My wife and I as well as a friend all just bought 4 Rebel kayaks and the smaller hatch covers have openings of about 5.9" in diameter.
My dry boxes I have used for years with other kayaks do not go thought the openings. So I am giving thought to HDPE jars and small dry bags to keep some of my things dry I have kept in the larger boxes for the last 5 years. Some food items, medicines, Fire-making items, small tools and various assorted things. The larger round openings are about 9" and the oval’s are about 14" long.
Does anyone else have kayaks with smaller hatch openings? If so, what kind of boxes and bags do you all use for such applications?
Note: the day-hatch will stay ‘mostly’ dry.
will not stay totally dry when:
accessing in heavy seas
putting away items that are wet
leaky hatch cover
What I put in day hatch:
phone - in a 1 liter SeaToSummit dry bag
lunch in a small tupperware container (sandwich or beans & rice) - note, no cooking, I’ll put the mixed beans & rice & water under the sun (on deck) for about an hour prior to eating
energy bar(s)
rain hat (OutdoorResearch Sombrero)
half liter collapsible water bottle (Platypus) (another one is on deck) (for x-tra long paddles (>35), I’ll carry total of 3 1/2liter bottles)
in silnylon bag: sunglasses, sun-hat(long bill, but very compact), sunscreen, MSR pack towel
sponge
spare gps in Sea to Summit TPU Accessory Case (waterproof) (note: I save all my tracks, if the one on deck goes out, I’ll use the spare)
anorak in small silnylon bag (will usually be worn in winter, in hatch in summer)
pee bottle
misc items in sil-nylon (note: not waterproof) bag (rope, bungy, olive cleats, compass, leatherman squirt, grey tape, etc)
Note: no lights ilsted, because, since I paddle mostly pre-dawn, my lights are deployed (one on deck, one around neck(off)), on long paddles - always in well before dark
I have a few kayaks, 2 of them have those very small day hatch covers: Tahe Greenland-T and a Petrel Play.
So, to summarize the above: the only item that is in a secure dry bag is my phone (the spare gps is also, but not necessary)
Nalgene makes bottles and jars in a variety of sizes (1oz on up) (absolutely waterproof)
Sea To Summit has a variety of dry bags
the above list is for an all day paddle (>25miles)
for shorter (eg my daily 10), much less carried
I used clamp type rectangular dry boxes for the last 5 years or so to keep things dry. MOST things I take out on a camping trip do not need to stay dry so those things don’t get placed inside dry bags or boxes.
My need for dryness are my “land clothing”, Sleeping bag, a few medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin, energy bars, fire making goodies, batteries, and all tools not made from Stainless steel. If a firearm is along I also keep the ammo in waterproof containers. Some foods too, but I often take canned food, so the cans need not be kept dry.
I am going to order some wide mouth jars and small dry bags. I can see enough room is there in the new kayaks, but some things will need to be packed in a different way. My wife has the rebel Illaga and I have the TOC. I also have a Jara. All have hatch openings of about 5.9" so some of my dry boxes don’t fit through them .
for really tight areas in unhatched boats I use trash compactor bags which I gooseneck with military grade rubber bands. The trash compactor bag goes inside the sleeping bag’s stuff sack. I don’t bother to waterproof tents or cookpots or even some food. For really tight spaces i put the compactor bag in the boat and then stuff it with gear and gooseneck it. That is handy way to do a dry jacket, dry shoes and socks, As others have said there really isn’t that much that has to be waterproofed. Often I take a small pelican case for valuables. A ziplock style clear vinyl map case has also been useful on some trips.
We used trash bag in the early 70s in the Marine Corps by placing gear into them about 1/3 full and twisting them shut to make a neck that looks like about 4" or rope, then taking the bag over itself and twisting it shut again, then doing it a 3rd time and wrapping it with the old green duct tape. It was usually a 1 use bag for doing lock-outs from submarines or for high speed cast and recovery operations, but it was amazing how well it worked. When we’d do training operations we’d take a few extra bags along so if one got holes (most times they do) you simply replace then as needed. So using that same system for small bundles that will go inside the hatch opening would work if such a small bag is made. Maybe a kitchen size garbage bag would do just as well.
That was a good tip and made me think back many years. I’d prefer something more durable but a bag will work if nothing else is available,
the quality of the plastic matters. The problem with black contractor trash bags is that they are too large. If you can find the extra heavy kitchen sized trash compactor bags those are the best. My last order was not as good. I like the brown ones better than the white bags (not to be confused with regular kitchen sized trashbags that are always white). I patch them with duct tape and reuse. Inflate the bag and look inside for pin holes, rips and small tears and put duct tape on those spots. You have less abrasion resistance than you do with drybags and you have to use some care but they take up less room. Because I’m going right from the boat with individual items I use a mesh bag with shoulder straps to carry stuff to and from the boat. The mess bag doubles as a cooler, if I have any beverages that need to go in the river they go in the mesh bag. I like my pbr slightly chilled!