The life of an outdoor educator, part-time vanlifer and author. Follow me here for Kayak instruction, expeditions, van life and all the things I teach. Follow me on instagram @adventure.otaku for the daily view of someone who works in the outdoors. You can find my books on Kayaking, SUP, and trip planning on Amazon for Kindle and Print and Apple Books for iPad.
This is off topic, but I wanted to comment and say that I was just gifted a 16.5' WS Sealution II... I enjoy my 13' SOT but I am very excited to start experiencing the sea kayak life that I've been exposed to through your channel!
That is a great boat! One of the first. Touring boats I paddled (might have been a sealution, not positive.) glad I have been a good influence! Let me know if I can help.
Used the spray skirt every single time, I don't know any different,years ago I have done wildwater kayaking in Austria and now , I have starting seakayaking in the Nederlands.
Unfortunately there is always some non constructive comments in any channel. Put that in perspective. What I don’t get is if they don’t like the video just go somewhere else. Keep up the good work, I always appreciate the pure honesty and not having to appeal to the commercial aspect just to please everyone for the sake of getting more subs. Cheers!!
Thanks brother. For the record I don’t mind people disagreeing with me, I mind people hurling insults and being otherwise rude. Thanks for watching and commenting.
At first I thought it was about how to safely store for in the Back Country from the likes of Bears, then I watched. Some very interesting points. I personally don't like Fruit and will eat only a had full of veg so this is a Topic I am really interested in. Freeze dried food I thing is far to expensive for what it is, too the point it has put me off even buying it to try it,as you often get comments that cardboard has more taste. I do like the idea of taking fresh meat out with me, I have wondered if vacuum sealing meat would help preserve it longer. But I guess the only real way to extend it useful shelf life is to do what sailor of used to so and preserve it in salt. Again how practical this would be is anyone's guess. I guess I would have to go down the route I used to do when I drove a truck for a living, and I would take canned food with me. Defiantly not the healthiest option as it is highly to ultra Processed food. It did me some good in the short run as I lost 3 and a1/2 stone in weight in a year before getting married. Great Video again Brett.
Or you could Learn to pressure can, and bring several jars of homemade pre-cooked meat. Much less salt, no preservatives, and exactly the spices you like. The jars are a bit heavy, but the kayak does the carrying.
@@marycrawford9428 I probably don’t get a massive amount of weight to carry as I take up a greater part of the Manufactures weight limit. I do like the idea of Canning. Not sure if it is something that happens here in the UK, definitely worth looking into. Thank you.
Great video. Could you elaborate more on why you don't use freeze-dried meals? Is it the cost or taste or that you prefer fresh? (or is there another tradeoff that I haven't thought of?). In choosing food for back country trips, there are many tradeoffs to decide, and I usually end up bringing all freeze dried meals for simplicity, light weight, and little/no risk at the tradeoff of cost and taste. But I'm interested to hear your perspective and your tradeoff analysis that results in deciding against freeze dried. Thanks!
They are great for backpacking. Super light. Yeah they re expensive but so is titanium cookwear. Not a fan of how much sodium…but in the boat I would just much rather eat fresh.
I used to pack in freeze dried food, but due to a change in diet cannot eat them any more. May main macro-nutrient is fat followed by protein. If I go beyond 20g of carbohydrates two days in a row I lose control of my legs. I've managed two nights away with frozen meat in summer back packing, I can do OMAD (One Meal A Day) easily as my fuel tank is massive on this diet. There is heaps of venison in the freezer so I might turn that into some pemmican. I could take a rifle with me and get some fresh meat; though it tends to be too lean. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AYDuOKI8maQ.html&pp=ygUSdG93bnNlbmRzIHBlbW1pY2Fu
As someone who doesn’t eat meat anymore, your diet would kill me (at least right now.) is there a name for the condition that has that effect? So I can read up on it? Haven’t heard of this before.
@@AdventureOtaku Keto or Carnivore diet. Carbohydrates are inflammatory and cutting them out reduces inflammation. This keeps the inflammation in the pinched nerve in my back under control. Bonus is the inflammation that is hypertension is also gone. Four years ago I was down to about 20 minutes on my feet every third day or so and went to the Dr to see about getting the nerves killed off. This is a better outcome than I expected.
