24 minutes ago, Finesse Wayfarer said:

 

"Easy gets used, hard does not" is what will be on my mind as I pick out a Kayak. I will be transporting it alone on top of my car

I have a cheapo inflatable Intex Challenger K1, as mentioned earlier. While I would not take it too close to any brush, I will note that it is extremely easy to transport without the aid of a roof rack. My Kayak bag, complete with paddle, air pump, and PFD weighs about 10 lbs and it's easy to carry to a lot of places where most 'yaks will be a pain. While one piece rods can be a challenge, it's easy to pack this 'yak on my motorcycle, no roof rack necessary. It was also only $70, shipped. When I eventually upgrade to a fiberglass kayak, I am sure the challenger will still get some use. As far as tips on the inglatable go, I built a crate with PVC rod holders similar to the ones all over YouTube and glued foam pipe insulation around the bottom of it to prevent abrasion and I lash it down with paracord before inflating it so it's nice and tight. The crate also features rod leashed made from old phone cords and there's a big old speaker magnet glued to the side that always keeps my pliers (also on a phone cord) handy.

Today, a buddy and I hauled our kayaks just over a mile up a trail to Breakneck Pond in Connecticut's Bigelow Hollow State Park. His yak weighs more than twice as much as mine, so I had a much easier hike: