Pros: does a good job covering multiple topics, good gear reviews
Cons: only a bi-monthly publication, high subscription price, lots of advertising
The Bottom Line: Purists in any one area may not be happy that their interests aren’t covered exclusively – but for a wide-ranging review, Canoe & Kayak covers the various areas well
Since 1973 Canoe & Kayak magazine has been a guide to the world of adventure, recreational and expedition canoeing and kayaking. Each issue is filled with stories and articles on river trips, destination guides, gear reviews and more.
Basics
Canoe & Kayak is published 6 times a year (bi-monthly) and on the newsstand costs $3.99 - a one-year subscription will cost you $14.95. Each issue is about 120 to 130 pages long and at least half of that is made up of advertisements. The advertisements are scattered throughout the magazine and interspersed in both the small editorial departments and the main articles.
The magazine is broken down into seven main sections, some of which have smaller departments. These include:
Features
You’ll find the full-length cover stories and other main articles of each issue in this section. These stories are generally about 8 to 10 pages in length (with the advertising) and cover diverse stories in the canoe and kayak world – but generally focus on expeditions or river-running adventures. Some recent stories have including running side canyons in the Grand Canyon, a look back at historic Canadian paddles and a geography challenge to see if you can identify the river shown in each picture.
Destinations
Where do you want to go today? Destinations contains articles and stories concerning different destinations for paddlers. These stories are generally 5 to 6 pages in length and focus on different locations paddlers may be interested in visiting. Basic overviews of each area are given, along with some details on the river, lake or route you’d be taking. You’re also given a quick reference guide to the destination, which shows a small map of the area, directions and any necessary information you need to know before you go.
Put In
A collection of three or so articles on various issues in the watersports world – Put In’s articles look at ways of introducing people to paddling and kayaking, along with stories about paddlers and kayakers. Recent stories have included a “where are they know” look at Olympic champions and a program in Manhattan that gets people into kayaks on the Hudson River.
How-To
Looking for an answer to a paddling question? You just might find it in the How-To section of Canoe & Kayak. This section is made up of several articles and reader write-ins that provide many questions about paddling and kayaking. These articles are columns are broken down between shorter question and answer type columns and more in-depth stories on various topics. These longer how-to stories have included articles on coping with capsizing a sea-kayak, how to take advantage of eddying when canoeing a river and how to ride/surf your kayak on river waves.
Departments
This is where the run-of-the-mill magazine sections are found in Canoe & Kayak. You’ll find a look at the issue’s contributors, a letter from the Editor, reader comments and other typical editorial sections.
Gear To Go
You’ll find the gear reviews in this section – generally 3 or 4 major gear or equipment reviews per issue. Recent issues have looked at water shoes and provided buying guides for whitewater canoes and spring accessory guides. These reviews are generally fair (though in the gear buying guides, the descriptions can be somewhat short) and even-handed and provide the reader with a good basis to find what they are looking for.
Resources
Resources round out the rest of the magazine and include the advertisers’ index, a listing of paddling schools, along with other information on shopping and products.
There is also a quick guide to what is available each month on Canoe & Kayak website (http://www.canoekayak.com) and a preview of what’s coming up in the next issue of the magazine.
Worth Reading?
There aren’t many general purpose canoe and kayak magazines out there that attempt to cover the wide variety of topics that this magazine does. Canoe & Kayak does an admirable job with this task – anyone with an interest in canoeing or kayaking should be able to find a story, a how-to guide, or a gear review that should interest them.
Purists in any one area may not be happy that their specific interests aren’t covered exclusively – but for a wide-ranging look at all the various things you can do (whitewater, slow-water, lake paddling, expedition-type trips, and more), Canoe & Kayak adequately covers the various areas. Plus the gear guides that they publish, along with their gear reviews are indispensable for almost any reader who purchases goods.
Final Thoughts
I’ve never had a subscription to Canoe & Kayak, but I have picked it up throughout the years – more so when I was actively doing a lot of canoeing and kayaking, less so nowadays when I don’t get into the water that often. However whenever I do get a chance, the magazine is a enjoyable read for me (and makes me want to go out and get that kayak I’ve been eying at REI).
Anyone with an interest in the paddling world should find something that will grab their attention in the pages of Canoe & Kayak.
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