After two days of paddling down Australia’s biggest river, I pull the Kalleq (230cm) from its nifty carry case. It feels great, which feels wrong. Light and simple and firm there’s not an ounce of play in the split/join- called a ferrule, and the carbon fibre coating feels as if I’m rubbing my hand over the bonnet of a new Mercedes. For someone who...

Gearlab sponsored dou, New Zealander Blake Hornblow and Canadian Tim Hollenberg will embark on a 1,200 km kayaking expedition along the Inside Passage, a network of waterways stretching from northwestern Washington to southeast Alaska.

Kalleq is a big step up from the other Gearlab paddles. It lends itself to more agile paddling, with a more powerful pull right from the get-go. In comparison to other Greenland paddles, I found it to work quite well for maneuver in tight spaces. Although the paddle has a noticeably larger surface area than some of the other Gearlab designs, I didn't have...