I present to you, A Skeptic’s Review of Those Foldable Kayaks You May Have Seen on Instagram.

I mean, these things were everywhere. I couldn’t walk two feet in social-media-land without seeing one gracefully gliding across some super blue lake in Canada.*

I went on a trip to Mexico in April, organized by photographer Ali V. and filmmaker Aly Nicklas. There was an Oru Kayak involved.

On our second night of the trip, we found ourselves camping on the beach of a calm bay. I sipped a beer and looked over at the Oru Kayak and thought, I’m gonna set that sucker up.

Turns out we forgot that little thing called the instruction manual. But I figured it out sans instructions and went for a paddle. And it was freaking awesome.

So then, when Oru approached me to see if I wanted to be an ambassador, I said yes. I figured that if they could convert a skeptic like me, it was really a good product.

The first time I took my kayak paddling on my own, I hiked it 2 miles uphill to a lake in Colorado. Everyone I passed wondered what I was doing carrying a box up the trail.

I have to say, it’s pretty cool to get a kayak to a lake that you otherwise wouldn’t paddle on.

Some talking points:

PACKABILITY

This is my favorite feature. Being able to hike a boat somewhere beautiful by myself is so cool. My boat weighs 28 pounds and goes into its own backpack. It fits on top of my platform bed in my CR-V so I don’t have to think about putting it on a roof rack or doing a really amateur job trying to tie it somewhere. And it’s easy to find a space for it in my garage because well, it’s basically just a box.

EASE OF SET UP

When I first got my kayak, I could set up the Bay+ by myself in 30 minutes. Now it’s more like 20. It’s easier with another person. Taking it down takes me 10 minutes or less. There are, of course, some parts of the boat that are easier to set up than others, but once you understand the process, it’s pretty easy and intuitive.

PRICE POINT

There is no question that these are not cheap, so I think it all depends on your budget and your usage. For me, the biggest reason to buy an Oru is to hike it to remote places, plus it fits in my car. Another thing to consider is how often you’ll be using it. I think it all depends on what makes it worth it for you, but having my kayak in my car makes it way easier to go on spontaneous water-related adventures.

snapped by Nate Luebbe

If you are planning on joining the Oru Kayak family, Oru is providing a 15% off discount code for readers of this blog. Use code “ErinOutdoors” at checkout on OruKayak.com.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below!

I am an ambassador for Oru Kayak, which means my kayak was free. My opinions, as always, are my own.

*Just an assumption that it was Canada. Probably. Anyway.