Once you have all your gear and
food, you’ll need some dry
storage bags to carry it in. Obviously, the idea here
is something to keep your load dry...under any circumstance.
Less obvious however, is the type of bags you use and
how you pack. This may seem trivial but it can
make a considerable difference in the way your boat
handles.
Packing
Many self-supporters like to use their bow either for
extra storage space or to distribute the weight to even
out the trim...or both. Equalizing the trim also tends
to make the boat balance better on the shoulder while
portaging. All this is sound logic. But, when using
the techniques and gear talked about in these pages,
I have never had the need for more space than what was
around my seat and about 18-20" behind. And only
in one boat have I ever felt that weight in the bow
would have made it easier to carry (this
is also the same boat I felt the cockpit was designed
too far back in). More importantly though, I
prefer to keep gear out of the bow as it can be detrimental
to the boats handling.
How can gear in the bow hinder a
boats performance? Swing weight, or more properly put,
moment of inertia (MOI). MOI
is simply the physics of an object that indicates the
difference in how easy or difficult it is to move about
its axis of rotation. The more MOI an object has, the
higher the force will need to be to set it in rotational
motion and vice versa. In other words, the farther your
gear (weight) is from the kayaks
axis (seat), the more effort
it’ll take to turn it. Put another way, the kayak
gets progressively more sluggish and tiring to paddle.
If you’d like to retain
as much of your kayaks original handling characteristics
as possible, resist the temptation of packing gear in
the bow ahead of your feet. And for the same
reasons, keep your gear as far away from the end of
the stern as possible too. Besides increasing the boats
MOI, weight in the tip of the stern may have you staring
at the sky coming out of holes. And the shorter the
boat, the more pronounced this will be.
These guidelines apply to all kayaks
regardless of their size. All the kayaks
mentioned have plenty of space right behind the seat
for the typical Lower 48 and similarly located 3-5 day
trip...if using the techniques and gear talked
about here. On longer trips, easy pleasure
cruises or those to colder zones...or in areas requiring
full climbing kit and/or other specialized gear, one
may have little choice than to load the entire boat.
In these cases, pack the heaviest items as close to
the seat and hull as possible and use the bow for the
overflow only...for your lightest items.
 |
| The standard
practice is to place two dry bags alongside the
rear pillar (one bag per side). Some boats however,
have enough distance between the backband &
rear pillar to place a single dry bag perpendicular
to the boat. This works superbly for overnighters
& ultra-light 3-day trips. Simple & it keeps
the weight concentrated near the seat where it'll
have the least effects on the boats handling. The
only thing in the stern proper in this photo is
the breakdown paddle...one half on each side of
the pillar. Pictured is a Riot Magnum loaded with
this gear but w/ an
experimental
mattress instead of the Gossamer
Gear Nightlight. |
Additional tips:
- In some kayaks, when packing
the stern only, the handling can be improved by
moving the seat forward a little. Just be careful
not to hamper your egress.
- Carry a smaller dry bag for
items you will use through out the day: toilet paper,
lunch, etc. This way you won’t have to dig
into the more difficult to access main dry bags.
Place this smaller bag in an easily accessible spot.
Centered under the backband works well in most boats.
- Check the distance between
your backband and rear pillar. You may be able place
your gear perpendicular to the boat which, is highly
advantageous. See photo above and to the right.
- Many boats have places beside
or under the seat or near the water bottle holder
where things can be stashed...like a lunch drybag,
first aid kit, rescue kit, urinal, break down paddle,
etc. Take advantage of these spaces to keep the
weight away from the ends of the kayak.
- Fasten every thing you don't
want to lose to the seat, pillar or backband. Use
your rescue biners if need be. Doubly duty!
- If you're new to this, consider
these two things: 1) practice at home by packing
your gear into the storage bags then into the boat
(your experienced buddies will appreciate
this at the put-in). 2) paddle your loaded
boat on a familiar roadside run to get a feel for
the weight and to test different seat positions.
- Make sure to pack equal amounts
of weight in each side and remember to take the
smaller dry bag used for lunch into account...if
it can not fit in the center under the backband.
Storage bags
The most widely used storage bags are typically referred
to as “stow floats” and are made by several
different companies. These are essentially conventional
float bags with some type of waterproof closure on the
side near the top or on the top. Insert gear, put in
boat, seal and inflate.
While highly innovative in their
day, little has changed with the basic design of the
“stow float” since its advent nearly two
decades ago. Consequently, though they do work, they
are also riddled with shortcomings. There are other
bag styles that deal with the deficiencies of the “stow
float” but, being universal in nature, offer their
own set of issues.
What “shortcomings”
and what to use? Stay tuned. There may be some
thing in the works......
If
you're a manufacturer who may be interested in adding
an innovative self-support drybag to your line-up, please
contact me.
12.14.07
|
