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Aquabound Manta Ray Carbon Paddle Review
For a little over a month, I’ve been using Aquabound’s Manta Ray Carbon paddle as my primary paddle for personal trips and for guiding. Aquabound sent me the paddle so I could do a Manta Ray Carbon paddle review. I’ve used the paddle with a number of different boats, including a NDK Explorer, Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 Pro and a Dagger Alchemy. The conditions that I tested it in ranged from calm to 4-foot choppy wind waves. I also used it for surfing in waves up to 3 feet and for playing in rock gardens in waves to 3 feet. I tested the 210 cm version. Aquabound describes the Manta…
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Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Review: Lightweight Tent for Paddlers
My Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 review will explore my experience with this tent over the last couple of years and why I always come back to it.
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Red Paddle Company 11′ Sport SUP Review
For that last few months I’ve had the opportunity to test a Red Paddle Company 11′ Sport SUP and review it. I got it on loan and had planned on taking it to Florida in March and April, but as you’ll read below that didn’t happen. I managed to test it in the lakes of northern Minnesota after the lakes thaw. NOTE: For those of you who follow the site, you might be surprised that PaddlingLight started covering SUPs as this has been primarily a canoe and kayak website mixed with philosophy about and advocacy for wilderness and wild places. Ultralight trips are being accomplished on SUPs, and SUPs are…
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Review: True and Deep – Songs for the Heart of the Paddler
Nashville songwriter, author and educator Jerry Vandiver recently released True And Deep – Songs for the Heart of the Paddler, an album of canoe country inspired songs. After getting a copy of the album, I was instantly hooked. The songs capture the spirit of a canoe trip in the northwoods and the arrangement takes you on a journey that includes the excitement of canoeing a whitewater river on More Than A River to connecting with the ancient history in The Spirit Of Fishdance Lake. Catchy and humorous songs like Rock And Roots, Too Tired To Start A Fire and Camp Coffee will have you humming the day away while dreaming about your next trip.…
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Dynaflex Gyro Exerciser Review: a Tool No Paddler Should Be Without
Years ago when I was a climber, I ended up getting tendinitis in my elbows. It went away quickly with rehab, but showed up again later during a 560-mile kayaking trip. After the trip, the tendinitis went away with minor rehab, but I started noticing it again now and then. Then a couple of years ago on a 350-mile kayaking trip I had a major flare-up as a result of adjusting my paddling style to account for another injury. This time, the tendinitis didn’t go away easily. I took a full year of rehab exercises before I had any temporary relief from the pain. It took one more year of…
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Werner Cyprus Review: A Lightweight Carbon Kayak Paddle
The Werner Cyprus paddle is Werner’s most popular Performance Core high-angle paddle. It features mid-size carbon fiber blades filled with foam, which gives the paddle a more buoyant feel when on the water. The ferrule features a geared adjustment system for a precise fit. Werner claims that the Cyprus fits a wide range of paddlers, and that the paddle is great for linking strokes, bracing and rolling. This is my Werner Cyprus review. Specifications Surface area: 610 sq. cm Blade length by width: 46 by 18 cm Weight for 210 cm: 23 oz. Available length: 205 to 230 cm Werner Cyprus Initial Thoughts I’ve owned a 210 cm straight shaft version…
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The Fat Paddler Book Review
If you visit PaddlingLight often, you might have noticed the new advertisement in the sidebar that proclaims “Recovery Can Be Life’s Greatest Adventure.” You might have also been attracted to picture of a book cover with a man in a kayak under a waterfall who’s grinning a wide grin. If you haven’t, just look at the picture at the top of this post. It looks similar. The ad is for a new book called The Fat Paddler. Sean Smith, aka THE Fat Paddler, wrote a book about his life and how discovering paddling (and eating sausages — well, okay, maybe not sausages but his website does reference them in the…
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LaCrosse Grange Boots Review: Best Boot for Canoeing?
