Start Smart: Properly Pack a Canoe or Kayak

If you pack an ultralight boat (especially a canoe) with a lot of weight and then try to pick it up and carry to the water, you risk cracking the spine of the hull (along the "keel line"), so you SHOULD pack the boat while it's floating.

Don't overpack! A buddy and I were kayaking on northern Michigan river a few days before Christmas. The water levels were higher than they were a week earlier when we scouted route. We had to portage around a fallen tree, but with the higher water my friend paddled right over it. My kayak was overloaded and a strong current pushed me sideways before I hit the log. Somehow I managed to keep my balance, but I got stuck on the log because I had a lot of gear in the back of my kayak. I nearly capsized a few times as we were trying to get me off the log. The water was somewhere around forty degrees at the time and we were several miles away from the nearest road. Thankfully I didn't go in!

When I kayaked down the Colorado River (starting from the Hoover Dam), I had my dry bags distributed between two duffel bags which made transportation to the campground very easy. I used regular duffel bags, but you can also use mesh duffel bags which will prevent any water accumulating inside the bag

would like to add a couple key things:

dry bags are not really waterproof, use ziplock baggies to keep items really dry in the dry bag.

never pack your boat in the water! bad form, can damage your boat.

when placing gear in the boat it's most important to make sure the boat is balenced front and back and side to side. wieghty items can be used to balance the differce between two paddlers wieght or weather conditions (in a canoe).

if there will be any portaging big but light packs are key, think about how many times you'll want to walk that portage trail.