I loaded Lizzy with ALL(almost) of my camping gear last night.
I don’t like the fact that I have to remove 90% of it from dry bags, BUT, the fact that my hatches ‘HISSS’ when I pop the seal tells me they are 100% dry so long as I seal them back correctly (no straps or threads in the seals,) What I am also not happy about is how little room I have remaining. If I were to want to take my C-tug with me, I would have to leave something behind, like a tent or extra sleep stuff (woobie and tarp) AND, where the hell to put food and water (if I had to haul water, I have three different types of filters for fresh water, not for salt) (or the frickin’ BEER!!!!) (guess my alcohol is going will have to be higher octane than beer, more punch in less space,,, I’m okay with that ;-P,,,). I figure I have roughly enough space, with no real changes, for three MRE pouches, maybe four. or the equivalent in other stuff, well sealed.
I have maybe 3 liters of open space remaining between the two compartments, compressing things would improve that by a small margin, but the likelihood of stressing some equipment or the hull of the boat goes up. There is a bit of space in the cockpit at my feet, but its not easily accessible (wheels for the C-tug?)(which is why I think I need to reassess, that C-tug is bulky even broken down!!) and zero way of securing whatever I put there unless I make it thick enough to act as my footrest as well. And being in the cockpit, nothing that needs to remain completely dry,,,
I need to reassess my camp gear if I intend on using Lizzy as a week/weekender Kaya-kamper. (and I do,,,until she proves impossible to work with,,,LOL) (and Valley Canoe Products sells this as an expedition boat? Whose expedition and how much localized support did they have??? is my question,,, I can fit all of my gear in Ghost boat and have enough room left over for a shopping cart of groceries,,,,, or were the ‘explorers’ just that frugal with gear and not need food for weeks on end? dunno,,,,) ( and I thought of this after scheduling the post: Current load out includes my camping hammock AND my two person tent, so one of those would be left behind,,,, that’s a couple liters space right there, and food and such could be split among other boaters as needed,,, still not much ‘extra’ room there)
But the real reason I loaded her was to see just what would fit (almost everything) so mission accomplished. AND I may just take her to the lake this weekend, load her up there, and see if maybe she will ‘Tame’. And doing that, I could try her unladen, then load her and see if there is a difference right off the bat. BJ didn’t show any significant differences loaded and I only noted her (very slight) willingness to weathercock after I had paddled her loaded. Never noted it prior, so paddling loaded ‘retuned’ us.
Camp gear I haven’t loaded yet but would go: camp saw (folding type) hatchet (gerber, very lightweight) small bag of extra clothes. have one 4 liter bag with dry stuff in the boat, but its more ’emergency use’ sorts. Most of the clothes I would be wearing, season dependent, and I could add some clothes in spaces, individually, to secure other stuff in place, so long as the hatches stay DRY: otherwise, it MUST be in a dry bag.
So, who wants to go Kaya-Kamping????? In the freezing cold, with a grumpy old fart that likes whiskey around a campfire??
(gotta get my srysuit soon!!!!)(THAT sort of weather, my wetsuits and dry top combination wouldn’t work well in.)
