Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • THE GEAR SHED

How to Pack for Shoulder-Season Paddling

  • November 3, 2014
  • Ned Morgan
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

By Tom Murphy.

For those of us whose lives are based on the seasons, as we move from location to location for work or just from activity to activity for play, we’ve learned to appreciate the shoulder season.

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

Sure, there’s a little bit of compromise involved, but we find the best balance right there in the middle. Here in the San Juan Islands, the weather gets a little unpredictable, maybe inhospitable. The days get shorter, and the temperature begins to drop, but amongst those days of rain and fog are some of the best days of the season. In fact, if you’re ready for it, the fog and the rain can make for beautiful days on the water or hunkered down in camp. The masses have moved on to their fall activities and destinations.

But on these shoulder season days, you have to be ready for anything. It was in the 80s yesterday and today the clouds have settled right to the surface of the water in a fog reminiscent of being inside a ping pong ball. Having a system that keeps you warm and dry will not only keep you safe, but can turn this fickle time of year into the best time of year to be out. As a longtime kayaking guide here in the San Juan Islands, I’m always looking for ways to enjoy that space between the guiding season and those snowy trips in the mountains just around the corner.

Here is a breakdown of my kit for multi-day, shoulder-season paddling in the San Juan Archipelago.

Paddling Apparel:

Paddling in cold water in any season requires preparation for bad weather and challenging conditions. I usually wear a long-sleeve shirt like the OR Wayward shirt and a pair of shorts along with Crocs or some other quick-drying footwear. The synthetic long-sleeve shirt dries quickly, blocks the wind a little, and provides sun protection. If the mercury starts to plummet or the weather kicks up, I layer up with a dry top and light fleece like the Radiant Hybrid. And as things get even colder, I add long johns and dry bibs. Neoprene gloves and a beanie round out layering for the worst conditions and weather.

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

• Sequence tights
• Wayward L/S shirt
• Equinox shorts
• Radiant Hybrid pullover
• Kokatat Whirlpool bibs
• Kokatat Rogue Drytop
• Crocs
• Socks for under bibs
• NRS neoprene socks for over bibs
• NRS neoprene gloves
• Beanie

Camp Apparel:

The beauty of paddling is none of this gets carried on your back. When I get to camp, I usually like to pull on a synthetic puffy jacket over my wet layers and use my body heat to dry them out while I’m setting up my tent and camp. When those pieces are mostly dry, I switch to camp clothes. In camp, I usually bring a pair of comfy pants, a pair of wool socks and a pair of camp footwear that’s dry. I like to have an extra fleece and base layer on hand incase I have to finish drying the ones I wore on the water in my sleeping bag at night. My luxury item is a cotton tee that just feels so comfy and dry for sleeping and under layers around camp. And I always pack a hardshell jacket to be comfy in the rain.

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

• Radiant Hybrid pullover fleece
• Ignitor T
• Dry socks to wear with crocs once dry
• Cotton t-shirt
• Deadpoint pants or other synthetic pants for camp
• Hardshell rain jacket (any number will do, but a Helium II packs down really small and is perfect for this)
• Chaos Synthetic Puffy

Camp gear:

• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Tent
• Stove
• Pots
• Food
• Mug
• An Areopress

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

Packing Tips:

• Wear things until they are dry.
• Dry things fully in your sleeping bag.
• Bring a mesh duffel to carry your gear from boat to camp and back.
• Use your foam sleeping pad to insulate and pad under your feet in the kayak. This will also save room for packing.

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

The great think about kayaking is that you’ll have so much room to bring favorite items. You can make your food as fresh and elaborate as you like, and an extra couple layers or even an extra sleeping pad isn’t out of the question on shorter trips. Of course, if you pack the food like you’re backpacking, you could go for well over a week without support.

Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com
Photo courtesy Outdoorresearch.com

This time of year, change is in the air and as we float from one job, one town or one season to the next, remember this is the best time to be out—especially on the water in the San Juan Islands.

