On January 12, 2010 Hayley Shephard, a Kiwi now residing on the West Coast of Canada, will attempt the very first solo sea kayak circumnavigation of South Georgia Island in efforts to help save the Albatross

Hayley spent the last 7 years kayak guiding, and leading expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic islands, gaining a passion for these Polar Regions and a care and interest in the wildlife. In 1999 she was the first woman to solo sea kayak the 1200km circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, followed by another epic adventure in 2005 when she was the first woman to sea kayak alone around the rugged and exposed coast of the sacred Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Jacket
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner

Chilean explorer Cristian Donoso has completed a two-month expedition by kayak along the rugged coast of Antarctica, documenting the effects of global climate change.

A 2006 Associate Laureate of the Rolex Awards, Donoso planned and led the two-man expedition. It was the most extensive kayak expedition in the continent’s history.

Donoso, a lawyer when he’s not climbing mountains or kayaking through uncharted reaches, was accompanied by Claudio Scaletta, an Argentinian journalist and accomplished kayaker and climber. The two battled high winds and cold temperatures to cover 900 kilometers along the Danco Coast and around nearby Anvers and Brabante Islands.

They took all their provisions, with each kayak weighing 100 kilos at the expedition’s beginning. They packed out all their garbage, a habit not followed by many earlier Antarctic explorers.

The two also climbed several peaks along their route. During one ascent on Anvers Island, Donoso plummeted into a crevasse, but he was roped to Scaletta and managed to climb out unhurt.
Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Vest

On the fourth of June 2009 Patrick Winterton will embark on an attempt to make the first successful kayak crossing from Scotland to the Faroe Islands, a distance of over 225 miles (360km) across one of the most tidal and stormbound sections of the Atlantic. Last summer Patrick followed the route of St. Brendan the Navigator around Ireland to the Scottish Isles. This summer he will continue north, through the Hebrides, to the Isle of Lewis where he will meet up with Mick Berwick. Together they will try and prove that it is possible to make the 2-3 day crossing in standard production kayaks.

Celtic Tiderace 2, a groundbreaking expedition, has been an ongoing project of Patrick’s for a number of years. Initially a pipe dream and now, after a number of increasingly challenging expeditions, a reality. “There is no way of eliminating the risks of an exposed expedition in the North Atlantic, but through extensive planning and preparation, and with years of experience, we will limit them to an acceptable level”, says Winterton. Following ‘Scottish Extremities’ and ‘Stevensons Lights’ Patrick will make a third film on sea kayaking. Celtic Tiderace will focus on the little known islands off the coast of Ireland and Scotland, and convey the pleasures and pains of days at sea as they head for the Faroes).

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
SeaO2 Life Jacket
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner

On Sunday April 4th 2009, Alexander Martin departed on his expedition to travel by canoe and foot 5,500 miles from Portland, OR to Portland, ME and the Atlantic Ocean in one seasonal year. The planned route lies entirely within the contiguous United States and traverses many of the country’s great and storied rivers as well as many hidden and wild places accessible only by water. All travel will be human powered, either by paddle or portage.

If successful, this crossing will be the first of its kind. It will be the first west to east crossing of North America by canoe in a single year and the first crossing of the United States, at its widest point, by non-bicycle human power in a single year. “The achievement of these arbitrary distinctions is not the goal of this project,” explains Martin. “My goal is to explore my country and interact with my countrymen and women, raising awareness of river conservation and education efforts of organizations. I will invite the people I meet and those that have only heard or read about the project to pledge a penny or a dime or any amount they choose for each mile I paddle, and direct that money to the organizations whose life work is the protection of these rivers and the education of their importance to the next generation.”

Martins’ choice to travel across the United States by canoe is a deliberate one. “The connection people feel with their backyard, their local river or town is immense, and the canoe is a ubiquitous object in our country. Therefore the chance of connecting and inspiring people is much higher; they can envision themselves exploring the same places that I will be and in the same way,” said Martin. “I hope to inspire young Americans to get outside and explore their local wild places, and as a whole live a more active and healthy lifestyle.”

Gear List:
Rogue Life Vest
GORE-TEX® Deluxe Boater Pants
OuterCore Pants and Long Sleeve Shirt
Destination Pants

Beginning July 20th 2009 the team will kayak down the length of the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, MN to the Gulf of Mexico for "What About Blue?", a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing water issues on a local, national, and international level.

Although they come from very different walks of life, they are united by their desire to raise money and awareness for the Global Water Crisis. Their aim is for people to start thinking about and discussing the importance of water, how they use it, how they can help conserve and protect it, and inspire people to take action over this critical cause. Money raised through people giving "a latte for life" ($5 a month for a year) goes to organizations working on these issues (Blue Planet Run, The River Network, and the Gulf Restoration Network).

