MyCanoe: A boat that stores under your bed

MyCanoe is an origami-inspired design that folds into a bag that weighs only 23 kg and can be carried over the shoulder.

Both body and soul benefit from time spent on the water, but boating is understandably overlooked by urban folk who seldom have enough room to store bicycles, let alone a canoe. It’s unfortunate because a navigable river is rarely far from the hustle and bustle of the city – a tranquil refuge that offers a new perspective on otherwise familiar surroundings.

The qualities of canoe travel were articulated poetically in 1970 by the Canadian prime minister of the time: "What sets a canoe expedition apart is that it purifies you more quickly and inescapably than any other. Travel 1,000 miles by train and you are a brute; pedal 500 miles by bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle 100 miles in a canoe and you are clearly a child of nature."

Designers have taken inspiration from origami to create MyCanoe - a lightweight but sturdy watercraft they hope will make river travel far more accessible.

Ten minutes is all it takes to transform a case small enough to be stored under a bed into a 4.4-metre, two-person Canadian canoe.

MyCanoe is made from a marine-grade, UV-resistant polypropylene that's good for at least 20,000 folds. And while the hull design may be inspired by paper engineering, it is buoyant so it remains afloat in the event of a capsize.

The ethical choice

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