North Wind 20 | 20′ | 1500 |
Is There a Cargo Weight Limit for Canoeing?
Official weight limits are listed on most canoe manufacturers’ websites, but remember, the optimal (best) weight is somewhere around half the official maximum limit.
However, if you’ll be camping and especially portaging, you’ll want to reconsider your decision if your plan is to approach the maximum weight limit! Do you really want to carry 1000 lbs of stuff for 900 meters …. several times?
Unlike a backpacker, who has to be very careful about the weight of each item they are packing, canoeists have much fewer limitations. Favorite foods and more “luxurious” camping gear can create a more comfortable trip.
It’s important to be sensible though, especially if your excursion includes having to carry your gear and the canoe overland from one lake to another – that process is called portaging (this comes from the French word “porter” which means “to carry”).
If you’re wondering about how to best carry a canoe, I’ve written a step-by-step article HERE.
If you’re wondering about other available options OTHER than carrying your canoe over a portage, you’ll love THIS ARTICLE!
Between food, cooking gear, shelter, clothing, and safety gear, it all adds up. Let’s say, for example, you and a friend decide to do an epic 5-day trip but there are three portages.
You weigh out your load and it comes to three hundred pounds. You decide to divide everything up into 50-pound packs.
If you do the math, that could end up being 2-3 gear trips for each portage. A good rule of thumb if you’re doing a longer excursion with one or more portages, is to pack your gear well and plan on making one trip. In fact, tradition has it that one person carries the canoe and the other person carries the gear.
In fact, my experience tells me that the joy of only having to travel a long portage in only one trip will outweigh the pain of not having extra items like a third spare lantern, extra clothes, or just one more fishing rod.
How Should I Pack my Canoe?
Canoes are designed to carry quite a bit of weight but watch that you’re not just throwing gear bags randomly around in your craft. The best place to store dry packs and duffel bags is at the widest point which is the center of the canoe. It’s also important to keep your gear’s center of gravity low – in other words, if it’s possible, keep your packs below the gunwales (side rails).
The weight you are carrying should cause the boat to settle evenly in the water. The canoe’s handling and efficiency would be affected if the bow (front) or stern (back) dipped more on either end. This changes the trim, which is a technical word for the angle of the boat as it moves along in the water.
If you’re paddling tandem, keep your gear in the center. If you’re paddling solo, you’ll want to move most of your gear forward in order to even out the weight distribution.
If it can’t be helped and you need to make one end slightly heavier, choose the bow. A slightly heavier bow will cause the boat to plane slightly which will make for better handling in the water. A heavier stern will cause the boat to rise up more in the front which will make it inefficient and slow it down.
Having said this, I have often made the back slightly heavier when my canoe is symmetrical since both bow and stern have the same profile and freeboard.
Speaking of gear, we have a number of packs and food barrels from North 49 and we’re thrilled so far after years of use. They’re still holding up with no issues to report! You can see more of their products where we buy them HERE on Amazon.
One final thought; if you are paddling in the same direction as the wind, then a higher bow is important. The wind will push the highest point of the canoe in exactly the same direction it is blowing.
Here’s a great video I recently made that outlines and shows you the best way to deal with wind while canoeing.
If your gear is too forward-weighted and your stern is higher than the bow, you will be fighting the wind’s desire to push the stern downwind first! We’ll get into more detail about this factor or phenomenon in another post.
Main Takeaway
If you remember nothing else, then remember that canoe maximum load ratings are probably over-estimated, and your target weight should be about half of their maximum rating.
If you can remember something else, try this; when considering a canoe’s weight load capacity, it’s important to consider other factors like the canoe’s weight, stability, durability, and price. There is no one factor that will determine if a specific canoe is the best fit for you.
References: wenonah.com – FAQ page