The Kayaker’s Checklist: 10 Items You Can’t Leave Home Without

The Kayaker’s Checklist: 10 Items You Can’t Leave Home Without

Kayaking is a very versatile activity. It can be as peaceful as floating on calm water as you soak in nature or as adrenaline pumping as navigating class five rapids. For me, I try to keep my kayaking experiences simple and more on the peaceful side of things. One of my favorite things to do on summer weekends is to throw my kayak in the lake and spend the entire day on the water. What I learned over time is that sometimes I tried to keep things too simple and ignored common sense preparation and paid the price with sunburns, loss of gear and other mishaps that could have been avoided. No matter how you intend your kayak experience to play out, every kayaker should adhere to a checklist. 

Life Vest (AKA Personal Flotation Device or PFD) – It goes without saying that every kayaker needs to wear a PFD when they go paddling. It’s a safety precaution usually required by law and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. They’ll help you stay afloat should a capsize occur and provide an access point for those on a boat or dock to pull you up by the shoulder strap. Many will be brightly colored or have integrated reflective materials so that you can be seen from afar or at night. Every PFD should include a place to clip in a whistle or noise-making device, which can also be required by law.

Paddle Keeper – Having a place to secure your paddle is important especially when partaking in any activity that involves you getting in and out of your kayak, rapids, fishing or photography. Why is it important? Because you don’t want to lose your paddle! You can also substitute the paddle keeper with a leash.

Leashes, Hooks & Clips – A piece of gear escaping overboard is the easiest way to damper an otherwise great day on the water. Save yourself some worry and lake bottom searching by securing all of your gear onto your kayak. Use a combination of leashes, hooks and clips or carabineers to attach items around your kayak.

Water bottle – It’s smart to bring along a bottle of water or Camelbak to drink from even if you’re just going out for a light paddle on a cool overcast day. Camelbaks are a great investment for kayakers because they are hands free and allow you to drink while you paddle. Otherwise, any water bottle will do.

Sandals or Water Shoes – I can’t remember the last time I went kayaking without my sandals and that’s because I don’t like coming home at the end of a day with a pair of ruined tennis shoes. Unless you capsize or just decide to jump in, you won’t get soaked when you go kayaking but it is almost guaranteed that your feet will.

Dry Bags & Boxes – Whether you’re planning on bringing a pair of keys and wallet or a complete change of clothes, you’ll need to make sure this stuff stays dry. Kayak and kayaking accessory manufacturers make a wide variety of options and sizes from bags and boxes to small pouches designed to fit the shape of your phone. It’s always a good idea to keep the items you use more often in a separate location.

Emergency Kit – I started off with a red dry bag (red signifying emergency) and stuffed it with a small first aid kit, flashlight, matches, knife, rope, sunscreen, bug repellant and a rain jacket. Hopefully you’ll never have to open this bag but when you do, you’ll know you’ve got what you need.