In May 2009, Apryle Craig and Phil Magistro will be embarking on a sea kayaking expedition along the British Columbia coast to examine and document the effects of salmon farming on the environment and coastal communities. The "Go Wild" Expedition, named such in support of wild salmon, will follow the historical Inside Passage route, starting in Gig Harbor, Washington, continuing north along the British Columbia coast, and concluding in the glacial waters of Alaska.

The four-month-long journey will cover over 1,280 miles using only human-power. Throughout the trip, Phil and Apryle will be examining the issues that are thought by the scientific community to be contributing to the localized extinction of pink and chum salmon, specifically open-net farming of non-native Atlantic salmon. The couple will report their findings to Living Ocean Society (LOS) as a part of “The Eyes and Ears of the Coast” project. This project promotes sustainable seafood choices and encourages people to “Go Wild”, by supporting sustainable fishing and ocean-use practices.

As part of their investigation, Phil and Apryle will document the salmon farms and surrounding environment through photography, videography, and written reports. During the expedition they will tour a working salmon farm and discuss the issues with salmon aquaculture scientists. They will also conduct interviews with First Nations and Canadian residents from various industries along the route regarding their knowledge and stance on salmon farming.

All donation raised by this project will go to Living Oceans Society with funds going towards the preservation of the magnificent coastal environment.

Gear List:
MsFIT Tour and SeaO2 Life Vests
GORE-TEX® Front Entry Dry Suit

On May 1st 2009 Scandinavian kayakers Roope Roine and Johannes Lahtinen from Finland will set out on a 6-8 week long circumnavigation of Ireland, covering a distance between 1400-1600 km. “Circumnavigating around Ireland by sea kayak is a big challenge”, says Roine. “With it's long and exposed coastline, strong currents and quickly changing weather patterns it deserves it's fierce reputation”.

Roope Roine has been working in the outdoor industry for over 15 years, guiding sea kayakers around the world from Canada to Greenland. The guiding company www.moln.fi has the largest range of sea kayaking trips in Europe and Roope is one of the few instructors in Scandinavia who has a BCU (British Canoe Union) coach award. Besides guiding and coaching Roope is an avid photographer.

Johanes Lahtinen is a well known wilderness guide in Finland. A former top soccer player, Johanes is among the best paddlers in Scandinavia; Maneuvering his boat with ease in big waves and surf. Johanes runs a company specializing in teaching paddling techniques..”

Gear List:
Ronin Pro Life Vest
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit

Using a folding kayak and travelling on a budget, Jeff Allen will embark on an historical journey through time and place to retrace the ancient Phoenician trading routes of 2500 years ago, which existed between Israel and the west coast of England, his home country.

‘The Phoenician Trail’ is a series of small expeditions following the ancient Phoenician sea trading routes through the Mediterranean Sea and along the coast of Western Europe back to Jeff’s home county of Cornwall. “This is a project quite close to my heart as a Cornishman,” explains Jeff. The journey begins in the Great Rift Valley on the shores of the Dead Sea. Travelling west from here, Jeff will explore the areas visited and settled by these ancient sea-faring people. “Through out the journey I will travel on a budget with my folding kayak, utilizing the many flights offered by airlines to various destinations throughout the Mediterranean basin, including the Atlantic coasts of Morocco, Spain and Portugal,” says Jeff. “The Feathercraft Khatsalano is probably one of the most versatile kayaks for a project of this nature, as a folding kayak, the practicality of its portability and the elegance of its design made it a natural choice for this endeavor.”

“I believe that within the human spirit it is inherent to journey - to move on from place to place. These journeys may be solo affairs, in small groups or at times mass migrations, forced by war, famine, or even climatic change. We are extremely privileged in the western world to be able to choose many of our challenges, challenges which our adventurous western spirit turns to face.

Journeys have taken place ever since mans existence, and have helped create history and encourage change. Sea kayakers are natural travelers; embarking on a journey fills a person with an excitement which is hard to discover elsewhere. Sometimes the journey leads you to a geographical position on the globe, and every now and then it ends up as a personal journey of discovery.

The Phoenician people were ancient seafaring people who journeyed by sea to many places, some of those places are factual; some are steeped in myth and legend. I decided to follow their seafaring routes on a journey. Much of my research would be from the surf zone of a cyber-recorded world, along with books on ancient history, but the most important aspect of my journey will be from the seat of my kayak.”

