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The Mule for Stand Up Paddle Surfboards |
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By: Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
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Tuesday, 30 October 2007 |
 One of the challenges of stand up paddle surfing is transporting the board. If you are going to be walking or biking your board around, the MULE is an excellent option. It exceeded our expectations by far! The MULE is simple and easy to assemble, and once you adjust it to your board length, you basically just slip a loop over the tail and one over the nose, and you're off. You can load your board on a MULE in 20-30 seconds.
 Traditional ways of carrying a surfboard don't always work with stand up paddle boards. They are too wide to carry under your arm, they are often too thick to fit in a bike rack carrier (not to mention the wind that blows you off the road as soon as it hits the board while you're peddling along), they're too heavy to carry long distances, and they can be somewhat awkward to manage while juggling a paddle and leash. Mule Transport Systems' solution to this is the MULE.
There are three main qualities that impressed us about the MULE: 1)durable construction 2) ease of use 3) compact storage. It is clear that the company didn't cut corners to save money in creating this product.
 The product seems to be extremely well made. After careful inspection we didn't worry about the stitching coming undone, wheel falling off, or anything of that nature. According to the Mule Transport Systems, "The STS MULE is manufactured for Mule Transport Products by London Bridge Trading Company, the industry leader in tactical nylon gear. London Bridge Trading Company specializes in gear for military forces, law enforcement, United States government agencies and other organizations around the world."
 The MULE was extremely easy to use. From the box to surfboard, it took about 6 or 7 minutes to assemble and adjust the first time. Now that the apparatus is adjusted we can load a board on the MULE in 20-30 seconds, and remove the board in about 10 seconds. It requires no further adjusting after it's initial assembly. The MULE requires no tools to put together and take apart.
Compact storage was a huge plus for us. The MULE's simple construction allows it to be broken down into simple pieces that can be stored in the included storage bag which is about the size of a briefcase (12" x 24" x 3"). Most of us don't have extra storage space at home, so we were excited about this.In fact, it's shipped in the storage bag, and when we opened the box and just saw the bag, our first thought was, "Where's the MULE?"
 Some additional features that we liked about the MULE was the storage pouch that is just the right size for your leash and a bar of wax. For stand up paddlers, you can also tuck your paddle under the nose cover. It stayed put, as is, while walking. However, it would be a good idea to grab a bungee from the garage to secure the paddle while pulling it behind your bike. Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine's Editor, Nate Burgoyne, told us his favorite thing about the MULE is, "Now I don't have to balance my board on my head while I'm walking to the beach. I have this bruise up there and my hair is getting rubbed off. This thing will fix that."
In short, in our opinion, the MULE is a great product. It's simple to use and it provides a solution to many of the small challenges that stand up paddlers have in transporting their gear. It's durable, easy to use, and easy to store. We give it two thumbs up.
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GEAR INSIGHTS 
