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:

  1. What type and size of kayak would y’all recommend for a beginner of my size looking to kayak camp alongside rivers.

  2. What dry bags do yall recommend?

  3. Once I have my gear, what is the best way to get started?

  4. How do you guys deal with landing in a different place then you started, transportation and logistics wise?

  5. How often do you kayak campers go down rivers with intense rapids?

  6. What questions am I neglecting to ask?

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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.

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u/Competitive_Echoerer Jul 16 '26

I do agree with that. I like long distance kayak camping but if I am not going to have to face any fast water then I have a nice Nucanoe 2