As a yak fisher, you’re probably also a seasoned camper - there’s nothing quite like spending a night on a desert island so you can fish through the night, and first thing in the morning! And if you do that, you want a little bit of comfort, without any bulk (not a lot of room in the yak once you pack all your fishing gear)! That’s where the BlackWolf Hiker 300 is ideal. It has 700+ loft water repellant down with a hood for cold nights and zips for warmer weather. It’s really lightweight at 900g and can be used in temps as low as -16°C. Not to mention it comes with a Lifetime Warranty and its easy to see with the bright blue. http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Hiker/283/category/24 One of the biggest challenges when you go adventuring is making sure you have everything you need - water, snacks, your phone, spare cash just in case, even your lures!
The biggest problem is - where are you going to put it all? The last thing you want when you’re heading out on the wateris to be carrying around bulky bags! Which is why the Henty Enduro Backpack was designed. It has a spot for your water bladder, as well as pockets and webbing where you can store keys, camera, puncture kit, map, and so on. It also sits really comfortably so you don’t feel like you’re carrying extra weight I was asked if I wanted to test out the new Transporter duffel series from Osprey and to be honest, I was a bit wary.
I’ve never been one for carrying a bag over my shoulder (aside from a handbag) but I was super happy when I discovered it can also double as a backpack style! So of course, I had to take it with me on a recent trip, which included kayaking! I got the 65L which was a great size to fit everything I needed on the day (water bottles, changes of clothes, snacks, towels - and plenty of space left over!). The main part is weather protected so it keeps everything dry in the rain, and the thick straps make it really comfortable to carry! Transporter duffel bags are the perfect marriage of durability and lightweight versatility. Built to be tough yet comfortable to carry and boasting a range of adventure-ready features. https://www.ospreyeurope.com/shop/eu_en/travel/transporter-series Last year I received a pair of Merrell Moab shoes to test out and let’s be honest, I’ve worn them every day since.
Honestly, they are so comfortable! So when I was given the opportunity to test a newer style, I couldnt’ say no! And I’m glad I did. Though I still keep my old ones on hand, the Moab 2 shoes are ridiculously comfortable - and they look great as well. They are actually waterproof as well, which is fantastic for hitting the rainforests, but also for wearing when heading out on the kayak if you know you won’t be getting TOO wet! Made from durable leathers, a supportive footbed, and Vibram® traction - I love them! Energizer LED Headlight has both low and high intensity, and it’s been designed using leading-edge LED, optics and focusing technology so you know its built to last. The battery power is good and you can get plenty of hours out of it and it’s also weather proof, which is what every adventure lover really wants in a light! You can get them in red, green, blue or grey and they won’t send you broke! BerleyPro are a company specialising in aftermarket products for the kayak fishing market. Kayak fishers will be aware of the problems of viewing a fish finder screen in certain conditions so BerleyPro have come up with a smart and functional solution in the form of a screen visor available in a variety of sizes to fit the popular makes and models of fish finders available today. The BerleyPro screen visors are made of a tough and resilient plastic to withstand knocks and the effects of UV rays and at around $30 they are a great investment. www.berleypro.com Victorian based company Anglers Source carry an interesting product range, including the Eastfield soft plastics range from Sweden. There are two designs a paddle tail and a curl tail each of which come in a comprehensive range of colours applicable to a wide range of fish species. Pared with an 1/8 oz. jig head Bass had no objection to taking Wingman Perch Curley with its insane tail action and the same can be said for the paddle tail version. We had similar success estuary fishing for the ever-reliable flathead. Check out their website for the full product range. www.anglerssourcefishing.com If you’re anything like us, you love escaping city life on the weekend. We spend a lot of time hiking, camping, kayaking, yak fishing; and one of the biggest problems we find is stocking up on enough cold drinks to get us through the day - without a big esky getting the way. Icemule cooler bags are fantastic if you’re limited on cooler space. When you’re packing stuff into a kayak for an extended trip requires a creative approach and possibly the skills of a magician, there’s always that one last item that you can’t do without, a sealed dry bag can be an answered prayer in such a situation. Even the smaller 15L fits plenty of drink for everyone, and it keeps everything super cold, regardless of the Qld heat! The best part is when we get where we want to go, there’s no need to lug around eskies, when we can simply put the cooler bag on our back and away we go. IceMule Coolers are designed to be the most portable, high-performance soft coolers out there. Simple as that. They’re highly portable, compact, can keep ice up to 24 hours without leaking, roll up for compact storage and they even float! That means, if yo have too many good fish in your kayak and you need a little extra space, you can just hook it onto the yak, hang it off the side and float it alongside you (making sure your fish have plenty of space). Or, on the other hand, if you prefer your drinks on your kayak and the fish off the side, Icemule