Check out my new TH-cam channel! www.youtube.com/@KenWhitingAdventures is now the place to find all my paddling adventure videos, while PaddleTV will focus on Instruction and Gear Reviews.
One thing I like for kayak camping is a large mesh carry bag to put all the small dry bags into when carrying them from shore to camp. They take up little space and really help manage multiple small dry bags.
Spoon with an extra long handle, available from various manufacturers. Easier to stir the freeze dried food/meals in the bag with. Keeps the fingers clean. Or the dirt on your fingers away from the food.
Great breakdown of the gear needed. I have an amputated leg and have to bring my swimming leg with me so packing my kayak becomes more of a challenge but always find a way to make it work! Great video and thanks for sharing.
If you're looking to go without DEET for whatever reason I can personally recommend PROVEN brand picaradin based insect repellant. Black flies, mosquitos, ticks, deer flies, horse flies and more. Comes in a lotion for skin application, and a spray for gear/clothes. My skin has been much happier since ditching deet. Just a few cents from a fan. Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
Re shoe problems: I realize the general recommendation is against sandals (and flipflops in particular), and I understand why, but I wonder if carefully selected sandals might've helped with your abrasion problems while remaining secure enough and grippy enough for purpose. On the one hand they're more open so it's easier for stuff to get in, but on the other hand they're more open so it's easier for stuff to get out. I have some Bedrock Sandals Cairn Evo Pro sandals that are secure enough to swim with and have sole material designed to grip wet surfaces. I know Merrell makes a foot-encompassing shoe-like sandal as well.
Look in to scuba socks, to protect your feet from abrasions. The are made of soft wicking Lycra/Spandex material. I live in an area with lots of coastal sand, and blisters used to be common. The scuba socks dry quickly, as well.
urine bottle so you don't have to exit the tent at night. Also you could make a similar but smaller and less bulky gravity filtration system using a 1-2L bag for dirty water, inline Sawyer mini, to smart water bottle ( its top fits the sawyer outflow, just have to unscrew the bottle a couple turns to allow air out so the water flows. For lighter weight chair, use a crazy creek on the kayak deck or a log or rock to get it off the ground
After a recent trip in Finnish Lapland: Drysuit is the real MVP. Not for the water, but for the mosquitoes! I packed day-bags, small drybags with dinner, breakfast and the next day's clothes. Greatly reduced the amount of unpacking and re-packing. I used Ziploc bags inside each drybag to keep the food contained if it exploded; what I *should* have done was Ziploc the clothes instead, because when I dumped the boat, EVERY. SINGLE. DRYBAG. LEAKED. Didn't have a stitch of dry clothing left beyond what was already on me and inside the drysuit. Some re-sealing to do...
Hey Ken, definitely would encourage you to bring a saw on any of your K camping trips. It’s an invaluable piece of safety equipment with multi uses in an emergency. Never know what you might need it for. Think of it as your Swiss Army Knife on steroids. It’s a “comfort tool, rescue tool, weapon…” just my suggestion.
Just back from a paddling trip in a Greenland boat with really low volume. I used a Bivvy bag, a three person tent footprint n tarp instead of a tent. Totally agree on the chair!
I did a 3 days (85kms) solo trip in Spain (i'm spanish) 2 weeks ago. I used the itiwit 500 and paked a big part of my equipment inside a waterproof drum. That works ok while paddling in flat water but a little problem when I had to walk on the River pulling my kayak. The Itiwit 500 is not flat and the drum unbalanced a lot the kayak. Sometimes was really a problem just to cross 100 or 200 meters of very shaklow water (5 or 10cms)
How's the shoulder? Some things that go with me on ALL camping trips are... the firebox Nano stove, a multi fuel stove. that fits in your shirt pocket. The AeroPress coffee maker, French pressed coffee without the clean up. and a portable bidet, with a smart water bottle (keep the cap and use warm water) leaves you feeling fresher than the Charmin bears. P.S. Firebox stoves has a coffee grinder that fits inside the AeroPress.
