As you know, I purchased one of your 16-ft SOAR inflatables in the spring of 2001. My intent was to field trial the SOAR by pushing its limitation with the rigors of Alaska hunting.

Pristine Ventures is a wilderness adventure company whose main focus is delivering safe, quality travel throughout the wilds of Alaska. As President of the company and the author of A Complete Guide to Float Hunting Alaska, it is my responsibility to know what products are available and which are reliable, so that I may continue to be a spokesman for "safe, reliable, and high-quality adventure seeking.

When I decided it was time to trial inflatable canoes and kayaks, I was immediately drawn to ******** Inflatables. That is, until I spotted SOAR at the Anchorage Sportsmens Show. While both ******* and SOAR had appealing qualities, I knew I needed to test them both under similar scenarios in order to fully appreciate each of their potentials. While the ******* is a fine boat for limited capacities, it has incredible limitations in hauling heavy loads of meat, antlers and gear long distances, especially in the hands of inexperienced paddlers. Here is what I found with the SOAR.

August 2001:
I was on a Dall sheep hunt in the Alaska Range, hunting from a river with numerous braids and shallow channels. At any given moment the depth of the channel could drop to 4-6 inches. I need the SOAR to perform under conditions that demanded versatility in respect to responding safely in swift, shallow currents, then be able to perform in deep, boulder-strewn currents.

The SOAR handled beautifully under every given condition. I shot a nice Dall ram and was able to pack the entire load into the SOAR, without burdening its maneuverability.

Inspection of the photos I included with this letter reveal that currents were swift and shallow in most places, and the SOAR maintained its buoyancy in less than 6 inches of current. The estimated weight of our load was never over 500 lbs on this trip, but I felt comfortable boating in the SOAR, and felt as though I could have easily doubled by weight without compromising its maneuverability and stability. In fact, I would be putting this theory to test on my next hunt for trophy moose.

September 2001:
On this particular hunt, I decided to carry both the SOAR and ******** along on the same hunt, so that both could be tested under the same circumstances. This adventure required one hunter and me to float about 40 milews on a Class I-II river with heavy loads of meat and gear. While our boats were light the first day or two, I found that the SOAR handled better under windy conditions than the *******. I attributed this to the SOAR's more sleek design. The ability to reposition the load within the SOAR enabled me to float faster and with less effort than with the *******. In high winds I was able to load heavier toward the bow and stern, and under normal conditions the SOAR handled better with a more centerline weight bear.

On day three I shot a monster bull moose, with antler spread reaching 66-1/2 inches and body weight of over 1500 pounds. After field dressing this animal, we had about 800 pounds of meat and antlers to float over 30 miles. The estimated weight inside the SOAR was 1000 pounds including meat, antlers, my body weight, and camping gear. The river's depth, by the way, averaged between 6 inches and 6 feet, and numerous sweepers and sleepers were encountered.

As you can imagine, the boat was heavily loaded, but handled extremely well under every situation. I loaded the SOAR by first placing all items inside water-tight bags or small Action Packers, then placing the meat atop all gear to ensure dryness from runoff in the floor of the boat. It was crucial that I rely on a boat with a stable center of gravity, as well as one that offered maneuverability after being tapped for all its capacity. I found this requirement fulfilled nicely with the SOAR.

The SOAR maintained its buoyancy with this heavy-laden demand placed upon it, and at no time did the boat lose its stability. I was able to stand up in the SOAR without tipping; however I feel as though the 800 pounds of weight inside the boat made it more stable, as did the overall width of the inflatable. And assuring a low center of gravity furthered its spectacular maneuverability.

The same conditions applied to the ******* yielded disappointment, as the *******'s short length of 14 ft allowed little room for stowage inside the craft. And the high bow and stern rise created much wind resistance and robbed the craft of waterline, which severely limited its capacity and maneuverability with heavy loads.

I intend to continue using SOAR inflatables, and I also plan to describe its effectiveness for Alaska Float Hunting in future publications, a feat not previously conquered by inflatable canoe manufacturers. I am excited about the possibilities of SOAR Inflatables in Alaska's backcountry, and I'm sure I'll be seeing more of these fine boats on remote watersheds throughout Alaska.

Good boat and safe travels,

Larry Bartlett
Author / Wilderness Guide
http://www.pristineventures.com