I get asked quite often…..what do you take with you when camping from a kayak. It’s not an easy question because there are a lot of variables that come into play.
How comfortable do you want to be, how long will you be out, what is the weather like, will you be preparing food or cooking at your campsite.

Here is a list of items that I usually take out for an overnight river trip.

1) Tent, one person for yourself or two person if doubling up. I will also take a hammock instead if I know that the area will have available trees.Be sure your tent or hammock has a rain fly.

2) Sleeping Pad, these can be found at many sporting good stores and vary in price. If i’m out for multiple days i’ll take a blow up matress that you can inflate with a battery operated pump.

3) Sleeping bag, these vary in sizes and would only be used in colder weather.

4) Folding chair, get a small one but do get one. You will thank me later. The Coosa kayak that I have has a removeable seat that doubles as a chair so that helps.

5) Cooler, this is very important if you plan on having ice so food doesn’t spoil while out in the heat for multiple days. I prefer the K2 Cooler, multiple days in 100 degree heat and still have ice when I arrive home.

6) Water filter, unless you pack water in you will need either a filter pump or a filtered water bottle.

7) Stove,I pack a Talon backpacking stove which I use if it’s raining. Otherwise matchlight charcoal put into ziplock bags sure make the steaks taste great cooked over a small grate.

Extra paddle, you just never know.

9) First Aid kit, small one for minor emergencies.

These items are needed as well.
Toilet paper (biodegradeable), Lighter, Fire Starter, Rope, Utensils, Cooking set, Change of clothes, Camp sandles, Hygiene kit, Flashlight, Knife, Hatchet.
To some this will seem like a lot of gear. It is not all used on every trip but it is all gear that is used.

Most of these items should come from stores that cater to camping and backpacking or hiking. There are many products out there that are designed to lighten your load. You should also pack some kind of emergency meal just incase, never know when you might have to spend an extra night. I won’t get into the argument about carrying a firearm that occurs whenever it’s brought up but I do carry while on the water.

The great thing about camping out of the Coosa is the amount of room you have underneath to store your gear. This is important since i’m usually fly fishing and need the area clear around me.

To follow my fishing adventures go here and subscribe:

http://texasflyfishingadventures.blogspot.com/

Here are some websites to assist you with finding gear to use.
www.rei.com
www.academy.com
www.cabelas.com
www.campmor.com

With the severe drought we have been going through in Texas most of my favorite water has either dried up or has gotten extremely shallow. One of the ways to keep on fishing is to take a new approach and go after the fish with a fly rod. It has it’s advantages since you can kayak into some areas then get out and wade to find some hungry fish and the fish haven’t let me down. The challenging part for me has been to get outside of my comfort zone and only take a fly rod with me on most of these trips but I think it’s making me a more complete angler.Learning which fly to through has been the hardest part of it because it can get frustrating watching fish swim by without even paying attention to what you are offering but when they do it is a lot of fun to catch one on the long pole.

Here are a few pictures from some recent trips as well as some scenery from the drought.

Finally had some time to take out my newest Coosa and do some paddling and a little fishing. The temperature was nice and the power boats were out in force. This section of the Guad is located in the town of New Braunfels,TX and is a pleasure to fish and paddle. You have to be aware of the boats as it is narrow and you become hard to see while sitting on the water. I always make sure that my PFD has reflective strips built into it like the one I wear from Onyx Outdoor gear. Another way to be noticed is to fly a flag. Instead of the flag I use Rod Gloves over the rods while they are in the holders. This is another way to stay visable.

The fishing was slow but nevertheless fun, a good day fishing beats most things anyway. I ended up catching a couple of fish but I had more fun being approached while on the water wanting to know about the Coosa. The reason they came over was due to the height of the seat and the seat itself. Looking forward to getting out on the water next weekend as I take a trip to the marsh in Louisiana to chase some big redfish. Just have to watch out for those gators.

I meet and talk to a lot of different people as I am out fishing and camping from my Kayak. One of the questions that comes up is about weight capacity of the kayak. Being a big guy around 250lbs I always had to take this into consideration when choosing a kayak for what I like to do. When I am out fishing it is just me with 3-4 rods, some tackle, and a cooler. Most kayaks will be able to handle that, but when I am fishing and camping here is where the weight capacity is really put to the test. Sometimes the camping trip could be three days and while most of my gear for a trip like this would be like what a backpacker would take with them I still like to be comfortable.

The gear I carry for a three day trip would consist of a tent, air matress (remember the comfort part), cooking and utensil set, cooler with all of the drinks and food, clothes in dry bags and the chair to be comfortable when resting near the fire.

One thing that can really help you out when determining what to take with you on a camping trip is to lay it all out then pack your kayak before you go. This way you will know what goes where and if you will need to take it or leave it behind. There is nothing worse than getting to your drop off and finding out that some items will not fit and may not get to go on the trip.

Remember to try and pack as light as you can without giving up what is comfortable to you. Respect the land that you are camping on and obey the rules. Enjoy it because it is a lot of fun.

Hockey & Surfing- Welcome to Montana

Last weekend I traveled with 26 teammates to play a little hockey at the Flying Mules Hockey Festival in Missoula, Montana.  KB from Strongwater, JK dealer in Missoula, called to tell me to bring my gear.  Problem was, I was already in route. One of my teammates, Sacha Jackson, (great name) had not left McCall yet and was a great sport when I asked her to drop by my house to pick up my paddling gear and my Star.  My pink Star was wedged between hockey bags and sticks in the back of her truck.

KB called as the weather had warmed up and the river was going to rise with the rain on snow.  Four other paddlers joined us on Brennan’s Wave.   Two of my hockey teammates joined in the fun as well.  I scored a goal in our game and then got to go surfing.  It just doesn’t get much better than that!

Happy winter surfing!

Devon