Packing for a long kayak trip can be a bit tricky, especially if you're camping. Sea kayaks have huge hatches where you can easily pack a lot of your belongings for an kayaking expedition. Since we intend to carry everything with us while kayaking its important to pack light, distribute weight evenly across the kayak and not forget the important things!
Saying that, camping for a week can be tough, especially if its on remote beaches. Its quite nice to have some things to make the trip comfortable and some things are worth carrying. I've learnt so much from the people I go on trips about what to pack and what to leave at home.
I've provided a packing list here with some tips and tricks to make life a bit easier. After always forgetting something for kayaking trips, I've finally resorted to having a packing list that keeps me right. Labelling my dry bags with my name and the contents makes life a lot easier as well. There are only so many colours and only so much you can remember. Writing it down helps you find the dry bag you need faster and adding your name will hopefully avoid someone else going home with your passport!
Here are the basics you definitely need:
*Dry bags: various sizes 2l, 4l, 8l and 10l. Don't go for huge bags, they don't fit in the hatches. A bit more about them below.
*Tent: depending on where you go, a cheap festival tent will probably do if its your first trip. If its going to be rainy/windy, consider getting a more expensive tent. Try to find a lightweight tent!
*Sleeping mat: depending on where you go, mat thickness is important. 3mm and under inflatable mats will be fine for grass or sand. If you're going to be on shingle or pebbled beaches, you need a 5mm mat to make life easier
*Sleeping bag: if you're going in the height of summer, a cheap, light summer bag will do just fine. Some people carry down sleeping bags for spring/autumn trips to make sure they don't get cold.
*Cooking stove, pots/pans, cutlery and mug/glass
*Head torch, sunglasses, sun cream
*Kayaking clothes and shoes/flip flops: this is water temperature dependant. For really hot weather, regular gym/running clothes should work. Spring/Autumn trips should include long sleeve tops and neoprene trousers or wetsuits for warmth. If its going to be windy, you'll need a waterproof jacket or a cag.
There are additional things I carry to make life comfortable while kayaking and camping :
1) A pillow
2) A mat to sit on and a picnic mat to make breakfast (a quid at Poundland!)
3) A tent light to find stuff in the dark
4) Merino base layers to stay warm on chilly nights
5) Warm socks
6) A swiss army knife
7) Dish cleaning soap and sponge
8) My own coffee, tea and porridge oats for breakfast
9) Cutlery, mind you the fork could pierce the dry bag so I use a sunglasses case for protection
10) Hand sanitiser
11) Cycling gloves and electric tape to avoid blisters
12) First aid kit
13) A whistle, in case you go swimming
14) Insect repellant
15) After sun spray
16) Argan or coconut oil, great for the skin and hair
17) Travel towel
18) Swimwear, if its warm enough!
19) Waterproof phone case/Waterproof camera/Go pro
20) A hat/bandana to protect your hair
A little note about dry bags to use when sea kayaking. There's a lot out there and its taken some practice and some experience to know when to buy the cheaper ones. It may sound obvious, but you need the more expensive bags for the important stuff that shouldn't get wet: sleeping bag, some clothes, passport, phone and money.
Most of my dry bags are either Karrimor (quite cheap, decent water protection), Craghoppers (cheap-ish, good water protection), Sea to Summit (not cheap, really good water protection) and Ortlieb (not cheap but really waterproof). Best not to get all Ortlieb bags even if you aren't on budget since they have rubber and do not mould well to the kayak.
I also carry some sturdy bin bags just in case its required to keep things extra dry. At the end of the day, it is a water based activity and some things will get damp. Just remember that while its OK for the suncream to get wet, its perhaps less OK for all your clothes to be soaking in salty sea water :).