Best Kayaks for River Touring: Maneuverability & Whitewater Readiness A river touring kayak has to do three things: cover miles on flatwater without destroying your shoulders, spin fast enough to read and react to moving water, and take a rock hit without cracking. That’s a harder spec to nail than most paddlers expect before they…
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Best Small Dry Bags for Kayaking: Compact Storage & Accessibility A 5–10L dry bag clipped to your deck lines is the single most useful piece of kit on a day paddle. It keeps your phone, keys, snacks, and first aid within arm’s reach without forcing you to dig through a hatch every time you pull…
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Best Kayaks for Paddling With Dogs: Stability, Space & Safety A stable, wide-beam sit-on-top kayak is your best platform for paddling with a dog. I’ve taken my 65-pound lab mix, Biscuit, on flatwater lakes, slow rivers, and coastal bays for six years, and the hull you choose matters more than any other variable. Dogs shift…
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Best Waterproof Bags for Kayaking: Dry Bags vs. Waterproof Backpacks The right waterproof bag keeps your gear dry when you swim, when rain hammers the deck, and when a rogue wave slaps your cockpit sideways. The wrong one gives you a false sense of security until you’re wringing out your sleeping bag at mile 12…
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Best Pedal Kayaks for Touring: Hands-Free Propulsion & Endurance Pedal kayaks cover more water with less fatigue than paddle kayaks — full stop. On a 15-mile touring day, your legs are doing the work instead of your shoulders, and legs don’t bonk at mile 12 the way rotator cuffs do. I’ve put three seasons on…
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Kayak Roof Rack Installation: Step-by-Step Setup & Safety A properly installed kayak roof rack will outlast your paddle, your boat, and probably your truck. A poorly installed one will deposit your $1,200 composite kayak on the interstate at 70 mph. I’ve seen both outcomes — the second one on I-40 outside Flagstaff, a sea kayak…
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Inflatable vs. Plastic Kayaks: Performance, Durability & Value I’ve run Class III whitewater in an inflatable and I’d do it again — but I wouldn’t take one on a 15-mile coastal touring day if I had a hardshell in the garage. These are different tools, and which one you need depends entirely on where you…
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Are Inflatable Kayaks Durable? Real-World Testing & Longevity Inflatable kayaks are more durable than most paddlers expect and less durable than their manufacturers want you to believe. It depends almost entirely on construction quality and how you treat the boat. I’ve been running inflatables alongside hardshells for over a decade. I’ve dragged them over granite…
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What to Wear Kayaking in Cold Water: Layering & Drysuit Strategy Cold water kills faster than cold air. If you’re paddling in water below 60°F, your clothing system isn’t about comfort — it’s about surviving an unplanned swim. Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. I’ve paddled everything from 38°F snowmelt rivers in…
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Kayaking in Cold Water: Gear, Safety & Hypothermia Prevention Cold water kills faster than almost anything else in the outdoors — and most paddlers are underprepared for it. The rule that matters: dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. If you’re paddling water below 60°F in a t-shirt because it’s 75°F and sunny…