also have a Fish Bag range! The fish bag range of cooler bags come in three sizes 22”, 32” & 42” and they are primarily designed for securing you catch and preventing a blood trail from your kayak. However, they offer the ability to keep perishable items viable for an extended period which is ideal for overnighters. Each Fish Bag is constructed of a thick and durable material fitted with a shoulder strap and “D” rings for securing them to the deck of a kayak and are thermo welded to the material making them extremely durable. Icemule Coolers have a wide choice of cooler/dry bags in their range, take a look at their website to see them all. The IceMule’s patented design is based on the traditional dry bag concept. It includes laser-welded seams, an air-tight closure system and a thick layer of insulating foam, which allows you to carry real ice (just like a hard cooler) for long periods without leaking. IceMule champions boundless adventures by creating high-performance hands-free coolers that provide the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. With the expanded IceMule Coolers range now available in Australia and New Zealand, there is pretty much a colour, size or shape to suit just about everyone! The IceMule Coolers range of insulated cooler bags, backpack coolers and fish bags exist so that you can enjoy the outdoors without constraint – go wherever you want and have a cold drink when you get there - whether you are hiking to the top of a mountain, going out paddling or just sitting on a secluded beach somewhere. If you’re heading out on the water, we highly recommend you shop for an Icemule first! You won’t regret it. Packing stuff into a kayak for an extended trip requires a creative approach and possibly the skills of a magician, there's always that one last item that you can't do without, a sealed dry bag can be an answered prayer in such a situation. IceMule Coolers have an extensive range of cooler bags including their Fish Bag range that come in three sizes 22", 32" & 42" and although they are primarily designed for securing you catch and preventing a blood trail from your kayak they offer the ability to keep perishable items viable for an extended period which is ideal for overnighters. Each Fish Bag is constructed of a thick and durable material fitted with a shoulder strap and "D" rings for securing them to the deck of a kayak and are thermo welded to the material making them extremely durable. IceMule Coolers have a wide choice of cooler/dry bags in their range, take a look at their website to see them all. www.icemulecoolers.com.au With the ever increasing demand for bigger and better marine electronics on our kayaks, manufactures like Lowrance, Garmin, Humminbird and others have plenty of mouthwatering fish finders and GPS's to satisfy the needs of kayak fishers with new and more sophisticated models regularly hitting the market. Battery technology has tended to lag behind making it necessary to carry a heavy and bulky power source for onboard gadgets a combination of both bulk and weight can effect the performance and paddle comfort of a kayak not to mention the effect of the added weight during launching and retrieving the kayak and the occasions where portage is required. An innovative Melbourne based company by the name of Hobbyzone Australia specialise in the manufacture of power packs for radio controlled aircraft and have recently entered the world of kayak fishing with two purpose built kayak batteries marketed under the name of FPV-POWER. The smaller of the two batteries is 12 volt 7 amp hour and the larger is 12 volt 17.5 amp hour and are totally waterproof and come with their own charger. Being Lithium-ion batteries they are only a 1/6 of the weight of an equivalent lead acid battery and physically much smaller. Lithium-ion batteries can also be drained to 10% capacity without harming the battery compared to 50% of a lead acid battery which means they only need be recharged every three or four trips depending on usage. The advantages of these batteries from a kayak fishers perspective are blatantly obvious and will go a long way to making our sport much more hassle free. For full specifications pricing and online ordering check out their website http://www.fpv-power.com.au/kayakbatteries/ Hold your camera, navigation lights, phone, gas bottle or drink holder on to your inflatable boat or SUP, or almost anywhere else, without drilling holes. The QuikPort is a stylish, low profile, stick-on mount. Designed to fit into much tighter spaces than the RIBPort, and is a lower cost option. Made in New Zealand from quality engineering plastics, the QuikPort comes with a 3M VHB self-adhesive pad, or can be glued if that’s your preference. Suitable for use on almost any surface, QuikPort is proven to stick well to PVC, Hypalon, fibreglass, epoxy, and aluminium. https://www.railblaza.com/products/quikport/ A good seat in your kayak is worth its weight in gold, there's nothing worse than sitting in a kayak seat that has little support for your back and butt.
Most of the package deal yaks available come with a generic type seat that is ok for the first hour or so on the water, but sooner or later the cramp and fatigue set in. An upgrade seat is available from Dragon Kayak and it's called the ARMOUR. t's construction offers the paddler superior support in the back rest and 65mm of foam in the seat section these features combined with heavy duty synthetic webbing in the straps and brass clips make this a well constructed seat that will fit the majority of sit on top Kayaks and some sit inside kayaks. The ARMOUR kayak seat is available in three attractive camo colours, Red, Blue and Green. At $129 it represents good value and worth every cent from a comfort point of view. www.dragonkayak.com.au |