What I’m Packing for 3 Months of Kayaking
Luxury items only !!
In just a few days we’re tossing the boats on top of Andy’s car and trekking out west to spend (hopefully) the whole summer living out of kayaks and otherwise enjoying this pretty little world while we can!
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Here’s what’s coming with:
Most of our gear we’ve had for a few years, so we didn’t end up spending nearly as much as some people do for a trip like this. New purchases we made we did through Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, a local outfitter we’ve both been working at. Because we both work in the outdoor industry, we’ve been able to get discounts on a lot of gear. In addition, I’ve gotten quite a bit of used gear, and have a few pieces of gear that have been gifted by brands.
I’m looking forward to sharing after the fact what held up to three months of intense use, and what did not.
To read about our route, click here!
Boat:
Camp gear:
MSR 4-season three person tent : You definitely don’t need a tent like this for every sea kayaking trip, but seeing as Andy & I spend a lot of time camping out of a kayak in questionable weather, it seemed like a good investment.
Big Agnes Aircore Sleeping Pad: Not to be dramatic, but this sleeping pad changed how I think about camping. I now have almost no problem sleeping outside. I have the 20” by 72”, but I would recommend the extra wide.
Nemo Tempo Sleeping Bag: If you’re paddling where it rains a lot, you need a synthetic bag (as opposed to a down). The Tempo is cut looser than a mummy bag, but the 20 degree bag is still plenty warm for summer and most shoulder season trips.
Sea to Summit Sleeping Bag Liner: Haven’t decided for sure if this is coming with. I usually only bring it on shoulder season trips, but given how long we’ll be out there, it might be worth a shot.
Nemo Fillo Pillow: Decided to go with the bigger pillow. I’m extremely grouchy if I don’t sleep well.
Tarp, maybe two: Get a nice one, and a big one.
Hammock/hammock bug net— if we have room I’ll be packing in my hammock camping kit for variety/extra spot to sit.
Nemo Clipper: Basically a little seat pad made from old sleeping pad remanent, this is probably my favorite little piece of gear ever. It’s good for standing on while you change, and smaller and much cheaper than a camp chair.
Petzel headlamp: I’m not really a Petzel diehard or anything, but this is my second headlamp from them and can’t complain (first one got contact solution leaked on it backpacking RIP).
Garmin InReach (and Garmin InReach mini): Two way emergency communication, weather, GPS. We’ve already put campsites and points of interest into our InReach.
Paracord
Tevas: I’ve put a lot of thought into the type of shoe that makes sense for small hikes, camp, and constant rain. My first instinct was to bring a pair of trail runners, but in the past I’ve made just one pair of Chacos work for most of a trip with no problem. My Chacos hit trash last summer, so I swapped them out for a pair of Tevas with Hurricane soles.
Little wool gloves
Head net for bugs: everyone else is bringing the Original Bug shirt, time will tell if I am making a mistake with my head net.
Eddie Bauer 35L day bag: packs small, good for gear hauling. I’ve had mine for about six years. I’ve used it on day hikes, as an overnight bag for trips to the city in Armenia, hauling gear from boats to camp in the Apostles and Isle Royale— pretty much everything but actual backpacking.
Pack towel (mostly for cleaning off feet)
Kula cloth: Kula cloth was designed to cut down on TP for ladies. It was an impulse buy, and I will certainly report update on its effectiveness.
Kitchen Gear:
MSR Whisperlite: Dare I say industry standard for cooking on overnight group trips?
Jetboil: good for hot drinks, dehyadrated meals, or when it’s windy and rainy
Sawyer Gravity filter: not ideal for backpacking or individual use (see hand pump), but with groups or when sea kayaking a gravity filter makes water a lot easier
Katadyn Hand Pump: I’ve had this thing forever. While a gravity filter works best when sea kayaking usually, a hand pump will do in a pinch, especially when there are plenty of water sources.
2 Dromedaries
Plastic serving spoon
Tiny cutting board
3L pot
Collapsable Sea to Summit Pot: Testing to see if it’s worth it/works
Coffee Percolator: we’re big coffee drinkers and it’s more fuel efficient to make a 6 cup batch than to do pour overs.
