If you have never heard of the Yukon River Quest Kayak Race, you don’t know what you are missing out on. As the world’s longest kayak race, you can be sure that it is very demanding just as I found out when I first competed in the event. But its not just a straight race, the Yukon River Quest is also filled full of fast running rapids and currents that all make the race so much more demanding. If you are not prepared for what the Yukon River can throw at you, then let’s just say, you are in for a world of hurt, both physically and emotionally.
 While the Yukon River looks like a wonderful native wonderland, I could never have tackled it without the aid of my trusty hydration pack. And because it is a 750 kilometre race I always make sure I stock my Kayak with a few extra hydration back packs and fill them full of the stores of food and water I am going to need along the river race. My last go at the race in 2008 was interesting to say the least, as I was crossing Lake Leberge which is quite a mammoth open water area, I was struck by a surprise storm, that turned the calm waters into a treacherous environment of waves that I would have expected to encounter somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
The storm made my journey so much more demanding, now I was not just paddling to win the race, but I was paddling harder and faster to stay straight and not get knocked over by the mammoth waves. I was so tired and it was about 3 am with no natural lighting, it was pitch black. To keep going I knew that I would need to keep my body fuelled with the nutrients and water that I had in my hydration back packs, it would be an understatement to say I was glad to have brought extra hydration back packs with me, because without them I would not have made it through the night.
As the sun rose, the storm started to disappear. I have never been happier to see the sun rise than on this occasion especially when I could look around and see all the other competitors also struggling because of the demanding night. But there was no time to stop I still had another 480 kilometres to paddle. Luckily, because my hydration back packs are so streamlined, I was able to have plenty of stores to continue without having to stop like the others.
I continued with my Yukon River Quest using my hydration pack during the whole event. Not once having to stop unnecessarily because I had all the supplies, I could ever dream of stored in my hydration back pack including water, food, medicine and first aid supplies. Now while I may not have won the Yukon River Quest, I was still able to come in as a place getter in the middle field. In addition, I have to say this result was all due to my trusty hydration pack, that has never failed me yet. If you do not have one, it may be time to invest in one, you will soon see the benefits that a running hydration pack will provide you with.

If you have never heard of the Yukon River Quest Kayak Race, you don’t know what you are missing out on. As the world’s longest kayak race, you can be sure that it is very demanding just as I found out when I first competed in the event. But its not just a straight race, the Yukon River Quest is also filled full of fast running rapids and currents that all make the race so much more demanding. If you are not prepared for what the Yukon River can throw at you, then let’s just say, you are in for a world of hurt, both physically and emotionally.
 While the Yukon River looks like a wonderful native wonderland, I could never have tackled it without the aid of my trusty hydration pack. And because it is a 750 kilometre race I always make sure I stock my Kayak with a few extra hydration back packs and fill them full of the stores of food and water I am going to need along the river race. My last go at the race in 2008 was interesting to say the least, as I was crossing Lake Leberge which is quite a mammoth open water area, I was struck by a surprise storm, that turned the calm waters into a treacherous environment of waves that I would have expected to encounter somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
The storm made my journey so much more demanding, now I was not just paddling to win the race, but I was paddling harder and faster to stay straight and not get knocked over by the mammoth waves. I was so tired and it was about 3 am with no natural lighting, it was pitch black. To keep going I knew that I would need to keep my body fuelled with the nutrients and water that I had in my hydration back packs, it would be an understatement to say I was glad to have brought extra hydration back packs with me, because without them I would not have made it through the night.
As the sun rose, the storm started to disappear. I have never been happier to see the sun rise than on this occasion especially when I could look around and see all the other competitors also struggling because of the demanding night. But there was no time to stop I still had another 480 kilometres to paddle. Luckily, because my hydration back packs are so streamlined, I was able to have plenty of stores to continue without having to stop like the others.
I continued with my Yukon River Quest using my hydration pack during the whole event. Not once having to stop unnecessarily because I had all the supplies, I could ever dream of stored in my hydration back pack including water, food, medicine and first aid supplies. Now while I may not have won the Yukon River Quest, I was still able to come in as a place getter in the middle field. In addition, I have to say this result was all due to my trusty hydration pack, that has never failed me yet. If you do not have one, it may be time to invest in one, you will soon see the benefits that a running hydration pack will provide you with.