Oru Kayak, Portability Inspired by Origami
Posted on April 14, 2013 by
Imagine the downsides of owning a kayak: lack of space to store it; needing an expensive car rack to transport it; having to portage it back and forth along with the rest of your gear. Oru Kayak eliminates all of those problems. A new San Francisco based company, Oru Kayak was initially launched on Kickstarter.com and successfully reached 500% of its project funding goal.
The Oru Kayak is constructed out of corrugated plastic with reinforced structural members, and is modeled after the concept of origami. The craft folds down into a portable art portfolio sized case when not in use. With practice, it is easily assembled/disassembled in 5 minutes. Fully functional with a weight capacity of 260 lbs, it also accomodates standard spray skirts and dry bags. The carrying case will also fit a life vest and a 3 or 4 piece breakdown paddle. It is meant for flat water and mild waves, so don't think about taking one of these into any class V rapids.
The Oru Kayak is $850. Pre-orders are being accepted at www.orukayak.com.
SPECS:
BOAT the Oru Kayak is 12’ long, 25” wide, and 13” high. The cockpit is reinforced, and the seat and backrest are padded.
CASE the Oru Kayak becomes its own carrying case (33"x29"x10"), with space to hold a life vest, paddle, and other accessories.
MATERIALS The origami skin is manufacturer-rated for 20,000 fold cycles without structural failure.
SUSTAINABILITY The Oru Kayak is fully recyclable, and uses 70% less petroleum to manufacture than a standard kayak.
DURABILITY The double-layered plastic hull is extremely tough and abrasion-resistant. With normal care, it will last for years.
Available from:
