Confluence Watersports Concept Boats
Hats off to Confluence for producing some of the coolest looking boats we’ve ever seen. Laid up in glossy carbon-fiber and fiberglass hybrid hulls the concept Wavesport Project, Wilderness Systems Zephyr and Mad River Expedition beg to be touched and are sure to become rare and coveted objects when released next Spring. The increased sex appeal and lost weight (Zephyr weighs in at a svelte 35 pounds, Project barely tips the scales at 19) is as impressive as the inflated price tags – expect to pay a little over three times the MSRP of the same model in plastic.
Lifesaver Bottle
“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Hydration is a problem that has haunted boaters since the first feeble paddlestrokes were taken, but we aren’t ancient mariners anymore. The Lifesaver bottle uses replaceable carbon filters to remove parasites, fungi, cysts, bacteria and even viruses at a minimum of 99.999% effectiveness, while also reducing any waterborne chemicals, medical residues and heavy metals before they make it to your mouth. You won’t be surprised by an exhausted filter at an inconvenient time because there’s a failsafe: as the cartridge is exhausted the bottle provides progressively less fluid per pump. At $229.00 the bottle isn’t cheap, but if you can afford it you’ll never again have to wonder about where you’ll fill up your Nalgene next.
For more info check out Lifesaversystems.com
Inno Kayak/Canoe Locker
Knocking back drinks in a bar is a poor time to consider locking your canoe to your car, especially if the thought comes just as you look up to find a thief making off with your boat. This happened to one outdoor education at AORE last year, ending in a chase through the hotel that should be scripted and sold to Hollywood. Inno’s Kayak/Canoe locker holds one boat and keeps your mind at ease with rubber coated steel straps that lock with a key.
MSRP: $229.00
Check out innoracks.com
Pakboats XT-15 Solo
Pakboats new family of folding boats are reinforced with “I-beams” on each side and the more rigid frame allows the kayaks to generate more speed than similarly sized folding boats. The slick 600 denier polyester rip-stop skin is PU-coated, making for a more efficient gliding surface. The XT-15 is a both sporty and compact, folding down to 26x18x16 inches, and the 39-pound package can be easily carried to and from the water. Available in October.
MSRP: $1,775.00
Check outthe Pakboats online catalog.
Restop 2
The capped PVC pipe has long been a favorite answer to the “what to do with your poo” question, but when the waste has to fit into a kayak a different solution is called for. Ziploc bags don’t keep in the odor and occasionally leach out yesterday’s dinner, soiling drybags and damaging morale. Restop 2 uses a “bag within a bag” system to keep waste and gas contained, and a powder of enzymes and deoderizers within the inner bag neutralize odor and process the solids, allowing you to toss the bag in the first trash can you get to.
MSRP: $2.95 per bag
whennaturecalls.com
QuickClot Sport
Even small gashes to the forehead bleed with astonishing speed, and a cut that would only be a good story somewhere else on the body can be seriously threatening on the face or head. Z-Medica Corporation’s QuickClot is used by all branches of the military and several police departments and it’s credited with saving over 150 lives. Use it with caution, because if large volumes of blood and QuickClot are mixed the reaction produces intense heat – then again, if one of your buddies is losing that much blood a few burns might be getting off cheap. QuickClot is relatively inexpensive, weighs almost nothing and is easy to use. Take one with you on your next trip to gnarnia.
MSRP: $10.00-30.00
For more info go to Z-Medica.com
