As a gear geek, I was super intrigued a few years ago when I first learned of Oru’s foldable kayaks. As a New Yorker, I was also very skeptical about how great it could actually be. The fact that Oru did not fold/go under (pick your pun) after its first year of existence, but instead continued to receive praise in the press over the past several years, I became increasingly temped to pick up a pair for Britt and I. Earlier this year, I learned on Fieldmag, that Oru was kickstarting a new model. As a part of the kickstarter campaign, backers would receive a meaningful discount from the stated retail price. I decided then and there, it was the time to pull the trigger. I ordered a pair of Lake Kayaks as a kickstarter backer, with delivery scheduled for August of 2022. They were delivered in July, ahead of schedule and Britt and I took them for their maiden voyage on nearby Big Pond that same week. The kayaks were much less flimsy than I had feared. Folding and unfolding the boats was as easy as advertised. We paddled around for a couple of hours and loved every minute of it. Here are some photos from our first paddle out.
