How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? I was on a two week self-contained kayak trip this summer. We were moving camp every day if weather allowed. But for the most part we took our time, had a hot breakfast, and were on the water by 0930 or 1000. One morning the two of us needed to get on the water early. We were up at 4 AM, had a cooled breakfast, broke down the traps, loaded up and paddled away at 6 am. So it turned out that even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! Tom Cromwell Edmonds, WA. USA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Tom Cromwell wrote: > > How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you > do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? > ...[snip]... > ... even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! That sounds about right to me. It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes to get going in the morning. No single task takes very long, but there are maybe 30-40 little things to do, each of which takes 2-5 minutes even when you are in a hurry. It adds up quickly. It seems that the only thing that makes for a really quick exit is if nearly everything is packed up and ready to go the evening before. Some day I am going to time every single task to see exactly where the time goes. That is the first step in determining how to shave off the minutes. "Scientific time management meets sea kayaking." I can hear the groans already... Dan Hagen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Repair question: On my Current Designs Solstice ST, the rubber seal glued around the bottom of my rear hatch cover is coming off. I was curious as to what folks thought would be the best type of glue to use for this type of repair. Thanks in advance! Jim Tynan Pike Road AL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
JT wrote: > > Repair question: On my Current Designs Solstice ST, the rubber seal glued > around the bottom of my rear hatch cover is coming off. I was curious as to > what folks thought would be the best type of glue to use for this type of > repair. Try contacting CD first - http://www.cdkayak.com/ (there's an e-mail button on that page). I'd consider a waterproof contact cement (WW kayak dealers often have some for custom outfitting of boats) or Marine Goop. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jim - RE: Reattching a rubber gasket, probably the most reliable thing to use is Hydrogrip, available from Nantahala Outdoor Center and many other places. Actually, Weldwood contact cement works prefectly well for me, and any hardware store will have that. - Bill Hansen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dan Hagen wrote: > > Tom Cromwell wrote: > > > > How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you > > do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? > > ...[snip]... even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! > > That sounds about right to me. It never ceases to amaze me how long it > takes to get going in the morning. [snip] > > Some day I am going to time every single task to see exactly where the > time goes. That is the first step in determining how to shave off the > minutes. "Scientific time management meets sea kayaking." I can hear the > groans already... Yeah, I think there *is* a hyphen in anal-retentive <g>! Seriously, I've never beat 2 hours when on a multi-day trip. Overnighters, I've done an hour, but that does not count -- there's so much dead volume in my yaks on an overnight trip I just toss everything inside -- no fitting or anything. My solution on extended trips is Tom's default choice: just budget the two hours and get up at some unholy hour. Seems like I need that two hours for "adjustment time," anyway. There are a couple small things I could do the night before but taking down the tent/tarp/kitchen and packing the yaks are the big time-consumers. If I could program my personal functions for evening I could cut off another 15 minutes, maybe. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dan Hagen wrote: > > Tom Cromwell wrote: > > > > How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you > > do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? > > ...[snip]... > > ... even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! > > That sounds about right to me. It never ceases to amaze me how long it > takes to get going in the morning. No single task takes very long, but > there are maybe 30-40 little things to do, each of which takes 2-5 > minutes even when you are in a hurry. It adds up quickly. It seems that > the only thing that makes for a really quick exit is if nearly > everything is packed up and ready to go the evening before. I think the thing to do is say you are going to get out fast and skip breakfast except for maybe an energy bar. As a generalization, morning conditions are usually the calmest of the day in terms of wind and seas (also twilight). If you are doing a multi-day trip, you can always cover more distance if you get out at 6 or 7 in the morning. If bad weather is going to come in, it tends to do so later in the day. If you start off in the statistically calmer morning and paddle say two hours, you will be at least 8 miles along on your trip. Have breakfast then and it won't be such a production as it might be earlier when knocking down camp. Then you can get in another 8 miles before noon. If the weather gets bad, you will be some 15 miles or so along in your day. In contrast, if you don't get off until 10 am, you may only get a few hours in before bad weather sets in. ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I usually re-pack most of my stuff before going to bed the night before on most of my trips. Additionally, when I'm planning on an early launch, I plan on a simple breakfast, either cold or using hot water (oatmeal, for example). When I get up, I start the stove (the water would have been in the kettle from the night before), then pack my sleeping bag, and break down the tent, pack it, relieve your bladder and change into paddling gear by the time the water has boiled. We eat breakfast out of a cup so that we have one cup and one spoon per person, plus the kettle; pack those dishes together, dirty. All of this takes 30-60 minutes - usually 30 minutes in the summer and closer to 60 in the winter. The big thing is to hustle and be aware of the time, it's real easy to kick back, enjoy the scenery talk to your friends and an hour slides by, needless to say, you probably only want to hit hustle mode when you need to, otherwise enjoy the morning. Probably the most important part is having most of the gear packed or at least in dry bags before you go to sleep the night before, otherwise you find yourself running around looking for things or trying to decide where to pack them when you're still not awake and in a hurry. I also admit that with big groups or with certain people on the trip we never seem to be able to break an hour, and more often hit the 90 minute range. -Saul __ © o -\_<, < \/ (*)/'(*) / 0 /> ______©/_______ Saul Kinderis / ` / ' saul_at_isomedia.com ^~^~^~^~^~^ 0 ^~^~^~^~^~^~ My new web page is at: http://www.isomedia.com/homes/saul (425)402-3426 POB 2221, Bothell, WA, 98041 -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of Tomckayak_at_aol.com Sent: Saturday, November 13, 1999 7:45 AM To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subject: [Paddlewise] speed it up How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? I was on a two week self-contained kayak trip this summer. We were moving camp every day if weather allowed. But for the most part we took our time, had a hot breakfast, and were on the water by 0930 or 1000. One morning the two of us needed to get on the water early. We were up at 4 AM, had a cooled breakfast, broke down the traps, loaded up and paddled away at 6 am. So it turned out that even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! Tom Cromwell Edmonds, WA. USA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Our method was developed while long-distance hiking on the Montana Continental Divide Trail, where we had 3 weeks of rain for the first 3 weeks, and 2 weeks of rain/snow flurries for the last 2 weeks, of a 12 week trip. Although regimented , it did allow us to keep our gear dry...AND , AT LEAST ONE PERSON DRY AND WARM. (In a party of two).To me, that seemed like a real safety factor; because the tent was the last thing packed, there was always an opportunity to "reconsider and retreat", back into the tent. We transferred it to canoeing, it has served us well in really nasty weather.All of our trips are multi-week, so I worry about gradual attrition, lost items, things getting wet and unusable, the "accumulation of small mistakes". Our best time was 1 hour with the Peace River (Alberta) rising rapidly on our little beach, I finished loading the canoe in ankle deep water. More often it takes 2 hours. (Just like everyone else...:) ! 1)Coffee is made the night before and kept in a thermos.Breakfast is "mueseli" ( with cold water and powdered milk). 2) When I get out of the tent in the morning (to make breakfast), my wife begins packing (in the tent), while drinking her coffee...sleeping bags in their sacks, loose clothing in their stuff sacks,TR pads deflated ( and into their sacks). 3) While eating her breakfast in the tent she pitchs out the packed gear (sacks are at least wet-proof), which I pack into the large SeaLine Bags,which I haul down to the water line as filled. (Bags are organized into "Sleeping & Tent Stuff", "Her clothes and belongings", "My clothes and Belongings", "Kitchen" and "7 Day food bag" and "Main food Bag". Really compulsive about this, and bags are color coded and have pictographs drawn on them). 4)I start loading the canoe.... the first bags in are the last ones needed at next campsite. 5)Tent (NF VE-25) comes down last. Taking it down while Wendy is still inside is a real "hurry up, we're moving out!" call.With tent down and packed, only day packs are left to carry down to canoe. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Tom, Here's some things I learned the hard way.......... * pack up every last thing you won't need in the morning the night before. * ditch the hot breaky and coffee!!!(yikes). This saves packing time and dishes. You can carry snacks with you and munch during rest breaks. * organize your site the nite before. Do a site check and clean-up the nite before. * when tides or weather determine what time you can get off the beach, carry a small pocket alarm clock. * even if we have our act together, our best time from stepping out of the tent to being on the water is 45 minutes. An hour is seems to be our average best time. I like 2 hours so I can sit and veg a while and drink my coffee. Bill Pierson Bowen Island BC Tomckayak_at_aol.com wrote: > How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you > do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? > > I was on a two week self-contained kayak trip this summer. We were moving > camp every day if weather allowed. But for the most part we took our time, > had a hot breakfast, and were on the water by 0930 or 1000. One morning the > two of us needed to get on the water early. We were up at 4 AM, had a cooled > breakfast, broke down the traps, loaded up and paddled away at 6 am. So it > turned out that even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! > > Tom Cromwell > Edmonds, WA. > USA > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: > > Dan Hagen wrote: > > > > Tom Cromwell wrote: > > > > > > How long does it take you to take down camp on a long kayak trip? What do you > > > do to speed it up if you have to get off the beach fast? > > > ...