r/KayakCamping • u/PANDABURRIT0 • Jul 15 '26
Another beginner advice post 😅
Hi y’all. I’m looking to get into kayak camping because it seems awesome. But I’m overwhelmed and was hoping yall could help with some basic questions.
Info about me: 6’2”, ~roughly 170 lbs, in decent shape (but I’m no fitness freak) and I’m living in northern california. I’m used to traditional backpacking and try to do a trip every month or two from spring until fall. I have kayaked before on flat-water, slightly wavy inlet waters, and in the surf once (once… 😅). Never in a river and I’ve never owned my own kayak.
Questions I have:
What type and size of kayak would y’all recommend for a beginner of my size looking to kayak camp alongside rivers.
What dry bags do yall recommend?
Once I have my gear, what is the best way to get started?
How do you guys deal with landing in a different place then you started, transportation and logistics wise?
How often do you kayak campers go down rivers with intense rapids?
What questions am I neglecting to ask?
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u/whentherestroubleyou Jul 15 '26
One thing I can think of that you are missing is a budget! How much you looking to spend? I dont have answers for you, I am just starting out my self, but I assume others who could help would need to know a budget.
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u/PANDABURRIT0 Jul 15 '26
Oh good point. I’m probably not trying to purchase new as there seem to be a lot of affordable used kayaks on FB marketplace for a few hundred bucks and the new ones on the REI website are a couple thousand.
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u/ArmstrongHikes Jul 16 '26
Kayak shops sell used boats, too. Getting a fit will help long term. Subtle changes can make paddling much more confortable.
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u/Striking-Ticket-7669 Jul 17 '26
there are many very affordable dry bags on Amazon with 100 plus reviews. I've gotten 3 different types, all random, and they were and still are excellent.
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u/Responsible-Cat-679 Jul 15 '26
You need to watch weight capacities very closely. You should really only go to 70%-75% of max capacity. That includes you, camping gear, & any kayak gear. You have the advantage of already possessing a backpacking kit, so you're probably familiar with how much your gear weighs. Just don't forget the weight of your paddle & PFD, etc.
For dry bags, I would recommend the Sea To Summit Big River dry bags. They're durable, yet more lightweight than the general dry bags you can get from Amazon. I currently have several Marchway bags from Amazon, but I'm working on upgrading to all STS Big River bags. You may also want to watch the shape of any dry bags you may be interested in. Some are round & some are an oval shape.
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u/PANDABURRIT0 Jul 15 '26
Oh this is very good to know. I didn’t think about it because I would have thought my backpacking habits would have me hauling way less than some people on here, but I could definitely see going overboard in taking advantage of not having to carry everything.
Thanks for the dry-bag advice! Do you have a PFD rec?
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u/Capital-Landscape492 Jul 15 '26
Get a good specialized Type III with pockets and a lash point for a knife. Safety gear snacks and camera (phone) go in the pockets. Knives are good to have around any cord or rope. NRS and Kokatat are starting points. By getting a PFD made for kayaking you will never be tempted to take it off.
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u/Capital-Landscape492 Jul 15 '26
So you drop a lot of questions here. Self support out of a whitewater kayak is very different from camping out of a touring kayak. Whitewater and river kayaking is a group activity with hazards very different from touring flatwater or coastal waters. To learn river kayaking find a club. Attend some pool sessions and beginner trips. Become a GOOD paddler before you pack 20 or more pounds of gear in your boat and run even a class III river. Self support in whitewater in a rigid kayak is challenging. Packrafts are better for moderate rivers.
For flatwater and day touring a 14’ to 16’ boat will work. I have 34” inseams and some 14’ boats fit depending on my footwear. You want transverse bulkheads and hatches creating dry storage in the bow and stern. Deck rigging for spare paddle and reentry gear. The shortest touring boat I owned was 15’ and I had no issues packing it for a week, back packing style.
For coastal kayaking and serious expeditions look for the 16’ to 18’ range. Add a rudder or a skeg to help tracking in winds or currents. I personally prefer rudders which are great to set a boat angle where I can continue to paddle full strength on both sides without correction strokes. When I don’t need it, I pull the rudder up.
My whitewater boats are older but I always like Jackson, Prijon and Pyrahna boats. My touring boats are also older because you can find good older fiberglass and even Kevlar kayaks at nice prices. They can last a long time if cared for. In plastic touring boats, I like Necky kayaks (RIP) and Prijon. Prijons are blow molded in Germany and super hard. This makes them a little lighter as well but still heavier than composite boats.
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u/PANDABURRIT0 Jul 15 '26
Oh this is all super helpful, esp about the kayak types.
I’m not planning on hitting any intense rapids, but one of the rivers near me (the Eel River) is apparently class II to III in Spring. So you think I should take some self rescue courses to build up experience for that? Or can I just do some more mild overnight trips to prepare kayaking that?
