kayaker’s
journal IN THE HATCH BY TIM SHUFF Field Office IT
DROP OUT AND PLUG IN—THESE GONZO GADGETS LET YOU WORK ON THE WATER AND BLOG ON THE BEACH
CRUSHPROOF AND CRASHPROOF This James Bond-style attaché is too cool to pass up even if you aren’t planning to trip with your laptop to watch This is the Sea 4 on wind days. The OtterBox 7030 Laptop Case ($190 US;
otterbox.com) is completely dustproof, crushproof, waterproof and locking, with a waterproof–breathable valve for pressure changes. Velcro pads custom-fit up to 15-inch laptops. Now you can throw your precious PC in the backseat with your wet gear without fear of getting it wet, dirty, sat on or hacked into.
OtterBox 7030 Laptop Case $190 US
Brunton Solaris 26 $620 US
SHINE ON The Brunton Solaris 26 ($620 US;
brunton.com) packs 26 watts for speedy charging of electronics on power-hungry expeditions. The thin-film solar circuitry is printed onto a rubbery fabric that’s flexible, water resistant and foldable, collapsing down to the size of a school binder. Comes with several types of connectors including a cigarette lighter socket for DC chargers.
UNIVERSAL POWER The problem with solar power is, how do you connect the electronics to the panel? And then, what’s the right wattage/voltage/amperage to fire up your gadget? Most laptops need at least 3 amps of current—$1,000 in solar panels! The solution: use a myPower ALL Plus MP3450 ($160 US; tekkeon. com) universal battery as an intermediary. Charge the battery from any solar panel 5 watts and up (or a wall socket or car lighter) and use the battery to charge your camera-GPS-iPod-satphone-laptop via its multiplicity of ports and adapters. Battery output voltage is adjustable (5–19 V) to suit your device. Solar- charge the battery by day and power your electronics by night—even two at once. For short trips, just bring the battery as backup power.
GEAR WE’VE LOVED BY ALEX MATTHEWS Dugald’s Paddle
OUR FIRST COLUMN CELEBRATING GREAT GEAR THAT REFUSES TO DIE EXPLORES THE WATERY PAST OF THE CURRENT DESIGNS BRAND
Current Designs is best known for kayaks, but it wasn’t always so. Back in 1984 it was nigh impossible to find paddling gear in stores, so Dugald Nasmith of Victoria, B.C., started making his own. He sewed paddling jackets and pogies, and then started building paddles. He called his company Current Designs. A few years later he sold the enterprise to Brian Henry who adopted the name for his line of kayaks and integrated Nasmith’s paddles into the lineup. Nearly 25 years on, Current Designs has sold again and moved away, but Nasmith still uses
his original creations, having taken them all over the world, from the Arctic to Cuba, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Send your well-loved-gear stories and photos to
editor@adventurekayakmag.com 28 ADVENTURE KAYAK | SPRING 2009
Tekkeon myPower ALL Plus MP3450 $160 US
PHOTO: ALEX MATTHEWS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48