PaddlingLight.com

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I’m scrambling a bit to find a gift for my wife. I guess it just slipped my mind a bit. If you’re in a similar boat, I have a suggestion. While I don’t usually write these types of guides, I cover so few women-specific items on this blog that I thought it might be nice to highlight something. Last year, Wild Rye sent over a couple of pieces of clothing for my wife to try out. You can read the Wild Rye review. She also got a Danner 3/4 Zip Fleece Jacket and has been wearing it all last fall and through the winter. With…

I think I may have found my new favorite shorts for canoeing, and they are the KÜHL Silencr Kargo Shorts. Earlier this year, KÜHL sent over a pair for review, and I’ve been using them often since then. If you are looking for the gist of this review, it’s I like them and recommend them. I’m going to dive in below for more details. The Silencr Kargo Shorts are cargo short from KÜHL’s men’s shorts category. They offer a slim fit with low-profile pockets that appear hidden but extend across the entire front of the pants. Each are big enough to hold two smartphones plus extra gear. For an idea…

Earlier this year, Wild Rye sent over a few pieces from their new "When Wet" Collection for review. The pieces included the Parker Action Dress, Sawyer Sunshirt, and a Camp Towel. While I'm writing this review, it was my wife that tested out the gear. The impressions section will be her thoughts.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been using the LaCrosse Grange Boots for canoeing when I want a rubber waterproof boot. If you’re a long-time reader, you may remember that back in 2019 I wrote The Best Boots for Canoeing. I recommend the Xtratufs boots, and I still think that’s a good recommendation. But I found that after a couple of trips that they didn’t fit my feet well. I sold them and then bought a pair of LaCrosse Grange Boots. To make this review short, these are the boots that I’ve been using for canoeing, shoulder seasons around town, when going into wet areas for photography, and for…

Earlier this fall, KÜHL sent over a few of pieces from their fall collection. That included the Renegade Pant, Interceptr Vest and the Invigoratr Merino 1/4 Zip shirt. Together they create a warm and cozy fall outfit that functions well during the shoulder paddling seasons. It also looks great. When wearing them, I feel like I’m living up to my Appalachian Trail thru-hike name, which was Fashion. All kidding aside, I love KÜHL clothing and have written about their clothing before here. One of the things that I love about the clothing is the thought that goes into the design of the features and the fit. As an example, I…

Back in July Xero sent over a pair of Aqua X Sport water shoes for me to test out over the summer. I’ve been using their Z-Trail sandals, so I was excited to try out this pair of water shoes. I had considered the Aqua X in the past, especially for paddling in moving water where I may want a closed toe and for sea kayaking. During the summer, I used these on canoeing day trips. Features of the Xero Aqua X Sport The Aqua X Sport water shoe features an open mesh upper that breathes well and sheds water out of the shoe. The tongue is non-absorbent. When combined…

I’ve been a big fan of Marmot’s DriClime Windshirt. It has been a staple of my outdoor clothing system for years. I think it is one of the best layers for shoulder-season canoe trips. It’s warm, breathable, and blocks the wind. You can use it as a base layer against your skin, as an insulation layer under a hardshell, or as an outer layer to block the wind. Over the last two or so decades, I’ve owned multiple and have worn them constantly and year-round. I usually wear them so much that they become threadbare. Earlier this year, I went to buy a new one and discovered that Marmot discontinued…

Being outdoors and on the water exposes us to harmful UV from the sun. The leathery outdoors person is a typical cliché, but if you spend a lot of time outdoors, that’s the look you’ll get. According the the Skin Cancer Foundation, “An estimated 90 percent of skin aging is caused by the sun. People who use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher daily show 24 percent less skin aging than those who do not use sunscreen daily.” This doesn’t even touch on the health issues, such as skin cancer, caused by sun exposure. That’s where men’s sun-protective shirts and women’s sun-protective shirts come into play. They help…

With my REI Annual Membership Dividend in hand, I went on a blow-it-all-at-once shopping spree at REI last month. I had recently ripped a pair of pants in a place where repair wasn’t possible and was looking to replace them. I ran across the REI Co-op Screeline Pants 2.0 online. I’m usually picky about the pants I wear. I usually search for months to find the perfect fitting pair of pants, so I’m often skeptical about fit when shopping online. I like to try clothing on in person, but I needed the pants. With my dividend in hand I figured why not? If they didn’t fit, I could easily return…

My go-to boot for shoulder season day tripping has always been the NRS Boundary Shoe. But, on longer trips, especially those without a dry suit, I’ve found the shoes to be too flexible for portages and not waterproof enough for long days. They weren’t the best boots for canoeing, especially during the shoulder season. I polled my friends and fellow paddlers, some of who have spent years guiding canoe trips and have paddled on expeditions all around the world, about what boots they typically used for this. They recommended the following most often: Xtratufs Legacy, Kamik Bushman and Muck Wetlands. The criteria for the best boots for canoeing was as…

While in Cambodia clothing company Mana Loa visited a Buddhist monastery near Siem Reap. They donated food and toiletries to the monastery and were taught chants. In the temple, the monks allowed them to make a carbon copy of a painting of Buddha. They used the copy they made as artwork on their Mana Loa Cambodian Buddha T-shirt. I received a sample to review. So, why review a fashion t-shirt instead of a high-tech wunder-shirt on a website about paddling? I asked myself the same thing when the opportunity arose. On low-mileage canoe and kayak camping trips, I like to bring along a shirt to wear in camp. Typically, it’s…

Starting in late winter and early spring, I’ve been testing Watson’s Merino 150 Wool Long Underwear. Watson’s, a company I wasn’t familiar with, is part of Chateau Lingerie, a company based out of Quebec, Canada. While I used the long underwear mainly for walking around and on photography outings instead of paddling trips, I feel like I’ve used it enough to provide an honest review. For canoeing, it will function basically the same as it does for wearing around. For kayaking for me, it’s all about whether or not it’s comfortable under a drysuit (see below). The two pieces I was provided with for review were the Merino 150 Long Sleeve Top and the…