The new Kayak Kaboose is a serious towable kayak gear pod for extending the waterproof cargo capacity of a sea kayak by 138 litres.

Just last week somebody asked me if such a thing existed: a kind of trailer that you could haul behind a kayak for carrying extra gear for a large family on a sea kayak trip. I said I'd never heard of anything and besides, why wouldn't you just get a bigger boat?

It turns out I was wrong on both counts. At the Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto this weekend I came across a company that has just introduced exactly this item, and realized that it could be a great solution for somebody who uses a small kayak for day tripping or ocean play most of the time, but wants to be able to do longer trips without buying a larger boat.

The Kayak Kaboose is made by Enviro Wilderness Pod Inc. in Terrace Bay, Ontario. The prototype was designed by Skip Izon, renowned canoe designer and master boat builder of the winning rowing skulls in the 1996 Olympics.

The Kaboose is lightweight, weighing 7 kilos (15 lbs) and has a cargo capacity of 138 liters (69 kg). It's sleekly shaped to be streamlined in the water and has a rigid hitch bar that mounts to stern-deck-mounted hardware on the towing kayak. The hitch bar prevents the pod from catching up to the kayak in surf, swivels to allow the towing kayak to roll while the pod stays upright, and allows quick release.

The pod seems to be very well designed to keep gear completely dry, minimize towing resistance and other potential problems. Downsides are the $850 price tag and the requirement to drill and mount hardware on the stern of the towing kayak. It's not for the occasional, recreational kayaker like the one I met who was looking for something inexpensive to tow behind a rental boat on a trip with the kids. Unless perhaps the outfitter offered it as an add-on to the rental - not a bad idea to attract the comfort camper who isn't used to the pared-down packing requirements of a sea kayak!

The Kaboose's greatest use may be for the serious kayaker looking to extend the capacity and range of their favourite boat. Imagine self-contained sea kayak "mothershipping" with a low-volume ocean playboat to a remote beach where you drop the pod, set up a base camp and then enjoy rock gardening and exploring in a sporty sea kayak that previously would have been left at home. Or perhaps take a stage rocket approach to your next out-and-back expedition: paddle for two weeks eating the food in the pod, then stash the pod to explore further, then pick up the pod on the trip home. Dare to dream.

We will be watching closely for the first pod-supported expedition, even if its most popular use may be as a floating refrigerator for the backcountry gourmet. Does it come in an styrofoam insulated version with dry ice?

SPECS:
Length: 6 feet (183 cm)
Width: 2 feet (61 cm)
Height: 1 foot (31 cm)
Weight: 15 lbs (7 kg)
Max Load: 150 lbs (69 kg)
Capacity: 36 US gallons (138 l)
Price: $850

Info: kayakkaboose.com