2014 Spring/Summer Gear Guide

…Solution: Inflatable like the Nass, which pump up rock-hard for rigidity and speed and then roll up for easy storage back home. Our crew favored this 26-pound,12’6” tourer after testing on Colorado’s Stagecoach Lake: “In calm water, it’s stable enough to carry my coffee cup along for the ride,” says one tester. The outstanding stability comes from the Nass’s 6-inch thickness and drop-stitch construction (tiny interior threads connect its top and bottom). The tough PVC bounced off any and all rocks we failed to negotiate.

–Backpacker Magazine