I was very disappointed with the Adventure Medical mountain first aid kits. I bought the explorer model. What your paying for is the case and the manual. The rest of the kit is inexpensive medical supplies. The case has compartments that do little more than take up space making the kit bulky. I ended up making my own. Sea to Summit has a roll top 3L waterproof bag with first aid labeled. It's orange, so easily found in your rucksack. Remember, consider what injuries you can encounter, then design your kit around those use cases. Ortovox has some fist aid kits, with videos on treating mountaineering related injuries. Check them out
Why get in the face of viewers with negativity about choice of brand? Live and let live. I will take the opinion of the video maker with a grain of salt. I have piles of quality equipment which I have collected and used well throughout my years of backcountry skiing, hiking, kayaking, marathon running and travel. I use what works or works for my budget. I have some North Face equipment, too. ... some people like logos--it is part of their identity. Outdoor gear can be stylish. What's the problem?
I don’t think I was negative, I was expressing my views based on my experiences. TNF isn’t the company it was, or the company it pretends to be. My opinion. Not negative. I didn’t say you couldn’t wear TNF I explained why I don’t. Thanks for watching
Thanks for following on…. Let me just say in about a month I am making a trip announcement, that as a cyclist, you are going to like. Let me know if I can help with the paddle adventures.
@@AdventureOtaku you are helping so much already! I need to check on your books! I am in Northern Illinois and we have many many lakes. And of course Lake Michigan! I will keep you posted I see you do videos at times based on audience questions. Cheers!
This was a good honest video and I appreciate it. I'm 71 and have been on (and often in) the water my entire life. I live in Maine and sometimes kayak and canoe when the water is quite cold and wading in and then kayaking with wet freezing legs isn't an attractive prospect. When the water is warm enough I use the same method you use to enter and exit my kayak. But I've often wondered how the Inuit and other people who kayak in extremely cold weather enter and exit their kayaks without getting their legs frozen or wet. Cold water is no joke. How do they do it?
Yup, modern paddlers do it with either a dry suit (which adds a lot of safety, in general paddling in frigid water) or dry pants with booties. The Inuit used seal skins to make the equivalent of dry pants or dry suits. The reason I made the move to a dry suit was mostly (like 85%) to keep my feet dry in the winter.
One fit issue that I discovered that hardly anyone talks about is big/wide feet. If you're trying a relatively low volume boat and have particularly long and/or wide feet, you can end up not being able to get your feet or legs positioned correctly. That can in turn create problems with pain or numbness in your feet, legs, and/or butt.
@@arcanum3000 I didn’t expect you had. Just confirming that I know it can be an issue for people. I also don’t remember things correctly, so I THINK it may be in another video, but it could also have ended up being a conversation in the comments. Thanks for watching.
Just subscribed and really like your channel. At 65 now I started yoga, weight training and some serious stretching. Had to get a kayak trailer because I couldn't get the kayak up on the car. Age makes us adapt to our passions. Take care, Al
Al, if I could manage to pull a trailer behind my ridiculously long van I would! A trailer is the way to go. Stay active and keep paddling. Thanks for the subscribe
Very informative video. At 65 I'm working at staying moving thru paddling, biking and winter camping. Staying active keeps the old man out. Thanks for the video and take care, Al
I recently ordered the supplies to revamp my backcountry and home first aid kits after the Connecticut WFA course. Last night I was looking for a good SOAP note template but had the same problem. I'll be looking forward to what you come up with
I'm 48 and just bought my first kayak (CD Stratus 18); honestly, like a lot of other people have said, the issue for me was entirely one of resources. It's an expensive hobby. I first kayaked when I was 20 or 21 in college and really liked it, but I didn't manage to buy a house (and thus have access to a garage, or any remotely acceptable storage option) until I was well into my 40s, and seldom had a car which would've been appropriate for transporting a kayak; other than a few years with a (very unreliable) VW, I almost never had something I could've realistically put a rack on. A few years ago I happened to pick up an old Mazda to use as a winter car and general rat rod, which allowed me to finally surmount that hurdle, but even the dang rack wasn't cheap, costing by itself, in a single swoop, far more than I ever put into decades of, e.g., basketball, baseball or tennis (apart from maybe the b-ball shoes). Actually, comically, in total it cost about the same as the kevlar kayak and CF paddle I bought, combined. Then all of the associated gear you need? Make no mistake, I _wanted_ to participate, I knew from the first time I got in one over a quarter century ago that it was a hobby I would enjoy, but getting to a place where I could actually sustain it took forever, personally speaking. It's always going to be a severely limiting factor; the enthusiast needs to be reasonably well-established, and with all of the other competing economic pressures on people today, the pool of possible participants doesn't seem likely to ever be particularly deep. But that's fine, half the reason for the appeal is the solitude and opportunity to get away from people, so to me this feature rather than a bug, so to speak.
