Can the Oru Inlet folding kayak fit in a trunk?
So you’re in the market for a folding kayak, but you want to see it in the trunk of a vehicle? I get it. I wanted to make sure this lightweight, portable kayak fit my lifestyle too. By popular demand, here are some pics of the Oru Inlet kayak folded up and in the back of my Toyota RAV4, a small compact SUV.
Oru Inlet folding kayak with 4-piece paddle at Lost Lake, Oregon
What are the dimensions of the Oru Inlet kayak when folded?
If you’re like me, when you make a big purchase – such as a kayak around that $1,000 price point – you want to ensure it’ll work with your lifestyle.
I own a compact SUV, and I often kayak solo or with my dog, so I needed to ensure that I could transport this folding kayak independently. I cared about how much it weighed, how bulky it was, and how I was going to manage hauling my gear from a parking lot to a launch point.
Maybe you’re in the same boat? We’re here to help at Flatwater Kayak Club.
The Oru Inlet kayak was designed to fold from box to boat in under 5 minutes – and it’s manufacturer rated up to 20,000 folds. The first time I assembled it, it took me a bit longer, but I mastered the steps quickly and 5 minutes is pretty spot on, I’d say.
The brand’s big selling point with this kayak is how convenient it is, from storage to transport. Here are the product specifications for the Oru Inlet:
Weight: 20 Lbs (9 Kg)
Length: 9'8" (295 Cm)
Width: 31" (79 Cm)
Cockpit: 23" x 44" (111 x 58 cm)
Max paddler height: 6'2" (188 Cm)
Weight capacity: 275 Lbs (125 Kg)
Kayak box: 42" x 10" x 18" (107 x 25 x 46 Cm)
Shipping box: 44" by 21" by 11" (112 x 53 x 28 Cm)
Set-up time: 3-5 minutes
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The folded Oru Inlet kayak fits easily in my compact SUV trunk.
And behind the kayak, I have ample storage for the Oru 4-piece paddle (or any paddle that can be dissembled), life jackets for me and my dog, water bag, towels, and my regular old car travel emergency kit. The Toyota RAV4 is a compact SUV, and storing this much gear is pretty impressive without a roof rack of any kind!
All and all, I’ve been very happy with the portability factor of my Oru Inlet. At 20 pounds in weight, I can manage transporting it without any help, and it fits great in my vehicle.
I’ve only had a couple of Oru maintenance and repair issues, which I document on this site.
NEW: Two years, 100+ paddling hours and many, many miles - my full, in-depth Oru Inlet folding kayak review – with more photos and videos than ever before – and bonus thoughts on the Oru Paddle!
In April, 2023, we bought another Oru kayak - the Inlet model in green. Here is a photo of the brand-new product folded on a dock in Oregon.
Side view of the compact foldable Oru kayak
Another pic of the folded Oru kayak in trunk.
More related reading: See real life photos of two Oru folding kayaks in 2023 Winnebago Revel adventure camper van.
Interested in more of our Oru folding kayak resources?
We have a lot of experience using the Inlet model, and you can check out our library of articles (a growing list) right here at Flatwater Kayak Club, including our experience with the Oru Inlet kayak on Trillium Lake.