Reblogged from Outdoor Research Verticulture.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Outdoor Research
  • Outdoor Research athletes
  • Outdoor Research drybags
  • Outdoor Research paddling
Ned Morgan

Previous Article
  • The Great Outdoors

How to Meditate Outdoors

  • October 29, 2014
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
Next Article
  • Stay & Play

A Tetrad of Self-Propelled Exploration

  • November 5, 2014
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
You May Also Like
Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 26, 2023
Season-Pass-Skis-and-Splitboard-both
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: New Season Pass Skis + Splitboard Exclusive to evo

  • Mountain Life Media
  • January 15, 2023
Arcteryx-Thorium-collage
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: January Picks

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 12, 2023
Appalachian-Gear-Company-All-Paca-Fleece-Gaiter
View Post
  • CAMPING GEAR
  • FALL GEAR
  • SKIING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Appalachian Gear Company & the Magic of Alpaca

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 10, 2023
dakine-baron-gore-tex-index-womens-mitt
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Dakine Baron GORE-TEX Index Mitts Feature New ePE Membrane

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 4, 2023
Hunter-Womens-Play-Vegan-Shearling-Insulated-Tall-Rain-Boots-above
View Post
  • FALL GEAR
  • SKIING GEAR
  • SPRING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Hunter Women’s Play Insulated Rain Boots

  • Ned Morgan
  • December 28, 2022
Sabre-Anorak-Phenom-Bordeaux-Pit-Zip
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Freeride Ace: Arc’teryx Sabre Anorak

  • Ned Morgan
  • December 21, 2022
rossignol-skpr-3l-womens-jacket-
View Post
  • SKIING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Rossignol SKPR 3L Ski Jacket

  • Ned Morgan
  • December 20, 2022

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket 1
    Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup
    • January 26, 2023
  • Brian-Hockenstein-surfing-Iceland-water-and-ice-ML 2
    In the Land of Water & Ice
    • January 24, 2023
  • Marie-Pier-Desharnais-A-Womans-Experience-on-K2-flag-crop 3
    Marie-Pier Desharnais: A Woman’s Experience on K2
    • January 23, 2023
  • Paul-Manning-Hunter-Kananaskis-River-surf 4
    Behind the Photo: Rockies Edition
    • January 19, 2023
  • knorthphotography.Beverly-Glenn Copeland-crop 5
    Beverly Glenn-Copeland: Finding the Universal Broadcast
    • January 17, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Wachs_Fairly-Mellow
    Friday Flick: “Fairly Mellow” at Fairy Meadow Hut
    • January 20, 2023
  • Season-Pass-Skis-and-Splitboard-both
    Gear Shed: New Season Pass Skis + Splitboard Exclusive to evo
    • January 15, 2023
  • Vincent-Colliart-Caroline-Cote-antarctica-sunset
    Canadian Explorer Caroline Côté Reaches South Pole in Record 34 Days
    • January 13, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life is a proud member of the @printreleaf_ community. So far we've offset our print by having 1,737 trees reforested since joining in 2019! 🌲
GUESS WHAT! It's FRIDAY! Here's a flick to kick off the weekend for all you warriors.
Behind the scenes of three action photos from ML’s Rocky Mountains edition.
The @banffmountainfestival 2023 Signature Image Search is on🚨
In 1986 @beverlyglenncopeland recorded Keyboard Fantasies using an Atari computer, a keyboard and a drum machine. After releasing it on cassette and selling maybe 50 copies, he went back to writing for Sesame Street and making the odd guest appearance on Mr. Dressup. In 2015, a cassette made its way to Japanese collector Ryota Masuko, a record store owner with a big online presence, who quickly bought, and then sold, all the Keyboard Fantasies cassettes he could find. Record labels worldwide lined up to reissue the hidden gem on vinyl.
MUSIC SERIES TICKET SALE IS NOW LIVE 🗣️
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life is a proud member of the @printreleaf_ community. So far we've offset our print by having 1,737 trees reforested since joining in 2019! 🌲
GUESS WHAT! It's FRIDAY! Here's a flick to kick off the weekend for all you warriors.
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.