Nuts and bolts

Posted by Ken Campbell March 25, 2010 0 Comment 871 views

After much consideration, my current line of thinking regarding gear and packing for the SUP portion of this summer’s expedition goes like this: I should carry my own stuff. While it’s likely that I’ll have kayaking company for most, if not all, of the section between Ruby Beach and Cape Flattery, it is a matter of pride that I not rely on others to pick up my load.

It also makes it that much more interesting. A self-supported SUP journey on the wild Olympic coast… that just sounds like a good story.

How light? How small? Where can I cut the weight? How little do I really need to take with me? These are the questions that relate. As to the canoe and kayak segments of the trip, I have more space than I need with room for the luxuries (bottle of wine, etc.), but traveling by SUP in coastal conditions demands as little extra weight as possible.

I am leaning toward a double drybag system, one bag packed and rolled, then stuffed inside another bag. I’ll have room for two of these setups side-by-side, which should mean a total of about 45 liters of capacity. Based on last year’s Puget Sound Challenge, I will likely plan on one bag for food and the other for everything else. Thusly:

Bag #1

Sleeping bag
Clothing
Stove/Fuel
Cook pot
Sleeping Pads
Ground cover
Tarp
Incidentals/toiletries

Bag #2

Food
Extra water

There will be room for a few random items under the netting that I’ll rig up on top of the bags, things like charts, a snack, a hat and a first aid kit. Under the bags is where I’ll wedge the spare paddle (sea kayak paddle, most likely).

And that’s it. At least, that’s the plan.

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