: The aft hold carries the tent, sleeping bag & inflatable mattress along
: with 2-3 gallons of water, folding chair and a First aid kit The tent
: poles have to loaded seperately as the tent won't fit around the corner
: with the poles in the stuff bag. Fishing poles, 3-4 days food (Real food
: not freeze dried) and a couple bottles wine, coleman car camping stove and
: a bundle of wood for each boat goes in the front. 4-5 changes of clothes
: are spread out in dry bags where ever they fit. It takes about a 1/2 hr to
: load the boat once it's down at the water, you can't load it by the car
: and carry it with all the gear stowed. 1 ni

You just plain carry alot of stuff.

Try attaching a raft. just kidding there though ;)

I would think that most people here, and this includes myself, when campiing out of a yak, pack more than when going backpacking but less things than I normally have at home. i like to rough it partways atleast....

For example, what type of folding chair (get one that fits your thermarest pad).

MOst of us probably take the small backpacker stoves rather than the ol'Coleman although I did just get one for car camping so I wouldnt have to cook on the whisperlight when car camping. also, 2 bundles of wood?? I guess I like a campfire for atleast a night out of the whole time I'm there but 2 bundles is probably excessive, for me atleast.

perhaps we just enjoy a different style of camping with a slightly more minimalistic view.

also, I don't tend to take 4 or 5 changes of clothes. maybe some night cloths, 2 pairs of day clothes, and rain gear. generally no shoes, and only sandals for footwear although if I plan on hiking perhaps some trailrunners.

for me camping is: sleeping bag, thermarest pad and chair kit, tent, occasionally a 3 candle candle lantern, food, usually bottle of wine (I have to ration it), no freshwater (since I paddle inland lakes mostly), water filter, whisperlite backpacking stove, usually enough normal clothing for shorts and shirts to last 2 days each atleast (I may rinse them, I may not) , goretex rain jacket and pants, long underwear top and bottom, fleece vest, small set of cooking gear, and probably 1/2 normal food and half easy to fix/freezedried. first aid kit too.

I paddle a Chessie 18 with normal hatches and my SO paddles a Merganser 16 with recessed hatches and internal bungies. I have taken mine camping a few times and hers will be christened in 2 weeks for overnighting in northern maine.

I think that if you route the bungies around your gear as you are packing, they don't take up any room. you can't just pack haphazardly but they do produce a nice clean looking deck and less spray. hopefully less leaking if you can get them to work right.

no one says they are THE way to do hatches, but some of us do use them for camping/transportation and not just playing around the local pond before lunch.

Enjoy your yaks and your camping, Pete czerpak albany, NY