The Portable Kayak That Changes Shape | 5 TRAK Questions Answered

Is the track kayak really worth the price tag? Can you actually trust a folding kayak to last and to deal with rough conditions? And am I a good enough paddler to consider a track kayak? These are some of the questions that I get the most often and in this video I'm answering these questions and more. I'm Ken Wedding and this is Paddle TV where you'll find gear reviews and paddling tips all designed to help you have a better and safer time on the water. And in this video we're talking about a very unique kayak, the track kayak. Now if you've been following my channel or if you spent any time looking at portable touring kayaks there's a good chance you know about the track kayak and there's also a very good chance that you've got some questions about it because it's a big purchase. And on top of that there's no other kayak like it. And so that's what this video is about. It's about answering the top questions that people have about track kayaks with the goal of helping you decide whether or not it's the right kayak for you. To put the answers I'm going to give you into context, I've been paddling the track kayak for about 20 years and I've taken them around the world. I've used it in a variety of conditions from calm touring to serious rough water. I've also broken one and I've repaired one. Bottom line is I've used the track enough to really know how it works and what it does well and what what are its limitations. And so let's dive right in and answer the first question that people often have about the track kayak. Why is the track kayak more expensive than many other sea kayaks? It's a good question because the track currently sells for $4,250 US dollars. That's an expensive kayak. But the question is how does it price compare to other kayaks in the same class? That class being high performance sea kayaks. Well it definitely costs more than comparable plastic sea kayaks. You can expect both rotamolded or thermoformed plastic sea kayaks to cost between $2,000 to $3,000 US dollars. But when you compare it to composite sea kayaks, kayaks made from materials like fiberglass, carbon, or kevlar, the pricing looks a lot better. Fiberglass sea kayaks typically cost between $3,000 to $4,500 US dollars while carbon or kevlar sea kayaks range between $4,000 to $7,000 US dollars. And so at $4,250 the track kayak sits right in the middle price range for composite kayaks. But is that where it belongs? What do you get when you upgrade from a plastic sea kayak to a composite sea kayak? You get a kayak that's lighter and that's higher performing because it's lighter but also because it's stiffer and smoother and glides through the water really well. And on top of that I think most people would agree that composite kayaks are just cool looking. They're beautiful boats. Now what do you get with the track kayak that makes it worth the premium price? Well for one it's a 16-foot sea kayak that folds down into a rolling travel bag so you can throw it in the back of your vehicle, store it in a closet, and even fly with it. But on top of that you're getting the most versatile kayak in the world because it does something that no other kayak does. It lets you adjust the rocker which is the curvature of the kayak when you look at it from the side. And now this allows you to use the kayak with virtually no rocker so that it travels fast and tracks extremely well. Or you can use the hydraulic jacks to give it a lot of rocker which makes it ultra maneuverable and great for rough water conditions. Now are those upgrades worth it? Well for me the answer is absolutely. Even though I don't need a portable kayak because I lack the ability to transport it or store a full-size kayak like many people do, I really value the fact that I can travel around the world with a high performance 16-foot sea kayak. Even more so, I really value the fact that I can adjust the rocker to optimize the kayak for the different conditions I'm going to be paddling in. Now if the track's portability isn't important to you and if the boat's versatility that comes from the adjustable rocker isn't a big selling point, then there's a good chance the track likely won't be worth the price to you or rather there's probably a different kayak that's best suited for you. So the next question to answer is how durable is the track kayak? Once again it's a very fair question because when you hear folding kayak or skin-on-frame kayak, it's easy to imagine something fragile that you're constantly worried about damaging. So let's be clear, the track is not as indestructible as a rotomolded plastic kayak. Rotomolded kayaks are like big Tupperware containers that can take a lot of of use and abuse but that doesn't mean the track isn't durable. I've paddled track kayaks in some pretty demanding places over the years. I've had them in heavy surf, I've taken them through big whitewater, I've paddled them around jagged ice and I've scraped them down shallow rivers. I've also air traveled with them all over the place which is probably where they get the get beaten up the most but overall I've been really impressed by what they can handle. The skin and the frame are both surprisingly tough and can handle regular use very well but they're not going to handle abuse like a rotomolded kayak which is how I damaged my track the first