Elaine ' Shooter' Alexander's Gear Reviews

Posted on August 8, 2011 @ 5:00 PM in

If you are like me the first thing you will read before buying any canoeing equipment will be the gear reviews.  The opinion of fellow paddlers is much more important than any marketing spin the company can put on the item.

Having just returned from an epic 71 day solo circumnavigation of Ireland I caught up with Elaine ‘Shooter’ Alexander to find out what she though of the gear she used throughout the trip.

Elaine’s 1000 mile sea kayaking trip certainly tested all her gear to breaking point so there’s no better person to give a critical review.

The Boat  

Elaine paddled a Valley Etain LV

Good Points: Comfortable, stable, watertight, handled well and was quick in a headwind.  The layout and design of the hatches and the removable storage was great, as I said earlier no water ingress on the complete trip.  The boat was quick, responsive and a pleasure to paddle.

Negative Points: When the kayak is fully laden it will need the addition of a keel strip, as launching and landing on a solo trip means it can be prone to damage easily. 
I also had some issues with the skeg and the cable getting kinked- I am more of a rudder paddler (and this could be where the fault lies), but when the cable is damaged it can leave the skeg unusable- not great when you are on your own.

 Overall Review:  Overall the Valley Etain LV was a great addition to the trip, it was a comfortable boat that reacted well in all that was asked from it.  The negative points could perhaps be more to do with how I actually used the kayak, however I think that Valley perhaps could also consider the points I have raised and definitely look at the design of the skeg cabling and the keel strip.

I would highly recommend the kayak, and the service from Valley- any replacement parts or advice was given or sent without question and immediately.  My thanks go to them (in particular to Jason and Andy), for their support on this endeavour.

The Paddle 

Elaine used a Full Carbon Composite Lendal Touring Paddle, Kinetic Touring Small blades, Straight Shaft (smaller circumference), STD grips.

Good Points: Comfortable, durable (I think they are indestructible!), light, nice to handle, They were one piece, and this actually ensured they were stronger and lighter – something I would say anyone thinking of doing an expedition like this should consider. 

Negative Points: Hard to actually pick something, but one thing I would have loved these paddles to feature, is the rubber drip ring to stop water running up the shaft – Petty I know, but on a 1000 mile trip it is these little things start to get to you!

Overall Review:  The paddle was another great addition to the trip- there was the right level of flex to ensure that with every stroke you could feel the power transfer, it was comfortable in the hand, and thankfully as I am pretty small, I had asked for the smaller circumference shaft.  Thankfully I never had to use the splits, but on review they seem more than adequate and suitably strong.

The Waterproofs

Elaine wore a YAK Buoyancy Aid –Tahu , PEAK Storm Dry Bottoms, and YAK Conquest (Long sleeve), YAK Fusion (Short sleeve) cags.

 

                                                   

YAK Buoyancy Aid –Tahu

Good Points: Comfortable, pockets well placed and sized.  No damage after continual daily usage to zips, webbing or fabric. 

Negative Points: None

Overall Review:  A fantastic piece of kit, ideal touring buoyancy aid- would highly recommend this to any paddlers.

PEAK Storm Dry Bottoms

Good Points: Reinforced fabric socks under which I wore neoprene socks.  These were waterproof and comfortable for approx half of the trip (they were used 80% of the trip).

Negative Points: During the second half of the trip, as the bottoms were no longer fully waterproof (water ingress came from abrasion damage due to sand trapped in and around the seat), it meant that at the end of every days paddling I had to completely dry out my kit 

Overall Review:  Overall these bottoms were grand, they were used almost for the entire trip – even when there were some leaks.  The damage came about through no fault of the manufacturer, instead it came from their use in a pretty hostile environment.  I would recommend these bottoms.

