Category Archives: Equipment

Kayak Outfitting Idea: Non-Skid Tape to Prevent Jammed Fingers

non-skid tape on a kayak

Last December, I read a blog post on Rouge Wave Adventures about how to performance tune a new sea kayak (the post contained many great tips, so I suggest you check it out). What I really liked about the post is that it suggested a new technique that solved an actual problem that I’ve experienced and [...]

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Touring Sanborn Canoe Company’s Wood Shop

painted canoe paddles

When I think of Sanborn Canoe Company, I think of handcrafted paddles steeped in the heritage of Minnesota’s canoe country. Their paddles take the names of some of the most scenic lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, America’s most used and loved wilderness area. And the owners are the same guys breaking their backs [...]

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Ah, Matey, Drop the Kayak Sea Anchor (Drogue), We Be Waiting Out the Storm

kayak anchor drogue

The above  illustration comes from E.Y. Arima’s Inuit Kayaks in Canada: A Review of Historical Records and Construction, Based Mainly on the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Collection. It shows a group of kayaks rafted together, under sail, dragging behind them an inflated seal skin, which supported geese carcasses being used as a kayak sea anchor [...]

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What Kind of Kayak Cockpit Should I Buy or Build?

keyhole cockpit vs. ocean cockpit

I recently found this question in PaddlingLight’s inbox (BTW, I answer all questions that I receive. Sometimes they spark article ideas): I am considering the Siskiwit SOF build. My son & I are about to skin a Sea Tour 17 Explorer, but I haven’t formed the cockpit yet. Can you enlighten me on the different cockpit [...]

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How to Choose a Dry Suit for Kayaking

kokatat dry suit ready to go

How do you choose a drysuit for kayaking on cold water? When do you use it? What brand – always Kokatat? How do you get one to fit right? Do you get used to the feeling of claustrophobia with the tight gasket around the neck? How do you care for it? How long can you [...]

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Wetsuit vs. Drysuit for Kayaking

Kayaking in cold water and ice.

When it’s cold out and the water temperature starts dropping, dressing for immersion might mean the difference between surviving a swim and succumbing to cold shock, cold incapacitation and eventually hypothermia. At a base level, paddlers should dress to survive a swim of any length and still function in the canoe or kayak afterward. This [...]

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U.S. Coast Guard Required Signalling Devices for Kayakers

hansel_bryan_071015-054[1]

When kayaking on the Great Lakes, U.S. Coastal Waters or territorial seas, the U.S. Coast Guard requires kayakers (or other paddlers) to carry signalling devices. An other article, Signaling Devices to Carry When Kayaking or Canoeing, covers the most common signalling devices that you should carry, but if you want to get by legally, you [...]

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Signaling Devices to Carry While Canoeing and Kayaking

Upside down in a kayak

Maintaining communications within and outside of your group when kayaking or canoeing, whether it’s a day trip or a longer one, adds a degree of safety to your trip. There are multiple types of  signaling devices on the market, and many can be used for both communications to your paddling partners and any outside entities, such as [...]

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The Tuilik: a Perfect Bit of Kit for Winter Kayaking

Kayak Rolling in the winter with a Tuilik

I love to winter kayak especially when Lake Superior starts to freeze over in late February and early March. It’s a time of the year when other paddlers stay home bundled up in front of the fireplace, and it’s a time of the year that the shoreline changes almost everyday due to the varied ice patterns. When [...]

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How to Pack Camera Gear For Kayaking and Canoeing

waterproof camera cases

For issue 28 of Ocean Paddler, I wrote an article about my approach to kayak expedition photography. In it I touched on the subject of how to pack camera gear for kayaking. I use a similar approach for canoeing. Essentially, my approach is based on the idea that if you can’t get to the camera, [...]

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Kayak Weathercocking vs. Tracking

Kayaker paddling without kayak weathercocking on Lake Superior.

Kayak weathercocking is the tendency of a moving kayak to turn into the wind. It’s caused by a difference in pressure between the bow and stern of your kayak, and it can feel frustrating if you don’t know how to correct for it. Luckily, there are tools and techniques that can keep you on course [...]

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How to Pack a Sea Kayak Part 2: Packing Your Kayak

Getting ready to pack a sea kayak

Learning how to pack a sea kayak for camping isn’t a mystical black art reserved for expert expeditionary paddles who spend most of their life at sea. Instead, it just takes planning and knowledge of boat trim and balance. In How to Pack a Sea Kayak Part 1: Selecting and Packing Dry Bags, you learned [...]

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Fall and Early Spring Canoe Camping Checklist – Extend Your Paddling Season

Fall canoe camping in the Boundary Waters

In the late fall, most of the paddlers have put away their canoes and wouldn’t dream on heading to a canoe camping destination where snow, sleet, cold rain and even ice are possible. Yet, these times of the year offer the best time for solitude, reflection and camaraderie. If you want the former, you spend [...]

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More Kayaking Accessories for Beginners

kayaking accessories on the beach

A first-time kayaker may not realize what kayaking accessories he or she may want or need when getting into kayaking. In the first part of this article, Kayaking Accessories for Beginners, I listed items that I think are necessary for beginners. In this list, I’ll highlight items that an entry-level kayaker may want to buy [...]

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Kayaking Accessories for Beginners

Kayaking accessories on the beach

As a first time kayak buyer, you probably didn’t know or don’t know what kayaking accessories to get with your first kayak, and unless you bought from a knowledgeable salesperson, who also kayaks, he probably didn’t get you everything that you needed. The problem is two-fold: 1. Many salespeople don’t understand kayaking. 2. When you [...]

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