The Top 3 Kayak Camping Tips For An Unforgettable Adventure

Kayak Camping is a truly amazing way to experience hard to reach areas of the wilderness. If you have a love for camping or hiking but have yet to try Kayak Camping then I highly recommend it. If you have no experience Kayaking then you must take some lessons and do your research before even thinking about a Kayak camping trip as it can be very dangerous in rougher waters and it’s always best advised to go with someone who has previous experience. A quick google search of ‘Kayak Camping near me’ will show you what’s available in your local area.  Now onto our Top 3 Kayak Camping Tips For An Unforgettable.

We picked Kayak Camping Tip number one from the awesome team over at paddling.com

Kayak Camping Tips Number 1

TIP 1: Waterproof Hatches… They Arent!

Even if you know you have never seen water in the hatches of your boat, Murphy’s Law will find a way to get water in their when you least expect it. There are certain items you would want to keep dry no matter what, and added protection should be used for these in even the driest of boats. These include clothing, sleeping bag, fire starting equipment, first aid kit, etc. And if you are using boat you are not familiar with (such as a rental boat), you should assume the hatches are not waterproof.

Dry bags are an easy and effective way to keep your stuff dry. But they are costly. And most touring or sea kayaks can only fit a limited number of dry bags, especially larger ones. For example, my 17 foot touring kayak can fit 3 medium (~20 liter) dry bags in its hatches. A British style boat of the same length with a skeg (which takes up some space in the rear hatch), would have even less space for bags.

But around these medium dry bags, I can fit many small dry bags and small items. So if you are stocking up on dry bags, get many of the smaller ones along with a few medium ones.

Some tricks to reduce the number of dry bags you need:

• Sleeping bags in stuff sacks can be made water proof by lining the inside of the stuff sack with a heavy duty trash bag before stuffing it. The stuff sack would provide extra abrasion protection to the trash bag, allowing it to stay waterproof under most circumstances (though double bagging may still be a worthwhile preventative step – sleeping in a wet sleeping bag is not a fun experience…).
• Things that don’t need to be totally dry can often be placed in trash bags. For example, I often place my tent inside a trash bag.
• Think about whether something even needs to be kept dry. I remove the poles from my tent and place them separately directly in the boat. Being long and skinny, they fit nicely up towards the bow or stern. My sleeping pad is not put in a bag at all – if it gets wet, I can dry it in the sun or with a camp towel.

For items that don’t need to be kept dry, it is actually beneficial to place them loose in your boat. Trying to find room for a full food bag can be difficult. But if you remove things that don’t need to be kept dry, like canned foods, it is now much easier to find space for a half full bag and the separate cans.

On longer trips, you will find that you have lots of loose items and small bags so that you can pack your boat tightly. This can be inconvenient to load and unload. To help this, it is useful to have a tarp available that you can lay items on just before loading, or as you take items out of your boat. It can also be useful to carry an empty duffel bag, which you use when carrying all these loose items to and from your boat.

Kayak Camping Tips Number 2 – PLAN YOUR TRIP!

This might seem like a no-brainer, but the number of Kayaking accidents, people getting lost, stranded or worse.. ending up dead is astonishing.  Properly planning your trip is a must. The team over at beyondthetent.com have put ‘planning your kayak camping trip’ in very simple to understand short paragraph.

Beginners should select a shorter route with calm waters and a relaxing destination. Your maiden voyage is all about figuring things out, so you want your outing to be as stress-free as possible. Mild, sunny weather is ideal. I recommend a short one or two night trip on your first outing.

Take entrance and exit points into consideration. Will you start and finish the trip at the same point? Or do you need two vehicles at two different points (such as along a river)?

Also important to think about is how much time you’ll spend on the water. Do you prefer to paddle all day or would you like to spend more time at the campsite? Remember to always bring a detailed map (with a waterproof cover) of the area you plan to explore.

Kayak Camping Tips Number 3 – Only Bring Your Essentials

It’s very tempting to pack stuff for every possible situation but overpacking when kayak camping is not advised. Traveling light but prepared is the best way to go. The following Kayak Camping Tip is brought to you from the guys over at yakangler.com (This is a great resource for all things outdoors, you might want to bookmark this site!)

As important as it is to go prepared, it also doesn’t mean that you have to cart along everything including the kitchen sink. If you are camping close to where you park your vehicle, then this is less of an issue, but if your camping trip involves paddling a great distance to get to your destination then space is obviously at a premium. Make a checklist of all the essential you need for the camping trip and try to stick to it.

A kayak does provide you with a little more space than when going backpacking, but this doesn’t mean you should waste it on non-essential items.

One thing that you shouldn’t forget is food and water. You might be banking on feasting on a fresh fish over a campfire, but taking along some healthy food bars for in case things don’t go according to plan might be wise.

Hydration is just as important, and no, beers doesn’t count. Bring along adequate water, especially if you are going to be camping in areas where a quick run to the shops is out of the question. For tips on the type of camping essentials you might need for your trip, check out the Yakangler forum where our users have posted some great ideas

That wraps up our Top 3 Kayak Camping Tips For An Unforgettable Adventure post.  Always plan, prepare, and be safe when embarking on any outdoor adventure.  Thanks again for dropping by gogomountain.com.