Keen Cimarron II

I took a canoeing trip into the Boundary Water Canoe Area this summer and wanted to try out a pair of water shoes from Keen. Normally, I wear leather boots and I end up spending a lot of time trying to dry them out. I thought these shoes would be a great alternative. I decided on the Cimarron II from Keen. There are two color styles to choose from, I picked the stone grey and rust. Before going up to the BWCA I was worried about getting blisters so I decided to wear them a bit to work and around town. No problems. I didn’t get one blister. The shoes felt great and I knew that these shoes would be great for my trip.

On the first day of our trip we had three pretty difficult portages, on the second portage I was just about to tell my brother-in-law that these shoes were awesome when I started to feel a blister on my heel. This was not good. Then I started to feel a blister on my other foot. Arg!! Just what I didn’t want to happen, happened. At first I was angry with the shoes, but then realized I should be wearing SOCKS! I had the idea in my head that since my Keens were water shoes that I didn’t need to wear socks. That was a big mistake. Rule number one when wearing your Keens hiking; wear some type of wool socks!!! After borrowing a pair from my brother-in-law and taping up my blisters, my Keens Cimarron II were AWESOME!!! They were great on the long portages and were even better in the water. I will definitely be bringing my Keens back to the BWCA or any other hiking trip that involves water. The one thing to remember is to wear some type of wool socks.

Cons
Must wear socks to avoid blisters!

Pros
Great traction
Very Comfortable
Don’t have to worry about getting them wet
Good ankle support

Overall, these keens were great. Even though you need to wear socks with them, I highly recommend them for everyone. These are my new shoes for the BWCA.

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Gear GiveAway

Congratulations to Matt S. from Copenhagen Denmark.  He is the proud new owner of the GoLite Pinnacle Pack. 

Don't lose hope... There are more Gear GiveAway's to come. 

Hey Matt, shoot us some pictures of you and the pack on your adventures.  We look forward to seeing The Paddle Junkie nation represented "across the pond"...

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Gear GiveAway!!! GoLite Pinnacle Pack

Here is your chance to win an incredible pack.  GoLite's Ultralight Backcountry Pinnacle pack.  At a minuscule 2 pounds and a carrying capacity of 72 liters, this pack is ready to take you to the park for the afternoon or on a 4 day trek.  Click here to read the full product description and don't forget to sign up for GoLite's Summer GiveAway Promotion. 

To enter to win this GoLite pack simply tell me you want it, comment @ thepaddlejunkie.com or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.  Good Luck.  Winner will be announced at noon tomorrow.

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Granite Gear’s Immersion Pack

Canoe packs have come a long way, and the newest rendition from Granite Gear resets the bar. The Immersion pack, their first truly waterproof canoe pack, is a work of art. This pack took everything we threw at it and it laughed at us… It wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

After testing the pack in a somewhat controlled setting, this pack underwent a true trial by fire. Day 1 of our BWCA testing was everything a tester could want, over a mile of portages and 4+ miles of paddling, all in a torrential downpour. By the time we got to our campsite, EVERYTHING was soaked. I had 3 inches of water in the bottom of my canoe and my packs were floating like icebergs. Once I got my tent up, I was delighted to find that the Immersion Pack had more than delivered. Not a drop managed to make its way in.

Made from 500 Denier fabric and an extremely durable TPU laminate, this welded pack spent nearly a week getting dunked, tossed and dragged through all kinds of terrain and came home looking like new. By far the most comfortable pack in the test thanks to the shoulder straps and hip belt perfected in the Expedition Series of Packs. Everyone wanted to “give it a try” when we had a 280 rod portage that never seemed to end and a 80 rod hop that felt like summiting Everest.

The next time we travel light and I have to pick only one pack, there is no question this is the one I am bringing. Ample room for your gear, a little zipper pocket on the outside to keep essentials handy and unrivaled protection from the elements.

I will always have a place in my heart for the classic waxed canvas bag with leather trim, but technology and innovation have helped the Immersion Pack from Granite Gear assume the throne as King of the Canoe Packs!

MSRP: $299

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