TUMS. I forgot my Tums last time out. When I get my core into my stroke it stirs up the stomach juices. No joke.
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I don’t, but it’s a good idea.
Remembering, years ago, paddling off the ‘clear’ waters of Stockton Island (Apostle’s, L Sup.), just underway, one of the group was putting on his sunglasses, lost his grip on them, and into the water they went (and sunk).
I had a dive mask on deck (was using for rolling), put it on, flipped upside down, scooted out and dove. Was able to locate and retrieve the (prescription) sunglasses (probably about 10’ deep at that point).
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There are other items which are situational, since I saw some above. Mirror for ex and other signaling devices, I have them and likely to be on me when paddling in salty stuff, as is chart on the deck and a just-in-case GPS unit in the day hatch. Often forgotten when paddling inland. So they didn’t occur to me as part of an “always” answer.
Sunscreen, bug spray and a camera.
That’s an excellent idea.
My wife and I put all our paddling stuff in a large plastic box - that we originally bought years ago when we did a lot of local scuba diving - and store it in our garage. About the only things that get left out are a VHF radio if it needs charging and an insulated lunch box.
We (almost 
) never forget anything.
What does your ex look like that they need a mirror?
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I watched a video recently that showed Nigel Foster on the Wiki Watchie river with swim goggles on. He’d capsize and hang down watching the manatees. Then recover to breath.
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Not being an accomplished skin diver, most the places I kayak are deeper and often too dark in the water to plan on recovery of anything dropped after I’ve gotten about five paddle strokes from shore.
All great ideas. I always include extra water (ever had a bottle leak?) and one of the handiest things is a bandana (great for cleaning hands, can be used as a tourniquet, face protection, cooling off and even a hat. My other essential is sunscreen.
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If you wear glasses or wear prescription sunglasses as I do when paddling.
A floating eyeglass strap. Come in handy more than once and would have been I very expensive day without it
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Yes, I forgot to mention that I take reading glasses. I keep them in a little clip lock hardcase stored in a mesh deck bag. Useful when I need to do something with my phone or GPS or read a thermometer. Oh yeah, I also have a water thermometer tied to a D-loop in the mesh bag which I’ll toss over the side at some point during most trips. Trying to be more exact in terms of water temp and my clothing choices, and rolling comfort/discomfort.
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Kitchen sink; just in case I run across any dirty dishes.
Seriously… paddling sure does seem to involve a lot of STUFF. Road biking involves very little stuff but on the negative side you have cars and trucks and that pavement is so much harder than water.
@Rex
If you have a major problem road biking it’ll involve a flat tire or a serious accident. The solution for the tire is spare tube and a phone in case it is worse, for a serious accident it is a phone and some fortuitous luck. As long as you are in cell phone range. Since biking in a more heavily trafficked area is generally what you try to avoid. Water will be on the bike and/or in a bladder. You generally know where you are, though apparently the map case on the top of a handlebar bag that I always carried has fallen out of favor. No idea why, it was an excellent idea.
A major problem a mile and a half off shore, water temps in the 50’s, in wind or other conditions maybe trying to drive you further offshore… even with a group at the least good cag, hood etc to help warm anyone who swam as well as some amount of food and water. Some odds and ends stuff to help rescue a swimmer and their boat if it is pretty messy. And often more specialized communications like a VHF to get to the CG. If a fog bank has caught you, pretty easy to happen for ex in Maine in early summer, navigation equipment.
It really isn’t different from biking in the part of assuring you can handle problems. Just that the problems can happen a lot further from help.
lights
gloves
bike shorts with pad
jersey with rear pockets
helmet
glasses - sun and or bug protection
water/water bottles/ carriers
shoes with clips and clip less pedals
tire patch kit
tire pump mini- or CO2 cartridge inflator
tire inner tube spare
multi tool
bag to hold that stuff
bike computor/heart rate monitor/gps
bell…(optional of course)
ID and insurance card for the 911 people
Yes, I guess you’re right less equipment road biking.
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I did road biking for a number of years, the increased traffic on area roads from building finally drove me off. But I was also a ride leader in the local club and have a quite nice bike in a safe place.
All of the above goes with a kayak. Replace the shorts and top with dry wear or wet suit type stuff (heck I hope your shorts are padded), the biking shoes with neo boots, helmet with a decent sun hat or in fact a helmet if doing WW, water bottles or a hydrator pack on the PFD and it is the same up to that point. Sunglasses, tools, repair stuff, ID, spare hatch covers (eq to tubes), gloves ,lights and other small stuff the same.
Bike shorts are a lot cheaper than dry wear.
The kayak holds your stuff in a day hatch, or a deck bag if not. Nav aids for both.
Signaling device(s) NOT optional in a kayak.
Now add PFD, active plus spare paddle, emergency bivy of some sort, change of clothing for if you take a swim, cag for if in rain, rescue aids (self or assisted), basic medical kit, snacks etc. Charts for salt water because I am old fashioned, the GPS only comes out of the day hatch for fog that moves in too quickly for me to catch a good heading.
My bike has a basic computer, something it took me years to succumb to. Since I had started riding by looking at my watch I never found much use for the thing unless I was leading. When I was riding a lot I could accurately rate my speed without it within 1 mph. Heart monitor similar in both, it was not a particular presence when I rode or when I started kayaking. But now it seems everyone needs constant reminders of their metabolic numbers.
I also tend to leave floor pump off the bike list, because it lives in my car and has served to solve a short term tire issue. With a lot of exercise but it can help.
I have done both. The stuff for biking fits into one larger shopping bag plus what is on the bike, said bag is on top of my freezer. The stuff for kayaking requires a large duffle plus the case for my paddles.
Damn… Celia beat me to it!
The other thing is that the always carry is different people and what they bring based on where they go. It wouldn’t be everything everyone brings in any one boat.
I’m with Celia though. The potential life or death of boating, combined with the fact that it takes nothing to bring things that maybe aren’t required, but may be needed or you bring just because. Like me bringing a camp chair. Why not? Sit in a chair to eat lunch or look for a good log to sit on. Lot works but why not bring a chair?
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Great thread - Lots of help here, thanks to everyone! 
Here’s what I got so far (for day-touring lakes and slow rivers).
Worn:
- Hat w leash
- Glasses/sunglasses w leash
- Water-resistant sun-blocking insect repellant
- ID of some sort, in addition to USCG boat sticker
- car keys
Essentials:
- PFD
- Whistle
- Paddles with leash
- Spare Paddles
- Tow rope
- Carabiners
- Towels and Dry Clothes
- Water
- Protein bars/Glucose snack
- One phone
- Waterproof camera (leash?)
- Trash bags
Occasional/optional:
- Lunch
- ‘picnic’ blanket
- Kayak lights (any pm session)
- with PFD leashed small flashlight
- Deck Compass
- Water Pump, sponge
- Paddle Float
- First aid kit
- Radio
- GPS device
- Multi-tool
- Gorilla Tape
- Camping chair
What about ‘toys’? Anybody bring waterguns or foam footballs (or such-like) out with them? or is that too counter-culture?
Per waterguns: a good high volume manual bilge pump makes a great short range water cannon for maritime battles.
One oddball thing I usually carry is a cheap extendable handle butterfly net (got mine for a couple bucks at Target in the kid’s toy department). Very handy for retrieving items dropped overboard, passing snacks to other boaters or collecting flotsam debris (the rivers I most often paddle tend to get a lot of trash swept into them during rain storms so I also carry a trash bag on most day outings.) I’ve even used it to rescue small critters struggling in the water or to fish stuff out of the footwell in the kayak cockpit when it rolled beyond the easy reach of my short arms.
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