Long Haul

Long Haul Folding Kayaks (http://longhaulfoldingkayaks.com) began as a hobby for Colorado firefighter Mark Ekhart, buying and resoring old Klepper kayaks. Eventually his restoration work caught the eye of the factory, and he began selling, customizing and repairing Kleppers full time.

Following changes in the domestic distribution chain for Klepper, Mark, who had been making complete Klepper replacement hulls, added frames and began supplying complete kayaks. One of his largest customers is the US Army, who contracted with him in 2004 to replace all their old Kleppers with new kayaks.

Long Haul kayaks are similar to Kleppers and other older designs, but have stainless steel hardware and other improvements. They are not lightweights- a Long Haul double kayak weighs close to 80 lbs- but are exceptionally rugged, and a good choice for expeditioners as well as special forces.