Kayak Camping Modifications (Tie-Outs and DIY Spray Skirt)

[@Marvin_Maverick]

10:30 and along comes a propper Sprayskirt. Bought for a few dollars... and that realy fits the Cockpit of the Kayak.

[@kiddywriter]

I have a lifetime lancer and have been looking for a spray deck...no luck!! Wish these kayak manufacturers would make something like that. Job well done.

[@dalethebelldiver7740]

When you are done make sure you can flip the kayak back over. Also remember anything above the waterline is top heavy and changes your weight and balance. You might consider filling all unused spaces with individual balloons because remember; every cubic ft of air lifts 64 pounds.

[@mossypants7983]

Great tips ! One thing that makes my kayak a little more comfortable is I use a cheap stadium seat in it. Gives more back support. Happy trails!

[@SUVRVing]

I have no issues with my seat as it is, but that's a good tip to keep in mind. Thanks Mossy Pants!

[@BrendaHaltom-cs6ck]

Love your Kayak!❤️😀🇺🇸🌏🚙Great job on modifications

[@erndtnorthmichigan628]

Good point about the storage issue. I also noted that the skirt sat on top of the cowling around the cockpit. if you make the next version a little wider and put a stretched shock cord in the hem, it might snug down closer to the deck. I love your channel and wish you safe travels.

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks erndtnorth Michigan!

[@anthonyvespia6662]

I'm on my 4th kayak, 8n my 4th season. I fun fish, just catch and release in the keys. But I enjoy the boat more, with all I see out there. And I love making a kayak a one man vessel with electronics, gps, batteries to keep things charged. I have a 2023 sit on top, 12ft, fin drive, and I run my Bixpy J2 motor on my rudder. Me and my friends, do four camp/fish trips a year. We meet with our trucks, pack up launch and return 4 days later. Since my kayak is already balanced out, with batteries, a black pack storage crate, all my electronics, and my safety gear. When I do camp trips, in my hull I store, my food, coffee, water, clothes, and my one ma tent. Those round oval spots on any kayak, are made, so you can cut that out, and install a hatch, with a fitted waterproof gasket. It gives you full access to the stern, or bow. If you move up to a 14ft recreational touring kayak, it'll come with all the storage you need. Storage hatches, geartrack mounts, your toe control rudder system. They're more stable, faster, the cockpit skirt is just big enough to cover you perfectly. And if you ever roll or take water, it'll go off your bow, stern, and the whole kayak. My two cousins have sea kayaks. They do 9 day trips. The boats are beautiful, especially the ones made today. Stay safe my friend. 🌊 🛶 🙏

[@dabradguy]

That skirt is awesome. I'm a pale fellow and it stresses me out having my legs out in the sun all day.

[@grimm_Jesus]

if your doing a diy skirt, id suggest rolling the edge closest to you up around waterproof foam so the water wont run back on you, just off the sides..

[@cybergypsy6380]

A darker colored fabric on the spray skirt... would be easier on the eyes . on sunny days you will get a lot of reflection. maybe sun burn or same as snow blindness ... just my 2 cents

[@SUVRVing]

I spent two days on the river with it and didn't notice any bad glare or reflection. And darker fabric would get too hot for comfort in the direct sunlight on hot days.

[@davidmichael4526]

Thanks for the video. Great ideas. And thanks for the idea of purchasing the rivot gun at Harbor Freight.

[@lynnef3297]

Oh, I like the idea for the kayak spray skirt to keep some of the water out. I'm in Michigan so this time of year the water gets a bit chilly. I have the same kayak, so I may try some of the tie-out ideas to keep things organized while on the water. I don't do multi-day trips but they may help to keep things more at hand. Thanks for the ideas and showing how to do them.

[@SUVRVing]

Yep, you can never have enough tie-down points! Thanks for watching, Lynne.

[@ridgerunner66]

Tristan, that was some great additions to your kayak. Customized for your needs, with great ideas for others to customize for their needs. Looking forward to the video of the trip. Davin

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks Davin! I'm all about customizing things for my needs. Basically I'm a very picky person and want things to be exactly how I want them to be!

[@donnysiii5111]

Love it! Riveting looks like it can become addictive. The water deflector/sun screen is practical. TFS :-)

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks for watching!

[@kenwebster5053]

I suggest you always put a 316 marine stainless steel washer on the rivet on the inside of the kayak. This provides something for the rivet to grip onto so that the the kayak's skin is protected from damage & firmly sandwiched between the washer & rivet head. It spreads the loads over a greater area of the skin making the attachment much stronger. If you do not do this, it is very likely that the rivet will damage the kayak skin, causing the attachment to pull out & further damage the kayaks skin. The materials that kayaks are made from, are generally not able the bear the expansion pressure of pop rivet. Using the washer is a standard practice for mounting marine fittings on hulls.

