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Kayakers Checklist: 100 Items To Pack
Table of Contents
If you’ve got a kayaking trip planned, even for a day, then you’ll appreciate this kayakers checklist – with roughly 100 items that you can’t leave home without. The biggest difference between a short trip and a long trip, from my experience, is the amount of food and water I take. On longer trips I also take more repair gear.
You need to be very organized if you’re planning a multi-day kayaking trip.
Sometimes the stupidest mistakes – cue forgetting tent poles on one trip – can cause a great deal of trouble. I’m hoping the kayakers checklist solves that!
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Kayakers checklist – Camp Clothing
- Capilene and/or fleece bottoms like this one from Patagonia (mine have lasted for 10 years)
- Capilene underwear
- Several pairs of socks – quick dry and/or merino wool
- 2 quick dry t-shirts
- 1 quick dry long sleeved shirt or turtleneck like these ones from Patagonia
- Full rain gear – including a hat
- Synthetic or down puffy jacket
- Quick dry shorts
- Long pants
- Toiletries including sun screen, sun block and insect repellent
- Wool or fleece hat
- Warm gloves
- Sun hat or ball cap
- Footwear – sandals, old running shoes and/or rain boots
Clothing for kayaking
- Quick dry underwear
- Quick dry shorts or long pants.
- Quick dry t-shirt
- Wind-proof fleece jacket
- Lightweight windbreaker
- Water sandals with a strap, boots or old runners
Kayakers Checklist – Camp gear for a kayak trip
- Stove with enough bottles of fuel and a repair kit.
- Multiple lighters, candle, fire starter, waterproof container. In some places you’ll be able to have a campfire.
- Biodegradable soap
- Pots and pans
- Cup and a bowl or plate – collapsible if you want to save space.
- Sharp knife
- Small cutting board
- Grill and an oven mitt
- Water containers – the collapsible ones made by are especially good as they fold into nothing when they’re empty. Allow 3 L/pp/day.
- Water filter, drops or water purifying tablets
- Axe or saw, sharpening file
- Tent and poles
- Tarp and extra rope.
- Sleeping bag and an insulated pad.
- Camp chair for comfort in camp.
- Emergency day trip kit including a flashlight, fire starter, matches/lighters, space blanket.
Kayaking (boat) gear
- Paddle plus one spare
- Spray skirt and cockpit cover (for long trips take a spare spray skirt)
- Lifejacket with a whistle and rescue knife
- Pump for bailing
- Flares, waterproof strobe, Garmin InReach Mini 2
- Tow rope
- VHF Radio plus an extra battery
- Weather radio
- Chart with a waterproof chart case
- Water bottle for kayak deck
- Compass, GPS, tide tables
- First aid kit
Kayak repair kit
- Fiberglass repair kit
- Duct tape,Aquaseal five minute epoxy
- Multi-tool and a multi screwdriver
- Pliers with wire cutters
- Rudder cable
- Spare nuts, bolts and parts
- Extra straps
- Hack saw blade
- Lighter
Bags for organization on a kayaking trip
It’s usually best to use the same colour of bag on every trip you do. Do what works best for you.
- Black hole bag for shlepping your gear from the car to the launch site – and a million other uses
- Breakfast bags (yellow)
- Lunch bags (green)
- Dinner bags (black)
- Snack bags (orange)
- Dessert bags (red)
- Condiments (small black)
- Compost – not a bad idea to first line a bag with a green garbage bag.
- Burnables
- Waterproof bag for your sleeping bag (or use two green garbage bags) – take your sleeping bag into the store so you know it fits
- Waterproof bag for clothes (20L)
- Day bag and/or a deck bag
- Large grocery style bag for shuttling small items between the kayak and campsite
- Small day pack
Kayakers Checklist – optional kayaking gear
- Paddling pants and jacket
- Wetsuit, pogies, neoprene booties, neoprene gloves
- Snorkeling gear
- Fishing gear – hand line, lure, net, possible crab trap, license, fillet knife
- Camera, binoculars, waterproof case
- Waterproof watch
- Alarm clock
- Satellite phone
- Bear spray if you plan to be in bear country
- Kindle, books, cards, journal
- Blow up cushion to sit on your kayak
More reading on kayaking or canoeing trips
- 1000 Islands Kayaking: What a 3 Day Trip Looks Like
- A Sea Kayaking Trip in the Broken Group of Islands
- 9 of the Best Places to Paddle in Alberta
- 3 of the Best Canoe Routes in British Columbia
- A 6-Day Wilderness Canoe Trip in Woodland Caribou Park
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
There is something not on your list that is extremely important to me. No matter what activity I’m doing or length of trip I go on, I take a waterproof wallet with the following information in it:
1) copy of drivers licence or other photo ID ( I use an expired licence card)
2) list of all current medications (updated before going)
3) list of any medical conditions
4) list of at least 2 next of kin with their contact info (I contact them before going to let them know and ask if they will be available during my trip. Also give them a copy of the itinerary)
5) cash (you just never know)
6) fishing licence and boating licence
When paddling I keep this wallet in my PFD pocket.
I also take my cell phone (in a waterproof case) with charging divice in case of emergency.
@Deidre That’s a terrific idea. I actually carry something similar but with not as much info. Your list is even better. Thank you.
wow what a great resource for any kayaking trip. I only did a few short trips so far but would love to do a longer trip one day
@Freya The list was really designed to be a check-list for people planning trips – and for me as I always seem to forget something important.
Ahem, yes, there is one item I believe you missed. Perhaps it is such a given that you felt it did not even need to be mentioned just like water.
@Ted Ahh yes – the old fanny pack. I think that would be a very useful item to add to my cycling packing list.