This Little Piggy… Vibram FiveFingers Gear Review

Vibram FiveFingers (KSO Model)
Greg’s Gear Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I am often asked “backchannel” for gear reviews on the equipment that I use on both my expeditions and for everyday paddling trips. Please watch my blog for future reviews and send me email if you wish to see a particular item reviewed. I will indicate any conflicts of interest (sponsorships, etc) and do my best to provide an informative review.

The Good

• Low volume fit is great for SOF kayaks and other tight boats.
• Models with an instep strap stay “stuck” to your feet (even in thick muck).
• Razor-cut soles offer excellent traction, even on wet surfaces.
• Soles are thick enough for common hazards yet thin enough for dexterity (such as operating butterfly rudder controls)
• Walking “barefoot” while in public feels sinfully good (you even leave a nice “barefoot” footprint).

The Bad

• Sand is bad news. When walking in water, fine suspended sand can pack tightly around your toes and badly abrade your skin if not removed.
• Due to the toe pockets you can’t use the shoes with any kind of drysuit that features integral socks.
• Tight fit makes it difficult for your feet to dry so these are not the best après-kayak shoes.
• It takes some practice until you can don them quickly.
• Expect to hear “Dude, what’s that you got on your feet”, very often…. 🙂

I have to admit that when I first saw Vibram FiveFingers at Canoecopia in 2007  I uttered “Puleeze” under my breath. My favorite backpacking boots have always featured stout Vibram soles but the FiveFingers looked like a gimmick. I changed my tune, however, after using them and now they are often my “go-to” shoe for warm-weather kayaking. FiveFingers are snug-fitting, stretchy, low-volume, minimalist shoes with individual toe pockets that come in a variety of styles and feature razor-cut soles for traction. If you love going barefoot you will love FiveFingers. Vibram claims that wearing FiveFingers and “stimulating the muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception”.

I have always used stiff-soled water-shoes for comfort and support while kayaking with the square, Yakima-type kayak footpegs that are common on most touring yaks (such as my NDK Greenlander Pro). However when I began training with race-oriented kayaks and surfskis I had difficulty operating the rudder pedals. Kayaks, such as my Epic 18x, have a wide, angled carbon foot bar for heel support and have the rudder pedals hinged above the bar.  I quickly discovered that my stiff shoes were not only unnecessary but also lacked the agility to operate the pedals. I briefly tried paddling barefoot but needed some protection from rocks and glass. FiveFingers to the rescue! These shoes have just enough protection and provide impressive dexterity. FiveFingers have very little bulk so they readily fit into a tight Skin on Frame kayak or other low-volume boats.

I prefer the KSO (Keep Stuff Out) model that features a mesh panel covering the top of the shoe and a strap to keep them securely in place. For cooler climates the “Flow” model features thin neoprene construction. Users of SOF kayaks may find this model more comfortable, especially if you need to slide your feet under tight deckbeams and require padding on the tops of your feet. Be warned that it takes some time to learn how to get all your piggies into their proper pockets.  I found this frustrating at first. These are not  the shoes that you would reach for if your house was on fire! The toe pockets separate and spread your toes slightly, that is purported to be healthy. I found the sensation a bit odd at first but I quickly got used to it.  The sole is very thin but is sufficient to protect from common debris. That said, the soles and construction are not stout enough or protective enough for expedition kayaking and, of course, the toe pockets and tight fit would not work with the integral socks of a typical drysuit.

For kayaking day trips in warm climates FiveFingers are very comfortable with the notable exception that in areas of fine sand, wading can cause suspended grit to enter the shoes. The sand can easily become impacted around your toes and can cause painful abrasions if not promptly removed. At the end of the day my feet have the appearance of a white, shriveled prune, from the tight fit so I prefer to take them off when I climb out of the kayak and slip into something looser to allow my feet to dry.

Unless you are comfortable, say, wearing a kilt in public you might feel a bit silly walking into a restaurant in your FiveFingers. Over time I have grown much less self-conscious wearing my FiveFingers but it’s undeniable that they garner attention and are great conversations starters.

For the right applications I give FiveFingers a “thumb’s up”.

For the record I am not sponsored by Vibram, however I do sell FiveFingers at Travel Country Outdoors, where I work. 

Chocolate Elvis….

Today I biked 32 miles, getting up early to beat the afternoon heat and the intense thunderstorms that define the sub-tropics of central Florida. My favorite trail winds around low rolling hills and orange groves and past huge oaks draped with beards of Spanish moss that sway in the hot breeze. Hidden among the hills are an amazing number of lakes.  Today’s ride was unremarkable, although I did have to swerve to miss a six-foot corn snake that was fully stretched across the path to absorb the intense heat.