time. I actually broke one of the jacks while running a small waterfall because a rock hit the jack from underneath. In my defense that was the first track I owned around 20 years ago and track actually sent me that kayak to test and to see if I could actually break it. It took a waterfall to do that. Of course that's not what they're designed for at all but it was great to be able to see how far I could push the kayak before something actually broke. The only other time I've done damage to a track was when I drove the boat up on an oyster bed while surfing a wave. Now if you've ever dealt with oyster beds or barnacles you know how brutally sharp they can be and so it wasn't a huge surprise that I put a small hole in the skin. But here's the important part. A small puncture in a track isn't the end of the world. In fact one of the advantages of this type of kayak is that repairs can be surprisingly straightforward. For a quick fix, which is what I did, I just used some type A tape repair tape. But for a permanent fix you can patch it very easily just like you'd patch an inflatable kayak. Bottom line the track is very durable for a high performance portable kayak which is why Track offers a seven-year warranty which I've never heard another company offer before. But that's because the parts are strong and it's well made but it doesn't mean the track can handle hard use. You have to be sensible with it. Like don't be dragging the boat around on the ground. Don't drive the boat onto shallows with sharp rocks or barnacles and don't run waterfalls with them. This is going to be a limiting factor for some people because some people want a kayak they can do anything with or do anything to. There was a time when I was that person. And so if that's you get yourself a rotamolded plastic kayak. Next up does the track kayak really perform as well as a hardshell kayak and is it safe to use in rough conditions? For many people this is the most important question because having a portable sea kayak with adjustable rocker loses its shine if the kayak doesn't perform well or can't be relied on in rough conditions. And the answer is yes. The track does perform comparably to a hardshell kayak and it's absolutely capable and safe for a rough water paddling. And this is one of the biggest differentiators between the track and other portable sea kayaks. I'm not just saying that. This comes from years of using the track kayak in a wide variety of conditions including testing it in some very rough conditions like big white water, large ocean surf and some nasty storm conditions. People often find this hard to believe because most portable kayaks don't perform as well as hardshell kayaks for two reasons. Either the hull design is compromised to make the kayak portable or the outfitting is compromised to make it portable. That's not the case with the track. Although the soft hull does feel a little different than a hardshell. It retains the same performance characteristics. It also enjoys very typical outfitting for a sea kayak and while the outfitting is a little more basic than some, it still provides great contact and boat control. Now all that being said, I gotta come back to the fact that you can adjust the rocker of this kayak and that's a total game changer because it means you can actually perform much better than hardshell sea kayaks in conditions that those hardshell kayaks aren't optimized for. The track is also better for rough water than the vast majority of sea kayaks because you can give it so much rocker. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can give it more rocker than any other sea kayak has, at least that I can think of. Now a few things to keep in mind if you're going to take this boat into rough water paddling. In order for the track to be safe in rough conditions or anytime you're paddling further from shore than you comfortably swim, you need to have flotation in the kayak which is why you get two flotation bags with the track. This flotation makes it much easier to deal with if you do end up flipping and swimming. You might even want to consider getting a sea sock which track sells as an accessory. The other thing I would definitely recommend upgrading to if you plan to paddle in rough conditions are the aggressive thigh hooks because they give you better control for edging and for rolling. You'll also want to get the hip pads so that you have better contact with the boat. That brings us to the next question does the track have any storage capability? This is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about the track because it doesn't have the normal hatches that you see on hardshell sea kayaks and so a lot of people assume it has no storage but it does have storage. It just works differently. The track comes with two large gear flotation bags, one for the bow and one for the stern. These are dry bags that also act as flotation for the kayak so you can pack your overnight gear into them, seal them up, slide them into the ends of the kayak and then use the blow valves to finish inflating the bags. It's a cool system because the bags keep your gear dry and provide flotation for your kayak in case you go for a swim. Now is this system as convenient as having hard hatches? No, it's definitely not as convenient and you have to be smarter about how you pack things into the bag, putting the things