There are basically two stages of the trip that you need to prepare for and pack accordingly – the ferry ride and the kayaking.

While you will have all of the same gear, the goal of how you pack that gear changes between the two:

  1. Ferry Ride – consolidate all of your gear into 1-2 bags (camping backpacks preferred). The ferry’s allow you 2 bags and 1 carry-on. Anything more and you are charged
  2. Kayak – Waterproof and storage accessibility. Obviously, you need to pack your gear so that it stays dry. But another thing to think about is the relatively small storage openings on the kayak that your gear needs to fit through

I think the best way to go about packing for this trip is to first group your gear into multiple categories: clothes, sleeping (bag and pad), tent, kitchen, food, electronics, etc. Then, pack into dry bags or trash bags by category. So, take all of your clothes and pack that into a dry bag. Take all of your kitchen/bathroom supplies and pack that into one bag. Etc… By packing this way, you accomplish a few things:

  1. Keep your gear dry
  2. Keep your gear organized for quick access and remembering where things are stored
  3. Smaller bags fit more easily into the kayak storage and allow better “kayak balance”

Once you have packed all of your gear this way, now you can fit it into your backpack and other bags for the ferry ride. Remember, take all of those categorized bags and consolidate that into 1-2 bags. The Descanso Beach Sports Club will hold your bags for you while you camp, so no need to worry about fitting it on the kayak.

A few of things to think about when packing your kayak:

  1. If not stored or tied down, you will lose it! Make sure everything is either in a storage compartment or tied down on top of the kayak, if you roll, you won’t lose it!
  2. Compartments are WATERTIGHT, not waterproof. This means that, for the most part, no water will get in. However, if a lot of water is coming on board, or if you roll, water can get in. Make sure ALL of your gear is stored in dry bags or trash bags.
  3. More weight in the middle and back, less weight up front. This helps keep the boat balanced and easier to steer
  4. Balance the weight from side to side. Make sure that you are packing for even weight distribution, this will keep your kayak from “pulling” to one side

 

How to pack a kayak