touring kayak
40 Years of Milestones
03.26.2013
Looking back on the last 40 years, boating has come along way. Shorter boats, steeper first descents, warm gear and deaths of legends. Canoe & Kayak logged a number of them through the decades.
UltraLite Cot
03.20.2013
I first tuned into this cot in its original iteration before CD bought it up. I was sold on the original but CD has improved it. Wizard light at 2lbs 12oz. Throw a pad on this thing and you might never sleep in your bed again. Even backpackers will carry it. Granted, not essential sea kayak equipment, but it goes on our rafts and IKs in a heartbeat. Caveat is fussiness. Set up can be daunting, improves with experience.
ComPack Chair Kit
03.20.2013
ComPack Chair Kit: $49.95 Cascadesdesigns.com Now, Cascade Design recently introduced the ComPack Chair Kit, which is a redux of their bomber, Trekker Lounge. The ComPack came out recently with CD’s Neo-Air line that radically streamlined their inflatable tech, which is their expertise. You can run the chair kit with either the Neo Air pads or [...]
From the Vault: Dams of America
03.18.2013
Over the last year, boaters have been enjoying the rebirth of rivers as companies and governments remove old dams, some standing as long as 98 years. So when Canoe & Kayak’s staff dug through the archives for this month’s From the Vault, we thought it would be appropriate to feature a story that came out [...]
Newest Kayak “in the Fold”
03.16.2013
When he moved to San Francisco four years ago, Anton Willis was dismayed by the realization that he’d have nowhere to store a hardshell sea kayak in his apartment. Then he read a magazine story about advances in origami and got an idea. Instead of buying a typical skin-on-frame folding kayak, he would design his own.
Paddle for St. Patrick’s Day
03.13.2013
To celebrate the luck o’ the Irish March 17, we’ve compiled a list of classic paddling spots to unleash your inner leprechaun (cool fact: there are 14 Green Rivers in the U.S., and two more in Canada). Even if you can’t hit them on all on March 17 in honor of Ireland’s most recognized patron saint, put them on your list for the rest of the year to make your paddling peers green with envy.
Chattahoochee Journal: Waking Morpheus
03.08.2013
Morpheus hadn’t moved since I put him to rest there in November 2009. I know boats are supposed to be female, but I named the canoe I borrowed from Chattahoochee Riverkeeper for my ‘Hooch float in 2009, Morpheus, God of Dreams. My grandfather, who had passed away earlier that year, said, as he left the living room to take his daily nap, “I’m off to the arms of Morpheus.” Seemed like a good name for a dirty old canoe that would float me down a dirty old river.
Under Human Power
03.08.2013
Darrell Gardner’s eight-and-a-half year epic self-propelled mission from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Arctic Ocean was inspired by a dream, not a last-ditch effort to set his life on a new course. Read more about the Santa Fe, N.M.-based registered nurse’s unprecedented human-powered journey that he began at age 50 and finished in August.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Echo II
03.05.2013
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Echo II MSRP: $595 Hyperlitemountaingear.com The Echo II is made with high performance Cuben fiber fabric with an unmatched strength to weight ratio. They call the Echo series the most technically advanced professional tarps available and I believe it. A three piece modular: tarp, mesh tent and detachable vestibule, handy concept for [...]
Kayak Shelters: Take Two
03.05.2013
Multi-day kayaking and canoeing are as much about how to spend the night as they are where to paddle. Having the right tent, tarp or even hammock really can allow the paddler to have a good night, sleep tight, and rest sure the bugs can’t bite.
Back for More This is the Sea
03.04.2013
It’s been almost a decade since British paddler and filmmaker Justine Curgenven redefined sea kayaking with the launch of her first This is the Sea video. The film injected excitement and youthful vigor into ocean paddling, capturing the thrills of long-boat surfing and the drama of expedition paddling to battle the stereotype that sea kayaking was a sport for graybeards in floppy hats. Curgenven followed up with another three TITS volumes, driving the rough-water sea kayaking trend and inspiring countless paddlers to set off on their own adventures on the world’s oceans.
Chattahoochee: Who Owns Water?
03.01.2013
It sounds like a simple question: Who owns water? But in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, it’s anything but simple. A decades-old water war has pitted states against one another, all the way to the Supreme Court. It’s produced age-old sparks between developers and environmentalists, farmers and fisherman. All because of a few rivers that start like any other rivers do – fast and clear, in the mountains and foothills.
Demshitz Does the Grand
02.27.2013
Last January, members of Demshitz and their friends and family paddled down the Grand Canyon on a 14-day, self-supported trip. They experienced adventures, endured some trials, enjoyed many laughs and took some great photos during their voyage. Canoe & Kayak got a chance to talk with Dave Fusili about the trip and learned what he had to say.
Nation’s Top National Parks for Paddling
02.26.2013
While it remains to be seen what sequestration will spells for paddling options in our national parks, following is an alphabetized list of the top national parks for dipping a blade, whether it’s from a canoe, kayak or raft.
Skook Classified
02.15.2013
The final episode of CanoeKayak.com’s exclusive 4-part series, Skook Classified, detailing the unique invitational sea kayak competition to “push long-boat surfing to the next level” at one freestyle kayaking’s most hallowed grounds: the tidal rapids at Skookumchuck Narrows, B.C.
The White House May Get a Little Woodsy
02.07.2013
There’s soon to be a river and mountain lover in the White House. In a move
that seems to make outdoor enthusiasts pretty happy, REI Chief Executive Officer
Sally Jewell has been nominated by President Obama to become the next
secretary of the interior.
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