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Valley Wide Kayak Club
“How to pack your kayak for a camping trip”
Kayak trips are an exercise in organization. It is always
amazing how all that stuff ever fits into that tiny kayak. Bags are the
essence of finding what you need without frustration. "Bagology"
is a term for the careful science of grouping articles into appropriate
bags.
Packing your kayak can be a joy or total misery. At the end of a trip
have you ever wondered why you brought so much stuff? Repeatedly hauling
all your equipment and "stuff" up and down a long, rock beach
can turn any kayak camper into a minimalist.
For the best trim: 1) Keep light items in the bow and stern, 2) Next heaviest
items as you move toward the cockpit and 3) Heaviest items near the cockpit.
HOW TO PROCEED:
1) Make an equipment list (see "Kayak Camping Checklist")
2) Gather all your gear together
3) Lay it all out for inspection and then
4) Decide which items are: a) Essential, b) Good to have and c) Luxury
items.
Each trip offers opportunities to improve and become more efficient in
the art of packing your bags or "Bagology". Grouping articles
into categories is the first step.
1) Camp cooking
2) Camp clothing
3) Food
4) Paddling clothing
5) Safety gear
6) Kayak gear
7) Other odds and ends
If you are traveling with someone and sharing gear, carefully decide who
is bringing what, especially if you have no option to stash stuff.
Use a variety of bags for different things. Many things do not even need
a bag such as tent poles, etc. Some food can be put into nylon stuff sacks
with trash bags inside as liners.
"Mesh bags" are handy for keeping things together like pots
and pans.
A "canvas or burlap bag" is handy for your fresh catch of the
day. Keeping the bag damp with the occasional paddle splash will keep
your fish fresh for days.
Vinyl bags or "dry bags" seal well and come in a wide variety
of sizes. The 20-liter size is the most popular since it fits a sleeping
bag. (The trick for getting your sleeping bag into the dry bag is to hold
the dry bag upside down and push the foot of the sleeping bag well into
the bottom. Make sure the bottom of the dry bag is well packed before
packing the balance of the bag.) Write your name on the outside of your
bags when part of a group to identify it easily.
"Rigid plastic containers" are tough to pack in kayaks. However,
you may want to consider a Pelican case for camera gear. Put small holes
in the flanges at the back of the box and thread a 3mm static cord through
these holes and the holes in the handle to tie it down to the deck eyes
in front of the cockpit-ready for action shots. Other rigid containers:
Nalgene containers (500ml) are great for goodies, Plastic lure box for
fishing gear, Screw top containers for spices (film canisters are not
waterproof), Tupperware containers for cookies.
Colors and labels play an important role in bagology. Purchase dry bags
in as many different colors as possible. You may want to use colors logically.
Food bags for instance, use green for go (breakfast), yellow for lounging
in the sun (lunch), red for stop (dinner), blue for adding spice and mood-lifting
things (spice kit, beverages, goodies). OR, pack food bags by meal.
Transparent or clear dry bags have great advantages when looking for your
clean clothes way down inside. Use three 20 liter bags for sleeping bag,
camp clothing and for paddling clothes (cockpit bag).
Start with the "essential" items that need to stay dry. These
items will go in dry bags. Remember, a bunch of small dry bags are good-one
big dry bag is not! Determine how dry your front and rear hatches stay.
That will help you decide what needs to go in a dry bag or watertight
container.
Keep in mind what items you want to pull out first when you land. If you
will be paddling long hours and it is dark when you arrive, have your
headlamp handy. A small first aid kit in your deck bag is good for easy
access (store a more complete kit in the kayak). Everyone keeps his or
her water bottle handy, but also remember to keep spare water handy too.
If you need to refill at the next rest area, you do not want to unload
your entire boat to get to the water. If stopping for lunch on your way
to the next campsite, have your lunch easily accessible.
Your kayak will achieve some extra stability and tracking ability with
the addition of properly packed weight. Make sure you know the manufacturer's
stated weight capacity. Also, remember that some manufacturers specify
the "total" weight capacity of the kayak-that includes your
weight and the weight of all of your gear. Pack heavy gear as low as possible
to keep the center of gravity low and make sure your gear does not shift
around in rough paddling conditions.
Just because you CAN take the "kitchen sink" doesn't mean you
should. Packing light and efficient will make your trip much more enjoyable.
And, you will have more time to spend exploring, taking photos, journaling
and sharing the experience with fellow paddlers.
When paddling into the wind, packing more of the weight into the front
of the kayak can help. Take special care to tie down your water bottle-it
can easily get lost in rough conditions or launching and landing.
PACKING THE DECK:
Front Deck: Anything on your deck will add wind resistance and raise your
center of gravity. However, especially on long trips, you may need some
essential items assessable to you without having to pop your spray skirt.
Essentials may include: Water bottles, Snacks, VHF radio, Paddle float,
Sun screen and your Map or Chart. A deck bag is perfect for these and
other small items. For extended voyages, you may want to strap on a small
survival kit. Anything on your front or rear deck must be secured for
foul conditions and rough water launches or landings.
Rear Deck: Use the rear deck to store your spare paddle. This is an essential
item for expedition or long distance trips. Store the paddle halves with
the blades facing the back of the kayak under the deck lines and the shaft
towards you so you can get to them easily.
Remember-do not load your front or rear deck with bags that do not fit
into your kayak. Re-examine your equipment list and leave behind unnecessary
items. Think like a backpacker-even if you do have a lot of room!
HELPFUL HINTS:
1) Use water bags or bottles that deflate or collapse when the water is
used up.
2) Carry one or two large duffle bags or large spinnaker bags to carry
gear back and forth from the boat to the campsite. Select bags that will
easily stow away when the boat is packed. Spinnaker bags have a sturdy
handle on the bottom so someone can assist in carrying it to the campsite.
3) Do not carry your kayak when it is loaded with gear.
4) Compression dry bags are great for sleeping bags and clothes. Especially
somewhat bulky, synthetic sleeping bags. To waterproof a standard nylon
compression sack, simply place a heavy-duty garbage bag inside the compression
sack, and then stuff the sleeping bag into both. Twist the top of the
garbage bag a few times, and synch down the compression straps. The outer
nylon compression bag slides easily into the hatches. The same system
works for tents in their original stuff sack (just the tent and fly-leave
poles out) and makes a much smaller package than a dry bag.
5) Make equipment do double duty-sleeping pad/chair combos are good, bandana/washcloth,
use your float bag for a pillow, etc.
6) Keep your dry top handy in case of sudden storms.
7) Use a strap on the small dry bags that get stuffed into the bow or
stern or attach the cord of one bag through the clasp of another. Then,
when you pull out one bag the other slides out with it. Use the straps
to easily unload your bags.
8) Different color dry bags or clear "see-thru" will help to
identify gear. Pack like items together, clothing in one color; dinners
and lunches in one color; breakfast, snacks, coffee in another.
9) A contradiction to not carrying things on deck: Securing a kitchen
dish drainer to the back deck is perfect for easy access to fishing gear,
water bottle, fish glove, etc.
Always remember that your needs will vary with your choice of gear, clothes,
the type and length of trip and the weather conditions-pack accordingly.
The Bagology suggestions are not set in stone and the art is an ever-evolving
effort to become more efficient.
You are invited to share your packing secrets with other club members.
Please send them to: Valley Wide Kayak Club info@valleywidekayakclub.org
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