Freya Hoffmeister is at it again. Arguably one of the most hardcore expedition paddlers, previous trips include her 15,000km, 1 Year paddle around Australia. This time she has set her sites on another Continent, South America. Her plan is to split the trip into 3 legs providing her with time for family and business matters.

The expedition will take in 12 different countries and 24,000 km of paddling which is mind-blowing. Her blog provides a wealth of information on the trip from route, maps, kit lists and other interesting bits and pieces. In addition, Freya is updating her blog regularly with reports on the trip so far.

Useful Links

Freya’s Blog – Updates on Freyas progress so far.
Expedition Details – Various pages explaining different aspects of the trip.

Josh & J.J.

Paddle To Seattle is an expedition DVD, a fly on the wall documentary if you will of a trip from Alaska to Seattle via the Inside Passage by Sea Kayak. It features two seasoned adventurors; Josh Thomas & J.J. Kelley who originally met walking the Appalachian Trail and went on to cycle across Alaska from Ocean to Ocean. This is their latest adventure.

Unlike many recent Sea Kayaking DVD’s, Paddle To Seattle focuses completely on this one journey. You are taken from the planning stages to the finish of the expedition, sharing the experiences along the way. This was a refreshing experience allowing you to be drawn into the journey and experience the scenery, wildlife, and local communities that Josh and J.J. encounter.

Stunning Location

Despite all the hardships of the 1,200 mile paddle they always seem to be laughing or making light of the situation. This was certainly infectious for me and kept me smiling to the end of the credits. They seem to interact with the camera rather than simply have it follow them around.

However this isn’t simply a comedy take on an expedition. The DVD touches, albeit lightly, on some serious environmental/political issues affecting the area they are paddling. This is achieved without ever developing into an environmental themed film. J.J. Kelley is quoted as saying

“We were interpreting them in real time… …We just want to let folks interpret the facts as we saw them.”

What A Backdrop

For some initial sections of the route they are joined by a third paddler to capture on the water footage, then they part ways and the remainder of the footage is shot by Josh and J.J. The quality of the production is superb and for those interested in how they did it their blog has an interesting video short (actually designed as a nod to one of their sponsors) showing the incredible amount of editing kit they carried with them.

The Team

In an email from J.J. recently he mentioned:

We wanted to make a refreshing documentary about a long distance adventure. An authentic film that would be true to the joy of outdoor endeavors. For us it was great fun producing the project, and we hope folks enjoy it.

Well, they have certainly met their aims. Paddle to Seattle is a genuine, fun film that shines through with their enthusiasm and is highly recommended viewing.

Ordering:
Paddle To Seattle can be ordered directly from Josh & J.J. on their website and costs $19.99.

Runtime: 1hr 26mins.

I have owned and used the Northwater Peaked Deck Bag for 18 months or so and been very pleased with it (see my review). I was therefore more than happy to get access to the Northwater Expedition Deck Bag for review.

The ‘Expedition’ is the largest deck bag Northwater produce. It has a large zippered opening giving access to the main compartment which holds the bulk of your kit, but is further expandable via side clips, top bungees and optional ‘expansion’ compartments available from Northwater. The shaped is kept true via a removable polyethylene liner. (I have posted a video showing the main features).

Fastening the Northwater Expedition Deck Bag

The Expedition Deck Bag secures to the deck using a different system to the Peaked Deck bag. The bottom of the deck back has a vinyl base & flap covered in velcro. Sliding the flap under the deck lines allows you to then drop the bag down on the velcro securing it in place. This is a lot less fiddly than systems relying purely on straps/buckles and makes removing the deck bag a synch.

In rougher conditions, I did notice some more movement with this deck bag – I imagine this is due to the larger ‘weight’ carried along with the increased surface area. However, the six side clips can be used to secure the bag even more securely and this did cut down the movement.

Expedition Deck Bag In Use

My intial impression of the bag was that it was too large for normal day paddle use as it seemed huge when held however, once in place it is not overbearing and the increased storage has been very welcome. Although designed for expeditions where more equipment is carried, I have been very happy using the Expedition Deck bag for short, day trips.

The Northwater Expedition is not a dry or waterproof bag, so equipment stowed in it needs to be in waterproof containers/roll bags however in calm weather, even with the occasional wave washing over the deck the combination of the vinyl base and position high up on the deck means very little water seeps into the bag.

Large Storage Potential

I tend to stow a flask or water bottle, VHF, gloves and hat and snacks along with a camera in a roll bag which means there is plenty of spare space and it is easy to access equipment. The two sided zip and domed shape of the opening aids easy access and the mesh pocket on the front flap is ideal for a granola bar or similar.

On a longer paddle, I have successfully used a smaller dry bag within the Deck Bag and it is easy to unclip, unroll and access equipment.

