Oru’s New Lake Origami Kayak Is Its Lightest and Simplest Yet

The Lake is the lightest non-inflatable kayak in the world and Oru’s most affordable boat to date. What else? Unfolding the two total parts takes 2 minutes.

Oru’s origami boats have attracted an avid following during the brand’s decade-long existence. Its new folding kayak might be the hottest item out of its catalog yet.

Oru launched the new 9-foot Lake kayak on Monday morning via a Kickstarter campaign. When GearJunkie first caught the news around the start of the business day, the campaign had gained zero backers.

Then, money started pouring in. By 11 a.m. CT, numbers had skyrocketed to 396 backers and $316,000. And since then, it’s been backed over 10 times its original funding goal.

We’re not sure what marketing magic Oru’s making it happen with, but the boat looks satisfyingly simplistic.

Oru Lake Origami Kayak

Nine feet long and 32 inches wide, the Oru Lake folds down to the size of a big suitcase. It self-contains its three basic parts: a shell, a floor with a seat attached, and a paddle. It weighs 18 pounds and unfolds, Oru says, in just 2 minutes. (And it can be set up faster than previous models!)

Each stat is a new benchmark for Oru. The Lake has fewer moving parts than any other boat in the lineup, it’s lighter, and it’s the fastest to unpack.

The upshot? It looks like the easiest kayak to own if you have zero storage and a tight budget. It folds down to 42 x 18 x 10 inches and costs $699 MSRP. As I write this, early-bird discounts are still available. The cheapest option gets you a boat (without a paddle or carrying accessories) for $499.

As per usual, Oru offers plenty of accessory options to Lake owners. A backpack-style nylon shell, a footrest, dry bags, and float bags are all available.

Price and Availability

The brand says it should survive a lot of trips back and forth, too. With its custom extruded, UV-treated plastic (basically a thicker version of the material postal service bins are made out of), Oru says the Lake is good for 20,000 folds.

Check it out now on Kickstarter or Oru’s website. First deliveries should arrive in August 2022.

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