Materials

Ranger Canoes are made of the most high tech,
state-of-the-art composite materials including
Kevlar^® 49, Airmid; a spage age bulletproof material made by Dupont™.

The new Kevlar^® Otter 16 weighs approximately 47 pounds with a colored gel coat outer skin which is critical to protect the Kevlar^® from UV and abrasion. At 47 pounds, the Ranger Kevlar^® Otter 16 is several pounds lighter than any other manufacturers 16 foot Kevlar^® canoe with the outer gel coat skin which adds 5 to 6 pounds to the total weight of the hull. To achieve this lower weight, we do not vacuum bag the hull. We use a handcrafted method. And we don't use a rigid airex type foam core (like everyone else). Foam cores are stiff, but they do not take impacts well. At Ranger, we use a microspere core that is stiff but compatible with all layers of the composite material above and below. And will never absorb water or can never delaminate. This makes the entire hull integrated with composite materials that don't compromise any other part of the hull; like other Kevlar^® canoes on the market and are stronger and lighter overall. (Check the hull thickness to any other Kevlar^® canoes on the market, under the gunnel and you'll see we actually overbuild the canoe at 47 pounds!)

The Ranger Otter 16 polyglass micro core, 56 pound Kevlar^® reinforced composite with the colored gel coat skin is the lightest, most affordable composite canoe money can buy. It's actually 2 pounds heavier than the 16 foot Mad River Kevlar^® Explorer, which is 54 pounds. The Ranger Otter 16 with ash wood trim is half the price and it includes the contoured cane seats with slotted ash rails. We use the same microsphere core and the boat is overbuilt at 56 pounds. The list price is $1,299!

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