The side clips allow you to attach kit to the outside of the Deck bag and I have taken to attaching my Northwater Bilgemaster pump here for easy access. The addition of bungees on the top of the Deck bag allows a laminated chart or other, slimmer items to be attached. I often use this to tuck a hat or gloves or even my paddle float whilst on the move.

Northwater Expedition Deck Bag

Overall I really rate this bit of kit. It is a step up from the smaller deck bags such as the Peaked Deck bag, ad the extra storage is very welcome without dwarfing the deck of my Sea kayak. The build quality is very good and it feels like a robustly made bag. I would have no qualms about throwing this around over a sustained period of time and despite my ‘heavy handed’ testing I have not damaged the bag in any way.

Whilst some people may prefer a true ‘dry bag’ style deck bag, for me the lower cost of the Northwater Expedition Deck Bag makes it a more affordable and sensible option, particularly if, like me, you seem to have accumulated a number of small dry bags over time!

Cost is around £75-£80 which is not cheap but if you have the need for a deck bag worth every penny.

The Northwater Expedition Deck Bag can be ordered from Bournemouth Canoes or check your local paddle store.

From the Northwater Website:

Our largest deck bag. Easily installs using existing deck lines. Webbing and buckles let you attach gear to the sides. Large zippered opening and small mesh pocket in front. It is easy to remove, has loads of cargo space and is contoured to follow the profile of your boat. The unique ‘Non-Slip’ attachment system uses a 14oz vinyl base sewn at the rear of the bag and held with hook and loop. A polyethylene liner shapes it for easy access through the front zippered entry.

Full review of Northwater Expedition Deck Bag coming soon.

NB: This is my first video post, so I’m interested in any feedback you may have.

This Is The Sea 4 is the latest release from Justine Curgenven. A 2 DVD set, This Is The Sea 4 contains almost 2.5 hours of Sea Kayaking footage from around the globe showcasing superb paddling destinations and a mixture of well known and less well known paddlers.

Following Justine’s previous DVD’s (This Is The Sea 1-3) and Bryan Smith’s Pacific Horizons, the standard for Sea Kayaking DVD’s has been set very high. Can This Is The Sea 4 deliver?

Well, in my humble opinion, yes it can. TITS 4 is one of the best value Sea Kayaking DVD’s on offer with 2.5 hours of material spread across 2 DVD’s.

The first DVD is similar in format to the previous DVD’s with a variety of material on destinations, trips and personalities. The second DVD contains 2 expedition films – the circumnavigation of Haida Gwai and the circumnavigation of New Zealands South Island.

Disc 1 begins with some excellent Rock Hopping footage in Baja, Mexico where a fleet of plastic Sea Kayaks (thank goodness given the seal launches!) are put through their paces among the rock gardens and sea caves of the coastline. A fantastic start to the DVD, this segment really wets your appetite and sets up the action to follow.

‘Dubside’ (those of you who have seen ‘Pacific Horizons will be familiar with this name) is the subject of the second segment. ‘Dubside’ is an american paddler who specialises in ‘commando kayaking’ and the art of greenland rolling. Armed with a greenland paddle, packable sea kayak (which can be set up in 12 minutes) a length of rope and enough change for the bus, ‘Dubside’ practises a different approach to sea kayaking and his rolling skills have to be seen. (Learn More about Dubside here)

Kayak fishing using sit on top kayaks is growing in popularity and I have seen a few craft out and about along the Solent Coast so in some respects it is no suprise to see it appear in a Sea Paddling DVD. However, this is one segment I am happy to skip past – you may feel differently.

Disc 1 continues with some superb footage of paddling in the Dead Sea, Lake Superior and the Ottawa River. The camera work and characters involved continue to delight and provide inspirational viewing on a cold winters night. In particular the stunning scenery of Norways Fjordland had me searching google for maps and ferry details.

However, despite it’s range of material, Disc 1 would not be my main reason for purchasing this DVD. Disc 2 would be. It contains 2 expedition films which I feel are up there with the best. Circumnavigating Haida Gwai (Queen Charlotte Islands) and Circumnavigating New Zealand’s South Island. As recently muted by Simon Willis, the South Island film is surely award winning material and provides a true insight into the highs and lows of a trip like this. Justine and Barry Shaw manage to keep the camera rolling at times where most of us would forget to press play and this provides a fantastic ‘fly on the wall’ look at the physical and mental demands of undertaking a major expedition.

To be honest, I would have been pretty happy parting with my hard earned cash just for Disc 2 however, as a package, This Is The Sea 4 delights, inspires and more than surpases the bar set by its forerunners. This DVD should be on all Sea Paddlers Christmas lists.

UPDATE: As predicted, Justine has won an award for the New Zealand Expedition film! Congratulations