Lubbock resident designs world's 'first truly packable kayak'
The Pontos collapsible kayak weighs 7 pounds and can easily fit in a backpack. It can carry up to 300 pounds and is resilient to temperatures of all extremes.
(Courtesy Photo: Robert Rodriguez)
Growing up in a small Atlanta suburb, Adam Mulsow often found himself immersed in nature: swimming in the local lakes and riding his bike wherever it would take him.
But after moving 12 hours west to Lubbock, Texas, Mulsow quickly learned outdoor recreation in the South Plains isn’t the same as it was in Sugar Hill, Georgia.
The steep hills he once knew have been replaced with flat land. Georgia’s native woods are cotton fields in Lubbock. And the large bodies of water of which he became familiar are rare in West Texas.
His biggest concerns did not lie in the obvious changes in scenery between the two regions but rather the stark difference between their accessibility to outdoor recreation.
“Water recreation was very accessible there but not so much in Lubbock,” Mulsow said. “And so, I wanted to make something that made it a more doable thing here.”
Instead of focusing on the challenges, the 34-year-old took the matter into his own hands. And in his desire to elevate the experiences of others who, too, want to connect with nature in a place he’s grown to love, Pontos Outdoor was born.
The Pontos kayak
(Courtesy Photo: Pontos Outdoor)
After years of envisioning, planning, executing — and tossing the work of at least 20 other prototypes — the Pontos kayak is finally ready to hit the market.
Weighing 6 to 7 pounds, the collapsible kayak can easily fit in a backpack. Its light weight poses no constraints on capacity and can effortlessly hold two average-sized adults — about 300 pounds total — although it was built and intended as a one-seater.
The kayak’s shell is made of nylon fabric and coated with a waterproof TPU to increase its strength against tears and punctures — (although any outdoor water enthusiast should understand that tears can happen, regardless of the vessel, and learn proper repair before use).
It is built to withstand the icy waters in Alaska or peak temperatures during a late Texas summer.
A lot of this, Mulsow said he has learned from personal experience.
“I have not been careful with it at all,” he said. “I’ve tossed it in the back of the truck and set it up on concrete and grass. We’ve kept it up in our living room for months with our dogs walking across. They never hurt the fabric, and the kayak never lost its shape.”
The Pontos kayak’s set-up time, currently, is about 10 to 15 minutes, but Mulsow is still working on streamlining the process to make it more seamless for users.
There are already similar items that exist on the market, but Mulsow believes his is the most accessible.
Most “portable kayaks” weight at least 20 pounds — though still half the weight of a traditional kayak — and many are inflatable and require air pumps on-hand.
“This is the first truly packable kayak in the world,” Mulsow said. His is also less than half the price of the other portable kayaks, which are slated to cost between $1,200 to $2,500.
Expanding the brand
There are currently no short-term plans to add to the brand, but Mulsow thinks he’ll want to expand Pontos Outdoor someday.
This would certainly include a two-person Pontos kayak, he said, but he would also like to see hybrid products that serve multiple purposes, including a kayak-tent combination.
“But I also just want to make the Pontos kayak more available to people,” Mulsow said. “I don’t really want to only offer high-end products, so an economic version of the kayak is possible for people who aren’t going on long excursions or running into rocks.”
He said he wouldn’t use the same high-quality poles or resilient fabrics for this version, but would still ensure it was sturdy enough for someone who wanted to take it out to their local lake for a couple hours of leisure time.
“I want to keep the price low enough that it’s available to anyone who’s interested in it,” Mulsow said.
Pontos Outdoor will soon launch its pre-order campaign for the original packable kayak on Indiegogo, starting at $397. Visit the company website for updates.
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She covers all things nature, outdoors, climate, wildlife & our greater earth with the occasional arts & culture piece.