G E A R B A G
ASTRAL BUOYANCY
NEWTON
www.astralbuoyancy.com $122 US Astral Buoyancy designer Yonton Mehler wanted to rid the freestyle world of high-riding PFDs that restricted mobility when it was most needed. The resulting Newton features a two-panel front that com- bines a snug-fitting foam cummerbund around the torso and a sepa- rate, even thinner panel that floats on straps in front of the chest. The design reduces ride-up and allows for unencumbered move- ment of the upper body. The Newton’s free- style focus is even more obvious from the ab- sence of knife lash points and anything more than minimal flotation and impact protection, but it does have an inconspicuous side-zip pocket and a hoodie-style handwarmer. The Newton qualifies as a 50-Newton Bouyancy Aid, the European certification category for which it was named, but is not certified for North America. Designed for those who want comfortable flotation for controlled freestyle situations. —CM
LENDAL
KINETIK POWER BLADES WITH VARILOK SHAFT
www.lendal.com $450 Cdn, $380 US
Lendal’s four-piece Paddlok paddle system is an impressive show of engineering that works. The VariLok shaft allows you to set a feather angle of anywhere from zero to 90 degrees for both right and left hand control, the shaft’s length is adjustable up to five centimetres and there is a selec- tion of five blade shapes (available separately) to choose from. All it takes to go from a big- bladed, minimally feathered powered-up set-up to smaller blades and a longer, more feathered shaft is the loosening and tightening of four hex bolts. All the joints are tight and free of play after a few turns of the included hex driver. Despite all of its gadgetry, our test model, with its car- bon-blend shaft and nylon-carbon blades, was lighter and stiffer than many one-piece paddles. Just beware of getting the Inspector Gadget theme song stuck in your head after running through all the possible set-ups. —CM
INTEGRAL DESIGNS
UNISHELTER EXP BIVY
www.integraldesigns.com $350 Cdn, $290 US
The Integral Designs Unishelter Exp Bivy is a one-person shelter with a split personality. On the one hand it would stand up well as a one- person tent. A loop of four short aluminum poles provides 25 inches of headroom and a guy cord and stake-out loops make it more than just a waterproof sack to slide over your sleeping bag. The water-resistant zipper extends all the way down to the hips for easy entry and exit, a wire-stiffened peak protects the mesh window and a screened rear tunnel vent allows for some cross-ventilation. On the other hand, the whole bivy (made from Integral Designs’ proprietary waterproof Event fabric) packs down to an 18- by 4-inch cylinder weighing only 370 grams—small enough to fit behind the seat of any kayak for nights of comfort on multi-day river trips. —IM
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