Gear and Supplies for Two Weeks on a Southern River

Gear and Food Supplies for 2 weeks of Deep South river paddling:

(Note: This article was written in 2004 when I was in preparation for the trip described in my book, Paddling The Pascagoula. The boat I used for the two-week journey was the 17-foot Pygmy Arctic Tern, a stitch and glue kayak I built from a kit.)

People unfamiliar with small boat travel often ask me how I carry enough food and supplies in a boat as small as my kayak. Though it might seem improbable, here is my checklist of stuff that has to go into and on the deck of my 17-foot long by 23-inch wide kayak:

Kayak Gear:

Two-piece ultralight wood paddle --2-piece composite spare paddle -- neoprene spray skirt-- PFD-- paddle float rescue device-- bilge pump-- bailing sponge-- deck-mounted compass-- rescue knife-- dry bags-- deck-mounted chart/map case-- bungie cords on deck

Navigation, photography, and communication:

Garmin E-trex GPS receiver-- Suunto hand-bearing compass-- Fujinon waterproof 7 x 35 binoculars with internal bearing compass-- 1:12,000 scale topographic maps and matching aerial photographs for entire river course--watch-- Nikon N-65 SLR camera with 35-90 mm zoom and 70-300 mm zoom lenses-- 8 rolls color print film--4 rolls color slide film-- tripod-- Kodak CX6330 Digital Camera with 256MB SD card-- approximately 36 AA Duracell batteries for GPS and digital camera-- cell phone--12-volt DC charger cord and 1.8 watt compact solar-charging panel for the phone

(Update: I don't carry a film camera anymore. The Nikon N-65 has been replaced with a Nikon D 50 digital SLR, using the same lenses I used on the N-65. Film, of course, is now replaced with severl 512MB and 1GB SD cards. The Kodak point and shoot camera is still carried for capturing video clips.)

Camping Gear

Eureka Timberline tent-- plastic ground sheet-- 6 x 8 tarp-- tent stakes-- cordage-- sleeping bag-- Thermarest pad-- Crazy Creek folding chair-- army hammock-- inflatable pillow-- Primus propane stove-- 3 bottles of propane-- skillet-- cookpot-- utensils-- teapot-- coffee strainer-- cup-- Polar Pure water purification system-- Nalgene water bottles-- Bic lighters-- machete-- two AA mini-maglights-- one D-cell maglight

Clothing and Misc. accessories

Colombia rain jacket-- hiking boots-- river shoes-- river sandals-- T-shirts-- long sleeve canvas shirt-- 2-pair military BDU pants-- 2-pair cargo shorts-- swim shorts-- wool socks-- wide-brim hat-- sunscreen-- sunglasses w retainer cord-- spare sunglasses-- trash bags-- toothbrush-- toilet paper-- shampoo-- small towel-- mirror-- razors-- vitamins-- snakebite kit (Extractor)-- Epipen shot (for wasp stings)-- Tylenol-- misc. First-Aid supplies-- field guide to trees-- field guide to edible plants-- journal-- pens-- pencils-- Gerber multi-tool-- duct tape --firearm and ammo (Usually a .45 auto pistol, or my folding Kel-tec 9mm carbine. Sometimes a .22 rifle if it's small game hunting season)

Food and Drink

Pancake mix-- maple syrup-- oatmeal-- granola cereal-- powdered milk-- walnuts-- almonds-- raisins-- dried fruit-- cooking oil-- olives-- M&M's-- honey--Wheat Thin crackers (2 bx)-- Triscuit crackers (2) box-- sardines in mustard sauce (14 cans)-- tuna in water (10 cans)-- Lipton rice meals (7 packs)-- Lipton pasta meals (7 packs)-- chile with beans (2 cans)-- chunky soup (2 cans)-- black beans (2 cans)-- fruit and cereal bars (14)--powdered Gatorade-- powdered Koolaid-- cheese (3 blocks) swiss and cheddar-- Tabasco sauce-- Tony Chacere's Creole seasoning-- hot chocolate (10 packs)-- various types of herbal tea bags-- Captain Morgan spiced rum (1 bottle)--a few good cigars

Yes, this does all fit into the storage compartments and cockpit of the kayak. The trick is to package everything into small dry bags and 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bags so that every available cubic inch of space is utilized. Weight is seldom an issue in sea kayaks. I've found that if the stuff will fit in the available volume, it will float.

This article was first published in the Scott's Boat Page newsletter, April 2004