Gear List:
Destination Paddle Shirt and Pants
Neoflex shorts
GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell Anorak
SeaO2 Life Jacket

In March 2009, Diego Lamas, Agustin and Luis Garcia Albarido will attempt for the first time to paddle the entire length of Argentina, a distance of more than 4,000 nautical miles. Starting at La Quiaca, a little town settled at 14,000ft in the northern Andes Mountains, the team will cycle and paddle for approximately 10 months to reach the end of Patagonia- the city of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province.

The expedition will be broken into 2 parts. First the team will cycle 410 miles, with their sea kayaks in carts, to reach the waters of the Bermejo- a constantly changing river with plenty of crocodiles, snakes, and piranhas. Next they will paddle along the big Paraguay and Paraná Rivers that originate from the Brazilian Amazon River, and many miles later they will reach the Atlantic Ocean where the second part of their journey begins. “The hardest part of our expedition begins when our sea kayaks head south in search of the Patagonia coast, full of rocks and ridges, cold temperatures and strong winds,” says Agustin. The team will paddle the Atlantic Coastline of Argentina to reach their final destination at the tip of Patagonia.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Vest

In May 2009, photographer, writer, and kayaking guide Bryan Hansel will attempt a solo circumnavigation of all five Great Lakes. During this 5-month, 3,800 mile expedition, Bryan will attempt to become the first person to solo circumnavigate by kayak all the Great Lakes in one year. In doing so, he’ll fulfill a long held dream and provide testimony that great expeditions are possible near home. Through this expedition Bryan plans to produce a photography book showing the Great Lakes from the viewpoint of a kayak, build an extensive photographic portfolio of the Great Lakes, and help promote wilderness protection and paddling opportunities on the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes contain roughly one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water, they’re surrounded by eight U.S. States and one Canadian province, and have over 10,000 miles of shoreline. Formed just under 10,000 years ago as the last glaciers retreated, this young drainage basin is home to over 33 million people. This unique resource is under constant pressure from pollution, invasive species, and urban sprawl. This expedition will promote paddling adventure on the Great Lakes, increase paddlesports participation in the Midwest, and highlight the pressures faced by one of America’s great wonders.

Bryan's no stranger to long distance trips, he thru-hiked the entire 2160+ mile Appalachian Trail, paddled 560 miles of the Mississippi River in under 15 days, paddled the old Voyager Route in the Boundary Waters, and spent many days under a tarp on trips throughout the United States. Currently, he works as a kayaking guide and ACA sea kayak instructor on Lake Superior, where he guides approximately 700 people a year. He's also a commercial photographer and writer. His images and articles have appeared in brochures, ads, newspapers, and magazines, including Sea Kayaker Magazine, Lake Superior Magazine, Superior Outdoors, and Minnesota Monthly.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Merdian Dry Suit
Guide Life Vest

After paddling 22 days in strong winds and seas, New York City based sea kayaker Marcus Demuth has successfully completed the world first circumnavigation of the Falkland Islands. The goal of the expedition was to be the first kayaker to successfully circumnavigate the 776 Falkland Islands and to document and study the marine wild life of the fairly inaccessible outer Falkland Islands.

Previous attempts to circumnavigate the Falkland Islands include two separate British Special Forces teams and a US team of two kayakers, all ending unsuccessfully. “It was a very hard trip with many challenges such as constant high winds, large kelp fields, and mine fields which sometimes made landings impossible for many miles,” said Marcus. “During stages of the trip I had to kayak with 2 charts, a nautical chart and a mine chart, supplied by the British Forces, in order to avoid landing on beaches which still contained mines left from the Falkland War.”

Gear List:
Expedition Dry Suit
OutFit Tour Life Vest
InnerCore Long Sleeve
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner
Heavyweight Hand Jacket

On the 9th of November 2007, Simon Osborne and Philip Clegg set off on an attempt to circumnavigate Madagascar by sea kayak. Due to visa restraints and work commitments the team decided to split the challenge into two parts. The first part of the expedition was successfully completed on the 10th of Jan 2008. Simon will return to Madagascar on the 31st of December 2008 to attempt to complete the expedition.

The expedition originated in Majunga on the North West coast of Madagascar. From there Simon and Phil paddled on calm seas island hopping to the most northerly point. When they rounded the top corner of Madagascar the seas and environment changed dramatically, with the Indian Ocean swells mixing with the coral reefs and sandy beaches. The result was difficult landings and route finding between the swells. Throughout this first part of the expedition the locals gave Simon and Phil a warm and inquisitive welcome.

