Kayak Camping checklist

The following list outlines the necessary equipment required for kayak camping trips.

Essential kayak equipment
Kayak
Spray skirt
Buoyancy aid
Paddle
Paddle float
Bilge pump
Flag
 
Other Kayak Equipment
Emergency Kit (including first Aid kit)
Paddle Jacket
Paddle Shoes
Hat
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Knife
 
Minimum gear requirement for camping
Tent
Sleeping mattress
Sleeping bag and liner if you have one
Dry bags (Clothing, sleeping bag)
Head torch/torch (spares batteries)
Clothing for around camp and shoes
Beanie
Cooker and fuel (including fire lighting source)
Utensils for eating (plate/bowl, cup, KFS etc)
Tea towel
Insect Repellent
Water, minimum three litres
Toilet paper
Enough food for duration of trip plus emergency food
Rubbish bags (supermarket bags are ideal)
Large carry bag to minimise the amount of walks to camp site if access is not ideal
 
Basic Principals
Each kayak has its centre of balance, usually half way along its length. That balance is like a pivot point (remember the see-saw you used to play on) on which the kayak hull see-saws around when paddling in wave like conditions. So it is important to load your kayak correctly to remain in control and show who’s in charge.
 
How to load your kayak
Lay all your gear next to the kayak, it’s all there to see and makes loading decisions quicker, there’s nothing worse than when you think your all packed and find a large item still in the car and you have to unload half the kayak to fit in . The heavier items pack as close to the cockpit as possible (centre of kayak). Then lighter items as you move down towards to the bow/stern of the kayak. Also try and keep the heavier items lower in the hull, this helps with keeping your centre of gravity low.
 
Avoid large square plastic containers as it is not efficient use of space/packing. Place loose items amongst the larger ones and fill in the gaps.
 
Getting your kayak to the water
You have a few options here. A trolley can take the hard work out of lifting a fully laden kayak, especially if there’s bit of a walk to the camp site. If you’re going to manually lift the kayak have a minimum of 4 people, one at each end and one each side of the cockpit, this way you evenly distribute the weight. Another option is to take the kayak down to the water empty and use a large carry bag to get your stuff to the kayak which will minimise the number of trips to the car.
 
Summarise
The above information will be great way to get you started with your kayak camping trips. Take what you want or don’t want from my tips, it works for me and you can adjust things to suit you as you get more trips under your belt. Lastly there is no substitution for experience, so get out there and find out what works for you and check out what other people take, make mental notes of what you like and give it a go because it’s all about trial and error. Don’t forget to have FUN too!