by: Cliff Jacobson
In his book, CAMPING AND WOODCRAFT (1906), Horace Kephart wrote, “I go to the woods to smooth the way; things are rough enough at home!” Here are some expedition-proven tips that will “smooth the rough” out of your Boundary Waters adventures.

How many of these techniques have you tried? Yes, some are a little unorthodox, but what's paddling without a little fun?

Just like the creator of this film, Tom Vetterl, most of us had big plans for 2020. Hopefully most of those plans were adventurous. But unexpected things happen and we have to adapt.

Is it your first time kayaking in Arkansas? This southeastern US state is home to several bodies of water that are wonderful kayaking spots! Arkansas shares a border with the Mississippi River and has 33 rivers that go all the way through the state.

One of our all-time favorite strokes is the anti-capsize stroke (pretty important!); a stroke and a maneuver that will stop you from capsizing or falling over in your kayak.

Many industries have been dramatically affected by COVID-19 and tourism is certainly a big one. While many paddling guides and outfitters have shuttered their business, some, like Everglades Area Tours, have quickly adapted to this new ecosystem in order to stay afloat (pun intended).

Forget paddles and forget pedals, there is a new way to get from Point A to Point B in your kayak: Jet. Check out this homemade kayak modification that turned an average whitewater kayak into essentially a one-man RC boat.

Kelly Chastulik - Chambersburg, Pa

By now, the term social distancing is something we are all familiar with and learning to adopt. As a paddler, it may have occurred to you that all of your years paddling and enjoying your favorite hobby were simultaneously preparing you for social distancing.

Ramps are not off-limits to paddlers, but paddlers should be considerate of bigger boats and work cooperatively with them so that everyone can efficiently and safely launch and land.

As paddlers using multi-use waterways, we need to be aware of these rules and appreciate that being the smallest and slowest boat on the water means that we must travel with extra caution.

Dane Jackson, one of the top whitewater kayakers in the world, drops a 130+ ft waterfall in Chile. He is the first ever kayaker to paddle this waterfall and he may be the last as a dam is planned upriver which will make this waterfall just a drip.

by: Tom Watson
The four fundamental dimensions for a kayak are kayak length, kayak width, kayak deck/cockpit height and kayak weight. How they relate to each other and how they can affect the performance of your boat depends on many characteristics.

When on the water, you need to do three basic things in your boat: go forward in a straight line, stop or go backwards, and turn. There's a stroke for all three.

by Anna Levesque
There is no true graceful way to get in and out of a kayak, but it does get easier and looks more effortless with practice and experience. Here are some tips and techniques to help you feel more comfortable and effortless.