Im not trying to negate those resources challenges, not at all. And has been said a number of times in the comments (not on this video, I don’t think) I am an outlier, in that I have built my lifestyle around kayaking, which as I type it, explains (and for a normal human, negates) what I am about to say. I bought my first kayak in 1998 (maybe a little earlier) a few months after buying a 1991 Isuzu trooper - to be used only to move the kayak. the boat was a few hundred less than the truck. At the time I lived in lower manhattan and the boat lived in a friends yard on LI. I have never had reliable indoor storage for a boat. Yes, this sport is more expensive than team sports - my parents would probably disagree, as I grew up an ice hockey goalie - but compared to other adventure sports, I don’t think it is. Ive said this a few times in these comments, look at mountain biking. Bikes are $2k to $7k and I know twenty-something’s with 3 and 4 bikes! But I do agree the appeal is the solitude. But too much solitude (ie, not enough people paddling, and we wont be able to get boats, or paddles….
The nearest I have seen to Soap Notes is what what nurses start to fill out on Admission to A&E here in the UK. Don't recall coming across them when I was doing annual First Aid Training in the Army. That may have changed since I left. A brilliant idea as you could very easily miss an important detail if trying to repeat it to someone else if it is an extensive list of injuries. Great Video as usual Brett.
Thanks Simon, I bet those nurses forms were at least in the SOAP format. While I have never done med stuff in the UK I bet there is a lot of carry over.
Both my seaward Luna and my ndk pilgrim. I have to sit on the back deck then drop my legs into the cockpit my butt goes in last. In Big surf this gets interesting
@@bryanb8366 that’s surprising. I haven’t paddled the pilgrim, I am pretty sure I have paddled the Luna, I don’t remember any of the seawards having particularly small cockpits.
I have about 20 nights with my Core Bed 25 and love it! Only problem is I’ve had a few of the loops that connect the sheet to the quilt pull out. I might take it to a seamstress and see if they can finagle a fix. I’ve never been able to sleep in a zipped up mummy so this is a game changer!
I have been going the Zen. Route sense you show cased there dry bags. I love there products. I now have to dry bags with the compression add on. Along with there sheet that goes right over my existing sleeping pad. Thanks again for pointing out this great little company.
Ok I know you’re not a kayak fisherman but you seem to know kayaks very well. I bought a fishing kayak. My problem is even in light wind conditions my kayak spins so I can never fish the direction I intend to. My other issue is ,even with light wind, it won’t stay in once place so I can never fish the spot I intend to. Is there anything I can do to improve both these issues? Will a rudder or skeg help my problem? I see guys out there who aren’t anchored and they can hover around a spot a lot longer than I can in my kayak. With in minutes I’m 25-50 ft from where I started.
A rudder or skeg will only make a difference while you are moving. A lot to kayak fishermen use some sort of drive to hold position, either pedal or a small trolling motor. An anchor is the obvious choice. Shorter kayaks turn more than long kayaks, but any kayak that isn’t being propelled will turn to be flat to the wind. Tell me about your kayak. What is it?
@@AdventureOtakuthanks for the response and the info. It’s an inexpensive kayak but gets me out in the water fishing. It’s a lifetime Teton angler kayak sit on top 10ft long 250lb weight limit.
Hi, I love your channel and thank you for sharing another set of great tips on things to take along. You mentioned towlines and on the subject of towlines, it’d be really helpful if you did a film on using towlines both short and long, I get totally confused when reading up on the subject, specifically creating daisy chains to shorten the line, (how and why you do that), what length of line to run out and generally how to tow safely. Once again great channel😊
I'm with you on the mummy bags. I've been hooked on them since the late 70's. If it's cold I take the Fairydown Everest (-20C rating, Sir Ed took one up Everest), not so cold the Liteweight (-5C rating). I put them on top of an Exped down mat. Amazingly lite, compact and warm. Unfortunately Fairydown no longer exists. The Exped mat is more comfortable than my bed.
which exped mat do you have? That zen bivy pad was a game changer for me. It is bigger (LxW) than my normal pad, and accordingly weights more, but it is so comfortable.
@@AdventureOtaku I currently have a Downmat Lite 5M, but they have recently rejigged their range. Previously I had a Downmat 7M. I like to sleep in my tent so I gat a good night sleep ever now and then
Great advice great videos. People you're in a kayak let go of aganst about getting wet. Flipping out falling over. Glad to hear about boat ramp caution. I do the same. I paddle a composite kayak flex fractures from beach waves☹️
yikes! How big were the waves? I was paddling in 3 foot waves the other day, and every time my Delta smacked the surface of the water after cresting a wave I felt it flex. It was more, and more consistent than I have ever felt in that boat.