Simon will be returning to Madagascar, but unfortunately Phil will not be able to join his team mate for the second part of the expedition to circumnavigate Madagascar. This time Simon will be accompanied by a local river kayaker, which will allow for more communication with the local villages along the way and will offer Simon a great insight into the culture of Madagascar. “Having a local join me on the second part of the expedition will add a new dimension to the challenge and open up new experiences” says Simon. He also hopes to use the expedition to raise awareness for reforestation projects on the island. Deforestation and subsequent soil erosion is one of the main environmental problems Madagascar faces.

Gear List:
Orbit Tour Life Vest
Destination Paddle Shirt
Destination Paddle Trunk
Destination Hand Covers
InnerCore Long Sleeve

In February of 2008, Jeff Allen and Mark Schoon set off on an expedition to circumnavigate and explore the Scandinavian continent by kayak and ski. The journey started from Goteborg in Sweden and true to Celtic tradition the pair set off in a clockwise direction, following the Swedish Archipelago north to Norway.

Weather conditions during the Baltic winter are extremely cold and temperatures often fell well below freezing. Many of the islands, which in the summer months are heavily populated, were deserted at this time of the year creating a surreal and ghost like feel to many of the places they visited. At the mouth of Oslo Fjord they decided to commit themselves to what would soon become the first of many open crossing’s and late that day they arrived in Larvik, home of the famous Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl.

Leaving the Baltic and heading north, now in the exposed waters of Norway’s western coastline, Jeff and Mark kayaked to Stavangar ending the first leg of their journey around Scandinavia.

In March of 2009, Jeff and Mark will return to Norway and continue northwards towards the Arctic Circle. Through this expedition, Jeff hopes to help raise both awareness and desperately needed funds for the Ovarian Cancer Action and to help have a children’s hospice built in his home county of Cornwall, England.

Jeff’s previous expeditions include an unsupported circumnavigation of Japan, and the first British circumnavigation of the remote Antarctic Island of South Georgia.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
SeaO2 Life Jacket
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner
GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell Storm Cag

On November 25th, 2008, Daniel Belanger, a New York-based social entrepreneur, digital designer and accomplished outdoorsman set out on a solo expedition to photograph the Earth’s most remote wildlife. Dubbed “The Wild Image Project,” the carefully-planned journey will produce over 100,000 photographic images that will be shared with the public through books, multimedia projects and speaking engagements promoting the preservation of endangered species and natural settings.

The two-year expedition will be primarily undertaken by kayak, including a challenging 350 mile open-ocean crossing from Argentina to the Falkland Islands. A second phase of the project will cover a route starting in the Bonin Islands and continuing to Japan, the Kuril Islands and finally the Aleutian Islands. A third phase will cover more southern hemisphere destinations.

An expert outdoorsman with fifteen years of extreme weather camping and survival experience, Belanger, age 34, has spent considerable time physically preparing to meet the challenges of this unprecedented convergence of art, adventure and activism.

Images from the Wild Image Project will be showcased in several multi-media photo essays and books that are designed to inspire viewers to raise their consciousness about the future. Images will predominately be of wildlife, with special focus on endangered species and difficult-to-photograph subjects in their natural habitat.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Vest
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner
TROPOS Kayak Mitts
Lightweight Hand Jacket
Tributary Hydration System
TROPOS Storm Cag
GORE-TEX® TecTOUR Anorak

Race Around Australia Expedition In 2007 Freya Hoffmeister circumnavigated Iceland in a record 33 days. Three months later, she set out to become the first woman to round the South Island of New Zealand, solo and unsupported. Seventy days later, the 43-year-old Kokatat supported paddler from Husum, Germany completed the record-setting trip that Paul Caffyn called “The most significant solo kayak trip undertaken by a woman in the southern hemisphere.”

In October 2008, Freya will set out on her next adventure, a solo circumnavigation of Australia. Expected to take her roughly one year, the 9,400 mile (15,000 km) journey around the southern continent is considered one of, if not the, most challenging trip in the world of expedition sea kayaking. While there have been dozens of attempts, Freya hopes to be the first woman to complete the journey and only the second person since Paul Caffyn, her friend and mentor for her NZ trip, completed it 25 years ago. Crocodiles, sharks, sea snakes, massive surf, exposed crossings along sheer cliffs, cyclones and tropical heat are some of the most daunting treats, not to mention the multi-day open water crossings and physical toll it will take to average upwards of 30 miles per day for one year.

Gear List:
Ronin life vest
GORE-TEX® TecTour Anorak
GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell Storm Cag
GORE-TEX® Deluxe Boater Pants
Surfskin Pants
GORE-TEX® Knappster
InnerCore Long Sleeve Shirt
Destination Hand Covers
Destination Sunwester