[snip]... even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! > > > > That sounds about right to me. It never ceases to amaze me how long it > > takes to get going in the morning. [snip] > > > > Some day I am going to time every single task to see exactly where the > > time goes. That is the first step in determining how to shave off the > > minutes. "Scientific time management meets sea kayaking." I can hear the > > groans already... > > Yeah, I think there *is* a hyphen in anal-retentive <g>! > > Seriously, I've never beat 2 hours when on a multi-day trip. Overnighters, > I've done an hour, but that does not count -- there's so much dead volume in > my yaks on an overnight trip I just toss everything inside -- no fitting or > anything. > > My solution on extended trips is Tom's default choice: just budget the two > hours and get up at some unholy hour. Seems like I need that two hours for > "adjustment time," anyway. There are a couple small things I could do the > night before but taking down the tent/tarp/kitchen and packing the yaks are > the big time-consumers. If I could program my personal functions for evening > I could cut off another 15 minutes, maybe. > Just got in and found this thread interesting. Altho I have no problems "killing" a hour or two on shore enjoying the morning unfold, I usually get moving rather quickly and I do like Ralph Diaz said, "stop later". I almost never set up a tent. I am a die hard tarp guy. It has to be some kind of rough WX going on before a tent even starts entering my mind(a casket will come soon enough). :-) My normal morning is get up and make me some instant breakfast and powdered milk. This is in a ALADDIN insulated mug. Once I get that mixed, I light an esbit tab in a stove that I made out of a small vienna sausage can. On top of that I put a kettle of water(made from a beer can), and while this is heating, I can stuff the sleeping bag, drink the instant breakfast, fold the ground tarp, deflate the pad, and put it in its sack. I'm not sure how long the esbit burns, but it is just long enough to heat the water to a boil, so I don't have to watch it. I pour the hot water in the same cup that I just drank the instant breakfast, on top of some instant coffee, and snap the top on the cup. I now finish packing the kayak, tidy up the camp site, and push off, with the cup of coffee between my legs. Total time..., maybe 15 mins??? Never timed myself. I pack the same way for my overnighters and week+ trips. I can do it in the dark and in my sleep. The wind can get up early here and if you lolly gag around camp, you will either stay anouther day where you are at or at least start your morning with some heavy paddling. If my gear is covered with frost or dew, I just unpack and dry later in the morning. James *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Tomckayak_at_aol.com wrote: > > So it turned out that even when we where trying it still took 2 hours! > I'm gonna take this and every other post that said it takes two hours to break camp and take them, suitably printed on tyvek, on every trip where folks complain that it takes me two hours to break camp. I agree with Dan - there are dozens (hundreds!!) of little things that have to be done and, while each takes little time, they all add up... to two hours! Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
RiDem wrote: > > To me, that seemed like a > real safety factor; because the tent was the last thing packed, there was > always an opportunity to "reconsider and retreat", back into the tent. Somewhere way in the past, I was taught that the tent should be the first thing up and the last thing packed. I follow this rule religiously and many people think I'm nuts. I'm glad to hear someone else does something like this. Do others? Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
---------- Mike wrote: > Somewhere way in the past, I was taught that the tent should be the first > thing up and the last thing packed. I follow this rule religiously and > many people think I'm nuts. I'm glad to hear someone else does something > like this. > Absolutely. Also agree with putting tarp up first if you have one, but never carry one except for ground use. Would like to see this thread expanded to discuss order of breaking camp. Fascinating to watch friends who habitually do things exactly backward from my modus operandi, yet wind up breaking camp in the same two hours. Rick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Daly wrote: > > RiDem wrote: > > > > [snip] because the tent was the last thing packed, there was > > always an opportunity to "reconsider and retreat", back into the tent. > > Somewhere way in the past, I was taught that the tent should be the first > thing up and the last thing packed. I follow this rule religiously and > many people think I'm nuts. I'm glad to hear someone else does something > like this. No. I put up the tarp first, if the weather is at all threatening. That gives us a staging area for gearsort, tea/coffee brewup, and a hideyhole to regroup mentally. And, when breaking camp, the tarp is the last thing to come down -- everybody stays reasonably dry while waiting around for the slow people to pack up. Mind you, if I did not have a tarp along, then the tent *would* be last down. In the rainy climes where I paddle, however, a tarp adds so much sanity and comfort, it is "de rigor." -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I believe that on our Nome-Russia trip my two accomplices and I managed to reduce the camp set-up & tear-down times to about 1 hr. This was only managed through cooperation and planning. For example, set-up involved the other two immediately setting up the tent and me starting to cook dinner. This operation actually probably took only about 20 min., from landing to eating a hot dinner. Of course, settling in and journalling, etc. took the rest of the evening. Breaking camp was made much more efficient by making lunch and breakfast, both designed to be cold meals, the night before. All gear was packed the night before also, so that only 1 or 2 bags needed to be packed in the morning. The morning's activities only involved eating breakfast, taking care of personal hygene, disassembling the tent, and packing the boat. This last was optimised after a few days, and only took about ten minutes. I have to say, however, that there wasn't much time to smell the roses in the mornings. We did manage to get some nice early starts, in hopes of calmer weather. Regards, Dave Carlson "Richard G. Kemmer" wrote: > > ---------- > Mike wrote: > > Somewhere way in the past, I was taught that the tent should be the first > > thing up and the last thing packed. I follow this rule religiously and > > many people think I'm nuts. I'm glad to hear someone else does something > > like this. > > > Absolutely. Also agree with putting tarp up first if you have one, but never carry one except for ground use. Would like to see this thread expanded to discuss order of breaking camp. Fascinating to watch friends who habitually do things exactly backward from my modus operandi, yet wind up breaking camp in the same two hours. > > Rick > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:05 PDT