you you want easiest access to in last so that you can get at them first. If something you need does get buried deep inside one of the bags you'll probably find yourself pulling the bag out to get to it and possibly cursing a little. So it's a little less convenient and definitely less storage than some of the higher capacity sea kayaks but that's part of the trade-off of having a 16-foot sea kayak with adjustable rocker that you pack into a travel bag. There's also access behind the seat through the keter system which is another thing a lot of people don't realize. That space can be useful for things you want access to more easily. I'll typically use the gear flotation bags for all the gear I know I won't need access to until I get to camp. Anything I think I'll want to access throughout the day I'll put in a secondary smaller dry bag immediately behind the seat or in front of my foot pegs or under the bungees on the deck of the kayak if it's light. The key is to think differently about packing but the bottom line is that you do have enough storage for multi-day trips if you pack smart. If you want to kayak for a long expedition with tons of gear, probably not the right boat. A full-size expedition sea kayak with large hatches is more suitable. And that brings us to the final question which is probably the most important one. Who should actually buy a track kayak? Because at the end of the day even though the track is a very cool kayak it's not the right kayak for everyone. So who's it for? Well first and foremost the track is for someone who wants a high performance sea kayak but also needs or really values a portability. And that can mean a few different things. Maybe you live in an apartment and don't have a place to store a 16-foot sea kayak. Maybe you drive a small vehicle and don't want to mess around with roof racks. Or maybe like me you simply love the idea of being able to bring a legitimate sea kayak almost anywhere in the world. But I also think the track is for someone who wants one kayak that can do a lot of things really well. And I say a lot of things because no kayak truly does everything perfectly. But the track gets closer than just about any kayak I've paddled because of the adjustable rocker system. You can set it up flatter for speed and tracking and long touring days or you can give it a lot of rocker for rough water, surf, current, rock gardens or just more playful paddling. That means the track is a great fit for someone who doesn't want to outgrow their kayak. Because a lot of people buy a kayak that fits what they're doing right now, which makes sense. But if you really get into paddling, your needs often change. You start paddling further. You start paddling in rougher conditions or you start wanting a kayak that edges better, handles better, rolls better. That's where the track is really interesting because it's not a kayak you're going to outgrow. In fact, it's the type of kayak that can actually encourage you to build your skills because it has the performance and the outfitting to let you do that. Now, does that mean the track is a good beginner kayak? Well, yes and no. It's not designed as a beginner kayak. It's 22 and a half inches wide and so it's not going to feel as stable as a wider recreational kayak. So if you're a beginner who really doesn't like the idea of flipping, this probably is not the kayak I'd recommend. For what I'd call an adventurous beginner, someone who knows they want to get into touring, they want a higher performing kayak, they want to build their paddling skills and probably take some lessons, learn rescues and eventually paddle beyond flat water, then the track can make a lot of sense. You just need to understand that you're buying a kayak you'll grow into, not a kayak that's going to feel super stable and confidence inspiring on day one. The track is also for someone who values performance and connection to their kayak. If you want to edge, brace, roll, wear a spray skirt and feel connected to the boat, the track gives you that. That's one of the reasons it performs so differently than most portable kayaks. You're not just sitting on it like a passenger, you can actually control it like a sea kayak. It's also worth mentioning that track is a relatively small company that's built around this one very unique kayak and that comes with some advantages. You're not just buying a random boat from a giant company, you're buying into a family and with that you get support, replacement parts and a warranty that's much longer than what you typically see in the industry. And this all matters if you're thinking of this as a long-term purchase. Bottom line, it's not the right kayak for everyone but for the right person it might be the best kayak you'll ever own. So those are the top five questions I get about track kayaks. Now I'd love to hear from you. If you paddled track, what do you think? What do you love about it? What don't you love about it? And if you're considering one, what questions do you still have? Leave those in the comment section down below and if you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, subscribe to PaddleTV if you haven't already and stay tuned because I've got lots more gear reviews, paddling tips and paddling adventures coming your way. See you next time either here at PaddleTV or on my other channel at Ken Whiting Adventures.