Our "Fit me 4 Free" inquiry form is designed to elicit all the info we need in order to give you sound advice regarding most of your specific kayak and paddle gear needs.

Please fill out the form and let us know what you're interested in, and any specific questions you might have. With the info in the form, we'll be better equipped to give you advice that will hopefully be worth more than you paid for it!

If you're interested in generic paddle advice on paddle trips in Alaska etc., there are a few resources you might want to consult that should help in your expedition paddle planning.

#1. Southeast Alaska Current Atlas
Grenville Channel to Skagway
by Randael Washburne
Publisher: Weatherly Press (1989)
Language: English
ISBN: 0935727051

This is the best resource for route planning as it will give you info on maximum current strengths etc. through all the inlets and fjords in the Inside Passage

#2. Nautical Chart No.1 NOAA
United State of America
Nautical Chart Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms ASIN: B0000AXU2C
If you aren't familiar with the symbols used on Nautical Charts, this is the book that will help you decipher them well enough to plan a trip anyplace that NOAA charts are used for navigation.

#3. Marine Atlas Volume 2 Port Hardy to Skagway
Published by Bayless Enterprises and distributed by
Fisheries Supply Company
Seattle WA 98103

This book may well be out of print, since I couldn't find any reference to it at Amazon.com, but if you can find one, it's a good resources for being able to do route planning throughout Southeast Alaska without having to buy every single chart just to do it. Though you should eventually buy the charts you need before embarking on your trip, this Atlas gives a broad overview of the entire Inside Passage and should provide enough detail so that you can at least narrow down your paddle route.

Re: Communications while paddling in Southeast Alaska

I strongly recommend that anyone embarking on an expedition kayak voyage in Southeast Alaska carry a handheld 5 Watt VHF radio and be familiar with it's use and functioning. Most parts of Southeast Alaska do not have cell service, so marine band VHF radios are the best and cheapest way to have an emergency calling device with you. (Sat phones work, but are still pretty pricey, and often don't work too well under heavy tree cover at these latitudes.)

VHF radios are also invaluable in that you can tune in marine weather updates at will. Be sure to buy a VHF that takes Nicad batteries, and not just a rechargeable battery, since you'll want to be able to just drop a few extra AA batteries in it when 100 miles from the nearest town instead of trying to figure a way to get to an outlet to charge up your radio!