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History
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1907 Johann Klepper, a tailor in Rosenheim, Germany
is to folding kayak manufacturing as Henry Ford is to
the automotive industry. Both pioneered mass
production of high quality, useable products. And
both introduced the concept of mass marketing
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1907 Johann Klepper testing his first model prototype
on the River Mangfall in Rosenheim, Germany. Klepper's
production-model folding kayak was the right product at
the right time. Germany and the rest of Continent were
embarking on the "Wanderlust Years" enjoying the thrill
of adventure and discovering the beauty of nature.
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1910 Klepper's first factory
advertisement to sell his newly designed kayaks
to Germans eager to rush out and explore
nature. Noteworthy is that Klepper already
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considered women very important customers. Note
the woman with her kayak in a bag...the
translation under it , "Das Boot
zusammengelegt" means, "the boat folded."
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1920 Rosenheim, Germany. Ad shot promoting
kayaking. Photo depicts nature lovers heading to
Rosenheim train station. Please note kayaking dress
code of the times. Klepper used photos like this one to
mass market his kayaks in Germany.
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1931 The Master of all Waters. With an
ingenious Klepperboat even you can be as at home on the
water as on land. Weekends and vacations will become
memorable, affordable recreations. The absolutely safe
and strong Klepperboats are no comparison to the
smaller boats made of cheaper material. The Klepperboat
that could be taken along in backpack anywhere and
assembled in 10 minutes has in just a few years become
the Continent's best selling touring kayak. Hundreds of
Army and Marine units use these indestructible safe
Klepperboats. Free of charge, you may obtain our
interesting catalog No.H with approximately 170
original photos from all over the world. Direct
shipping from the factory only to private individuals,
or through our factory-owned outlets which addresses
are listed in the catalog. Easy financing available.
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1956 Hannes Lindemann M.D.crosses the Atlantic Ocean in
a stock Klepper Classic two seater on a historic 72 day
Atlantic voyage. Dr. Lindemann researched survival
techniques for castaways on this voyage. His Klepper is
displayed at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany.
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Dr. Lindemann's boat just before he stows away his
supplies. In addition to 154 lbs. of canned food,
garlic, beer and water, he also packed medical
supplies, cameras, freshwater stills, sextants, sea
charts, sea anchors, spare sails, paddles, rudders,
spare boat parts, repair materials and fishing gear.
Remember! There were no stores along the way.. To
prepare himself for the dangers of complete exhaustion
and hallucinations which were sure to accompany it, he
used auto-suggestion training which consisted of four
phrases:
"Don't Give up"
"I'll Make it"
"Keep Going West"
"Don't Accept Help"
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1985 Arved Fuchs in his final approach to the Magnetic
North Pole in a Klepper Expedition single seater kayak.
Fuchs also made the first successful winter
circumnavigation of Cape Horn in a Klepper single
seater in 1984
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1992 Eric Stiller and Tony Brown departing on a
semi-circumnavigation of Australia in one of the
world's wildest seas. Pictured here at the start of one
of the most treacherous kayaking expeditions in
history.
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Other Famous Klepper
Owners
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 Capt. Roemer ·
Crossed the Atlantic Ocean
1928 Sven Hedin · Asian
Explorations
1935 Dr. Sorge ·
Spitzbergen Expedition
1954 H. Rittlinger ·
Upper Nile and Sudan
1955 Hans Ertl ·
Anden-Amazon Expedition
1956 Dr. Lindemann · Sailed across
Atlantic Ocean
1970 John Dowd ·
Seakayaking Singapore-Australia
1978 K. Gallei · East Coast of
Greenland
1979 Charles Porter ·
Sculled around Cape Horn
1983 Kimmich & Eckstein · Maranon
Expedition
1984 Fuchs & Neuber
· Winter trip Cape Horn
1985 Fuchs & Porter · Magnetic
North Pole
1987 Lindenkamp & Meyer
· Tibet Expedition
1989 Howard Rice · Sailed around Cape
Horn solo
1991 Gail Ferris · Pt.
Barrow Alaska Arctic Ocean
1992 Stiller & Brown ·
Semi-circumnavigation of Australia
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