but you can expand the travelling lighter scheme to canoes and
equipment as well. i am going to store my boat in a little pack on the
luggage roof thing - its a foldable ally expedition grade canoe. 44
pounds. http://www.bergans.no/sider_eng/start.htm  its what many use
in alaska for fly-in river trips.
 i can store my bike up there next to it. its a foldable touring bike
called birdy, http://www.r-m.de/index.pl/bbla_e
and when i fly between europe and the US, i can take both along at no
extra charge. the bike even goes as cabin luggage.

florian