Ay first we had some hesitation about the new Hyside BattleCat. My wife Katie’s background was in bigger paddle rafts, and she wasn’t sure about a smaller boat and whether it would be stable enough. We also wondered if we would be comfortable sitting in this boat as previously we have felt either cramped with our knees in our chest, or overstretched when bracing in.
We had grown to dread loading and unloading our 14-foot raft, and I initially got Katie to agree to a small boat because of the weight aspect. She can easily pick it up by herself and load it into her car. The small size means we can leave the truck at home and still have plenty of room for our gear. We have found the BattleCat to be quite comfortable to sit in, and the foot cups and adjustable thwart allows us to dial in our brace.
Chief Chilling on the Hyside Battlecat by Brian Pernick
The best part though is how well the Battlecat handles on the water. Six weeks in and we’ve taken her out on big pushy water and now some low creek water. This boat is nimble, fast, and responsive in all conditions. I have been impressed with how stable this boat is. Boofing, large lateral waves, steep drops, it just stays upright. She bounces through big holes and recovers well after a big hit. Also if you get off line, it can run a hole backwards just as easily as forwards.
Enjoying some Shade in the Battlecat by Hyside
Finally the Hyside Battlecat is very well and sturdily made. We were surprised and pleased to find that it came well outfitted with a splash flap, d-rings, handles, extra thwart for a foot brace, hard rubber caps to protect the ends, wear strips, and foot cups.
We are very pleased with the BattleCat. I only wish we had purchased it sooner as it’s so much fun. Katie is so stoked that I might even be able to talk her into rainy season boating…(but that’s a big ask).
What kind of gear do you bring down on a seven-day, Class III-IV kayaking/rafting trip on a river like Peru’s Paucartambo/Yavero? We took the trip from Colorado to find out.
