In Today’s Newsletter: Whether you’re dreaming up the ultimate backcountry route or planning your first overnight, we’re sharing stories, videos and expert tips to help make the most of nights spent waterside.
7 Camping Food Hacks For Your Next Trip
These creative camp food hacks will trim down your cooking time and save space without sacrificing flavor or substance.
How To Bake A Backcountry Pizza
The Worst Camping Invention Of The 21st Century
Ask An Expert:
Q. On my first multiday trip, it felt like a struggle to keep my touring boat tracking straight. Is this the cost of entry with a loaded boat, or did I do something wrong?
A. Packing a kayak for a multiday trip is both an art and a science. One of the enduring pleasures of kayak camping, though, compared to lugging a backpack, is that a loaded kayak should paddle nearly as effortlessly as an empty boat. The part that it seems you are trying to sort out is how to distribute the weight in a way that promotes balanced handling and performance.
Front-to-back weight distribution—known as trim—is critical. A bow-heavy kayak, like it sounds like you are experiencing, tracks poorly and is tiring to paddle, not to mention wet in wavy conditions. A stern-heavy boat is similarly problematic.
Another big key to a balanced boat is to pack the heaviest items in the bottom of the hatches, centered along the keel and closest to the cockpit. This keeps the center of gravity low and distributes weight evenly from side to side.
There are a few more fundamentals, and in “How To Pack For Kayak Camping” editor-at-large Virginia Marshall shares guide-approved tips anyone planning a trip should know.
Have a question? Reply to this email to submit your paddling-related question, and we’ll do our best to answer it in an upcoming newsletter.
Kayakers' Camp Washed Out By Tsunami
On day 78 of kayaking the Inside Passage, a trio of sea kayak guides woke at 5:45 in the morning to a rush of water that missed their tent by inches.
15 Camping Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)
17 Of The Most Common Camping Myths Busted
Buying Advice:
8 Field-Tested Favorites For Shoulder-Season Canoe Trips
“There’s a window between fall color and ice-up, and another just after thaw, before the world fully wakes. It’s a fun challenge of seeing how late, or how early, I can push the season. Here’s what makes the cut when I’m heading out on the cusp of winter.”
Go inside editor Kaydi Pyette's gear shed for her late fall and early spring essentials.
5 Best Sleeping Pads
6 Best Tents For Canoe Camping
9 Best Gear Boxes
Camping Skills:
Tarp Shelter Tips For Canoe And Kayak Camping
How To Not Hate Camping On Sand
5 Secrets To SUP Camping
More Camping Articles:
Fake Bushcrafters’ Are Trashing The Wilderness
The Joy Of (Self-Imposed) Suffering
Microadventures Could Save Your Soul From The Grind Of Modern Living
