For me personally, a first aid kit, paddle float and bilge pump are not optional. They’re essential safety equipment.
Find some pool sessions this winter and get that roll… I still carry the stuff but hopefully optional I would need to use it.
Going today (Thanksgiving) PDF, whistle, cell phone w/solar charger, fire started, food, water, water filter, warm cloths and a set of dry cloths, first aid kit (something I don’t alway see in kits lists are anti diarrhea pills. make for a rough day without) my invasive species permit and ID.
Welcome, and have a great paddle!
Hope you had a good paddle. First aid kit contents tend to be individually tailored. Paddled with folks who make sure to have something against sea sickness, not something I ever needed for ex.
But as long as it has the stuff you need it works.
They’re in the ‘Occasional/optional’ section of my list because I will be in lakes within a stone’s throw from shore, or in our slow local rivers for 100% of the foreseeable future. And always with my wife or a son (adult), and/or with a group.
On the other hand - my intent was not really to prioritze, so much as just organizing the list.
I would suggest making sure the pump is not optional until you know that either the swimmer or someone else in a boat can drag the capsized boat over theirs to empty out the water, or the person in the water can do it from there. Trying to move a boat to shore with a larger cockpit that is full of water, upside down, is between hard and near impossible depending. My recollection is that the boats you got have somewhat larger cockpits.
A hand pump can take a while, but it is a huge advantage to shed some water weight out of the boat.
Has anyone mentioned the pee cup? I don’t know about females but the guys I’ve paddled with (and I) try never to forget an old plastic cup, or even a Solo cup, to pee in. No need to get out of the boat. I haven’t mastered the technique with the drysuit.
Toilet paper is good to have on occasion.
It’s fun to do. Try it sometime. i.e. Rolling in the clear water of Florida springs to watch manatee.
As mentioned before, depends on trip.
an item from each of 2 extremes:
- my daily paddle - a sip of water for the turnaround point
- expedition paddling in a ‘dry’ area (eg: uninhabited area of Australia)
portable desalinator
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This - I wouldn’t have expected this to be difficult -thanks for the warning and point taken!
We plan to have one between us (my wife and I) at least.
idk about ‘somewhat larger cockpits’ as we’re still renting boats (went out yesterday with a group). Like the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 best so far, but haven’t tried very many others yet. We plan to demo some Eddylines this Spring; Equinox for me Skylark/Rio/Sitka ST for my wife. I will also be looking for other opportunities to demo other makes & models…
Glad to hear you will have a pump. Yeah, it is not easy.
Most of the boats you are talking about fit into my definition of larger cockpits for me. That includes both the cockpit dimensions and the depth of the boat available to hold water. The boats you name you are deeper than anything I paddle. A rec kayak, which is what Eddyline calls the Skylark, will always have this. Plus if you look at the photo on Eddyline’s web site, the coaming is above the bottom of the decent PFD the model is wearing. My boat decks sit lower around me.
Not saying don’t get these boats, they are all good boat for their intended environment. Just be aware of what that environment is, both in terms of the boats’ capabilities and you and your wife’s ability to handle a problem.
I do suggest a neo hood like from MRS rather than the fuzzy white cap hat with a red bob that the model is wearing in the Eddyline pic for the Skylark. And a skirt, waterproof paddling jacket and gloves if it is cold enough to need the hat in the first place. You have to be careful about taking most photos that are taken for a web site seriously. The model looks happy enough, but that is not put together the way I would.
@Celia
Yeah, we’re just getting started and intend nothing more than casual paddling on all the lakes and slow rivers here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. We are looking at kayaks which are described by the manufacturers as “recreational” or “day-touring” or “transitional” or “touring” - depending on manufacturer marketing or website sorting. Essentially 12 to 14 ft low volume for her, and 14 to 14.5 ft for me. We’ve only tried 5 models so far. Also, we don’t want to spend too much on our first boats - the Eddylines we’re planning to demo (or maybe Delta) represent the most we would want to pay.
@danstanfield
The Skylark isn’t low volume. It’s a rec boat, not for touring. You mentioned in an earlier thread that your wife weighs 120#. She won’t have much contact with that boat because of the large cockpit. That was my second kayak, now being occasionally paddled on flat water by a relative who fits it much better.
After the Skylark I moved to an Eddyline Samba (now called the Sitka ST). That model will fit her well, has a skeg, handles the wind nicely and can keep up with your somewhat longer boat. It’s definitely a touring boat and handled Lake Michigan quite nicely, albeit a bit of a wet ride in waves.
I’ve kept the Samba in my small “fleet” because it’s great on rivers and is fun to paddle. A responsive and quick boat, plus the 43# weight makes it easy to carry.
I always have Benedryl in my first aid kit. I am not allergic to bee stings but you never know if someone you’re paddling with may be.
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I always take water.
I have two dry bags; a large one for stuff I don’t need to reach on the water and which includes sunblock and a box of bandaids, a little microfiber hand towel and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
The other is a waist-pack, and I put my wallet, keys, and phone in that. I want to have those things attached to me in case I get separated from the boat in any way. It also has a lighter and maybe a little knife. Around my neck I have an emergency whistle and a tiny compass. My prescription glasses are (somewhat) secured with a retainer cord. I always like to take a granola bar to snack on mid-trip.
What is ‘cag’?
short for Cagoule (UK for anorak or spray jacket)
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Cagoule&form=QBLH&sp=-1&pq=cagoule&sc
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No, no, no… OK, maybe. But I’ll bet this is what they were asking about. I carry one in the front hatch in cooler temps for the errant swimmers on a trip. It fits over the pfd and everything.
PS…don’t wear that Cagoule into the 7-11. 
ah yes, that is the particular brand of ‘cag’ that enables you to fly (great feature)
(fska meetup trip, 11/21/15)
I guess I’m the minimalist here, because like yesterday, the only thing i take along is the keys to my truck, my bottle of ice water and my chamois. Now if I’m going to be out all day, I also take my little kit along. My phone, my radio, my wallet and some odds and ends are in the bag.
The reason that the kit didn’t go along yesterday is that there is almost no place to go to shore and the kit goes in the back compartment. Can’t reach that from the cockpit.