Great video Ken very interesting and I was so surprised at how much gear you can get in that small kayak. One thing I would suggest for your next trip is a better strap for your dry bag on the back of the boat Hehe you know why.😸.
i need to up my coffee game, getting pretty tired of instant. My go to for footwear is Keen closed toe hiking sandals. They're super comfortable, pretty good grip and tough!
Great breakdown of gear. I would suggest one more thing, some locking caribiners, maybe you have a reason not too, but I think I'd hook some of your stuff to your deck bungee cording with caribiners.
If you're eating dehydrated out of the bag (I know you had bowls), recommend a long-handled spoon. You didn't need tines and you didn't need your fingers in the bag 🙂
Another great video Ken, thank you. Nobody does better gear reviews. I use IKEA shopping bags to portage all those small pieces - I pack the bags last so they’re on top, and throw the gear into them. IKEA bags so light yet strong. And it’s fast - everyone races through portages, right? Re coffee, that system looks intriguing, but I’m always concerned about the coffee grounds - do you pack them out, Ken? I think I’d have too large a bag of grounds after a week. So I simply drink instant coffee 😬
This was great! I am planning a trip, and it gave me some things to think about. My gear weight limit for my Hurricane Prima is around 25 lbs, so I am going to tow a Cuddy cooler for my extra gear.
Have you had experience towing a cuddy cooler? My group uses one, and we love it. However, the resistance it adds is a lot. Might be worth getting a better kayak and just putting your gear into that.
@@xXdethklokpwnsXx Unfortunately that is not an option at the moment. I have my eye on the NRS Neutron pack raft, but that is probably a next year purchase. Thankfully, I am not going that far on this trip. I also should be able to get out before I need my winter gear which will allow me to put enough weight in it to keep it settled in the water without weighing it down.
@GingerByrn1 we just did a 35 mile trip over 5 days with a cuddy We had to take shifts for every 2 miles we did. If you can rig the tow ropes to be pulling from the bottom instead from the top/handle, it'll help a lot. We have found out that the more weight/speed, the more the cooler will dip down into the water and be harder to pull
@@xXdethklokpwnsXx, thanks for the insight. I took it out yesterday fully loaded for an out-and-back to the area where I want camp. It was about 4 miles with very little current, and it went well if slowly. I will definitely be choosing my days based on current. Towing that in a strong current is a no go.
I bring a very thin, lightweight backpack that does not take up much space. When I have to portage, I unfold it and put all the stuffed dry bags in there so I don't have to deal with them individually. I also bring a bigger tent. I hate these minimalist one-person tents. I need space. And a camp chair.
Great video! Thanks for mentioning the NRS HydroSkin, I had not heard of that before. Would the Astral Brewer water shoe be a better choice than the Loyak for foot protection on longer trips?
Don't know about the Brewer... I'll bet it's a great water shoe, but the big issue is keeping sand out. The low cut nature of the shoe will allow sand to get in, and then it can't get out. That's the great thing about booties... they do a great job of keeping the sand out... but you're stuck wearing booties all day! :)
If I know we’re going to be doing campfires, I bring a battery powered mini chainsaw. Laugh all you want, it’s worth the weight/size penalty to not spend so much time processing wood.
Check out my new TH-cam channel! www.youtube.com/@KenWhitingAdventures is now the place to find all my paddling adventure videos, while PaddleTV will focus on Instruction and Gear Reviews.
One thing I like for kayak camping is a large mesh carry bag to put all the small dry bags into when carrying them from shore to camp. They take up little space and really help manage multiple small dry bags.
Big blue IKEA bags work really well for this.
Spoon with an extra long handle, available from various manufacturers. Easier to stir the freeze dried food/meals in the bag with. Keeps the fingers clean. Or the dirt on your fingers away from the food.
I use a bamboo kitchen spoon. Light, and not plastic.
Ooooo. That's a good idea! :)
Great breakdown of the gear needed. I have an amputated leg and have to bring my swimming leg with me so packing my kayak becomes more of a challenge but always find a way to make it work! Great video and thanks for sharing.
If you're looking to go without DEET for whatever reason I can personally recommend PROVEN brand picaradin based insect repellant. Black flies, mosquitos, ticks, deer flies, horse flies and more. Comes in a lotion for skin application, and a spray for gear/clothes.