YAK Conquest (Long sleeve), YAK Fusion (Short sleeve) cags

Good Points:

Conquest - comfortable, warm, durable and well designed.
Fusion - light, comfortable and well designed

Negative Points:

Conquest- Wrist seals were too loose meaning that my arms were continually getting wet, until the use of good old duct tape!
Fusion- After only two weeks of use the Cag started to fall apart under the arms, and some of the stitching on the front started to disintegrate.

Overall Review:  Over all they were totally different, the Conquest as it is designed specifically for expedition paddling was great, although the wrist seals were quite loose.

I was very disappointed with the Fusion, perhaps it was due to the level of usage or due to the salt water, but in my opinion this Cag should have stood up to the usage quite a bit better than it did.  I was again impressed with the level of service from the manufacturer-YAK, they replaced a Cag at the start of the trip immediately and without question.

The dry bags

Elaine used EXPED – Fold Dry Bags

Good Points: These dry bags stood the test fantastically well; they were used and abused on a daily basis, pulled in and out of hatches and thrown down on different surfaces

Negative Points: None with these- however I also had some Trek Mate and Decathlon dry bags, these were not as durable as the EXPED bags, in fact the Trek Mate ones totally fell apart! 

Overall Review:  As I had a range of sizes in these, I had the right size for the right use; they were hardwearing though light, tough and dependable.

The Trolley

Elaine used a RUK Kayak Trolley

 

Good Points: Paddling solo, these are an absolute necessity, unless you wish to remove all kit in total before transporting from the slipway to campsite!  Easy to assemble and disassemble ensuring easy stowage in one of the hatches, and surprisingly strong.

Negative Points: The wheels are too narrow for effective use in sand.  Also, carry spare pins as if these get dropped, damaged or lost then the wheels are useless!

Overall Review:  As stated above this is an essential piece of kit- they worked well and were dependable, my only negative point was their use in sand, however I can understand that to increase the wheel size would possibly make them hard to store in the hatches- therefore the trade off.  Also definitely carry spare pins.

The Tent

Elaine slept in a Karrimor Ultra LiteTent

Good Points: Easy to set up and take down even in poor conditions.  Good storage space inside.  This tent took a lot of abuse and didn’t let me down.

Negative Points: In a gale force wind the main pole snapped, although no tent could have stood that particular night without receiving some level of damage.  Also at the end of the trip the ground sheet was no longer waterproof, again due to continual usage and wear and tear. 

Overall Review:  A great tent, and not that expensive. 
Considering that I used this same tent on my trip around Ulster last year, I was well chuffed with the service it continued to give on this trip.  Even when the main pole snapped – it had a repair kit that included a tube that repaired the pole ensuring the tent could still be used.  Also the fact the groundsheet started to leak was due to the level of abuse this tent has received.   I would give this piece of kit full marks.

The tracker

Elaine used a SPOT messenger GPS Device

 

Good Points: Simple to use, added that bit of security and peace of mind to me (and my family).

Negative Points: Must be facing the sky to transmit so needs to be on deck of boat somewhere.

Overall Review:  A fantastic piece of kit, worked well throughout the trip.  The ease of setting up and integration within the website ensured that this became one of the most important aspects of the expedition- especially for any followers. 

This meant that they could see my location and distance traveled, also I could load up photos or video and link them to their location on the map to give followers a better feel for the expedition.  The added safety feature of the emergency button also meant that if I had got into any difficulties then up to 10 contacts would get immediate notification and start making enquiries (hopefully!)

The Radio

Elaine communicated with a VHF Radio Cobra Marine MRHH325

Good Points: Handy to have this on the trip to add that level of security, Battery life seemed to be good, and the device was easy to use. 

Negative Points: Coverage was intermittent, although I believe this can be the problem with any VHF radio.

Overall Review:  This piece of safety kit is essential to have- and to listen to the communication at ports and harbours added a new perspective and a valuable insight to the coming and going of larger vessels.  It also meant that weather forecasts were easy to receive and sometimes the banter with coastguards was good company.

 

To find out more about Elaine 'Shooter' Alexander's trip see www.canoearoundireland.com