The mesh duffle bag you are stuffing around minutes 25-26 - does the tag say REI? Seems a bit simpler than their current "Quick Change Duffle". Is that impression correct?
The tag does say REI…. I have three of them… maybe 4? Two big which you see in the video, and the others hold different kinds of workout gear. They are just Duffels with a solid bottom and then all mesh and they are PERFECT for paddle gear. So of course, REI discontinued them…. I could do a whole video on gear I love that have been discontinued by the manufacturer.
I have been looking forward to your review of the Sleep System, as they have been on my Radar for about a year. I would probably get it without the mat due to having already bought a Big Agnes SL last year that I haven't used yet. another bit of kit that has also got my interest is Haven Tents, who do a lay flat Hammock tent. as that would work very well with the Zen Bivy system in my mind. I am looking at Hammocks as an alternative to using my Tent as one place I want to do a trip you can't always find flat ground to set up camp and if there are trees, that would get around that, It can also be used freestanding. So Once I have ordered my New Paddle next week I will then start saving once more. Great Video as always Brett.
I love videos like this. Composite is the path I chose. I'm still running a 2003 Seward Luna. The thing still looks like new. Also last fall I got my hands on a NDK pilgrim expedition. It is the carbon Kevlar weave. 42 lb and super responsive. One boat I would love to get my hands on is a 14 ft roto molded. Something I can play in the surf with and run down some of the rivers and not have to worry about it. Trade-offs to every style.
I'm here because I flipped my boat at the dock today. Took a little swim on a hot day. I'm really good at getting in at a dock but, getting out is an adventure. Today is the first time I actually flipped and went for a swim though. I am an eternal optimist and I will keep trying! Besides, it's my most favorite place to paddle. I really like your method of simply pulling my upper body out and rolling out onto the dock. I am excited to try this the next time out. I've been doing the whole paddle behind me and trying to shift quickly onto the dock. Yeah, obviously that's not working. I'll put your tip in use! Thank you!
I applaud your honesty and good nature after taking a swim. Yeah, i never liked the paddle behind thing, and I would really hate it at a dock. Too complex. Keep paddling.
It depends on which boat I'm using, what I plan on doing, and the conditions. If I am in one of my folding boats or my FSK, they're not very practical or useful. If I plan on swimming or fishing from my kayak, they really get in the way and it's hard to take them off or put them on while on the water. I have different skirts for sun, touring and whitewater. Tools for the task.
That is very surprising because after I released this video I got an email from their director of sales who said he didn’t disagree with anything in the video. Let me know when you get it. He did say they had a very small inventory and I would bet (but I don’t know) that they had storms. Their most popular paddle.
I recently picked up a necky arluck 3 fiberglass 1990s year for $100.00 great shape just needed a new front hatch seal Topkayker carry’s the older model parts. A Impex kevlar Montauk for $800.00 and wilderness systems Sealution for $350.00 fiberglass . Many kayaks are available on the used market. Today people want paddle boards so deals are out there. I forgot to mention an older necky whitewater kayak for free.
I’m on the road with barely any internet. I’ll try and rewatch that section tonight. I suspect I was referring to navigation bits and pieces. String, pencil stuff like that.
It´s funny, most of the time when we go to a trip for... 2 or 3 days, we pack the same gear that if we go to 7 o 10 days!! Great video. Enjoy your trip.
I always wear a spray skirt! Otherwise I will fill up the cockpit just by edging the kayak. And let us not talk about surfing or rolling. Living in Sweden we don't have many days where it's warm enough without one. Nice to see a NOLS instructor making videos. I've been on two NOLS expeditions in Alaska, got WFR and been working a bit for NOLS Scandinavia. Before the pandemic I was thinking of becoming a NOLS instructor, and now I'm to busy.
I have a feeling that there are more accidents in the car going to and from the kayaking trip. At a guess we have one fatal accident every three years in Sweden while kayaking (very popular in Scandinavia). How many fatal, or serious, accidents do we have on the road while transporting a kayak? Don't think there are any statistics about that but I consider the road trip a lot more dangerous.
Here in the US the coast guard keeps meticulous records of injuries and fatalities and if I wasn’t in the van in the shadow of the bay of fundy I could tell you. I think 16 fatalities in 2022? I think.
Ha! I was watching a review of a kayak and grumbled that the reviewer with their x years paddling and probably holding an instructors license wasn't a fair comparison to my two hours in the water trying to decide which boat would work for me.
