When the kids go back to school and the weather gets cooler, it's time to hit the water. 

For the ExpedUSA team that often means paddling the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The Gulf Islands to the west of Vancouver are a kayaker's playground with the occasional challenging stretch of water thrown in for fun. Strong currents in places, wind, cold water and busy ferry traffic through the major passes often combine forces to encourage the paddler to pay attention. 

We escaped the office for 4 days of variable weather and good long hours/miles in the boats. This trip took us through the southern part of the archipelago and included a morning transit of the famous/notorious Active Pass. We went through at slack water, but the massive 'S' turn of the pass still made for some interesting conditions. Good fun!

But a kayak trip is only partly on the water. An equally important and entertaining time is had on islands while camping. On this trip we had a forced day off due to high winds. It also rained heavily for a time, making us glad we packed the Tarp III. Of course, we used a lot of other Exped gear (it's our job!), which pretty much guaranteed that we stayed warm, dry and comfortable.