Most kayaks allow substantial amount of gear to be taken on camping trips.
While most of us manage to pack the hatches with ease for short trips, it's on extended trips that bulk and weight become a concern.
The single most bulky item is usually the shelter (tent).
Some tents are very roomy but consequently bulky and best suited for car camping.
I have compiled a selection of lightweight shelters that I personally use (not exclusively just for kayaking).

Maureens Cove camp_skf(c).jpg (291.26 KiB) Viewed 1194 times

While certainly not exhaustive is covers most styles of shelters suitable for lightweight kayak camping.
Full details at: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2010/ ... lters.html

Great article Damiano. Your photo of Maureens Cove pretty much captures my perfect view of kayak camping. Beautiful photo.
Recently spent a few days out in the kayak without the wife so thought I'd take the Macpac Microlite 1 man tent. Small package and less than 2kg. Although I think they save some weight by skimping on the number of pegs. Bit cheeky really as I've had to purchase a few more. Package more likely weighs in at more than 2kg now.
The weather on this trip was quite warm and the insects were relentless.
I found this tent with its fine midge proof mesh to be quite stifling and I felt I was in a coffin. At one stage I thought I might not wake up the next morning. It was very suffocating with no room inside for anything other than ones body.
I suppose that the fly makes a difference to the ventilation factor here but I think you need the fly up to attach the tent. I need to check that out.
I wished though I'd taken the 2 man tent for this trip.
I think that weight in itself is not quite as important to kayakers as it is to hikers where every gram has to be carried on one's back. Hiking is the intended market for the Microlite and we did purchase it for walking principally.
Indeed the differences in weight in hike tents these days where manufacturers appear to want to outdo themselves in this area is really negligible. The measly few grams difference between the high end tent and the lower cost variety would probably be negated by the time you brewed your mid morning cuppa.
However the luxury of a bit of room inside the tent is something that should be given considerable weighting when making a selection for kayaking.
My thoughts for this particular kayak trip was that I was alone for the trip and the small tent fitted nicely into the bowls of the Eco leaving more room for other luxuries. Given a lone trip again the larger tent will definately be packed and the Microlite now reserved for the walking trail only.
Big is beautiful.

I use a Black Wolf Dragonfly.

Very light and compact. Great tent and versatile as it can be configured as a simple shade, or setup with fly or without.

Although I'm fairly new to kayak camping, I have been backpacking for many decades and have tried all kinds of tents. Recently we use tarps exclusively for three-season camping. No tent weighs as little as a tarp, packs as small, nor has as much living space and ventilation. Our lightweight high-quality two-person tarp plus ground sheet weighs about 24 oz including stakes. If there are no trees around we use our hiking poles as end supports, and I imagine paddles would work as well.

Note that there is no problem cooking under a tarp, whereas you have to be extremely careful cooking in a tent.

If bugs are a problem we bring a "net tent", a little tent made of no-see-um netting with integral ground sheet that hangs under the tarp. This limits living space a little, but there's plenty of storage space outside the net-tent but under the tarp. Tarp plus net-tent and stakes weigh about 33 oz.

If wind is a problem, we just lower the windward edge of the tarp closer to the ground. Tarps are very stable if the wind hits them along the long edge. If necessary we lower both long edges, or even the front or back, if the wind is shifting all the time and it is raining.

More often two of us take a three-person tarp, which is positively luxurious when it comes to living space. Our three-person tarp weighs 31 oz including a 2-person ground sheet and stakes. Tarp plus three-person net tent and stakes weigh 3 lbs.

Many ultralight backpackers have switched to tarps. They have worked well for us many times backpacking, and the few times we've been kayak camping.

Heaps of room and weight carrying capacity in a kayak compared to hiking so i personally figure carry whatever you can get your hands on.

For in the hot and muggy conditions, and for comfort, you can't beat a camping hammock (eg. http://hennessyhammock.com ). Lighter than most tents too - but for me not that is not the primary consideration.

The hennessy hammock is a great option. I've even set mine up as a bivy using a two piece paddle when there was no suitable trees about - nowhere near as comfy when off the ground though.

In the humid tropics you'll never get a better nights sleep than in a Hennessy Hammock. Just dont forget an insulated sleeping mat for colder climates (bum can get a bit cold without one), a goretex bivy bag to sleep in when those cyclonic wind and rain conditions hit (forget putting up the rain fly), and dont fall asleep with bare skin against the hammock in mosquito infested environments as you will get bitten through the material.

Having been weather bound for several days with the Hennessey I now choose to utilise the space offered by my kayak and take a spacious 3 man tent. At 2.7kg for 4.1 sq m of space with optional 2.0 sq m vestibule, this tent gives me the luxury of getting all my gear undercover if needed, the ability to cook with mates in the vestibule on those horrible rainy nights and also the ability to offer shelter to those whose gear just isnt measuring up to the conditions. The Hammock doesnt give me these options.

The best thing about a seakayak is I can easily take both. Nothing like an afternoons nap in the Hennessy. Just watch out for those falling coconuts.

Seabear

Seabear 1 wrote:The best thing about a seakayak is I can easily take both.

That's the thing that first attracted me to touring by kayak. Unlike carrying a pack, you can carry all those little extras with no major penalty. It's not as if you're arse gets sore from sitting in a boat that's a few kg heavier.