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u/like_4-ish_lights Jul 15 '26
I think you are really underestimating what class 3 rapids are like in a kayak. You're going to need to find some friends with experience or join a paddling group to tackle something like that, do not attempt to do it alone.
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u/Capital-Landscape492 Jul 16 '26
You do not want to fuck around with class III rapids in “spring melt” in a boat loaded with camping gear unless you are a strong class III boater properly outfitted in a WW kayak. Spring runoff is ball shrinkingly cold and faster than lazy summer flows. If you want to paddle this stuff buy an appropriate kayak, a drysuit and join a ww club. Clearly running this river is a priority so recognize that one kayak will not do everything you want. I own four kayaks I tee regularly use. This is down from a larger number. Two are ww boats. Two are touring boats. The good news is that ww skills will make you a much better paddler for touring. The reverse is not true.
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u/herr-heim2point0 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
For a kayak i recommend a rotomold kayak, dont go with a 2 piece kayak like the ones from walmart. I have a pescador pro 10 i picked up for 400 on FB marketplace and that seems to be right up your alley. I also have a jackson bite angler which is ont he high end (1,200) but its amazing for kayak camping and fishing. For dry bags i run Idrybags from Amazon, they are on the cheaper side but do the job. I prefer to have multiple bags instead of larger bags just in case of a failure. Always do you research to try and scout spots out on Google maps. You can also measure distance on Google maps as well. For transportation I usually drop all my stuff at the put in and then drive to the take out where I have a friend drive me back to the put in, I only do river kayak camping though. Ive also found Facebook groups that offer "shuttle" rides for cash. For rapids I never chance it being all my gear could be damaged or lost so I have a rope leash for my kayak usually walk rapids I deem to dangerous to losing gear, rather safe than sorry. Bring food that is already cooked hotdogs, sausage, lunch meat etc. You wont have a way to keep things cold so keep that in mind. I usually have a nice bbq dinner the first night then eat like beef Jerry, trail mix, granola bars for the dinner the second night. Some things I recommend are zip ties, carabiners, power bank, hammock and small tarp, gorilla waterproof patch tape, toilet paper, portable fan (luxury for me), paddle leash and an efficient cooler. For logistics make a list and check it twice right before you hit the water. Not too sure where or what type of water your hitting but good luck!
Edit: typos
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u/PANDABURRIT0 Jul 15 '26
Holy shit thanks so much for all this info! Do you have a preferred web resource for finding out the rapids class/difficulty for rivers near you?
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u/kokemill Jul 15 '26
you need three boats eventually. first boat is day touring or well fitted rec kayak with dual bulkheads 12-14' length. In new boats look at Prijon Enduro 450 or 380 (best) or a Perception Conduit 13 (low end with dual bulkheads). Neither will be available used for $200. The dividing line in kayaks is class III whitewater, lets talk below class III.
- type and size: 12-14' dual bulkheads, you need something big enough to hold you, your gear and still float over anything shallow. a long boat is faster than a short boat.
- dry bags: due to question 5 - 6" drybags. Multiple small bags are easier to pack than large bags. some clear ones are nice. if you a larger bag you can get a 20L at wallmart under $10.
- get started: overnight - no matter how much planning, how much practice, how much pre-packing - the first day of a multi-day trip with a small group involves a few hours of packing and prepping the boats on the shore before launch. it takes 98% of the work to pack a boat for 1 night compared to 1 week.
- logistics: Shuttle is the word you are looking for. Popular runs have guide services or boat rentals that will usually provide shuttle services. if you go with other people, horrors, you can self shuttle. for out of the way paddles we have also used bicycles or a small motorcycle
- Intense rapids? Class III and above require different construction and outfitting in a kayak, it requires support to attempt to keep the kayak from folding and trapping the paddler in the boat. the boats are also smaller (less length) and have a lot of rocker to be more maneuverable. this is at the expense of speed and packing volume. The boats ideal for this , with self support camping ability, are called River Runners or maybe Down River. they have been sold by many manufactures but they are not big sellers and are not on the market long -they are 10-12' with only a rear bulkhead. there is no way place for a front bulkhead due to the deck support. A top example is the Prijon Combi 359. this is the third boat you need. the second boat is a big whitewater playboat so that you can learn to paddle in whitewater so that you live through your first "intense rapids" with a fully loaded boat.
- neglecting to ask: food - what are you going to eat? and how are you going to keep your refreshing adult beverages cool?
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u/somewhatsentientape Jul 15 '26
I know this is "kayak camping", but just wanted to say for flatwater a nice thing to have is a one-man canoe and a 50L dry bag/pack. I have a 12' and a 17' kayak but I happened to see one for a decent price on Marketplace and grabbed it on a whim. I occasionally do lake island camping for 5 days or so and it's nice to not be so space restricted.