Tin cup (mug)
Nalgene Bowls:
Personal Spoon/ fork
Spice kit: salt, pepper, the works
Knife: handmade by @wilderness.effects
Trowel & tp bag with old coffee container to pack out used tp
Electronics:
Canon Rebel SL3: I shoot with an entry-level camera, and it’s about perfect for the backcountry. It’s weather resistant (not proof!), lightweight, and doesn’t take up a ton of space but still takes beautiful photos.
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens: This lens is the same price as my camera body, and again is basically the best jack of all trades lens you could possibly get without breaking the bank
my phone
5 SD cards
Spare camera batteries
Camera dry bag
Camp Clothes
1 pair of Nike shorts
Patagonia Rain Pants
Arc’teryx puffy: I found this puffy for 20 some dollars at a thrift shop a few years back, slapped a patch on it and good as new. Since then, it’s been subject to some moderate-severe abuse by me. This will likely be it’s final voyage
Stio Windbreaker: [affiliate link; basically if you buy something from Stio via this link I make a tiny cut] pleasantly surprised with the Women’s Second Lite pullover from Stio, an ultralight windbreaker. It packs down to half the size my Cotopaxi windbreaker, with pretty much the same benefits. I *do* have a discount code for Stio— if you use the code MADDYMARQ, you can grab 20% off your first purchase.
2 fleeces: for paddling/backpacking, I like a thin fleece (I have this one). You can find about 20 of these bad boys at any given thrift store.
Eddie Bower Guide Ripstop pants: I’ve really loved these pants hiking around in Florida where I wanted lightweight long pants. In the past I’ve just done a pair of leggings as my long hiking pant, and I’ve regretted it. Hopefully these will be a good addition to my backcountry fleet as well as my front country travel bag!
Heavily used leggings (will be thrown away after trip
RAB wool long sleeve: I’ve noticed that a lot of American outdoor retailers tend to run large in the middle section and comparatively tight in the shoulders. If you’re broad shouldered but still petite, European brands like RAB, Helly Hansen, and Fjallraven might be a better fit.
Smartwool Zip Up (bought used, discontinued)
Wool hat handknit by me
Baseball hat
Paddling Gear
Spray skirt (still deciding which)
NRS Blige Pump
Salamander Tow Belt (Andy, couldn’t find the one that he has online but it’s heavier duty with built in shocks so a tower doesn’t get ripped out of a cockpit in big swell, two different two lengths one on each side.)
Werner Cyprus: The mother of all paddles
VHF radio (2)
Bending Branches spare paddle: the one I have is discontinued :(
NOCS Binoculars: [Gifted, thank you NOCS] Binoculars are one of those gear pieces that you don’t realize you need until you see how useful they are. A good pair of binoculars can help you pick out headlands & landmarks for easier navigation. One of the best ways to get an accurate gauge of what sea conditions are like from shore is to pull out your binoculars and check out the waterlines at distant cliffs— you might be able to see the white flashes of breaking waves and determine using a map & wind direction how big waves are, and the safest route to paddle.
Paddle float
Sponge
2 water bottles
Repair kit
First Aid kit
Flares
Passports
Drybags & Boxes (will do a whole separate post on recommendations for these later because I’ve used SO many and have opinions)
Kokatat WoolCore top (under drytop, one of my favorite things I own)
Kokatat drytop: Discontinued, hand-me-down
a wild variety of marine charts, tide tables, and current tables (we’ll see what makes the cut)
A couple of notes:
I do not use a deck bag. On my deck I keep a spare paddle, a compass, a bilge pump, and a map. This is a leftover from guiding days, but anything on your front deck is a hazard in a rescue, and in breaking waves can easily get washed off the deck and flung at your face if secured incorrectly.
I also do not put any gear on my back deck. Plan A is always a roll, but in the event of a capsize, a clear back deck means an easy scramble rescue back into your boat.
I wanted to say a quick and BIG thank you to you guys for all of the support we’ve gotten for this trip. From emails/letters with contacts along our route, to kind words of encouragement, to all of my wonderful blog subscribers, we have received so much support! Thanks specifically to Tamea and Dave, Bill, Ken, Katie & Sam from Sisu & Loyly, Andy’s parents for all of their help, and to all of my paying blog subscribers!
Without wonderful people like you, we would have a much harder time pulling this off! You guys all rock and I hope you have a fantastic day!
-Maddy
You’ll love your Kula cloth! Best impulse purchase ever!
Looking forward to following your blog during the big trip! You are true adventurers!
Tom and Deb