Getting older. Thinking about switching to folding kayaks. We like to do overnight trips. Does anyone know were gear is stored?
Same as with a hardshell: inside the hull. When you use sit-inside folding kayaks you need to fill the bow and stern hull space with something that prevents water from filling the boat too much in a capsize and wet exit (though trapped air in an inverted boat does keep a lot out). Generally we use inflatable flotation bags, like the ones that are used in whitewater boats. Some folder users also use a sea sock, which is a bag that fits around the cockpit coaming and fills the cockpit down to your feet so any water that gets in stays in the cockpit. I have had sea socks for a my folders and skin on frame kayaks, but I dislike using them because they are hot on warm days, can get stuck to your legs during wet exits and make it harder to use the foot braces.
But you can also fill the bow and stern of a folder with gear in dry bags which will perform the same function of reducing the volume inside the hull t limit how much water might fill it (link below to examples). You can also get dry bags for gear that seal tightly enough that they can be inflated with a valve – actually a good investment since you can use them either as a dry bag or just for flotation when empty.
I’ll see if I can find it, but there was a guy with a Pakboat (an older XT15, like one I used to have) who regularly did multi-day camping trips with it, and made a YouTube video showing how easy it was to pack. Since Pakboat decks can be peeled back (they attach tightly with industrial strength wide Velcro), it is very easy to stow gear and supplies inside and to access it in camp. With the Feathercrafts I had to stuff it through the cockpit so it was awkward to get large bags like the tent past the seat back and the foot brace. The Wisper does have bow and stern hatches but the bow one is tiny and really only helpful in getting inside for assembly.
2 Likes
Tucktec is a POS!