| When
packing a sea kayak for a camping trip there are four important
considerations to keep in mind:
1. Moisture
2. Space
3. Weight
4. Placement
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1) MOISTURE —There is always a chance that everything
will be exposed to water. All gear should be as waterproof
as possible and packed in watertight containers. Do not bring
cotton or down clothing or sleeping bags.
Down loses its insulating ability when wet
and takes a long time to dry. Cotton insulates poorly when
wet and dries slowly. Wool insulates well when wet but dries
slowly. Bring only synthetic sleeping bags and clothing. Synthetics
insulate very well when wet and dry quickly! (Okay, I admit…
I often bring a wool sweater for land wear, and silk tank
tops or underwear. I also bring a long-sleeve button down
silk shirt for cover up when it is hot out—but it packs
into a tiny little wad that weighs nothing.
Alright, you got me — I’ve also
been known to bring a down vest for warmth on land and it
makes a superb pillow — but I bought it for $7 at K-mart
and I’m willing to sacrifice it to the water gods. Just
do as I say and not as I do!) Don’t even think about
a down sleeping bag—use synthetic and enjoy a warm,
dry good night’s sleep.
Unless you can afford to lose it, don’t
bring any expensive equipment that is not waterproof. Even
if your camera or binoculars don’t fall in the water
they can still be damaged from splash, moisture in the boat,
condensation, and salt air. A good alternative is to purchase
a couple of one-time use underwater cameras and a pair of
low cost binoculars.
You don’t have to go out and buy a bunch
of dry bags. A great alternative is to use strong garbage
bags, tie them well, and place each bag inside a drawstring
nylon stuff sack. (Rumor has it that large Glad bags are strong)
To waterproof a nylon stuff sack, line it with two plastic
garbage bags, place your gear inside, squeeze all the air
out of the garbage bags, tightly twist the top of each garbage
bag separately, and tuck it inside the stuff sack.
2) SPACE — Kayaks have small hatch openings
and tight space inside. We can pack a lot in if we plan ahead.
It is easier to pack many small stuff bags than a few large
bags. The small bags naturally fit amongst themselves whereas
large bags are harder to fit through the hatch and around
each other. Because sleeping bags take up so much space you
may have to put your stuff sack or dry bag in the hatch first
and then stuff the sleeping bag into the dry bag.
You may want to use a compression sack to
make your sleeping bag smaller to pack. I like to label all
my small bags with names like “breakfast” or “raingear.”
If you can sew, get your hands on some fusible coated nylon
and make your own dry bags for pennies.
I made a few long, skinny dry bags that open
on each end and labeled both ends so I know which side to
open. Sounds crazy but haven’t you noticed that the
coveted thing you want is always at the bottom of the bag?
3) WEIGHT — Like backpacking, lighter
is better! We sometimes find need to carry our fully laden
boats away from incoming tides, onto ferries, or to make room
for other travelers. If you must move fully loaded kayaks,
try to have at least four people per boat to carry. Six is
optimal.
Chose one person to lead, check that everyone
is ready, then on the lead person’s count of three lift
on “three” then carry when the lead says “carry.”
This sounds really mundane but more injuries occur on land
and if one person is not ready to either lift or move forward
then the whole thing can get dumped and backs can be sprained.
Your group may even want to practice the lift
and carry with an empty kayak before the trip begins.
If you carry gear and camping equipment from
the boats to campsites each day you’ll appreciate a
lighter load, especially when carrying your gear up steep
trails and making several trips. Bring a large netted gear
bag or collapsible back pack to carry gear up these trails.
I also like to bring expandable hiking poles.
4) PLACEMENT— A properly loaded touring
kayak is extremely stable. In fact it will be more stable
than it is when empty. However, an improperly loaded touring
kayak is extremely unstable and will capsize easily or be
difficult to handle. Remember you want to maintain a low center
of gravity.
To ensure good stability, heavier items should
be placed as near to the cockpit and low in the boat as possible.
Place lighter items such as clothing or sleeping pads into
the ends of the bow and stern. My touring kayak has such a
long bow that I have to tie a line on my Thermarest in order
to retrieve it from the forward storage area.