Each year I have to become re acclimated to the heat of Florida.  It was really bad in past years when I returned from my circumnavigations of Iceland and Newfoundland, being adapted to much cooler weather,  to face the August Florida heat. In mid-summer it stays hot even at night, although the mornings and frequent rain showers provide some relief. The heat wraps around you and saturates you. It almost suffocates you.  When I finish a good paddle or ride, I can literally ring the sweat out of my clothes.

Thank God there’s Elvis to the rescue — a chocolate Elvis smoothie that is!  I was turned on to this concoction by Rod Price, one of my kayak/canoe race training buddies. I prepare one when I return from a paddle or ride.  The first sip is heaven, I let it roll around my mouth and parched throat. It’s cold, delicious and has become one of my favorite recovery drinks. I’m so addicted to these smoothies that I had to spread the world:

Chocolate Elvis Smoothie
Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
• 6 fl oz of milk (experiment with plain yogurt too)
  
• 1 fresh Banana
• 4-6 ice cubes

Directions

Combine all ingredients except for the ice in a blender and spin until smooth. Add the ice and blend again. Pour into your favorite 8 oz glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:

Fat 10.7g
Carbohydrates: 52.1g
Calories: 332.8
Protein: 11.8g 

So what has this got to do with Elvis? Elvis was a huge fan of fried “peanut butter and nanner” sandwiches. I think I’ll stick to the smoothie instead…

Paying the Piper — On Finding Meaningful Work

Back in Newfoundland for a visit, June 2009, retracing some of the steps from my circumnavigation.
Long trips are great but you eventually have to go home…

I love long kayaking expeditions. On such a trip you fully live each day and live for the moment. However, you can’t spend your entire life on what amounts to a glorified vacation. Eventually you have to return home and pay the piper.

One of my biggest challenges has been finding meaningful work. By that I mean work that pays well, work that stokes passion and leaves you energized instead of drained, and allows ample time for adventures, be that hiking the AT or paddling around some large land mass. Some people search for such a “calling” their entire life. Some lucky people find it or, more likely, stumble upon it — probably since few of us understand what we *really* need.  If you do know, then you are miles ahead of the pack.

If you follow my blog you know that I walked away from a comfortable salary working as a software engineer/project manager, to find the right blend of kayaking, teaching, sales, helping people, and application of my software/managerial skills, that would ignite all of my passions. I also knew that I would always have regrets if I did not pursue long kayaking expeditions.

I would like to report that I have found nirvana, but I’m still in active transition — “a work in progress”.  I went from a position with high pay and low satisfaction to a position with good satisfaction and humble pay.  Whereas before I couldn’t get the time off, now the challenge is affording the trips.  I made the decision that was right for me, but not everyone should leave their day job.

Linda Bartlett, my dear friend and long-distance partner, has probably heard more of my telephone drivel than she can stand, on this subject of work/life/passion/balance. She recently shared with me a link from Penelope Trunk http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/09/29/how-to-find-meaningful-work/ that addresses this topic. It strongly resonated with me, I hope you find it useful advice as well.

Following are a few notable excerpts:

 “1. Take care of yourself-have the basics covered.
The most important thing about making meaningful work is that if you are always worried about paying rent, it’s very hard to add goodness back to the rest of the world. Giving back to the world requires a sense of personal well-being and stability that only people who have a roof over their head can manage.

2. Take care of your work-make sure your job doesn’t suck.
Work doesn’t give your life meaning. The idea that your happiness correlates to your satisfaction with your work is misguided. What you need from work is to make sure it’s not undermining your ability to create sanity in your life.  Work is a way to get sanity, to make sure you are growing and you feel secure while you do it. Here’s what you need from a job to get that:

* A short, predictable commute
* Workflow you can manage
* Clear goals that are challenging
* Two co-workers you’re close friends with

So stop using your search for meaning as an excuse for not getting a job. Life is loaded with meaning, if you would just start living it. And, as an adult, that means engaging in ANY kind of work that we can do well”

Excellent advice from Penelope and quite different than either the New Age “follow your bliss” blather, or the old school “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” advice of my youth. I’d love to hear your comments.

Ahhh, Baja!

Greg Playing in a Baja Rock Garden.

La Bufadora Blowhole. One of the most spectacular in the world!

