One of the best ways to really see Florida is to do a multi-day trip on your favorite body of water, whether that is a lake, river or Intracoastal Waterway. However, the longer you are on the water, the bigger the window of opportunity is for things to go wrong. The success of a multi-day trip can sometimes boil down to the performance of your gear, in particular your kayak. So how do you ensure that your kayak performs to its maximum potential? By making sure it is loaded correctly.

A kayak that is weighted unevenly from side-to-side or front-to-back will most likely NOT perform the same as if it were empty. It will not turn or track the same, and may be affected by the wind more adversely. Therefore, pay attention to how you load your kayak when putting a lot of weight in it. In the text below, I will discuss several components of loading a kayak including keeping gear dry, strategies for ease of access, maintaining level trim, loading to establish a stern heavy boat and dealing with deck loads.

Keeping Gear Dry
If you have ever slept in a wet sleeping bag, you can appreciate the importance of keeping your gear dry. I don't think there is anything more miserable. However, keeping gear dry can be a challenge. You might think that putting gear in trash bags is all that is needed, but I'm here to tell you (from unfortunate experience) that they can not be counted on. The only fullproof system envolves using dry bags. Dry bags are constructed of waterproof materials and closure systems. Some closure systems are roll-down type and others are zip-lock type. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. What you buy depends on what you plan to put in it and where in the kayak you plan to put it.

Dry bags that have tapered ends are designed to go up in the pointy ends of a kayak (sleeping bags and clothing work well in these spaces). While dry bags with blunt ends are designed to go in the area of the kayak with the most volume (food and other camping accessories work well in these spaces). Keep in mind though, that not everything needs to go in a dry bag. Water, for instance, does not need to be kept dry. Use your own descression in this area.

Another handy use of dry bags is that they make it easier moving gear from the kayak to the campsite. When you have most of your gear in bags, it cuts down on the number of trips needed to move it back and forth.

Loading Strategies for Ease of Access
Have you ever needed something while paddling, only to find that you put in a place you cannot get to while sitting in your boat? It is a little irritating to say the least. So when you are loading your kayak, make sure that you put things in an appropriate place. Here are a few examples: some water, snack food, charts and extra layers of clothing should be kept accessible while sitting in a kayak. Under the front deck bungies is a good place for the charts and water. While a small day bag, placed inside the cockpit, is a good place for extra clothing and snack food.

You never know what the weather might be like when you get to your destination, so plan for the worst. Having immediate access to your tent or some other form of shelter (such as a tarp) is quite handy if it is raining and blowing. Whereas, your sleeping bag and pad are not usually as high a priority when making camp, so they can be stuffed up in the bow and stern. Do you see where this is going?

Loading to Maintain Level Trim
Why does it matter that the kayak maintain a level trim? Because it will not perform properly otherwise. However, there are exceptions to this rule that will be discussed later in this article. For now, it will be assumed that the paddling conditions are favorable.

Proper trim is harder to maintain than you might think. Not only do you have to watch the trim from bow to stern, but also from side to side. And the only way to know for sure that it is right, is to put the kayak in the water and look at it. So do not be surprised if you have to tweak it a few times before it is just right.

The basic principle for loading a kayak is the same as for backpacking. Put the heaviest items as low and as close to you as possible. What do you think those items are going to be? If you answered water and food, you are correct. As you know, water weighs eight pounds per gallon. If you are touring in places such as the Everglades, you have to carry a gallon for each day you are out. It adds up fast! Place your water in the rear compartment, on the floor and against the rear bulkhead. Depending on how much you take, some water may need to go up front.

From this point, load the kayak placing the lightest items in the furthest reaches of the boat, working inward toward the cockpit. Once you have everything placed where you want it, put the boat in the water. Does it sit level from bow to stern? How about from side to side? If yes, then you have accomplished the goal.

Loading to Establish a Stern Heavy Boat
If you have ever been paddling in a heavy wind, you know how difficult it can be to control the boat. Kayaks generally like to turn into the wind, which is delt with by using sweep strokes. The problem is that sweep strokes burn more energy than basic forward strokes. Well, the problem is only compounded when the boat is loaded for a multi-day trip. The extra weight creates a lot of momentum that can be hard to stop from turning. The result is the paddler tiring quickly. However, there is hope. You can actually get your load to do most of the work for you.

This is the exception to maintaining level trim. By having the stern loaded heavier, the bow rides higher. This allows the wind to push harder on the bow, which keeps the bow from turning into the wind. Therefore, the paddler has to perform fewer sweep strokes to keep the boat on course, which reduces the tiring effect. Just be careful not the make the stern too heavy, or the kayak will try to turn away from the wind. If that happens, you are back to performing a lot of sweep strokes.

Another benefit of having the bow higher is that it makes for a drier ride in rough conditions. It takes practice to learn this loading technique well. But keep at it and you will figure out the best solution for your kayak design and paddling skill.

Dealing with Deck Loads
Aside from a small deck bag and some safety gear, deck loads should be minimized as much as possible. There are two good reasons for this. The first of which has to do with center of gravity. The theory is simple, the lower the center of gravity is in the kayak, the more stable it will be. Therefore, by loading gear onto the deck, only raises the center of gravity, causing the kayak to be less stable.

The second reason for keeping your gear inside the kayak is that it has less of a chance to get wet. Simple as that!

When you are planning your trip, do yourself a favor and preload your boat beforehand. But do not transport your kayak loaded! It is not good for the kayak. Just make sure that everything you want and need to take will actually fit in the boat. That way, the only thing you will have to experiment with is trimming your boat properly for the conditions. In addition, preloading will help dictate how you pack your kayak and in what size dry bags. Some kayaks have very small hatches, which requires that you to pack a lot of little bags instead of just a few large ones. The main thing is to avoid being surprised at the put-in. You do not want to be forced to leave stuff behind.

You will be amazed at how much stuff you can actually take in a kayak. There is enough room for everything you would take in a backpack and then some. It is not uncommon to carry eighty or more pounds of gear during a week-long tour. But of course, the best way for you to find this out is to do it yourself.

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