Gear List

A post that most of you will find agonizingly boring, and a small minority of you will be able to relate to perfectly.

For all the complaining and procrastinating I do, really, packing the stuff I need for a weekend kayak trip takes very little time (I procrastinated for 24 hours, I just did it in 25 minutes, not counting packing the food bag). Really, if you do this almost every weekend, the only things you need to do are:

• pick the clothes from last weekend out of the clean laundry pile and put them back into their drybag
  
• top up the stove's fuel bottle
  
• refill the water bottles
  
• change the map in the map case
  
• pack the food bag
  
• replace the toilet roll
  
• clean off flash card and charge camera batteries
  

And, on top of that, I need to do a quick consideration: does this trip need a trowel and tentpegs. And the clothing gets varied depending on the weather forecast, so I had to pull out my rainpants - they weren't in the pile from last weekend. Pack food, load boat onto roofrack, and go.

The loading boat onto roofrack is what I really hate, though. My boat, empty, weights 51lbs (probably a bit lighter, due to the gelcoat that is missing in places! then again, perhaps that is compensated for by the cockpit cover). 51 lbs is not a lot to lift. But I have to maneuver it out of the confines of its home - and it is 17'7" long! there are corners and stuff! I don't like to bang it (see missing gelcoat). Sometimes, I wonder if I should find myself a paddling boyfriend (criteria: must live close enough to come over to help load boat) for this reason alone (though I have another one in my list of reasons for a boyfriend lately: when crashing at someone else's house, and there are a bunch of you, if you are half of a couple you get way better bed options. It's true! We're all going to the boss' cottage. My married colleague *of course* gets his own bedroom with lovely bed because he is bringing is wife. Those of us not accessorizing will be scattered on random cots and couches!) Back to the boat... loading it myself means I back the car up as close as I can, I put an old comforter on the trunk, and I slide the boat up. I hate this job with a passion.

But really... it's not a big deal, loading up for the weekend. Here my list of crap to be taken on a weekend kayak trip:

• tent, tent poles, groundsheet, pegs (if not bare rock sites)
  
• tarp, bungie cords, bag of ropes and carabiners
  
• sleeping mat, sleeping bag, fleece pillow case
  
• piece of closed cell foam aka bum pad
  
• white gas stove, fuel bottle, pot set, mesh bag with utensils, lighter, mug; collapsible sink (I use this as a stove cover), water filter (though sometimes I use chemicals)
  
• toiletries, toilet roll, sunscreen, insect repellent (if needed)
  
• sunglasses, spectacles, cell phone (if in range), gps (it usually stays in its bag), headlamp (add candle lantern in fall when it gets dark early), multi-tool
  
• map case, maps, first aid kit, camera
  
• novel, field guide(s)
  
• clothing
  
• weather radio (on some trips)
  

On longer trips, I may add:

• collapsible bucket (cold water trips where I plan to filter water, mostly)
  
• extra batteries, extra flash cards, extra flashlight
  
• additional fuel bottle
  
• repair kit(s): wire, cable crimps, sleeping pad repair kit, duct tape, expedition stove repair kit, tent fabric repair kit, aquaseal

My boat includes:

• sprayskirt, cockpit cover
  
• bilge pump, sponge
  
• throw bag (on some trips replaced by towing belt)
  
• paddle, spare paddle
  
• pool noodles (only on bare rock trips)
  
• deck bag (sometimes, on long trips - but I've really come to hate my deck bag, it affects my paddling stroke. It worked great with the old boat, which was wider, but not with the GTS)
  
• paddle float (solo trips, trips where the water is warm enough to play)

Here's how it all fits in the boat:
Bow hatch:

• tent poles, in stuff sack with rope loop attached (for retrieval) jammed up into the nose, followed by groundsheet, followed by tent
  
• sleeping pad, first aid kit, shoes, book, field guide, tent pegs, privy trowel, toilet paper, insect repellent, sandals (if taking), tarp

In front of my footpegs:

• sleeping bag and pillowcase (in compression stuff sack inside PVC drybag)
  

Stern hatch:

• taper drybag with most of my clothing jammed into nose
  
• food bag except for current day's snacks and lunch
  
• pot set, kitchen bag, stove, fuel bottle
  
• bungie cord bag, rope bag, cockpit cover, ikea bag (to carry stuff)
  
• collapsible sink, water filter, bum pad
  
• small drybag containing wallet, cell phone, gps (unless in map case), batteries, headlamp, glasses, multi-tool, weather radio, pens, small notebook
  
• cans of beer or similar stuffed into available spaces...

Behind my seat and on deck:

• water bottles, sponge, lunch, drybag with raingear, hat, pogies (if cold) or gloves, extra clothing layer (this sometimes gets jammed into the sleeping bag drybag - I don't have much room behind the seat)
  
• camera
  
• in rear deck lines: bilge pump, paddle float (if taking)
  
• strapped onto stern part of boat: spare paddle, pool noodles (cut to size)
  

I cannot believe it only takes me 25 minutes to pack at home when I look at that list. It only takes me 10 minutes to load my boat at the put-in. And that was enough procrastination. I need to go pack the food bag putting together, oh hated chore.

Posted by Johanna at June 9, 2006 05:53 PM