Wikipedia:Today's featured article/June 9, 2010

A Halkett boat is either of two types of lightweight inflatable boat designed by Lieutenant Peter Halkett during the 1840s. Halkett had long been interested in the difficulties of travelling in the Canadian Arctic, and the problems involved in designing boats light enough to be carried over arduous terrain, but robust enough to be used in extreme weather conditions. Halkett's first design was a collapsible and inflatable boat made of rubber-impregnated cloth. When deflated, the hull of the boat could be worn as a cloak, the oar used as a walking stick, and the sail as an umbrella. This was followed by a two-man craft that was small enough to fit into a knapsack, and when deflated served as a waterproof blanket. Although widely praised by Canadian explorers, the market for Halkett's designs was limited, and he was unable to persuade the Royal Navy that they would serve any useful purpose in general naval service. Efforts to market them as platforms for fishing and duck shooting failed, and they were commercially unsuccessful. Only a single Halkett boat, that of Orcadian explorer John Rae, is known to survive today. (more...)

Recently featured: Portrait of a Lady – Edwin P. Morrow – Helmut Lent