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In the Pack
WE TEST THE BEST S T O H L Q U I S T
Splashdown The Stohlquist Splashdown is a pullover that puts your paddling comfort first with lightweight and breathable yet highly water resistant micro-Denier nylon. The waist hem and fleece-lined collar cinch tight to keep out the wind and a zippered chest pocket is set high so it is accessible above many PFD chest panels. The top half is cut from one piece of material, so the Splashdown is free of shoulder seams and keeps chafing to a minimum. It’s available in mango or royal
blue and also comes in short-sleeved and hooded models. $60 US
www.stohlquist.com
F R E E P L A Y
FreeCharge 12V Digital cameras, GPS units, video cameras and SAT phones are just ex- pensive ballast if their batteries die. At 13x6x5 centimetres and 350 grams, the Freeplay Freecharge is no more of a burden than the other gadgets that have infiltrated your pack, but it empowers you to keep the others running no matter how many sunset photos you take or how often you accidentally leave the phone on. A hand crank spins the alternator, which sends 12 volts of DC power to the cigarette light- er socket. Plug in using the car adaptor power cord of the recipient device or use your normal power cord and a cigarette pack-sized AC/ DC converter. It’s more reliable than a solar panel and built to last and spin smoothly. We charged a drained digital SLR camera battery for two minutes through a converter and were able to take an additional 61 photos. Rest easy knowing any carbon dioxide emissions you emit
while cranking will have a negligible effect on climate change. $32 Cdn and US
www.freeplayenergy.com
A Q U A - B O U N D T R A I L B L A Z E R
Take-Down Buck Saw The 18-inch blade of the Trailblazer Take-Down Buck Saw sneers at kindling collectors. The saw’s four smaller pieces all slide into the largest tube to become an inde- structible and compact travelling unit. Though assembly initially seems daunting, you should be able to get your time down to under a minute after just a few tries. Also available in a 24-inch-blade model, which is so solid and large you could probably knock trees over with it instead of unpacking the saw.
18-inch: $40 Cdn, 24-inch: $42 Cdn
www.trailblazerproducts.com
18 n C ANOE ROOT S summer 2008
Odyssey It’s not often someone brings noticeably fresh thinking to the ancient idea of a paddle. While most composite or plastic shafts taper into the blade in a straight line, Aqua-Bound splits the Odyssey’s supporting spine and sends it down both edges of the paddle. The re- sult is a slightly concave blade shape, adding pow- er to your stroke and lending durability along the edges where paddles need it. Splitting the support this way lets the designers keep the spines thinner than the traditional central spine on a synthetic paddle. This reduces weight, but the fact that water has to flow around two spines instead of one creates more resistance when the paddle is being sliced through the water during a J- or C-stroke. The new design delivers a light, pow- erful, stiff blade for whitewater or pulling flat- water from the bow. The 8-inch blades would be best for whitewater while the 6- and 7- inch widths are better suited to long days of high-cadence flatwater paddling. Avail- able in carbon or fibreglass shafts and car- bon/plastic composite or fibreglass/plastic
composite blades. $135 carbon, $95 fibreglass, Cdn
www.aquabound.com
—I.M.
PHOTO CREDIT: FREEPLAY ENERGY
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