My skin has been much happier since ditching deet. Just a few cents from a fan. Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
Re shoe problems: I realize the general recommendation is against sandals (and flipflops in particular), and I understand why, but I wonder if carefully selected sandals might've helped with your abrasion problems while remaining secure enough and grippy enough for purpose. On the one hand they're more open so it's easier for stuff to get in, but on the other hand they're more open so it's easier for stuff to get out. I have some Bedrock Sandals Cairn Evo Pro sandals that are secure enough to swim with and have sole material designed to grip wet surfaces. I know Merrell makes a foot-encompassing shoe-like sandal as well.
We used to use the milk bags because they were sturdy. Tie them off with elastic bands.
Elastic bands were really convenient, too.
Thanks for sharing your packing list!
Look in to scuba socks, to protect your feet from abrasions. The are made of soft wicking Lycra/Spandex material. I live in an area with lots of coastal sand, and blisters used to be common. The scuba socks dry quickly, as well.
urine bottle so you don't have to exit the tent at night. Also you could make a similar but smaller and less bulky gravity filtration system using a 1-2L bag for dirty water, inline Sawyer mini, to smart water bottle ( its top fits the sawyer outflow, just have to unscrew the bottle a couple turns to allow air out so the water flows. For lighter weight chair, use a crazy creek on the kayak deck or a log or rock to get it off the ground
Salt Creek is my favourite tent for primitive kayaking. Thx for sharing all your gear choices.
After a recent trip in Finnish Lapland:
Drysuit is the real MVP. Not for the water, but for the mosquitoes!
I packed day-bags, small drybags with dinner, breakfast and the next day's clothes. Greatly reduced the amount of unpacking and re-packing. I used Ziploc bags inside each drybag to keep the food contained if it exploded; what I *should* have done was Ziploc the clothes instead, because when I dumped the boat, EVERY. SINGLE. DRYBAG. LEAKED. Didn't have a stitch of dry clothing left beyond what was already on me and inside the drysuit. Some re-sealing to do...
Hey Ken, definitely would encourage you to bring a saw on any of your K camping trips. It’s an invaluable piece of safety equipment with multi uses in an emergency. Never know what you might need it for. Think of it as your Swiss Army Knife on steroids. It’s a “comfort tool, rescue tool, weapon…” just my suggestion.
Great video Ken, that looked like a great trip you went on bar the bugs. Take care.
Loved this review. Great insights! Thanks for taking the time.
Almost the same stuff i use on my trips, nice introduction.
I've been using the new Lifestraw with a bladder. Easy to use while kayaking and can also fill your other bottles. It may replace my Sawyer.
😊 Great video, Ken! Dawn and I always appreciate your reviews on essential items. Not so sure that was the burp valve!
Just back from a paddling trip in a Greenland boat with really low volume. I used a Bivvy bag, a three person tent footprint n tarp instead of a tent.
Totally agree on the chair!
I did a 3 days (85kms) solo trip in Spain (i'm spanish) 2 weeks ago. I used the itiwit 500 and paked a big part of my equipment inside a waterproof drum. That works ok while paddling in flat water but a little problem when I had to walk on the River pulling my kayak. The Itiwit 500 is not flat and the drum unbalanced a lot the kayak. Sometimes was really a problem just to cross 100 or 200 meters of very shaklow water (5 or 10cms)
How's the shoulder?
Some things that go with me on ALL camping trips are... the firebox Nano stove, a multi fuel stove. that fits in your shirt pocket. The AeroPress coffee maker, French pressed coffee without the clean up. and a portable bidet, with a smart water bottle (keep the cap and use warm water) leaves you feeling fresher than the Charmin bears.
P.S. Firebox stoves has a coffee grinder that fits inside the AeroPress.
I like that the Big Agnes tent has two doors. One side can be used as a storage vestibule and the other for ingress and egress.
Great video Ken very interesting and I was so surprised at how much gear you can get in that small kayak.
