How To Pack for a Kayak Camping Trip - A 'How to Kayak' Video

Kayak camping rocks! That being said, it's a little harder to pack for a kayak camping trip than a canoe camping trip (if you're using a sit inside kayak), because you have to break your gear into small bags and distribute those bags throughout your kayak. In this video, I walk through all the gear that I took down the New River in North Carolina, for an overnight kayak camping trip over a very cold couple of days.
Watch the full New River Kayak Camping Adventure here: • Kayak Camping on the N...
Watch the full Gear Review of the P&H Leo kayak: • A Touring Kayak For An...
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PADDLES
Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon Paddle:
Aqua Bound Tango Fibreglass Paddle: bit.ly/3iaGleJ
Aqua Bound Whiskey Carbon Bent Shaft Paddle: bit.ly/3z1kiOH
FOOTWEAR
NRS Kicker Remix Shoe: bit.ly/36F1B6Y
NRS Boundary Boot: bit.ly/2TaCMgl
PADDLING SHIRTS / TOPS
NRS Guide Long Sleeve Shirt: bit.ly/3yVID8j
NRS Guide Short Sleeve Shirt: bit.ly/3dkDYaD
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NRS Hydroskin Short Sleeve Shirt: bit.ly/3wCvoI3
NRS Riptide Splash Jacket: bit.ly/3BbAZZJ
NRS Flux Dry Top: bit.ly/2U3Pvlw
PFD’S
NRS Odyssey PFD: bit.ly/3ibIk2n
NRS Zen PFD: bit.ly/2VCfrF3
NRS Chinook PFD: bit.ly/2TaEAG9
OTHER PADDLING GEAR
Zoleo Communicator: bit.ly/3zw7gw1
NRS Drylander Sprayskirt: bit.ly/36z5BG6
WRSI Current Helmet: bit.ly/2Te6KA6
PADDLING SHORTS/BOTTOMS
NRS Benny Board Short: bit.ly/2VIbK0L
NRS Hydroskin Shorts: bit.ly/3hCXPl2
SUNGLASSES
WileyX: bit.ly/3NtJQKR
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#seakayaking #seakayak #kayak #kayakcamping

[@allonsy9808]

I really love seeing what different people pack for kayaking trips (it gives me a better idea of what I'm likely to take). Thank you for sharing!

[@GarettMacLaren]

So what I'm gathering here is that snacks are the #1 packed item for kayak camping 😅 Great video man I just came across your channel today and lots of great videos. Cheers from Ontario!

[@mdsf01]

An excellent, no nonsense reference video. Super helpful tips! Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[@iviewthetube]

I agree, rear day hatches are not practical. If the rear day hatch bulkhead is not a structural necessity then take it out; this will allow for a lot more packing options.

[@jasonsinatra9457]

I like the location of the day hatch but I don’t think it needs a separate bulkhead. Make it a small 6” hatch with the inside being a dry-bag type liner. That’s works much better in my opinion.

[@mairnealachamu]

I like my day-hatch. If I'm on a day-trip, everything I need can fit in there, and won't be rolling around a big empty hold. If I'm on a multi-day trip, I can put my tarp and essentials in there, so when I land I can set up my kitchen, get some water on, then fish gear out of the main hatch and keep it dry under the tarp while I pitch my tent. Besides that, subdivision is really important. The day-hatch turns the kayak into a 4 compartment vessel. If one compartment is bilged/flooded, it is more likely to stay afloat with 3 intact compartments, rather than 2.

[@iviewthetube]

@@mairnealachamu For winter kayak camping I need my plush REI 3.5 sleeping pad. The only way to fit that in my kayak was to take the bulkhead out.

[@maxboo1]

Thanks Ken. It is nice to see how it all goes together.

[@PaddleTV]

Keep in mind... packing is a never ending work in progress! :)

[@Habsolutely]

this is a big help for planning my excursion to Ireland’s Eye in Newfoundland. Thanks.

[@PaddleTV]

Glad it helps! Sounds like a great trip.

[@TheCryptKeeper8]

Really helpful for considering my next trip. I love those boots! Thank you and happy paddling

[@myshihtzudontstink]

I’ll be living right next to the new river in NC in a month. Definitely looking forward to the paddling opportunities.

[@thormusique]

Really great video, thanks!

