Kirton are delighted to be agents for the world famous range of Klepper folding kayaks and offer their expert knowledge of these craft and their unique qualities which have been built up over many years.
	In 1907 a tailor from Rosenheim in Bavaria had a simple idea. This tailor, Johann Klepper, wanted to build a foldable kayak that he could take wherever his heart desired. Klepper's longing for unlimited freedom, travel and adventure ultimately led to the first commercial production of foldable kayaks.
	Klepper kayaks have exceptional capabilities and are equally suitable for gentle touring and major sea expeditions. Listed below are some of the achievements of some of the boats and their paddlers. When you paddle a Klepper you are sharing a little piece of the history of endeavour.
	1909 C.E. Layton: Paddled across the English Channel 1923 Karl Schott: Seakayaking from Germany to India 1926 Roald Amundsen: North Pole Expedition 1928 Admiral Byrd: South Pole Expedition 1928 Kapitän Romer: Crossed the Atlantic Ocean 1928 Sven Hedin: Asian Explorations 1935 Dr. Sorge: Spitzbergen Expedition 1954 Herbert Rittlinger: Upper Nile and Sudan 1955 Hans Ertl: Anden-Amazon Expedition 1956 Dr. Hannes Lindemann: Sailed across Atlantic Ocean 1970 John Dowd:Seakayaking Singapore-Australian 1978 Konrad Gallei: East coast of Greenland 1979 Charles Porter: Sculled around Cape Horn 1983 Kimmich and Eckstein: Maranon Expedition 1984 Fuchs and Neuber: Winter trip Cape Horn 1985 Fuchs and Porter: Magnetic North Pole 1987 Lindenkamp and Meyer: Tibet Expedition 1989 Howard Rice: Sailed around Cape Horn solo 1991 Gail Ferris: Pt. Barrow Alaska Arctic Ocean 1992 Stiller and Brown: Semi-circumnavigation of Australia 1997 Josef Schächner: Paddled 42.000km
	Johann Klepper's idea of traveling and discovering nature is more popular than ever, thanks to increased leisure time and advanced transportation systems. And today the Klepper Folding Kayak series expands the boundaries of adventure travel to levels never before imagined. Over eighty years of precise research and development have led to this unsurpassed world-class folding kayak system with the following four unique design features: an Intergrated Safety System; a Variable Sailing System; a Slide and Snap Assembly; and a Performance, Durability, and Comfort Commitment.
	Klepper Folding Kayaks all use the unique, simple to use 'Slide and Snap' assembly, which requires no tools and is ready in just 15 minutes! Take a look at the three steps illustrated below to see just how simple it really is.

	1. Assemble the two 'Slide and Snap' frame-halves, 2. Then simply slide into the slack boat skin. 3. Skin and Frame are then 'air-tensioned' by inflating the air sponsons. Ready within 15 minutes.
	"There is probably no product in the world that's built with more care, more attention to detail, and more integrity than a Klepper. And few things are more satisfying to own and use."
	Paddler Magazine