Try to pack each side from the center line
with an even balanced weight distribution. Try to pack the
bow and stern with an even weight distribution. (Note: in
certain wind conditions you can pack you kayak heavy in certain
places to compensate—this technique is not intended
for this basic discussion!) Do not load your deck up with
a bunch of stuff. Deck stuff creates wind resistance causing
weather cocking, and will make the kayak less stable by raising
the center of gravity too high.
That said, it is okay to have a low-profile
deck bag, or low profile and lightweight items on deck. It
is also imperative that you have easy access to drinking water
at all times and there is generally no other place than your
deck to put a water bottle. A hydration backpack can be handy
but you should be able to ditch it quickly in the event of
capsize. You don’t want to wear anything that will weigh
you down in the water. Your spare paddle needs to be in easy
reach.
Place it under the bungee on the deck. Forget
filling the solar shower with water and placing it on your
aft deck while paddling. It will be too high and heavy and
cause your boat to be too tippy.
WEATHER
Check the weather patterns and forecasts of
the area you are planning to paddle in. Be aware that forecasts
can be wrong, wrong, wrong. Look at the conditions before
you launch. Here in Humboldt County we say “if you don’t
like the weather, wait five minutes or go five miles.”
Our weather can change drastically.
Be prepared for all kinds of weather. In
many areas you have to rise early to take advantage of paddling
in the mornings to avoid afternoon winds. Paddling is always
dependent on currents and weather/wind. The timing of your
trip will be balanced by weather/wind forecasts and current
tables.
An easy way to adjust to changes in weather
while paddling is to change hats. I like to use a low-profile
deck bag and keep a variety of hats in there. A wool or fleece
hat can be put over a synthetic visored cap for warmth. A
rain hat can go on top. To cool off quickly have a cotton
bandana handy to dip in the water and place on your head.
It is easy to cool off but hard to get warm if you’ve
gotten too chilled.
FISHING
Check with local authorities for fishing regulations
and secure the proper permits. Respect these regulations as
many areas have been over-fished and the resources are getting
scarce. You also want to make sure you have legal equipment
for the area and fishery. Depending on where you go, there
may also be great clamming, crabbing, seaweed gathering, and
oyster gathering possibilities.
If you are fishing from your kayak be sure
your fishing line is not too strong in the event you catch
something bigger than you can handle in the boat! For instance,
for rockfish plan to bring or purchase 10 to 12 lb test line
(not too heavy or a big fish will tow you away!), lead heads
with rubber tails 1/2 & 3/4 oz, maybe a couple of 1 oz.
You’ll also need a stringer and sharp
filet knife. For oysters you need a small pry bar and a handy
rock. Small collapsible crab traps are easy to handle from
a kayak. Clams require a digging tool.
PESTS
Many “pests” are very cute and
photographic. Problems occur when wild creatures learn to
eat human food. Don’t feed the wildlife! There can be
terrible problems in popular camping areas with raccoons getting
overpopulated and aggressive to the point of slashing open
tents and tearing open kayak hatches.
You may have to hang food while on land. Ravens,
chipmunks, blue jays, and seagulls will take things from picnic
tables and campsites. Minks, otter, and bald eagles will steal
fish from fishermen. A mink stole the whole stringer once!
Even the deer on some islands have been known to be pests.
No-see-ums, gnats, mosquitoes—ARRGGHH. Mosquito nets,
citronella, DEET. I wouldn’t dream of having a tent
without a net.
Do what it takes. Better yet, just bring me!
I am a mosquito magnet. Mosquitoes will flock to me and leave
you alone!
Buying
Your First Kayak | Safety
Equipment and Kayaking | Inflatable
Kayak Reviews |
Sea Kayak
Sales | Taking
a Kayaking Vacation | Adaptive
Paddling Tips | Packing
A Sea Kayak |
Why Fish
From a Kayak? | Choosing
the right kayak | Kayak
Safety Tips | Outfitting
a kayak for fishing|
Are
Inflatable Kayaks Safe?| Sea
Kayaking security |