Pals Nigel Foster and Russell Farrow

Our “tent village”. Perched on a cliff overlooking the beautiful Pacific.

Many thanks to Jen Kleck and Jake Stachovak of Aqua Adventures for flying me in to coach in San Diego at the Southwest Kayak Symposium . This was my first time teaching in Southern California and it was good to make acquaintance with a number of people that I have corresponded with, including members of the Greenland-style community such as Duane Strosaker and others. I taught a mix of both Greenland-style skills and “Euro” skills using a narrow Greenland paddle. Kudos to Jen for understanding that these skills are not mutually exclusive. I enjoyed the students in all of my classes!

Symposiums, for those on the “circuit”, is akin to being part of a diverse, entertaining and sometimes, …..well…, gloriously dysfunctional family. It is amazing to travel over the world and share the experience with a collection of special friends. The catch, of course, is that you don’t see these friends very often, but that is partially what makes the experience so special. Fellow Floridian and paddling buddy Russell Farrow, of Sweetwater Kayaks (Clearwater, Florida), was there, along with Nigel Foster, Steve Maynard, (born to be wild) Phil Hadley, Tom Bergh, Sean Morely and a number of other colorful characters.

Following the symposium a number of us assembled a rag-tag convoy of kayaks and gear and headed south. We pushed past the noise and chaos of Tijuana on our way to La Bufadora in Baja, Mexico, a small tourist town located about 17 miles south of Ensenada, at the end of the Punta Banda peninsula. We saw no sign of the recent violence, probably due to the fairly heavy military presence. Along the Transpeninsular highway were a number of checkpoints manned by troops in full battle regalia including Hummers outfitted with machine guns.

The roadside taco and tamale stands were fantastic and extremely inexpensive. We stopped in Ensenada for critical supplies (…meaning Negro Modelo cerveza) and soon afterward rolled into La Bufadora. Our camp, on a high bluff, overlooked a fabulous rock garden close to “the Blowhole”, one of the largest in the world and capable of spewing water 80 ft above sea level. A blowhole, or “marine geyser” is produced when the ocean swell pushes water into a sea cave and is compressed with air drawn down a natural “pipe” from the surface, the result of a pumping action caused by the receding water of the previous swell. The air/water mix has nowhere to go, is compressed and explodes, accompanied by a tremendous roar, “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUSH”, sounding ominously like coming from a gigantic beast trapped inside the cave.

Our time in Baja was spent playing in rock gardens, sea caves and pour-overs during the day, relaxing in the sun, and sampling the local spiced tequila at night. One “interesting” incident for me was a result of mistiming the swell. I was in my kayak behind a saddle-shaped rock encrusted with razor-sharp mussel shells, waiting for a suitable surge to carry me over.  Finally I felt the bottom drop beneath me and I sprinted forward, expecting the following surge to carry me clear. The expected surge didn’t materialize and my bow grated against hard rock and shell. I came to rest with my bow hanging well over the rock and perched at a precipitously steep angle. The water receded and with nothing to brace against, I capsized. I was high and dry and fully tucked forward.  I again waited for a suitable surge in this very awkward position, my body only inches away from the mussels.  Very soon a large swell lifted the kayak, I rolled up, and was carried clear — fortunately without my body touching either rock or shells!

One hilarious highlight one evening was Phil Hadley taking over the microphone at the local bar (Phil was once the lead singer for a rock band), and Russell Farrow, on lead guitar, jamming with the house band to a very energetic (not to mention profane) version of “Born to be Wild”. Words just can’t describe it…. 🙂

If you get the chance to go to Baja, go!  The desert climate is fantastic, the paddling is superb and the tequila — well, I’ll leave that one for you to decide…

Gothenburg, Sweden

I am currently teaching Greenland kayaking skills in Gothenburg, Sweden, care of Johan and Sara Wagner of Escape Kajakcenter.  Classes will run until November 2 — if you are in the area, please stop by to say hello!

To date I have given lectures of my Newfoundland and Iceland circumnavigations and have been working with students to help perfect their forward stroke, bracing, directional strokes and other skills with a Greenland paddle. The weather has been cool and breezy. Today Johan and I crossed to Nidingen Island (a bird sanctuary off the coast with Denmark barely visible in the distance).  During the 25K paddle we experienced F5-6 headwinds, sun, rain, hail and our own private lunch table high atop the lighthouse. The return trip was fast and fun with strong following seas.

In addition to kayaking I will be visiting some of the local museums and look forward to viewing both historical kayaks as well as old Norse and Viking boats.  Tackar så mycket Sara and Johan for your fine hospitality!

