Kayak and Hammock Camping

[Mike]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

If you like kayak camping, you might really like canoe camping. Kayak camping requires backpacking type equipment and attention to size/ weight restrictions. Canoe camping is close to car camping because you can haul so much stuff. Plus, canoes are a little easier to portage.

Most kayaks under 17' really restrict gear loading. For folks with smaller kayaks and a love for gear, you can get a smaller cheap kayak to load your gear into and then pull behind your kayak. If you do this, learn how to tie the nose of the gear kayak so the line (rope) pulls the gear kayak from under the kayak and not the top and not straight off the nose. Otherwise, the two kayaks fight each other.

[Mazer]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

Mike, thanks for the information, when younger and without back problems I canoed a couple of times, once on a sit on top kayak, I fell in love, I found I could paddle for hours without problems to my back. I have 2 13' sit on top kayaks which I have taken on a four day kayak camping trip. I was able to load everything I needed and wanted into my boat with room to spare. I agree there are some kayaks out there which have little room for gear, but I found all I needed was to reduce the size of my camping equipment to make things work. I replaced the coleman stoves with two mini burners, got some backpacking sized cook sets, two small coolers instead of one big one. I opted for a hammock instead of a tent, but found my companions brought backpacking tents and were none the worse for it. None of our boats were touring kayaks and none of us had problems with gear space

[Mazer]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

Oh, and I had to tow my friend who had recently had hand surgery, her boat had a higher side and was impacted by the wind more than mine, we did fine, I towed her twice without issue

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

Yeah, I've been back and forth between a canoe and a kayak, exactly b/c of the extra load capacity of a canoe. I DO like to take a guitar camping with me (well, it's kind of mandatory on longer trips), so I'm leaning toward the canoe side. Plus, I could carry fish collecting/photography gear. So yeah, a canoe.

[Mazer]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

Im into photography as well, so I understand the choice, although I have to say even in high winds with whitecaps, the kayak never lost its stability, even heavily loaded

[MacGyver]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

Big fan of the old style Coleman Scanoe for camping (and fishing, obviously). Flat bottom stability that allows you to actually stand up in a canoe, capacity of almost half a ton of people and gear, and fairly cheap if you can find one on Craigslist or a yard sale. I've had one since 1985 and it's still kickin' - even after years of bouncing off rocks on the Potomac River.

[Mike]

Re: Kayak and Hammock Camping

McGuyver, those old Coleman plastic canoes were designed to be bomb proof and they really were tough. I never saw another canoe that could take so much abuse. I never saw one get a hole punched through the hull, but if it ever did happen, you could repair them with a plastic milk jug and a heat gun.

The down side of the Coleman canoes were that they were painfully slow. You might not notice it paddling alone, but other canoes would do circles around the Coleman which was frustrating for mixed boat groups.

The plastic Coleman canoes really shined for low skilled boaters doing whitewater runs because they would bounce off rocks so well. Of course, the aluminum pipe frame could get bent, but at least it would float. Perfect for church groups and scout troops especially.

You can get used plastic Coleman canoes on Craig's list around here for less than $150.