Kayak Camping Must-Haves: All The Gear You NEED!

Written by Wes Littlefield 

What’s better than sitting by a warm crackling campfire with your friends and family while listening to the river gurgle nearby? Not much. 

Kayak camping provides an adventurous day and an incredibly peaceful night—if you have the right gear for the excursion.

My first kayak camping trip wasn’t a complete disaster, but it could have been much more enjoyable had I brought the gear I needed and left the rest at home. So to help you avoid my mistake, here’s what you actually need for your next river camping trip.

Kayak Camping Must-Have Gear List

1. Kayak
2. Lifevest
3. Paddle
4. Dry Bag(s)
5. Food
6. Water
7. Tent/Hammock/Bedding
8. Cooking supplies
9. Warm Clothes
10. Personal Hygiene Items

Obviously, you need a kayak to go kayak camping; however, there are several different styles of kayaks on the market, and some are better than others for river floats. I recommend a 10ft recreational sit-in or sit-on-top kayak for most adventures. I love a sit-on-top fishing kayak for the anglers, but they don’t handle whitewater as well, so be sure the river isn’t raging if you choose this type of yak.

Always wear your life jacket. Accidents happen too fast for you to have time to put it on during an incident. I’m a strong swimmer who’s been around water and rivers my entire existence, and I refuse to kayak without my lifevest.

A good paddle can make or break a trip. Spending $100 to $150 will get you a good-quality paddle you’ll love.

You might need 1-3 dry bags, depending on how much gear you bring. I don’t keep everything in a dry bag, only the items that cannot get wet.

To save room and weight, I prefer to bring freeze-dried meals designed for backpacking. I’ve bought some tasty brands and others that required me to be really hungry to eat. I would test out a few different brands and foods at home to ensure you’ll enjoy what you bring on your float. You can always bring a cooler full of your favorite foods, but it will take up a lot more space and add more weight, making it more difficult to paddle. 

Sure, I enjoy drinking a cold beer while sitting around a campfire as much as the next person, but for a kayak camping trip, you must stay hydrated, so bring plenty of water. I always bring my filter bottle and a Lifestraw to ensure I never run out of water.

If I pack a tent, it’s a very small tent that I barely fit into. I don’t mind sleeping under the stars; it’s the mosquitos that love to bite me and keep me awake all night. I would much rather only bring a hammock with a bug net (if trees are large enough to support it) and my sleeping gear, consisting of a sleeping bag, an inflatable pad, and a pillow. Just like when backpacking, minimalism is key.

There are loads of fancy outdoor cooking equipment you can purchase, but I’ve found that a tiny portable stove (like a JetBoil), a couple of small pots, a lighter/firestarter, a knife, and a spork is all that I need to cook the freeze-dried meals to perfection.

Lastly, you’ll get wet and need a change of clothes, especially if you’re on the river for multiple nights. While you won’t be showering while on the river, bringing a bar of soap and some deodorant will go a long way toward keeping the BO at bay. Plus, you still need to brush your teeth!

Bonus Items

1. Fishing equipment
2. Personal Protection Items
3. Camp Chair
4. Camera Equipment

As an avid angler, I can’t help but look at a river and wish I was fishing it, which is why I typically bring my fishing gear along on my trip. Plus, if I catch anything, I can make a meal out of it.

You never know who or what you’ll encounter while on the river. I’ve met some interesting characters and even had an inflatable raft shot with a .22 LR while on a float trip (that’s a story for another day), so now I always carry a way of defending myself. I take a knife and CCW (where it’s legal), and my wife will often carry pepper spray or a taser.

You should bring a small camp chair unless you’re comfortable sitting on the ground. Lucky for me, my kayak has a comfortable, removable seat that I often use. There are many compact camping chairs on the market, and while they won’t be as relaxing as sitting in a lawn chair, they’re better than sitting on a rock. 

Make sure to have a warm layer if it gets cold at night. I like the Coalatree Baseline because it packs down so small and provides a ton of warmth. 

Documenting your trip is an excellent way to preserve the memories you make while kayak camping. I always bring camera gear, even if it’s just my phone. Be sure to waterproof your electronics, as I’ve lost a couple of phones/cameras to water accidents.

Heading Home

Most people bring too much gear while kayak camping, which makes paddling miserable. You don’t need to bring all your disc golf gear, but you might enjoy tossing a frisbee around at night instead of fishing. 

Whatever you decide to bring, I strongly urge you to err on the side of safety. If you don’t have room for some items, leave out the ones that are nice-to-haves, not must-have kayak camping gear!

 

Wes Littlefield is a freelance outdoor writer covering hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing, and hunting. He was born in Oklahoma, where he developed a passion for the outdoors. In his spare time, you’ll find him tossing frisbees at his local disc golf course.