Storm Cag: useful?

I believe in Britain, they are known as storm cagoules. I was introduced by fellow paddler Bohemia.



Anyone use a storm cag? Goes over PFD and laces to cockpit on top of spray skirt.



Here’s an example, Kokatat.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2267



Useful? Waste of money? Easy off if capsize? Better than a paddling top?

Useful?
Not a replacement for a drytop or a paddling jacket.

Easy off in capsize? Never tried that before.

A good piece to be able to throw on in place of rain gear when not wearing a drysuit. I keep mine behind the seat.

Good survival piece for youself or others.

I take one instead of a rain jaket on camping trips for on-shore use.

Serves double duty.

agree
if you can get one it is useful. I have used it several times (as in many) when on shore to stave off the wind and also occasionally when a light rain creeps up on you. I have also had it around to warm up my kid when she got cold at the lake.



kayakjeff in Dania Beach just got some in that look a lot like the one in the link…I believe Sea kayak Georgia also have a version that is very lightweight, and come in diferent colors.



Paul

I have that one
It’s great. Rolls up real small, easy to don in evil conditions, takes the place of a paddle jacket just fine as long as you remember it provides very little warmth. In a pinch, you could hunker under a tree in a rainstorm and use the cag as a shelter.

It pops right off when you release your spray deck.

I saw Freya’s when she did the South coast of Newfoundland with Wendy K, and it really intrigued me. Had to have one, glad I do.

EE
Expedition Essentials



A total waste of money



http://www.kayaktrips.net/sea-kayak/001066.html



Wanta trade for a PFD?


double duty and windproof
Check out the last item on the bottom. Really well made and windproof. Ideal use would be over a dry suit during lunch or while setting up camp in the cold. So far it’s my favorite piece of gear for simple comfort and pleasure but don’t know yet what it would be like to roll in it or wet exit. Good idea, I’ll try tomorrow.



http://tinyurl.com/yp46hd



Lyn

Lyn
Are you taking it to Alaska?


two things…
does kayaktrips.net have permission to use copyrighted photos?



Why do you think it (EE or the Storm Cag) is a total waste of money? I have the shelter and cag which both work great if used correctly. Both are vapor barriers which help stop evaporative cooling. If you are paddling and get chilled from the wind you can pull on the storm cag. It is not designed to be generally used as a stand alone piece of gear - certainly not to replace a dry top. The shelter works great, in 50 degree weather we crammed 6 adults in the 4 person shelter and had to get out of it after 15 minutes because it was too warm.



The EE cag is a lot less expensive than the kokatat cag. The kokatat cag uses breathable fabric which is less effective against evaporative cooling. If you want the cag for use instead of a dry top then by kokatat. If you want it as emergency gear then buy EE. If you are really budget buy a trash bag and poke arm/head holes in it.

i have had my storm cag now for 2years
love it…used it…great to be able to throw on over everything you are already wearing in heavy weather…



Kokatat ones: come in a couple of different materials now…goretex, goretex paclite, and their tropos fabrics…

do i want a breathable one?no…



Reed: just as much money as a kokatat one…overpriced/overengineered for my taste…



Expedition Essentials: i have an earlier model than the one they are making now…mine is a heavier more durable material like the VCP/ndk(seakayakinguk) one…they are now making them in silicon-ized nylon so they pack up tiny…and are very very light…i know that Dale Williams carries 3 or 4 of them in his day hatch when doing a tour…



i will use it on the water in a storm over a short dry top or such…and like mentioned above i will toss it on for sun protection at landings as well…

great purchase…

r


Very useful

– Last Updated: May-24-07 7:55 AM EST –

I don't have the one that goes around the coaming, just an oversize jacket in Kokatat's Tropos material with a hood. I often use it as an overlayer at lunch stops, where I could be a bit cold when I am not paddling, also have tossed it on over the pulled-down drysuit top when launching or returning to have a more breathable situation but still warm situation on land. And have pulled it out for others when a surprise rainstorm came by.
I haven't ever capsized with it - I expect it dcould feel a bit bulky since it's loose around the coaming. But I don't see anything that'd get in the way of a roll up.

