Poor Kayak

In an old entry I hinted about traditional inflatable paddling. It seems it just doesn't stop there. Apparently, folders and Sit-On-Tops were known in the Arctic too. The kayakluk, or poor kayak, from Povungnituk (north-eastern Hudson Bay) happened to be both at once.

The kayakluk was retrieval craft for ice-edge hunting. About 1.8 m long, 0.8 m wide and 38 cm deep, it was made with the old skins from a normal kayak and lacked a rigid interior frame. It was carried folded on the hunter's back and, once on the ice edge, it was filled up with snow and the thongs on its upper part were tightened. The paddler sat on top with legs stretched and employed a short paddle. According to its users, the poor kayak's main advantages were light weight and ease of transport. It seems that carrying a normal kayak on a sled often damaged its skin.

It does look like a moccasin, doesn't it?