[@jodijoyce5722]

Love this! Some really great ideas!

[@hyonker]

I’d like to know what kind of adjusters you used, in connecting snap piece to cord. Couldn’t see that well enough. Thanks

[@justincottrell4824]

Great ideas! I have the same Kayak and am now trying to figure out how you made the adjustable orange straps. I really enjoy watching all of your videos. Keep up the great work/fun!

[@martinjcamp]

Another great Video! You said this was the first time you used a rivet-tool.... You might think about ALSO using "back-up washers" for your rivets, which add considerable strength; especially on "mungy" Poly, and/or flimsy material. Can be a challenge if you can't hold a washer in - due to short arms... That's what Friends are for!

[@SUVRVing]

Hmm, that's a good idea. So far they've held just fine, but I'll keep that in mind in case they do end up loosening up. Thanks for watching!

[@JMall-tz4ui]

Awesome job on the skirt! I was actually trying to think of a way to do one for my kayak. Thanks for the great idea!👍😎

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks for watching!

[@marybachmann]

Thanks for the riveting demo. I recently added a Bimini top to my sit-on-top kayak, but it came only with screws to attach the eyes and brackets. It seems a little weak, but now I think I can fix it with rivets.

[@SUVRVing]

Oh cool. Other than the strength of it, do you like it?

[@marybachmann]

Yes, I love the top on sunny days. My sot is a Hobie Mirage though, so I'm not using a paddle. I've had the top on my 9' Hobie, but folding it down interferes with the rudder. It fits better on my 12' model. Not too bad to head with, or against the wind, but not so great with crosswind gusts.

[@mariosuperbro1]

Very Creative, thumbs up pal!

[@k956upg]

Looks good as a basic sun & drip stop cover..I’d try keep them deck bags to a minimum weight though..

[@SUVRVing]

It's worked out great for my needs. Thanks for watching 👍

[@erndtnorthmichigan628]

Tristan, just a thought to keep the water from the spay skirt flowing down to your waist. Sew a narrow sleeve to the top aft edge and insert a pool noodle cut to size. You might also experiment with sleeves and noodles on the underside of the other three edges. This might seal them better to the deck and offer some rigidity against water lifting the skirt.

[@SUVRVing]

I like the idea, and I've thought about doing something like that, but then the whole thing because much harder to store, especially if I also add the pool noodles around the other sides. I didn't use the cover all of the time on the trip, and I liked that I could easily take it off and stuff it under my seat. But maybe I'll make another version (it wasn't hard to make) with just the aft noodle and see how it goes. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@houstontxdave6876]

Some nice additions to your kayak.

[@leveljoe]

This is just a suggestion... After you put the rivet through the hole in the kayak, put a stainless steel washer on the back side against the hull and then secure the rivet. This will make the rivet much less likely to pull through under times of high stress.

[@SUVRVing]

Too late now unless I remove the rivets, but good idea!

[@leveljoe]

@@SUVRVing yeah, sorry! I was thinking "for next time" but I didn't add it to the reply.

[@williamvan909]

Thanks for the tip out standing . Happy kayaking trip.

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks William!

[@Vitaminj1973]

I have recently got a cheap kayak and wanted to rig a spray skirt-cover to keep out the water, and here's a video of you doing what I want to do. I like your improvements, and I'm curious about those rivets in particular. How are they holding up?

[@SUVRVing]

The rivets are still great 👍

[@robertstathatos]

Very cool, thanks!

[@brndnew01]

why not why not get a touring kayak??

[@FreedomToRoamBySusanHare]

Interesting. Great job. You're such an engineer!

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks! Nah, mostly I just like things to be exactly the way I want them to be. That often results into having to take matters into my own hands! Thanks for watching, Susan.

[@brentward1831]

What Pelican model is that kayak? A Fazer?

[@jaypeelamarre2327]

Amazing I lm try c fabric from umbrella 🌂

[@ElMigueloso]

Great Idea, thanks!

[@martinlake112]

Nice hacks. I've been thinking about adding a sail to mine for flat water. Falcon Sails has a really nice system but a little pricey.

[@SUVRVing]

A sail would be cool! I'm vaguely aware that hose kits exist, but I don't know anything about them. Also, I have no idea how to sail. But it looks like it'd be fun!