[@gferguson73]

Great video mate

[@jasonsinatra9457]

Is that Pete’s “‘Nana” making a cameo on PaddleTV again hahah

[@patrickbrown9389]

Great video! I am a novice and looking to get into kayaking. I love backpacking/camp in the back country. Having a kayak to get me to even more remote place to explore sounds amazing. I am looking for info on weight capacity/percentages (kayak,paddler,gear). How to choose the proper kayak. It would be great if you did a video on how to calculate safe capacity and what kayaks you should be looking at for certain weights while keeping performance and maneuverability. Thx

[@martin.feuchtwanger]

As for the amount/weight of gear you can carry in a kayak, it's quite a lot more (twice?) than you can back-pack and maybe not as much as you can carry in an open canoe. As for capacity, most manufacturers quote a maximum weight or capacity. Beware, however, that this is the maximum amount the loaded boat can weigh before it sinks. That amount includes paddler weight, all the weight of the gear, and the _weight of the boat_ . For a safe limit, where you actually need to manouver the boat in waves, you should reduce that theoretical maximum amount by 25% to 35% to get a workable limit.

[@waynebreier1682]

I’ve been following your channel for a while now. On your review of the Virgo me and my sister both purchased one. Looking at getting them out on the water shortly

[@StoneE4]

You've posted a lot of videos recently... I'm enjoying all that content but don't burn yourself out. 👍

[@garywheeler2055]

Best KZbin channel I follow 👍🇨🇦🍻

[@PaddleTV]

Cheers!

[@wisenber]

I had been looking at doing a river trip around here, but I kept hearing about an odd Canadian with different boats and puffy boots popping up all around here. I imagine if you had gotten hypothermic, your river name could have been "Molson", since you would have been a cold Canadian. On normalish trips, I use dry bags. In heavier stuff, I use immersion bags for the items that must remain dry. I had the misfortune of putting a week's worth of food in a regular dry bag on a saltwater trip. After six hours of 3-5 foot chop, my stern bilge had acquired about 20 liters of saltwater through a not very good hatch. All of my food was ruined, my new stainless multi-tool had already started corroding and by AA batteries were all toast. My custom Joe O' backup paddle also was washed off the deck. Immersion bags would have prevented all of that except for the lost paddle. Then again, sitting out a small craft advisory would have avoided all of it.

[@RonK]

awesome, thanks a lot

[@PaddleTV]

My pleasure Ronny!

[@heidischulze4057]

Did I miss where you packed meals, water, cooking/ mess kit?

[@jimfromoregonusa9899]

Yep..very helpful even though I canoe!

[@StoneE4]

Ken, could you talk about kayaking where portages are involved (especially areas where you aren't allowed to bring carts)? I imagine it would be very similar to canoeing but I'd love to hear about any kayak specific gear (for example: do they make kayak yokes?) or kayak specific practices for backwoods portaging (like the BWCA).

[@RealDocJames]

No kayak specific yokes that I know of. Might be be a popular opinion, but canoes are far superior for trips involving extensive portage.

[@raamosjr]

Great video, Ken! Thanks for this gear breakdown. I kayak in Florida and have the ORU Bay 12 FT touring kayak. I was hoping you could recommend a suitable manual bilge pump that will tolerate the hot Florida Sun. I have read some reviews where the mechanism can warp from the heat. Thanks for reading my comment!

[@PaddleTV]

Interesting... I haven't heard of that problem with bilge pumps. Not surprised to hear the Florida summer sun can cause havoc with gear. Sorry I don't have a solution for that... except to stow the bilge pump in your cockpit. :)

[@johnelshaw3549]

As usual a solid video full of great information. Where does one purchase the Gear Lab Deck Pod with the updated straps? Was this a prototype or is it readily available. I will pay a bit extra for the better connection system.

[@PaddleTV]

Thanks! As for the new Deck Pod... I know you can buy it directly from GearLab - gearlaboutdoors.com?sca_ref=1065800.XZNOvzAnjU

[@arthurj37]

What pants are those? I like the pull up gasket at the top.

[@iviewthetube]

Wow, you are so right! It is time for me to do a river trip myself.

[@PaddleTV]

Time for me to do another one! :)

[@iviewthetube]

@@PaddleTV A buddy and I paddled the Skagit River in Washington State at 20,000 cfs from Concrete to Sneeoosh Beach. Much inspired by this video. It was perfect. Camped one night on US Forest Land on the riverbank.

[@mikehunt5637]

So, what you're saying is, with those pants, if you go into the drink, there won't be any shrinkage?!? :)~

[@PaddleTV]

:) I guess you could say that...

[@canajian]

👋😎👍

[@---cr8nw]

Total cost: $8,429.

[@thomassmith8700]

If looking for a detailed list of kayak camping gear, keep scrolling. At one point he points to a bag and says, that's my cooking stuff. 🙂 Oh, and camping gear isn’t even mentioned until 8:45.