Every kayak has an origin story. In the best designs, that raison d'être is described in every detail, from the hull shape and material choice to the placement of hatches and deck fittings. So it is ...

Picture this: Two wildland firefighters on their day off, racing back upstream to beat the setting sun, with an 5 a.m. start time for the next day, dragging an inflatable kayak up the last shallow ...