Please view my photo gallery from Sweden.

Lost in Iceland

My life has been a flurry of actively since the completion of my solo Newfoundland expedition, including teaching at the Qajaq TC Michigan Training Camp, Maine Island Kayak Company’s  New England Intermediate Rough Water Symposium and even returning to Newfoundland to visit again. This week I teach at the Delmarva Retreat (America’s largest Greenland-style event) and following I will be teaching in Sweden at the Escape Kajakcenter from October 23 – November 2.

I still haven’t even settled into home since my Newfoundland trip ended and am still dealing with all the re-acclimation issues that follow a long trip. It seemed to hit me harder this time — but that’s a story for another day…

The October 2008 Issue of Sea Kayaker Magazine contains my article, “Lost in Iceland” — about my record-setting circumnavigation of Iceland in 2007 with German kayaker Freya Hoffmeister.

I find most trip articles (travelogues) difficult to read, so this article was meant to be something very different. It is a very personal account of my struggle to bust out of my safe but confining “cubicle” in the corporate world, to seek a life that I am more passionate about. I found it a very difficult article to write.

I have received some very good feedback from readers about the article. Initially I wasn’t quite sure if people would “get it”, or if it was too personal and too honest to be relevant in a kayaking magazine, but the following short review from  Mark Rainsley in the UK Rivers Guidebook forum eased my mind and made me laugh out loud; (thanks Mark!)

“It’s a Totally Scientific fact that all sea kayaking articles are Incredibly Boring, albeit each in their own distinct way.However, I’ve just read Greg Stamer’s account of that trip (in Sea Kayaker Magazine), and it’s great! Riveting stuff, highly recommended.”

I hope that you enjoy the article!

A few Images of Newfoundland

I have many hundreds of images to process but until I return home and have time to edit them, here are a few to give you a teaser of what a beautiful and special place that Newfoundland is.  I can understand why many travelers say that a part of Newfoundland always remains in their heart. 
Images copyright, Greg Stamer, 2008

Final Trip Stats

Following are my trip statistics. I’ll also put a gear list together, along with a list of what gear worked and what gear didn’t make the grade.

Total distance paddled: 2102K (1306 miles)
Daily average: 60.05K (37.3 miles)
Longest day: 93K (57.8 miles)
Shortest day (aborted crossing of Trinity Bay): 27K (16.7 miles)
Total days: 44
Paddling days: 35
Weather/Rest days: 9

Many hundreds of whales, dolphins and blowspouts! Two sharks and two sunfish. And of course, and most important, too many life-changing memories to list…

Finished! Around the Rock in 44 days

Today was borderline for the final crossing — gusty headwinds and choppy seas. The conditions weren’t unsafe but were a difficult slog with the kayak pounding hard and “buckets” of water frequently hitting my face and chest. At 8:00PM, after 12 hours and 63K I approached Quidi Vidi (pronounced “kiddie viddie”) where I started my trip 44 days ago.  Just outside of the rocky, narrow fishing harbor I was met and escorted in by two kayakers from KNL (Kayak Newfoundland Labrador). It brought a smile to my face as did seeing the KNL members who gathered in the harbor and cheered as I took my last paddle strokes. Many thanks to everyone who participated, it really warmed my heart!

It felt strange to unload the kayak and split up my gear. It felt like disbanding a “team”. This gear has been my sole material world for so long that it hasn’t fully sunk in that I won’t be repacking it again early in the morning to push toward another distant destination.  That said, tonight I am looking forward to falling into a real bed!

Tomorrow will be interesting — an interview on National TV.  It’s past midnight and I need rest, however over the next few days I’ll post some of my thoughts and reflections of the trip and start going through my photos.  For everyone who followed me virtually on this adventure, I appreciate your support, comments and well wishes.

Karel and Derrick; many thanks for your weather reports, Google maps and blogging.  You did a great job!  Many thanks to Neil and Isabelle for being such fine hosts. I fly home next Tuesday. Until then I’ll relax, enjoy a long soak in a hot tub,  beer, meet friends, beer, get a massage, and maybe beer ;^)

New: here are a few audio and video clips of my reception at Qidi Vidi:

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-audio/nl-kayaker-ftr-20080729.rm  (audio)
http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/nl-kayak-arrival-20080729.rm  (video)
http://www.cbc.ca/clips/mov/nl-kayak-arrival-20080729.mov (video)

 Greg

another crossing