When you’re out sea kayaking, it’s likely that you might stop for a break on a beach. The Tupik Kayaker Fly provides shelter from the sun when you do, by quickly attaching to two kayaks and their paddles.
Developed by Taiwanese paddle manufacturer Gearlab Outdoors, the UV-resistant Tupik stuffs down into a single sack when not in use.
Once two of your group’s kayaks have been pulled up onto the sand and laid parallel to one another, the device is pulled out of that sack and anchored to them. Three adjustable-length straps run from each side of the fly to each kayak, quickly clipping onto the boats’ bow and stern grab loops at either end, and the deck cargo bungee in the middle.
The two paddles are then added into the mix, to hold the Tupik up off the ground. Each paddle stands vertically, with the top blade inserted into one of two “socks” that are attached to either end of the shelter, and the bottom blade wedged into the sand. The entire set-up (and teardown) process is claimed to take about 90 seconds, and doesn’t require pounding any tent pegs into the ground.
A complete rig is claimed to weigh 928 g (33 oz), covering an area measuring 330 by 265 cm (130 by 104 in). Optional extras include a slackline that allows gear to be hung inside the shelter from integrated loops, and three sand bag anchors that can be used in place of one of the kayaks by solo paddlers.
The Tupik Kayaker Fly is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where a pledge of US$79 will get you one – the planned retail price is $129. It’s demonstrated in the video below.