Winter Paddling - Keeping it Dry

Last week I received my 2014 samples from Overboard Accessories and now I am excited to get on the water and use them.  Our tentative plans to head south this winter and check out the Black Canyon on the Colorado River should get more formalized!

Multipacks - 2 pack (20L)/3 pack (3L, 6L & 8L)

Overboard's new Ultra-Light line up of backpacks, drytubes and duffel bags look great and won't weigh you down at all.

The addition of the new Multipacks will make organization easy and one thing I will be using them for is keeping clean and dirty clothes separated on a trip.













I'd by lying if I didn't have a couple of favourites already...the Ultra-Light Waterproof Duffel (50L) is a "go to" item for me simply because it has the wide-mouth opening, this makes getting at your gear easy.  Like all of our bags, it floats (always a bonus), has a quick access wet/dry pocket and it comes with with a removable shoulder strap too. It's made from tough TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) fabric.

Ultra-Light Waterproof Duffel (50L)

Ultra-Light Waterproof Backpack (50L)

Then there is the Ultra-Light Waterproof Backpack (50L) and this is the piece to have if you've got a paddling trip with any portages or hiking options.  It's got a full harness with a sternum strap and a hip belt.  A side mesh pocket for a water bottle or other quick access items, a place to lash walking poles, a wet/dry pocket and more.



Sticking with the backpack theme, Overboard has also thought of those that don't need volume but still want the ease of a backpack and the waterproof feature.  The Pro-Sports Waterproof Backpack line up comes in two sizes:  20L and the 30L.  These sizes are perfect for the weekend warrior, the student, the cyclist, the SUP paddler and many more.  It's comfortable to wear, lightweight and is full-featured.

Pro-Sports Waterproof Backpack (20L shown)

Last but certainly not least is the staple of drybags - the drytube.  The Ultra-Light Drytube bag is 30L and like all the other Overboard drytubes comes with a removable shoulder strap, making this bag very versatile.

Ultra-Light Drytube bag (30L)

I hope you will consider adding Overboard Accessories to your go-to gear list.  If you are a dealer and the new Ultra-Light offerings are of interest to you - call or email me today.  Our preseason deadline was last week but together we might be able to get some late preseason orders in.

Fall Paddling in Beautiful BC

Fall can be a stunning time of year to be on the water in Southwestern BC and this past Thanksgiving weekend did not disappoint.

Friends of 20+ years drove out all the way from Edmonton, Alberta to join us on a float down the Fraser River after their eldest daughter agreed to take all her younger siblings for the weekend.  Yay H!!!

Special shout out also goes to the folks at Hyundai who help get our friends out here in there awesome #SantaFe #hyundaidrive2013.

The weather forecast was originally sketchy for Friday and Saturday but the weather was gorgeous at the put in.

One of my favourite things about this trip is how close it is to our home and how easy it is to modify it by changing the put-ins or take-outs.

At the put in marveling at the amazing weather we had

Our friends, @mommyknows and Mr. MK did not have a ton of paddling experience but lots of backpacking, skiing, climbing, camping and outdoor trips under their belts.  They did great.  Mr. MK was in the stern as @mommyknows was in the bow as our official trip photographer.  She's a star in the social media world.  You can follow her on twitter and instagram

@mommyknows and Mr. MK

We wanted to share this trip with them as we do with lots of friends and family because its a gem, a classic and close to a city of 1 million people yet we have NEVER seen other paddlers on the river with us.  (maybe I should not be letting that cat out of the bag).

The camping is awesome, sandy beaches, incredible views and wildlife too.  On this trip we had a young bear visit us at one of our camps, saw tons of bald eagles, great blue heron, a couple of prehistoric sturgeon and more.

It's super important to me that Mark and I introduce as many people as we can to the experience of paddling, it changed our lives...it's one of the main things that brought us together and it's our livelihood.  

@mommyknows and ME - friends for 20+ years!! (who knew!?!?)

We hope you got out on the water this Thanksgiving and celebrated friends and family too.  We loved spending time with life-long friends on their first river trip and plans for the Green River (in Utah) are in the works for this time next year.  We can't wait and this time their kids will be in tow and nothing beats experiencing the outdoors through the eyes of kids!

Mark and I

Of course all of us are decked out in +Kokatat Watersports Wear PFDs and raingear, paddling +Esquif canoes and Mark and are are paddling with our custom +Werner Paddles canoe paddles.