One thing I would suggest for your next trip is a better strap for your dry bag on the back of the boat Hehe you know why.😸.
a nice setup Ken . Its always good if you have the room to take a pair of crocks for around camp so you can get you feet dry and your wet shoes off
i need to up my coffee game, getting pretty tired of instant. My go to for footwear is Keen closed toe hiking sandals. They're super comfortable, pretty good grip and tough!
Great video. Lots of really good practical advice. Keep up the good work. Your videos are great!!
Thanks!
Great breakdown of gear. I would suggest one more thing, some locking caribiners, maybe you have a reason not too, but I think I'd hook some of your stuff to your deck bungee cording with caribiners.
Surprised you didn't pack camp shoes. At least you didn't mention them if you did. Love your videos. I've turned several friends onto your channel.
If you're eating dehydrated out of the bag (I know you had bowls), recommend a long-handled spoon. You didn't need tines and you didn't need your fingers in the bag 🙂
Another great video Ken, thank you. Nobody does better gear reviews. I use IKEA shopping bags to portage all those small pieces - I pack the bags last so they’re on top, and throw the gear into them. IKEA bags so light yet strong. And it’s fast - everyone races through portages, right? Re coffee, that system looks intriguing, but I’m always concerned about the coffee grounds - do you pack them out, Ken? I think I’d have too large a bag of grounds after a week. So I simply drink instant coffee 😬
This was great! I am planning a trip, and it gave me some things to think about. My gear weight limit for my Hurricane Prima is around 25 lbs, so I am going to tow a Cuddy cooler for my extra gear.
Have you had experience towing a cuddy cooler? My group uses one, and we love it. However, the resistance it adds is a lot. Might be worth getting a better kayak and just putting your gear into that.
@@xXdethklokpwnsXx Unfortunately that is not an option at the moment. I have my eye on the NRS Neutron pack raft, but that is probably a next year purchase. Thankfully, I am not going that far on this trip. I also should be able to get out before I need my winter gear which will allow me to put enough weight in it to keep it settled in the water without weighing it down.
@GingerByrn1 we just did a 35 mile trip over 5 days with a cuddy
We had to take shifts for every 2 miles we did.
If you can rig the tow ropes to be pulling from the bottom instead from the top/handle, it'll help a lot. We have found out that the more weight/speed, the more the cooler will dip down into the water and be harder to pull
@@xXdethklokpwnsXx Thanks for the tip!
@@xXdethklokpwnsXx, thanks for the insight. I took it out yesterday fully loaded for an out-and-back to the area where I want camp. It was about 4 miles with very little current, and it went well if slowly. I will definitely be choosing my days based on current. Towing that in a strong current is a no go.
Was just thinking. Powdered Creatine for drinking.
Need to bring sugar but it would be a good supplement.
I bring a very thin, lightweight backpack that does not take up much space. When I have to portage, I unfold it and put all the stuffed dry bags in there so I don't have to deal with them individually. I also bring a bigger tent. I hate these minimalist one-person tents. I need space. And a camp chair.
my favorite outdoor thing lately is wool socks
Happy feet, happy camper! :)
Be sure that you can get your tight spray skirt off quickly. I know two people that almost drowned that way on a flip & could not pop it off.
Great video! Thanks for mentioning the NRS HydroSkin, I had not heard of that before. Would the Astral Brewer water shoe be a better choice than the Loyak for foot protection on longer trips?
Don't know about the Brewer... I'll bet it's a great water shoe, but the big issue is keeping sand out. The low cut nature of the shoe will allow sand to get in, and then it can't get out. That's the great thing about booties... they do a great job of keeping the sand out... but you're stuck wearing booties all day! :)
How many power banks did you bring? By the end of your trip videos I was wondering how your GoPros and drone were still running :)
Kayaks are floating suitcases, that you ride.
why can't you portage a fully loaded kayak on a kayak cart?
If I know we’re going to be doing campfires, I bring a battery powered mini chainsaw. Laugh all you want, it’s worth the weight/size penalty to not spend so much time processing wood.
You couldn't possibly fit all that into that small kayak... You're a packing magician.
There are no bugs and mosquitoes around the fire , smoke does the job
😆 never went camping huh?
@nathangeorge6522 won't be making shorts by the fire, huh😊😊😊😊