I watched a buddy lose a $180 rod and reel combo in open water last summer because he skipped one piece of essential safety gear. The current caught him off guard, the kayak flipped, and his rod was gone in seconds. That moment is why I started running the best kayak fishing rod leashes on […]

I've spent the last three summers paddling open water in everything from 8-foot bay kayaks to 14-foot sea kayaks, and one piece of gear consistently earned its place on my deck: a quality kayak flag pole. After losing sight of a buddy in fog on Lake Michigan and watching a bass boat miss our group […]

Getting soaked on the water ruins more trips than almost anything else I've seen in 15 years of paddling. Cold water dripping down your neck, wind cutting through a soggy base layer, and that miserable shivering paddle back to shore -- all of it is avoidable with the right kayak spray jacket. After testing 10 […]

Last summer I drove 1,400 miles round-trip with a fishing kayak strapped to my roof rack using bargain-bin straps from a gas station. One of them snapped at 65 mph somewhere in eastern Oregon, and I spent the next 90 minutes pulling over to recover a kayak that had slid off the back. That day […]

Three years ago I stood in my driveway staring at a 14-foot fishing kayak and a 7-foot-tall SUV, wondering how I was going to load this thing without throwing out my back. I tried the dead-lift method. I tried walking it up the side of the vehicle. After 20 minutes of grunting, I gave up […]

I've lost count of how many kayak hatch covers I've replaced over the last decade of paddling, mostly because I kept buying the wrong size or trusting cheap plastic plates that cracked after two seasons. That's the frustration that drove our team to spend 60 days testing every credible option on the market to put […]

Finding the best kayak foot braces changed how I paddle. After years of numb feet, sloppy edging, and fights with the rudder on choppy water, I installed a fresh set of adjustable foot pegs on my old touring kayak. The difference was immediate. My legs engaged, my edging snapped into place, and I stopped sliding […]

I lost a kayak to theft in 2019. It was a $1,400 sit-on-top strapped to my truck at a trailhead overnight, and someone sliced through the factory straps like they were shoelaces. That sting is what pushed me into the world of kayak security, and since then our team has tested more than two dozen […]

Kayak milk crate inserts are specialized storage organizers designed to fit inside standard 13x13 inch milk crates. They give kayak anglers organized tackle storage, built-in mounting points for rod holders, and water-resistant protection for gear on the water. After spending 60+ hours on the water testing 10 different setups across freshwater lakes and saltwater flats, […]

After 60+ days of testing on Lake Michigan, the Pacific Northwest coast, and several Midwest rivers, I can tell you that picking the best kayak pogies makes the difference between cutting your paddle day short and staying out for hours. Cold hands shut down your grip, slow your roll, and turn every safety maneuver into […]