How to Transport a Kayak: Roof Racks, Truck Beds & Alternatives A 60-pound composite kayak coming off your roof at 65 mph kills people. That’s the whole conversation. Get the right system for your vehicle, learn the tie-down, and don’t shortcut either one. I’ve been hauling kayaks since before Thule had a North American distributor….
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Complete Kayak Fishing Setup: Gear, Rigging & Techniques A fishing kayak done right puts you on fish that boat anglers can’t reach and wade fishermen can’t touch. Done wrong, it’s an unstable, tangled mess of rods and line that’ll cost you fish and patience in equal measure. I’ve been rigging fishing kayaks for over a…
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Best Kayaks for Touring: Multi-Day Expeditions & Long-Distance Paddling The Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 in fiberglass is the best all-around expedition kayak you can buy right now. Everything else on this list is context-dependent. The Tempest isn’t. I’ve put serious miles on all of these boats — some on the Apostle Islands sea caves route…
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Inflatable vs. Hard Kayak: Which Is Right for You? The Short Answer If you live in a 900-square-foot apartment, drive a Subaru Outback, and paddle a few times a month, an inflatable kayak will serve you better than a hardshell. If you’re logging serious mileage on open water, racing, or surfing coastal breaks, a hardshell…
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How to Choose a Kayak Paddle: Length, Material & Blade Shape Explained Your paddle is your engine. Most beginners drop $800 on a kayak and grab whatever $60 paddle is hanging next to it — then wonder why their shoulders ache after two hours on the water. A mismatched paddle wrecks your technique, kills your…
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How to Choose a Kayak: The Complete Buyer’s Framework Buy for where you actually paddle, not where you imagine you’ll paddle someday. Before you spend $400 or $4,000, answer four questions: where are you paddling, how far, how often, and what’s your body doing inside the boat? Pick the wrong category first and no amount…
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Best Kayak Paddles 2024: Carbon vs. Fiberglass vs. Aluminum The Paddle Matters More Than the Kayak Your paddle is your engine. A mediocre kayak with a great paddle will outperform a great kayak with a mediocre paddle every single time — and after 15 years guiding rivers and coastal tours across the country, I’ll stake…
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Best Life Jackets for Kayaking: Tested for All-Day Comfort and Real Safety The best kayak PFD is the one you’ll actually wear for six hours straight without ripping it off at lunch. Coast Guard certification matters, buoyancy ratings matter, but if a PFD turns your forward stroke into a wrestling match, it’s going to end…
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Best Dry Bags for Kayaking: Waterproof Storage That Actually Works Your dry bag is the last line of defense between your sleeping bag and a swamped cockpit. Get it wrong and you’re wringing out a down quilt at mile 12 with three days left on the water. I’ve tested dry bags across flatwater paddles in…
