G E A R B a G
paddling priMavera
FRESH GEAR TO FEED YOUR SPRING CRAVING
By Virginia Marshall
sawyer Paddles and oars
venoM c1
Paddlesandoars.com
$250 us
While looking at the paddles used by boaters who paddled both open and
decked canoes, Sawyer designer Jon “Shaggy” McLaughlin had an in-
spired idea—an adjustable length canoe paddle to accommodate both
C1 gate-grabbing and open boat river running. Similar in construction to
Sawyer’s Copperhead kayak paddle, the Venom is super durable, stiff
and incomparably eye-catching. The V-laminate cedar and ash core
blade is reinforced with carbon, fibreglass and Dynel for strength,
and sized extra-large with a slight scoop for an aggressive stroke.
But it’s the Venom’s telescoping ferrule—a first from a North Amer-
ican single blade manufacturer—that makes it a must-have for
quiver-of-one minimalists. The carbon crankshaft extends up
to five inches and stays put with Sawyer’s proven Cam-Lock.
Weight: 30.4 oz., available in two sizes.
ImmersIon research Keen
lucky cHarM Hydro-guide
immersionresearch.com Keencanada.ca
$140 us $100 CDN
The new Lucky Charm replaces the Tough- The new Hydro-Guide pairs a minimalist up-
Skin Rand in the extreme conditions niche per with Keen’s trademark closed toe, and
of Immersion Research’s spray deck line- adds drainage holes for good measure.
up. Rather than relying on horseshoes and The perforations make for clog-like styling
four-leaf clovers to keep you dry, IR uses a and water voidance, but are foam-backed
new rubber rand profile that’s designed to fit to keep sand and stones out. Supple criss-
securely on even the most challenging cock- cross webbing dries quickly and wraps your
pits—including those with high knee bumps foot securely for trekking and boating. Keen’s
and wide rims—and the rand is glued and smooth Aqua-Stop sole grips slippery rocks
stitched for extra longevity. Although the rand with remarkable tenacity, but provides less
is less beefy than those of comparable spray traction on rough portage trails. While we’re
decks, it’s still wickedly watertight—and dif- not usually fans of Velcro in footwear, we like
ficult to put on a rim. Fortunately, the Lucky the removable heel strap that quickly con-
Charm’s grab loop is high-visibility DayGlo verts the Hydro-Guide from a pedary straight
and plastic coated so it’s easy to grasp even jacket to a relaxed, après paddle slide. Avail-
wearing gloves. able in unisex sizes 4 to 15.
2 Rapid spring 2010
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