And in your boat Seabear, the storage is even more cavernous than most, just the thing for those really extended trips. Then there's the Polar Bear, which may be the Winnebago of the sea where the wet bar and the Jason recliner become real possibilities

You still have to push all that extra kit through the water, get your boat into the water and transport from the water to your camp site. think light and go ferther, your boat is quiker on the water, you arive in beter shape and it gives you a beter safty margin as well

Mick M

I always love this debate. How great is the weight difference between an average minimalist and someone carrying a few luxurys in their kayak? I reckon only around 10-15 kg.

When I look at the common items I carry on a trip, 3 man tent(2.7kg), Chair(530g), Table(730g), Sleeping Bag(1.3kg), Sleeping Pad(570g), Stove & Pot(581g), Gas Cannister(350g), Battery Lantern(600g) and headlamp (500g) for a grand total of approximately 8kg. Add a few kilograms for clothing and toiletries and my gear probably comes in around 10kg. My food and water is pretty much the same as most minimalists and would constitute the greatest weight any paddler carries. I believe my weight difference is probably less than 7kg. Extras like shortwave radios and water purifiers would be common to both groups dependant on the trip and the only other real luxury item I take on longer trips is a 26W solar panel (800g) to charge all batteries, and an ipod and speakers. My minimalist buddies dont worry about these items as they know I'll be carrying them.

Paddlers such as Sea Mongrel carry huge amounts of gear in a Polar Bear, have high cruising speeds and paddle long distances in all conditions. I normally cruise at around 7.5 kph in a fully laden boat so I dont think Im loosing that much speed due to the extras.

The only real difference I have noticed is the few minutes saved packing and unpacking at either end. I waste far more time joking and chatting with my companions so this isnt an issue for me.

Seabear

I'm with you on this one Seabear. I can atest to the paddling speed and we seem to do it regardless of the load we carry. Once up to hull speed it is mostly a matter of maintaining the speed and that magical 7.5kph average seems to be it empty or full for us. I find that by using my smaller Werner Cypress for cruising instead of my Ikelos and increasing my cadence slightly, I achieve the same result and we have proven that many times haven't we seabear? The smaller blade area means that I arrive fresher and no slower. It's a win win.

Basically we have proven that if you have good gear and keep the overall weight within reason you can have the little luxuries and still get there in the same time without busting a gut.

Raider

Raider wrote:The smaller blade area means that I arrive fresher and no slower. It's a win win.

I have only one thing to say....STICK!

G Raider

Of course Grey Raider...... What else would a Volvo Driver use?

.... And I don't have to tell you again where to 'STICK' it do I?

Raider

Mind those splinters.............

But I can cary my fuly loded boat on my sholder , it ways in around the same as a plastic , and its fare more manuvarabel for exploring in , and it handels beter in surf landings (or should I say surf crashes when Im consernd )
The only dror back of the F1 is that its harder to role when loded, I put it down to the ded flat back deck .
I have also started yousing smaler blades, both my touring paddles are 2 peas, one a werner Comano, and the other a Winkworth Silver Storm , the storm being a big blade , grate for realy mooving out in the surf or for when you need a good grip on things.
I also yous a stick for on the lakes , not yet convinced its the right paddle for costal stuf for me .

Mick M

How much water are you carrying on these camping adventures. Even on a weekender Im carrying around 10 litres and hence 10kg, just that added to the Seabears weight would never see me shouldering the boat.

You do have a very good point when it comes to heavy boats in the surf, the one place you dont need the weight. So many practise in empty boats and are surprised when they get smashed in a far less responsive loaded boat.

Seabear

I only cary 3 L per day and on more than an overniter I do cary my water sepratly when Porting the kayak. I generaly cary my water bags lashed along the keel in the cockpit so ther easily asesibal
Im of to Snake island with the VSKC this weekend, Much to the amusment of a few I will be taking the F1 and my minamal aproch to the 3 day trip Il writ up about what I caried and what I dident youse and what wold have been good to have

I also get a bit of a giggle out of the gear weight debate.Quite valid points SEABEAR 1 makes if you carry all you want and your only 7kg heavier than those who do not.However the paddlers own weight hardly ever seems to enter the debate?? What Im getting at is recently I did a trip to Fraser with a mate in an identical boat and we took very similar gear and supplies but the skinny bugger is about 15kg slimmer than me so unless I take 15kg of gear less his gross weight will always be far less.But my point or question is these debates never really compare apples to apples as the various boat and people combinations will probably outweigh the actual gear weight differnce.
Mirage Geko

Mirage Geko

When i worked in a kayak store I used to laugh at the people that came in and purchased carbon/kevlar boats to save a bit of weight.

They were paying hundreds of dollars more to save 4 or 5kgs. Most had a good winter coat like myself and could have easily spent far less at jenny Craig and had more spectacular overall weight loss on their paddling mass.

Seabear

Mirage Geko wrote:I also get a bit of a giggle out of the gear weight debate.Quite valid points SEABEAR 1 makes if you carry all you want and your only 7kg heavier than those who do not.However the paddlers own weight hardly ever seems to enter the debate?? What Im getting at is recently I did a trip to Fraser with a mate in an identical boat and we took very similar gear and supplies but the skinny bugger is about 15kg slimmer than me so unless I take 15kg of gear less his gross weight will always be far less.But my point or question is these debates never really compare apples to apples as the various boat and people combinations will probably outweigh the actual gear weight differnce.
Mirage Geko

I've lost 5.5kg in the last 9 months and I'm starting to consider carrying some balast on day trips.