A matter of weight.....camping

[FishMoken]

So I've been very interested in going kayak camping and have watched a ton of videos as well as kayak Kevin's DVD. As much as I would love to take a month off to just paddle....its just not in the cards right now. Now as a bigger guy 220lbs I tend to over think the capacity of the kayak with camping gear. For those that have what do you recommend? I currently have a tarpon 120 as a float trip/ river kayak. That's the plan to do a river float from PA down to the Potomac river. Ive looked at a lot of touring kayak and most only have 325-350lb capacity. Am I just over thinking this? I don't really plan to bring cookware more or less just instant meals. If you have been kayak camping what would you do different or what worked for you?

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[mi327]

I don't have any experience with it but I would go to watertribe.com they put on kayak (small sailboats too) races that range from around 60 miles to ones over 1200 miles. The site itself and the forum there has allot of info on camping out of a Kayak.

[brianisoutside]

You have nearly 100 pounds of weight load you can pack. That’s a lot of gear. Best thing to do is start a list and weigh it.
Keep in mind your kayak is going to act really different with that weight, loss or space for you etc
What waterway flows from PA to the Potomac?


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[nhunter344]

Conococheague Creek?

[J.A. Veil]

If you want to make a multi-day kayak camping trip, I would encourage you to stay within your kayak's weight capacity limits. Ideally, you would leave some margin below the weight capacity as a safety measure. And load your camping gear in a way that does not make the kayak top-heavy.

I am personally not familiar with the creeks and streams in Western Maryland. However, back in the 1980s I used to work with an avid paddler named Ed Gertler. He would take off after work every Fri afternoon and drift/paddle different streams in the mid-Atlantic area. He occasionally showed up for work on Mon morning directly from the river. He published several detailed books on different stream segments that he had paddled. His website is https://paddlersguides.wordpress.com/. You can find links to his books there.

[Huntrava]

I have a little bit of experience kayaking and camping, most recently in the BWCA last year, but a lot more time in the southwest (San Juan river, Green river, etc.). At first glance, I wouldn't think you'd have any issues with weight in terms of an absolute number. A fairly typical load when backpacking is 30-45 pounds, and you have twice that available to you.

Just remember that weight distribution is just as important as total weight. When camping for a few days, water is probably the heaviest thing you'll have in your yak. I wouldn't recommend filtration as anything but a backup out in this area, which means bringing water. Ideally a few bladders stowed low and inside the yak will keep your center of gravity where you want it.

Verify there's no portaging required on your route. If yes, you need to take a closer look at how you organize your gear, and potentially cut back on weight. A double, or heaven forbid, triple portage could wreck your day.

You'll want a backup paddle. That's one of the few things that could really screw up a multi-day trip.

Compared to regular camping, I recommend bringing more bugspray and a warmer sleeping setup than you might otherwise. Besides that, you don't need anything aside from your typical backpacking setup, minus the backpack. Just a few large drybags (30l-50l range) will give you all the dry storage you need and then some. There's really no need to go ultra-light unless you want a lighter kayak. But if you're floating downstream it's just a matter of when you arrive, and most people I know prefer to do it comfortably.

Good luck, you'll have a great time.

[FishMoken]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I was looking to float the Monocacy river. I had a couple of friends do it a few years back but never down past Frederick. So I would have to look into that. I was looking into getting a big game 2 but with a 600lb weight limit it just seemed like way more then what I would need. Just really haven't done much as far as camping so I wanted to make sure I wouldn't need a higher capacity kayak.

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[Jman]

That sounds like an awesome trip! I think you're probably good to go with that kayak you have as long as the water levels are good. You could see if there is a local river company that might be able to give you some local tips, like water access, permits, campsites, etc.

I have done a few multi-day saltwater trips that are closer to the Kayak Kevin type of trips you mentioned. I did not have to worry about water levels, portaging, or any class levels of rapids, like you might encounter. I did have to bring fresh water, which was the most challenging aspect due to space and weight. I remember how heavy everything was the first day and I still underestimated the amount of water I needed for a 3 day trip.

+1 on the bug spray. I've done Assateague and a few other ES areas in the summer and I usually pre-treat my gear/clothes with permethrin and add more bug spray on top of that.

-Also if you don't already have a stove, the MSR Whisperlite is one that I use for back country camping because it's really compact. You can use a 10-30 oz+ fuel bottle with almost any type of fuel.

[Slobber Bob]

However, back in the 1980s I used to work with an avid paddler named Ed Gertler. He would take off after work every Fri afternoon and drift/paddle different streams in the mid-Atlantic area. He occasionally showed up for work on Mon morning directly from the river. He published several detailed books on different stream segments that he had paddled. His website is https://paddlersguides.wordpress.com/. You can find links to his books there.

That's cool. I met him, and picked up one of his books, this past summer at the Delaware Seashore State Park Paddlefest. He seemed like a hardcore paddler. He was telling me that he was preparing to leave for a trip to paddle a large portion of the Colorado River, if I remember correctly.

[Slobber Bob]

I've only done a couple one nighters out of my kayak, but I'd suggest hitting the camping section of any sporting goods department to stock up on items that are small, compact, and can serve multiple functions - if you don't have that stuff already. If you plan to camp somewhere with trees, a hammock takes up way less storage space than a tent. And you can buy them with bug guards built it and don't have to worry about wet ground.

-Also if you don't already have a stove, the MSR Whisperlite is one that I use for back country camping because it's really compact. You can use a 10-30 oz+ fuel bottle with almost any type of fuel.

A Stealth Angel Ultralight Portable Stove is awesome too. It folds up and takes up no more space than a wallet. Plus a small fuel canister.

[mepps3]

I've done a bunch of overnight kayaking trips. We always use hammocks with rain covers. I just use a rain cover from my tent. Sleeping bag keeps you warm if needed. They make compression bags to help crush them down to fit. I used frozen water bottles for keeping Day 2 food cold(subs) and then use them as water for day 2. We cook fish for dinner. I bring some driftwood kindling and dryer lint for campfire starter. The advantage of the hammock is that you can pretty much camp anywhere if there are trees. Don't need a flat clearing. It takes some getting used to for a light sleeper like me, though. That's what some bourbon and melatonin are for!

[janeman@mailima]

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