Questions for the group:
- Do you haul kayaks, SUPs (Stand Up Paddle Boards), or canoes when Overlanding?
- What is your setup?
- What are the pros and cons of hauling gear on weekend or longer trips?
We have camped for years and are avid kayakers. However, we are new to vehicle-based Overlanding and looking at combining our passions in all outdoor adventure.
Looking forward to your feedback.
.
Hey there -
My 14' Hornbeck Canoe goes with me on every adventure, whether weekend or longer. I tend to stay out for several months at a time, so like having it with me for whatever opportunities may arise to get out on the water.
I keep it on the trailer's tonneau cover, under the rack, though can put it on my van's roof racks, too. It's only 28lbs and can be lifted and carried in one hand, and portaged quite easily. I absolutely adore this boat.
Here's how I haul mine:
It's usually strapped at the front, too. This was a short move around the same lake.
...
I often pack other stuff around it, in it, or under it, too, strapped down with
Stratchits, usually.
My canoe is so light it is never a hindrance to just remove when camping so I have access to the trailer's cargo area. Though I have just suspended it, like so:
...it's not really the best way, as it does not allow for a lot of clearance getting in and out of the almost 8' long cargo area.
I most always end up with it like this, in camp:
.. where it is still out of the way, easy to lock to my trailer wheel with a
Bolt Cable Lock (great locks, keyed same as my ignition; have one for my bike and
hitch receiver, too; same key for all), and helps keep wind from blowing under the trailer to the awning side where I cook and relax. That can be a big deal in some environments.
All in all, having my canoe with me full-time when adventuring has proven to be easy and even helpful.
I started a thread three years ago searching for just the right watercraft for solo adventuring that you may find helpful:
Kayaks - Inflatable, Rigid, Folding...whaddya have and how do you like it? Some of the replies talk about weights, stowing, adventure use, etc.
On a tip from
@Rocksylvania in another thread (
Wisdom From the River, started by
@Plisken about things we can use in land adventures usually used by river-rafters and boaters), I ended up with the perfect watercraft for my style of wandering.
I've been out more on the water since I've had it than I have in all the rest of my years combined.
I think a lot of it--when considering whether to take watercraft along or not--comes down to weight and ease of stowing when not using, and how much it will be in the way, or not, of getting to other gear.
I'm thrilled with the solution I found for the way I do things, and hope you find as great a solution for yourselves.
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