FIRST:
Kayaks are not watertight! In all cases, bulkheads should not be considered to be completely dry havens for your gear. Hence the recommendation above to use zip bags for anything you want to remain dry.
First, if potable water is scarce, do not put all your water in one container. If a leak does occur in your sole container, the effect upon the trip can be catastrophic. The movement of vessels on the water often causes abrasion to material and loosening of lids. I suggest several containers. Soft water containers are easiest to fit in your vessel. They tend to add stability to your vessel when stored low and amidships.
CLOTHING TO WEAR
Steer clear of cotton, especially when you’re on the ocean or in humid weather (it’ll never dry).
I’m bringing two close-fitting shirts one light-colored the other dark-colored. The dark for if it gets called the sun will be attracted to the light for if it is sunny all day I won’t burn the hell up 🙂
shorts or TRUNKS, Something you don’t mind getting – And wearing – Soaking wet for when you Do fall into the water :/
Some kinda hat for your face & sunglasses (polarized if you can) for your eyes – trust me, better to have it and not wear it then Need it and not have it. I just bought one.
If you want to bring your cell phone to receive calls to listen to music whatever, Ziploc bag that baby. It won’t be truly waterproof In that if it goes over and it starts to go under it’s getting wet. But that should keep it from Going under quickly and getting Wet Quickly.
ITEMS TO PACK (OPTIONAL)
Lightweight/Sweat pants
hooded rain jacket or shell wind-breaker
large sponge or plastic milk jug with the bottom cut away for canoe bailing (strapped under a seat)
(polarized) sunglasses (security strap highly recommended if you wear corrective glasses)
sunscreen if you burn easily, a washcloth if you sweat a lot – here’s a trade off there, of course.
PLAN TO GET OUT OF YOUR KAYAK!
🙂 There are Lots of huge rock Outcroppings, And even a small beach on the side Either way just plan to get out stretch maybe eat your lunch BS for a while check your phone messages whatever.
Attach all your dry bags and cases to the inside of your kayak (rope plus D-rings and seat bars). This way you won’t send a dry-bag SOS to the world if you capsize. But don’t have tons of excess rope either—entanglement during capsize is not the way to go down.
It is possible to eat really well while kayaking/camping.
Peanut butter and jelly on pita bread gives you carbs, protein and sugar — everything you need for paddling energy. This combination gives you the energy you need when you need it. Our bodies burn sugar very quickly, carbohydrates more slowly, and protein takes the longest for us to use. Breakfast is especially important when paddling long distances. Think in terms of time-release food. Depending on your metabolism, the activity you are doing, and the actual meal you eat, this time-release will vary. In general, sugar is immediate fuel, carbs last a couple of hours, and protein is good for 4 to 6 hours of fuel.
PACKING
Soft-sided containers will morph soft foods into all kinds of weird shapes. Hard containers don’t pack as easily
You bring a five dollar watercooler, Some Ziploc baggies, & get a bag of ice. Divi-up the ice into Ziploc bags, This will compartmentalize the ice: So you can use for water later on and the water that you’re not going to use you can just spill out instead of occupying space and being heavy.
Keep food away from fuels, toiletries, soaps and other odour pollutants. Discard outer packaging and repack into freezer-weight zip-lock plastic bags. Group foods together in a larger zip-lock.
Square, flat, thin stackable plastic food containers with a good lid are extremely handy for kayakers because they take less room than round ones. For day trips, I prefer to prepare individual portions that I place in stackable containers.
Bread doesn’t pack well but pita bread and tortillas keep and store easily. Do not bring anything that requires refrigeration.
YOU CAN ZIPLOCK FOODS
You have some good options here, I’m definitely going to pack a Big old pepperoni stick, a chunk of cheese but watch it can get sweaty.
Those little cracker cheese packets or even like in the supermarkets the sandwich pockets are a great idea;
I most definitely Remind people that they have the option of grabbing a Subway breakfast sandwich before we leave – Whether you eat it here or in the water or after remains to be seen :):):)
Sandwich Ideas: Go to a grocery store a giant eagle and ask for ‘a dollar’s worth of this, a dollar’s worth of that’ (they automatically give them to you in ziplock backs) a Pack of bagels- you’re done.
In general I think that good advice is to walk by a salad bar & get some Great ideas from there – Anything that you see there can be Ziplocked 🙂
TRAIL MIX – o generic and grab it from a walgreens, or if you’re a snob like me goto a local Trader Joes or Market District (giant eagle) and grab some trail mix
Ziplock Chef Boy Ar Dee!!!!! Or just leave it in the can and eat like that.
Ziplock milk, ziplock cereal, combine later
Precook oatmeal or add hot water (requires fire)
peanut butter, jelly
English muffins or bagels
Peanuts, raisins, pretzels, chips,
bell peppers, zuchini, cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, fennel, baby carrots, broccoli or cauliflower. They will all travel well for 48 to 72 hours without refrigeration.
You can buy tuna in plastic bag/packets, or go ahead and make your own.
sausage and single Spam packets which work well too.
Bagels and english muffins
Veggies — forget lettuce and sprouts.
Cabbage keeps very well for days without refrigeration and can be eaten cooked or raw.
Carrots, onion, and potatoes keep and carry well.
Pack cheeses and butter in a soft-sided cooler with ice
Salad Idea: A handful of raw spinach leaves, add whatever you like on a salad. Eat w/plastic fork or chopstics 🙂
Breakfast idea: Tabasco cheese grits with bacon. Instant grits with individually packaged string cheese pieces. Add some bottled real bacon bits(the kind you put on salads) and pour on the Tabasco.
Pre-package hot cereal breakfasts. Take packets of hot cereal from the grocery store, combine them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, and dried fruit (raisins) to make one meal. Add boiling water and you’ve started the day with 700 calories.
DRINKS
I’m bringing instant coffee
tea bags and instant soup packets as other options. A few packets of powdered Tang or Gatorade are handy to have
Starbucks instant coffee packets.