Kayaking: Repovesi in Finland 2.-4.7.2010

I did my first longer Kayak trip, two nights. three days and some 45 km paddling. It's a small step for most of us and wasn't too big for me either. I had done a kanoe trip years ago with my friend Timo, so I had pretty good idea what was waiting. I even took a two evening kayak course in late May to make sure I knew the basics...

What I didn't expect was extremely beautiful weather - something not that common in summer in Finland. No wind, +25 degrees Celsius just makes kayaking very enjoyable sport. Topped with good company and food it is a brilliant escape from everything mundane.

Repovesi is one of the national parks in Finland. The water is clear and clean, almost drinkable directly from the lake and defenently good for cooking. Thus, there is not absolute need to carry plenty of water, especially if you are hiking. With a kayak the extra weight is not that big issue.

The kayaks were rented from www.kuutinkolo.com. I selected Dag Miwok, as it had the best storage facilities puls a mesh net on deck. The choice of the kayak was excellent. The Miwok is very stable and easy to paddle with reasonable speed. I liked the kayak so much that I actually bought a Miwok a month later. I'm looking forward to more similar kayak trips with my own Miwok.