Kayaking gear : Waterproof rucksack tested on land and onboard

Rich    kayakingholidays     Bag drybag daysack kayak canoe paddling walking, canoeing, Canoeing gear, Canoeing holidays, Day sack, Kayaking, kayaking gear, kayaking holidays, Outdoor equipment, Outdoor gear, Waterproof gear

I recently got my hands on an Overboard dry daysack. So, to see just what it was made of, I tested it  walking and kayaking – it is a rucksack after all, so let’s see if it did what it said on the tin/ lid.

Waterproof rucksack: good for land and sea?

The route a friend and I chose was from Shaugh Bridge to Hexworthy – about 11 miles in total with a few detours for the tors and old tin works of Dartmouth.

With the steep start out of the way, and us up onto the moor and out of the forest, we opened up the pace a little and I found that the day sack was both comfortable and easy to carry, although it was a little small to hold all the kit I’d normally be carrying for a days walking.

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10 Safety tips for Kayaking and Canoeing at night

Rich    kayakingholidays     canoeing, Canoeing holidays, Kayaking, kayaking at night, kayaking holidays, kayaking in winter, watersports, winter

Winter’s crap isn’t it? And as I build both kayaks and canoes of varying designs I like to keep paddling as long as possible in the year. But why mothball the boats at all when you can carry on kayaking and canoeing at night or just long into the evening?

Canoeing at night: Be seen!

So long as you follow some simple safety advice and use the right kit, you should never get into bother – and you’ll pretty much have the water to yourself!

Here’s 10 safety tips for kayaking and canoeing at night, read them and get hours more paddling time.

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Why canoes don’t need motors

Rich    kayakingholidays     Canoe, canoeing, Kayak, Kayaking, kayaking holidays

My girlfriend Amber and I spent a Sunday a couple of weekends ago on the river Dart in Devon, with a friend (and customer) and his cheating brother…

Amber, and man with a motor

We set out from Dittisham near Dartmouth, with its reasonable parking and easy access to the water (when the tide is right – and even when it’s not, it’s  a 200m walk at the most) and I introduced Paul and his wife Coleen to their new boat. As this was straight from production and Paul’s first time in a canoe, I took it for a little spin with him so that he could get used to it.

Well, the test went swimmingly (thankfully,with no swimming). And after Paul’s brother Stephen turned up and unloaded his canoe (with a motor ,WTF?!?!) it was time for Coleen to join Paul on the water for her first trip in the canoe.  Sadly, just three meters after pushing off from the shore they turned it over, giving them both a good soaking and covering them in mud!

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The evolution of the kayak

Rich    kayakingholidays     building a kayak, canoeing, history of the kayak, Kayak, kayaking holidays, kayaking kayak

As a kayak, canoe and boat builder I have a big liking for hand-crafted boats, which I paddle endlessly and make them to order to fit the individual and their needs. But before I started doing this for other people, I really wanted to know more about what the different boats were and how they worked.

Rich: expert kayak,canoe and boat builder

The information I gathered in the years before I started making kayaks and canoes, helped me a lot in finding out where they came from and what they were used for. Here’s what I found out about the kayak.

The Kayak

The tribes of Arctic America and people from the Aleutian Islands were the first to make kayaks, usually from driftwood but more commonly they were made from whalebone and covered with animal hides to form what we would now call a ‘skin on frame kayak’, these were usually kept waterproof by the liberal application of some sort of fat, mainly whale grease, and the first buoyancy aids for a kayak were inflated seal bladders.

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Kayaking: Why throwing yourself in at the deep end works

Jonathan Tait    ash, kayakingholidays     Adventure Sports, canoeing, Kayaking, river kayaking, watersports

I can’t breathe. My leg is trapped, bent back on itself into my kayak. My kayak is in no better state than myself, stuck, almost upright, between a rock and a tree. I rip my leg out and fall forwards into the water, my leg now caught in the drowning tree. I push and kick outwards, water crashing over my head at unimaginable speed.

This is the very first bend in the river and I’m already underwater, attempting to rip myself free from the various obstacles that hindered my oxygen supply. Eventually I struggle loose and I float through the now calm waters.

Don't expect your first trip to be so easy! Image: Library of Congress

This isn’t to scare you. This is my first attempt at kayaking, in Tena, Ecuador and I’m on a Class 3 rapid. Rated from 1 – 6, a class 3 is certainly strong enough for a beginner. Having only been in the kayak a few minutes I haven’t adjusted to the feeling of wobbling on the water, and I get sucked in to the wrong side of the rapid.

Once the trip resumes, it is a very enjoyable experience. Generally calming into a Class 2 ride, the river weaves its way through the unspoilt Amazon fringe, passing kingfishers and goldpanners.

Boasting the highest density of rivers anywhere in the world, Tena is the perfect spot to hop into the water. Not being a water baby my nerves were shredded. But my point is, when travelling, when trying adventure sports, throwing yourself in at the deep end is the best way to maximise the experience. I am buzzing with adrenaline and it is a vitalising moment.