This is the Vik 3.8 Pro Folding Kayak, as the name suggests, it’s a kayak that can be folded down, and in this case it can be folded down into a backpack for easy carrying.
Folding kayaks like this can open up a whole new world of adventures, as those lakes in the mountains that you have to hike to can now be explored on the water, rather than just around the shoreline.
Folding kayaks like this can open up a whole new world of adventures, as those lakes in the mountains that you have to hike to can now be explored on the water, rather than just around the shoreline.
History Speedrun: CLR Outdoor
CLR Outdoor GmbH was founded by product designer Daniel Schult and Constanze Lenau back in 2022, though Schult began developing folding kayak designs as early as 2018. The idea originated from a simple problem – Schult lived in a small Berlin apartment without a car and wanted a kayak he could transport by bicycle.
His first prototype was built from hardware store materials, and years of iteration followed before the company brought a production-ready kayak to market. Today, CLR Outdoor operates from a 900 square meter production facility on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany equipped with its own CNC cutter, metal workshop, and direct waterfront access for on-site testing.
Every kayak is cut, assembled, and inspected by hand at this facility before being shipped out to customers around the world.
The Vik 3.8 Pro Folding Kayak
The folding kayak has existed in one form or another for well over a century, but the practical challenges of the concept, things like floppy hulls, complicated assembly, leaks, and compromised on-water performance, have kept it a niche product.
The Vik 3.8 Pro’s hull is constructed from a recycled polypropylene sheet coated with EPDM rubber for waterproofing and impact protection. The structural frame uses powder-coated aluminum sections that lock into place with quick-release aluminum alloy fasteners and a ratchet-based closure system that CLR developed in-house.
Berlin-based CLR Outdoor has worked to solve these problems while developing the Vik 3.8 Pro as a single-seat folding kayak that packs down into a backpack-sized package and assembles into a rigid, 3.8-meter touring boat without any tools.
The Vik 3.8 Pro’s hull is constructed from a recycled polypropylene sheet coated with EPDM rubber for waterproofing and impact protection. The structural frame uses powder-coated aluminum sections that lock into place with quick-release aluminum alloy fasteners and a ratchet-based closure system that CLR developed in-house.
The result is a hull that doesn’t flex or ripple on the water, behaving more like a traditional rigid kayak than a folding one. Assembled dimensions are 380cm (149 inches) long by 70cm (27.5 inches) wide, with a total load capacity of 120 kgs (264 lbs) including the paddler and their gear.
At 12 kgs (26.5 lbs), the Vik 3.8 Pro is light enough for one person to carry comfortably on their back when hiking, and when broken down, it folds down to 70 cm x 55 cm x 16 cm (27.6 inches × 21.7 inches × 6.3 inches) – compact enough to fit in a car trunk, on a bike trailer, or on a train’s luggage rack.
At 12 kgs (26.5 lbs), the Vik 3.8 Pro is light enough for one person to carry comfortably on their back when hiking, and when broken down, it folds down to 70 cm x 55 cm x 16 cm (27.6 inches × 21.7 inches × 6.3 inches) – compact enough to fit in a car trunk, on a bike trailer, or on a train’s luggage rack.
The seat doubles as the backpack carrying system when the kayak is folded, so no separate bag is needed. Assembly is tool-free and takes under five minutes with practice, you unfold the single polypropylene panel, set the aluminum ribs into their locking positions, and tighten the ratchets down.
The Vik 3.8 Pro Folding Kayak is now available to buy in the USA from Huckberry and it comes in any color you like, so long as it’s black. You can visit the store listing here to read more or place an order.
Images courtesy of CLR Outdoor + Huckberry
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
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