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…
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Paddle Pocket and Tether Tabs by RedLeaf Designs
Having been in the paddlesports industry for over 26 years, I’ve become jaded by new products. There isn’t often something that I see where I say immediately, “I need one of those.” Well, wipe that jade off of my eyes, because I have serious GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) when it comes to RedLeaf Design’s new Paddle Pocket and Tether Tabs. These new products offer a simple way to store your spare paddle in your canoe or to stash a paddle while portaging. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen anything exactly like it before — maybe there are products similar to it that I haven’t seen before. The second I…
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FLEXTAIL ZERO PUMP Review
Recently, FLEXTAIL sent over a beta version of their new ZERO PUMP for me to test out, and I have to say that I’m excited about this little pump. If you’re an ultralight backpacker or paddler looking for a lightweight, compact, electric pump to inflate your sleeping pads, then read on. Even if you’re not, you may be interested after reading my impression of this little device. It makes inflating a thick sleeping pad easier than with the pump bags provided by pad manufacturers. What is it? The FLEXTAIL ZERO PUMP is the world’s smallest pump for sleeping pads, weighing only 1.2oz (about 34.02 g) without the battery and measuring…
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Alpine Start Instant Coffee Review
After hearing about First Ascent Instant Coffee blasting into space to quench the thirst of decaffeinated astronauts aboard the International Space Station, I decided to order some up from REI. I figured if it was good enough for astronauts, it’s good enough instant coffee for canoe and kayak trips. Unfortunately, REI only had Alpine Start Instant Coffee REI had three flavors: Alpine Start Original, Dirty Chai Latte and Instant Coconut Creamer Latte. The Lattes came with five instant packages and the Alpine Start came with eight. Each cost $9 at the time of this review. You could also buy a bulk bag of 30 servings of Alpine Start. I’m an…
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Gift Ideas for Paddlers
With the holiday season upon us, here are a few gift ideas for paddlers. For this year’s gift guide, either I used and loved the gear or I have it in my hands awaiting promising review. These items also tend to be items that I’d love to have, but probably wouldn’t buy for myself. In other words, great gifts for the canoeist, kayaker or paddleboarder in your life or maybe just something to reward yourself with at the end of a couple of difficult years. Regardless, these are great gifts for you to consider. You may also want to head over the Garage Grown Gear, a small online retailer specializing…
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Nitecore UT27 Headlamp Review
Nitecore’s latest headlamp, the Nitecore UT27 Headlamp, offers a lot that paddlers will get excited about. I got my hands on a pre-release copy of the headlamp and this review will focus on my initial impressions. The Nitecore UT27 features a waterproof (IP66) and lightweight body with the total weight of 2.61 ounces (74g) including the headlamp, headband, and battery pack. The battery pack has a built-in USB-C charging port, and the headlamp accepts both the rechargeable battery or three AAA batteries. Like many modern headlamps, the UT27 has both a spotlight and a floodlight for different situations. The spotlight uses a 3,000K bulb for a slightly yellow or warmish…
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Fenix E12 Flashlight Review
The Fenix E12 V2.0 AA Flashlight for Everyday Carry is a flashlight designed to fit in your pocket and be forgotten until you need it. Because it weighs less than 1 ounce without the battery, it made me wonder if it would be a good replacement for a headlamp. So, let’s dig deep into a Fenix E12 Flashlight for Everyday Carry Review. As with my other Fenix reviews, I received this flashlight in exchange for an honest review (see Fenix PD36R Flashlight Review and Fenix HM65R Headlamp Review). While I love headlamps, there are downsides. One of the downsides has to do with people who use headlamps but aren’t familiar…
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Tracking Lions, Myth, and Wilderness in Samburu by Jon Turk Book Review
Long-time friend of PaddlingLight, Jon Turk has a new book coming out. Called Tracking Lions, Myth, and Wilderness in Samburu, the book explores humanity’s evolutionary need to tell stories and how that need fails us now. As with Turk’s other books, he wraps the scientific and philosophical ideas in the book within an adventure narrative. In this case, the adventure narrative is a journey to the mountains and plains of the Samburu. “We don’t need to listen to stories someone tells us or stories we tell ourselves. We don’t need to follow mass movements. There are too many pitfalls along that pathway. Presence in the NOW is sufficient. Presence in…
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