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By Outside Adventure to the Max Guest Blogger John D'Amelio
If you plan this kayak packing trip well you can pop out late on a Friday afternoon and still be back in time to make the kids pancakes on Saturday morning. The beauty of an overnight kayak camping trip is that they don't have to be all that complicated. Fair warning here: once you make this initial trip you'll likely be hooked.
With a limited window, the first step to a successful S24O (Sub 24-Hour Overnighter) is locating a body of water close to home that has decent chance of a place to camp. This 'Start from the end' method is a proven winner and will get you well on the way to answer almost every other question that you might have about such an enterprise. In fact, the only things you need to know will all be driven by this first and most important question.
Where To camp & How Far You Should Go?
The answer is largely going to depend on how much time you have and your relative skill level. Generally speaking, +/-3-5 mph is a comfortable pace in a touring kayak. If this is your first overnighter then go for the sure win - 3-7 miles. 3 is enough to make you feel like you've gone somewhere and 7 is not so much that you'll get lost, exhausted or overwhelmed.
Locate your campsite on a topo or bombsight it on Google Maps and do some simple distance measurements. Keep in mind a few things as you make your estimations. Wind plays a bigger factor than you'd imagine in how much time the distance will take so factor in the prevailing winds for your location as well as the weather forecast.
If you are planning your adventure on a flat water river or coastal body then current and tides will also come into play. Best advice here is to start easy, short, and well within your skill level. You'll have enough on your plate without having to deal with too many external factors.
Where Should You Put In?
This is really one of the more fun parts of planning an overnighter. For me, its a little like releasing my inner Lewis & Clark or Marquette. With the knowledge of your camp sight in mind start referring back to your map, looking for overpasses, State DNR boat ramps or dirt roads that border your water. Local kayaking clubs will also be a great resource.
A good alternative to planning your own would be to look for a paddle trail. The American Trails National Water Trails System has, as of this writing, 49 trails that include predesignated camping platforms or locations.
What Should You Take?
Besides some basic kayak safety gear – your PFD being the most important – you'll need less than you think.
- Water or a means to purify it,
- Food and a means to cook it if needed,
- Shelter pretty much round the list out.
If you are already geared up for backpacking or, with little exception, car camping, then with the addition of a few 15-20L dry bags you are probably all set to go. Some budget items are linked below if you are looking for recommendations.
Cook stove
Fuel
Cook pot
Cup
Lighter
Spork
Knife
Garbage bag
First Aid Kit
TP + Trowel
Bandana
Packing Your Kayak
We can't stress enough here the need to practice packing your rig prior to your departure. Modern touring kayaks can hold a lot of gear so you'd be hard pressed to max your weight or storage space out on an S24O. If you are transitioning in from car camping your most likely candidates for gear replacements are going to be your camp stove and maybe your tent.
Rule number one of kayakpacking: everything is going to get wet. Thankfully not everything that gets packed in the kayak has to first go in a dry bag. Really, it's just the stuff that would be unusable or ruined if it gets wet. If you have room for the essentials and can also put everything else in a dry bag – go for it. But it's not a necessity of kayakcamping. My kit usually contains 2 or 3-20L dry bags. Everything else goes in a bulkhead or securely in a hold.
Clothes:
One of the really simple pleasures of kayakpacking is getting to camp, setting up the tent and slipping into some nice dry clothes. Going from wet paddling gear to wet camp clothes just isn't an option.
Don't take much on an S240 but do take a change of clothes for camp and/or sleeping.
Sleep System:
One of the really simple pleasures of kayakpacking is getting to camp, setting up the tent and slipping into some nice dry clothes. Going from wet paddling gear to wet camp clothes just isn't an option.
Don't take much on an S240 but do take a change of clothes for camp and/or sleeping.
Sleep System:
You can get by for one night without sleep – by why risk it. Reserve your other dry bag for your sleeping bag, and camp pillow if you like (I always take one). Your tent or hammock is optional here. They dry fast and are usually wet by morning anyway. I usually just stuff it in the far end of the forward bulkhead and it stays mostly dry even in the worse weather or water conditions.
Electronics:
Not much to add here other than if you are taking a computer, iPad, smartphone or camera I'd double bag those items and test my solution in a more controlled environment like a bathtub or sink. There are some commercially available products for all of these items but none that we have tested thoroughly enough to warrant an endorsement.
Not much to add here other than if you are taking a computer, iPad, smartphone or camera I'd double bag those items and test my solution in a more controlled environment like a bathtub or sink. There are some commercially available products for all of these items but none that we have tested thoroughly enough to warrant an endorsement.
This is by no means the only way to go about planning a successful overnight kayak camping adventure. One of our contributors has a YouTube video on the subject that we highly recommend. Check out Trip Smith's "How I Plan Overnight Kayaking Trips - TIPS and the PROCESS" on his wildly popular channel "Out There".
John D'Amelio serves as the Executive Editor of Kayakpacking.co. When he's not dreaming about, planning or editing kayak adventures he is a freelance designer and writer. He calls central North Carolina home where he lives with his wife of 28 years.
John D'Amelio serves as the Executive Editor of Kayakpacking.co. When he's not dreaming about, planning or editing kayak adventures he is a freelance designer and writer. He calls central North Carolina home where he lives with his wife of 28 years.
Launched in late 2017 kayakpacking.co is a resource specifically devoted to longer distance kayaking adventures. Their goal is to give paddlers the tools and materials you need to follow published routes while inspiring you to seek out and plan your own adventures.
Kayakpacking.co's route system has grown in a very short time to over 600 miles of documented flatwater (0-II class) trails and counting with over 400 more miles currently in development. Check out their getting started series. It walks you through everything you need to know to plan a simple overnighter to a full-blown multi-week kayak packing adventure.
Kayakpacking.co's route system has grown in a very short time to over 600 miles of documented flatwater (0-II class) trails and counting with over 400 more miles currently in development. Check out their getting started series. It walks you through everything you need to know to plan a simple overnighter to a full-blown multi-week kayak packing adventure.
