besthike.com - the blog

It’s very rare for me to add any item to my “base” hiking kit. (It’s too heavy already.)
The new essential must be very valuable. Or very light.
The All-in-one Map Tool is both. I carry it with my map and compass.

Bob Moseley from Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Co. asked me to test this award […]

FirstLight® is advertised here as the world’s lightest folding kayak.
Weight is a far more important factor to me than seaworthiness. I want to hike in, paddle out. That kind of trip.
Weighing a mere 17.6 and 19.8 lbs, these amazing touring kayaks are incredibly light, yet fully seaworthy. Fast and lively, they allow excellent paddling […]

Warren Long saw the 4lb Alpacka raft (US$800+) but wants instead to try building a kayak on a wilderness trip.
(He watches Survivorman on TV.)
Warren’s looking at the Grip Clip Kayak! ($25)
You can build a kayak of green willow shoots, a blue tarp in just four hours!

You’d strap the paddle to your ultralight pack. Or […]

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Raft 11cropped, originally uploaded by adamnoman.

I think I need this for pioneering a new route on Vancouver Island.
The Alpacka packraft rolls up to about the size of a 3-person tent and weighs only 4 pounds. […]

… I wouldn’t need a hiking kayak.

Massachusetts inventor Yoav Rosen just received patents for these water walking devices. … Rosen’s company, Wavewalk, specializes in creating water craft that can be used standing up.
Walk the Atlantic - GetOutdoors.com GO Blog
Watch a demonstration on Google Video.
da Vinci forgot to patent it after roughing out the potential prototype. […]

The only transparent foldable kayak in the world weighs only 26lbs.
Kevlar frame, transparent Urethane skin. It fits in a pack.
Perfect?
Maybe. But for US$5000 I could buy 12 inflatable kayaks.
ClearBlueHawaii.com

(via The Travel Gear blog)
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The best destination is Isla Espiritu Santo, near La Paz. As a bonus, there are some good day hikes across that pristine island in the Sea of Cortez.
And Kayak season starts in October. It is tempting …
The best “how to” website is IslaEspirituSanto.com.

More photos from Rick’s Jan. 2006 kayak tour.

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I am searching for a portable kayak to be used in future hiking / paddling trips.
This is not the one.
But it is cool. Norwegian design, it’s already proven it’s speed advantage in race conditions.
Twin hydrofoils are designed to raise the hull clear of the water and increase the speed.

Flyak - Wikipedia

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Update: I happened to chat with an owner of a transparent kayak I met on the road. He loves his new toy, announcing it “bulletproof”. The only problem is the thing sinks in water if capsized. The flotation pads are essential.
Transparent Canoe-Kayak at Hammacher Schlemmer

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Folding Kayaks - Outdoor Gear Advice | Outside Online
Folding kayaks can go in just about any water you can find…. Like all kayaks they come in many shapes and sizes, with many of them absolutely as seaworthy (some argue more so) than their rigid-hull counterparts. Many people love their folding boats because they can go […]