LOCALadk Magazine

62 Spring 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Many of us who enjoy LOCALadk Magazine also love to travel and camp. Fozzils is a company I came across while guiding a hiking trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was in an outfitter shop in a small town along the Appalachian Trail. This product caught my eye because it was creative, useful, practical, re- sponsible, and affordable. As someone who likes to pack light, I immediately thought that these bowls would be perfect for kayak camping, as well as easy to pack when traveling for my job as an adventure guide. Cooking, food prep, and presen- tation are elements of my work. Fozzils seemed to fit those needs, as well as my philosophy about reducing waste. And, they are just fun. The products have an easy and intuitive snap-together design, and are durable and reusable. They are nonstick, odor free, and have an easy-to-clean surface that is BPA free. The three- piece set includes a cup, bowl, and dish. The cup and bowl have readable measurements in both milliliters and ounces. The set retails for 15 dollars and affords a lightweight, versa- tile place setting. Start a trend with your camping friends and check out Fozzils. Complete set weighs 4 ounces. Whether you say "portage" or "carry" it means you have to transport your boat over land between two bodies of water. Here in the Adirondacks if you are someone who enjoys pad- dling the many great waterways then you have probably ex- perienced this. The distance can vary from just a few hundred yards to more than 3 miles. The terrain can go from smooth and flat to rough and unforgiving within minutes. These "carries" are necessary so the paddler can enjoy pond hopping, a through trip, or maybe access to some secret fish- ing spot. On a recent multi-day kayak trip in August, we tested a kay- ak cart made locally by David Oathout of Caroga Lake. Dave's company Paddlelogic has been making kayak carts as well as other kayak accessories for years. We used the TrailTrekker Kayak cart. It uses 12 inch tubeless tires, marine grade stainless steel axle, and rigid plastic and foam. The cart weighs 6 pounds and designed to float. It also breaks down very quickly and can be stored on the back deck of the kayak. We were actually able to leave the carts assem- bled and stowed on the back deck under the deck rigging bun- gees. This option is nice if you have several carries. The kayaks we were using were heavy, loaded with our gear for four nights. We used the carts over roots, rocks, and mud. Overall I was very happy with the cart's performance. We did have to stop at times and make adjustments to the cart due to the kayak shifting and getting off center. I believe this oc- curred due to the heavy weight of the loaded kayaks - close to 80 pounds. I can confidently say that the TrailTrekker kayak carts made our trip much easier, and I will use them in the future. Pad- dlelogic is currently offering the carts in four different sizes, depending on the width of your kayak. They also stand behind their product with a lifetime guarantee and will fix or repair any part for free. If you are a kayaker and interested in a cart that will help you with carries or simply getting your kayak from point A to point B on land, then we recommend you contact Paddlelogic to learn more about the TrailTrekker. www.paddlelogic.com Paddlelogic TrailTrekker Cart Fozzils: Think Flat. Pack Flat.

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