Thursday, June 15, 2017

Kayak Camping 101: Tips on Minimizing Gear and Packing

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast who has done a lot of camping or a beginner who is looking for a new and adventurous way to get out into the camp grounds, adding a kayak into the mix is a great way to gain increased strength, flexibility and a low impact adventure.


Packing Is Key

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast who has done a lot of camping or a beginner who is looking for a new and adventurous way to get out into the camp grounds, adding a kayak into the mix is a great way to gain increased strength, flexibility and a low impact adventure. If you are planning on camping but want the freedom that a kayak provides in getting to and from your campsite, knowing how to minimally pack it is a must as there is a lot of gear that you have to consider. With this said, you can bring down the stress levels of packing the kayak by following a couple of tried and true tips for full day and multi-day kayak camping.

Think Like a Backpacker

First and foremost, you want to think like a backpacker as the same factors come into play when planning a kayak camping trip. You will need to consider the weather, what type of water you are travelling on, how large your group is and how long and far your trip will be. If you hit nasty weather, you are going to need heavier gear and more supplies. With this said, you are going to want to pack light! The reason we say, think like a backpacker, is because kayak camping is restrictive. Not as restrictive as backpacking is, but it does require discipline in choosing only what you need. This is where minimal packing comes in handy. We will break this down into two categories: how to organize and pack your gear and then how to actually load it onto your kayak.

How to Pack and Organize: Keep It Simple!

One of the easiest ways to pack your gear is to use a lot of dry bags. For beginners who may not know what these are, dry bags are flexible watertight containers which seal in items. They are used in many outdoor activities such as kayaking, snowboarding and rafting. The best way to organize these dry bags is to have a lot of smaller bags that are categorized and only have a few larger dry bags. The smaller the bag, the easier they will fit into awkward spaces on the kayak and they are much easier to balance out in terms of weight distribution. You can choose to color code these bags or even label them with identification tags; whatever works best for you. You will want to look for lightweight, nylon dry bags that have an internal rubber coating on them as these will be the easiest to pack into compartment like areas. So how do you organize these?

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