Hi everyone! So my goal with these articles is to have a new one for yall every week. I’m going to start with an article series called “Things to Bring.” This will be a multi part series starting with this first article, a simple look at things to bring on a several hour kayaking trip, and developing from there. We’ll get more in depth with a Things to Bring of overlooked items and then into articles for kayak fishing and kayak camping. So now that we’ve had this little introduction let’s dive into the first article.
Things to Bring: An Introduction
“Fail to plan; plan to fail.” Wow that quote might come off as way harsher than I mean it to, but we do definitely need to be concerned with with everything when we go kayaking. While kayaking is tons of fun and can be incredibly relaxing there is still a level of risk any time you set out on the water and there is no better mitigator of that risk than preparation. Alright, sorry for getting preachy there, but I gotta stress the importance of safety, ya know? Good? Good.
Ok so let’s actually get into the Things to Bring. This article will be focused on pre-trip preparation and some basic things I would say are necessary to have for almost every trip, whether you’re cruising, touring, fishing, or camping. The style I’m going to use here is going to be a bullet point list with comments on the items I think need commenting on. I apologize in advance for what my High School English teacher (hi, Mom) would call “an egregious overuse of cliches.”
THESE ITEMS ARE NOT IN AN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. THEY ARE ALL IMPORTANT.
Preparation
- Notifying a friend/family member of your trip – Let someone know the day of your trip, where you’re going and how long you plan to be gone. Nothing ever happens to you until it does. Better safe than sorry. It’s super simple to text a friend you guys. Do it.
- Check the weather the day of – Again, probably an obvious point, but this article is going to be filled with them. DON’T FORGET THE TIDES (where applicable).
- Know/Study the area – Checking Google maps should be the absolute minimum you do as far as preparation to know the layout of the area you’re going to. Local knowledge is best.
- Plan to swim, pack to flip – Basically, be aware that you might fall out/flip and prepare for it. This means clothing you can swim in, nothing on you that can’t get wet, and making sure that everything with you either floats or is attached to the kayak. A paddle leash and, if fishing, either pool noodles or leashes for your rods will save you a whole bunch of time at worst.
Actual Things to Bring
- Drinking water – Bottled, bagged, whatever you gotta do. And bring more than you think you’ll need.
- Food – Snacks, meals, dry, bagged, non-perishable. Kayaking is fun and relaxing, but it’s not just a float down the river. EDIT: Unless you’re, you know, floating down a river. But still, make sure you’ve got some sustenance.
- Sunscreen and Insect Repellant – Hello again obvious point. Look, y’all, I’m serious though. Literally as I write this I have a bandaid on my back from a spot I had to have biopsied. There’s SO MANY OPTIONS that there’s really no excuse. And there’s even some TWO IN ONES.
- Hat, Sunglasses, UPF Clothing – Baseball, bucket, chef’s. Actually, not that last one. But get you something that will keep you cool and look cool. And I recommend polarized sunglasses, especially if you’re fishing. You should also have some UPF shirts to further enhance your protection against UV rays, especially on the parts of you that don’t get lathered up with sun block. Also, Buffs are awesome.
- Towels – Not going to even write anything about this one wait darn I messed up
- Clothes/Shoes that can get wet – As we talked about above, prepare like you’re going to be swimming with the whole outfit you got on.
- Phone with some kind of waterproofing – Now, obviously you should bring your phone, car keys, wallet, etc. But the waterproofing is an additional element that you should pay careful attention to. While I recommend either a case or bag that will allow the phone to be fully submerged (#plantoflip ) a Lifeproof or Otter Box case should be just fine (check what your specific case says about water). And at the very least you can throw your phone in a simple Ziploc bag with a zip. For most of us our phone is going to be the most important item on this list. It’s your camera, your map, your compass, your notebook, and, of course, your call for help.
Well this ended up being longer than I wanted it to be already and there’s still a TON of stuff to cover so be sure to look out for the next Things to Bring article. Scroll down to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, etc to get notice for not only our articles, but to keep up with us. And don’t forget to Exercise your Liberty Outdoors!