Yes!
That’s how I justified buying it. I also have one of the Exp Essentials which is OK for summer and changing under in the parking lot but offers absolutely no protection at all from the cold and flaps around maddeningly and is pretty useless in the wind.



Lyn

always take it

– Last Updated: May-24-07 3:45 PM EST –

have rolled with it, have exited with it - it has not been an issue.

it is a very useful piece of kit - packs up small and is the last piece of kit in the dry hatch (when radio not in pfd, that sits on top the cag) and then if needed, you can toss it on a paddler or yourself while on the water right over all the rest of your gear and warm up very quickly.

leaving tomorrow for 4 days along maine coast and it is serving double duty as my outerwear for the trip - no need to pack a jacket.

the one i have is made by ras-dek but likely anything similar would yeild same results....for that matter a big hiking poncho from camp-mor while it wouldn't secure to the deck would likely serve same purpose and is a whole lot cheaper.

kokatat, reeds, ras-dek...i don't know who all else makes them.

link below is for reeds - nice piece of kit but a bit pricey at L120

http://www.chillcheater.com/products/shop.asp?cid=8&p=3&pid=16126

Isn’t a storm cag different
from a Tuliq? I wan’t aware that one could do rolls and such with the storm cag and not have it come off. I just didn’t think it was heavy enough.



The really good tuliqs out there are neoprene and about $400.00. And that’s on the cheap side, I believe.

Loose use of the term
My impression of the common meaning of a storm cag is fairly loose - anything you can easily grab and throw on over yourself for someone else sitting in a boat. I should try rolling with my oversize jacket, will do that somewhere in a practice session soon, but I imagine that as long as I am ready to take it slow and scull up if the hood catches some water it’d be OK. Loose and floppy but OK.



However, in the last couple of years I’ve seen a lot of people talk about storm cag’s specifically referring to the items that operate like a Tulik and go around the coaming. This is probably partly because this kind of thing is a lot more available now than a few years ago. But I may also be quite wrong in how I think of a strom cag.

a bit different
the tuilik is neoprene and is a jacket & skirt…the tuilik also has a hood that seals kinda tightly around your face to keep the water out…i have heard that some people wear them over other outerwear…

the cag is a extra layer…goes on over everything…including over the skirt…

the cag is roomier to fit lots of people and lots of gear types…the tuilik is fitted to the user…the cag has a hood but is not going to be tight around your face…



quick response: Cag is to keep the WEATHER out & a tuilik is to keep the WATER out…


my understanding
in British, cag is what we would call a drytop in N. America, and–for lack of a better term–storm cag is what we would call a cag


Storm cags
As a retailer for EE gear I’m quite biased, but I’ll tell you, this is one of my favorite pieces of gear. I take my storm cag everytime I go out – even in the heat of August when I’m playing in the surf.



It seems there is always a breeze that picks up when I’m wet and it’s great to have something quick and easy to pull on over my pfd, hat, etc. It’s also very useful in the winter when we stop for lunch or a break and we’re no longer moving around generating heat.



We sold these at the Charleston festival and they were quite popular.



If you don’t have a local shop that stocks them, we have them online: http://virginiaseakayakcenter.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=31



PS – I have permission to use the photo - in fact, I took it and Hadas was a natural model. :slight_smile:

Yes
I have the Kokatat one from NRS. I carry it in the deck bag to be used as an extra layer when conditions warrant. On Isle Royale last week, it also came in very handy on shore during a cold downpour while waiting 3 hours for the seaplane(before learning the day’s flight were cancelled). Very glad I own one.

OK so I’m curious now…
…The first response to this tread said it was a total waste of money. That response was edited and now it is gone.

Where did that response go?

I don’t understand.

hhhmmmmmmm
someone did not want their views and opinions immortalized with all of the other comments from people who like a stormcag/sealsuit…



did its disappearance take any responses with it? that is what gets me…right back to pam-140 issues…

r