Cool Kicks

I did make it to REI a few weeks ago and my wonderful husband bought me some cool new kicks. I got the Siren Sport GORE-TEX XCR athletic shoe from Merrell. Yes – I realize that’s a terribly long name! No worries though cause the shoe is amazing! I’ve taken them on several local day hikes to break them in but they didn’t need. They’re very comfortable right out of the box.

I also tested them out on a couple paddles (8 mile and 16 mile). I’m pretty good at getting into my kayak and getting out on the water without getting my feet wet. With the cold water and cold air temperatures I REALLY didn’t want to get wet at all. The shoes are GORE-TEX lined so I stayed dry throughout my paddle.

The Merrell site really advertises these for off-road running, speed hiking and trail biking. I have no doubt the shoes are great for this and more.

My First Countdown Begins

Okay, so it’s been way too long since my last posting but get ready cause they’re really gonna start coming now! It’s only 7 days until I can get my kayak out on the water. Although I’ve been busting my ass getting to get in better shape over the past month there hasn’t been much progress on gear. This means I’ve still got a long to do list (story of my life).

I’ve just spent the morning reviewing my gear list and double checking recommendations from Joe Glickman’s “The Kayak Companion”, which I bought a few weeks ago. I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s just starting out or planning their first real kayak trip. Glickman provides a solid gear list, easy to understand notes on technique with illustrations, and some recommended trips (by region and difficulty).

I’m waiting for Dan to finish getting ready and then we’re off to REI to check off a couple items from my list. I’m not sure what I’ll walk out with yet but at least it’ll be a start. I’ll also head over to Lucy to see if they’ve got any suitable rain jackets for me. If you’re a woman and you do any type of real workouts (gym, yoga, hiking, etc..) you should check out this store or their site. I’ve bought several items from them, which I absolutely love- pants for hiking, pullover with thumb cutout for hiking, several long/short sleeved workout and hiking shirts, headbands, socks, workout pants. If the clothes there seem out of your price range then you’ve clearly forgotten to check the sale section. They have amazing sales on some great items that will still have items available in your size. I’m talking $70 shirts for $19!

Before I run, I’ll include my current gear list (left to buy) for both my training and the Adirondack Canoe Classic. If you have any additional recommendations then feel free to let me know :)

New life vest
Spray skirt
Dry bags
New seat for my kayak (not a necessity, yet)
Pogies
Rain jacket
Thick soled water shoes
Camp booties
New visor