[@TedJourneys]

Had you ever considered inflatable kayaks? I like that they collapse down to such a small unit to fit in a SUV even if they don't quite offer as good a turning precision while paddling or back support as a rigid.

[@SUVRVing]

I like inflatable kayaks in theory, but they're actually quite bulky. I wouldn't have room to store one in my SUV on a trip. With the rigid one, I can just keep it on my roof for the whole of a trip, and it doesn't eat into my interior storage space at all. For day trips from home, I can see how it would make sense. For longer trips, I don't think they make sense unless you have a TON of storage space or, because of health or strength reasons, you're unable to lift the rigid kayak up onto the roof.

[@MsLori62]

Do you store things inside the hatch?

[@gloria5873]

I like your shirt Tristan. Are they for sale?

[@SUVRVing]

Not yet, but hopefully soon! Stay tuned ☺️

[@jonathanhansen3709]

SUV RVing I’ll order one if you make them available.👍

[@teslah2997]

great, helpful info, Tristan....thanks

[@jss27560]

Good video. Hjow’s the recovery going?

[@SUVRVing]

It's going well! I can go on easy hikes, and it doesn't really hurt anymore. It's still a bit stiff, and sometimes it's more achy than others, but overall it's good. Thanks Jeffrey!

[@2krain22]

Thanks for sharing. Safe travels

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks Kris!

[@johnniecameron8829]

Sunburn skirt ,,i needed one yesterday ,,my legs are a little roasted

[@thomasklidonas6639]

Great job

[@ratherbfishing455]

The spray skirt was a great idea! I can't put holes in my kayak. I see a lot of Pelicans. You really got your money's worth. What's the weight limit on your kayak? Thanks

[@SUVRVing]

275 pounds is the weight limit. I'm 140, so I don't come to anywhere near that even with my gear. Thanks for watching!

[@ratherbfishing455]

@@SUVRVing Thanks! Please make a video on how you made your adjustable bungee/tiedowns. I use paracord or very home telephone cord leashes. They work, but look ghetto!

[@SUVRVing]

The adjustable bungees are just from Walmart. But yes, I made the orange ones. I think the interested audience for a video like that would be pretty small. I just used 3/4" poly webbing from Home Depot and 3/4" ladder locks from Ripstop By the Roll (but I believe Home Depot or Joanne would also have them).

[@ratherbfishing455]

@@SUVRVing Thanks so much! You never know what's popular. Many get tons of views on how to make a kayak leash with paracord. Easy.

[@kevinhutchinson8129]

Wouldn't it be safer to put your gear 'Inside' your kayak?

[@lawsonone6015]

I almost wouldn't cut the excess cord on the spare paddle tie down. You never know if it might multitask somehow. Law allowing.. Oh you already cut it, lol

[@SUVRVing]

I have plenty of that stuff. I can always replace it with a longer length of cord if I need to.

[@Radnally]

Kayak trips are awesome. Great move!

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks!

[@dansmith6508]

Hi Tristan. I dont mean to rain on your parade, but does your pelican have flotation bags in it? I've been paddling kayaks for 5 years and i meet a lot of people who arent aware of what happens to a recreational kayak when it takes on water. Lets face it there are not likely going to be any one real knowledgeable at the big box store when it comes to the kayaks they sell. Check out this video for a visual explanation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHzQfayMbL2be6s . It looks like your pelican has no sealed hatches front or rear and if it has no flotation bags installed you can end up like the guy in the video, or worse, nose deep (bow down). I know you are not paddling in big ocean waves and such, but you might be surprised how quickly one gets fatigued even swimming to shore in a cold lake or river type situation. It is very tempting to dress for the air temperature, not the water temperature when paddling and this can lead to problems. (no wet suit or dry suit) Your DIY spray deck will keep some water out and looks pretty easy to release, just keep in mind that anything you add to the boat becomes a potential hazard to entanglement, especially when your upside down in the water suddenly. It might be one reason why the boat doesnt come with a spray deck. Ok, i'll stop harping now, i just wanted to pass on a small amount of safety knowledge in return for your sharing so much suv camping knowledge. Stay safe my friend and paddle on ! Cheers.

[@SUVRVing]

Hi Dan. I'm aware of the flotation bags, and no, my kayak doesn't have them. It's been swamped on a river trip once, and it floated well enough to drag it back to shore. No problem. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@threedogsandacamper503]

One of your most riveting videos.....sorry...😃

[@SUVRVing]

Uuuugggghhhh

[@threedogsandacamper503]

SUV RVing 😆

[@_multiverse_]

This kayak is not made for what you’re using it for.