The Folbot Citibot was pretty awesome for a folding kayak. It’s still a tad bulky in its folded form, though, looking a heavily-packed duffel bag that, literally, leaves you no room to carry a backpack with it in tow. The Oru Kayak offers the same folding kayak solution, but does it in a more compact style.
Made by San Francisco designer Anton Willis, the one-person boat can stow away into a form about the size of a large suitcase (about the size of those portfolios you see artists carrying around, complete with a slim depth) sporting a single shoulder strap. That way, you can just hang it on a shoulder, while leaving the rest of your back free for a rucksack to carry your supplies. Plus, the size should make it easy to stow away at home — just hide your boat under the bed, on top of a cabinet or even in the back of the car.
Billed as “the world’s first origami kayak,” the Oru literally folds down origami-style, making it extremely easy to shift from compact to full-on kayak mode. Unless folding items origami-style gives you panic attacks, you should be able to fold it down and assemble it in just five minutes each. When equipped for the water, it measures 12 feet long. Construction is corrugated plastic, so it weighs just 25 pounds, making it relatively easy to haul around as well.
No exact date on when the Oru Kayak will be available, but the website says the commercial launch will happen soon. Price is steep, though, at $5,000.