The hazards one might expect to run into on the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail
are tides that can go out far enough to leave you stranded on your campsite,
fast moving weather frionts, high winds,
no cell phone coverage,
and then on-shore hazards like ticks,
sandspurs ...
racoons that can get into your food supplies ...
snakes ...
and then you have issues with re-supply being far and few between ...
so stock up on the food and water.
I've described some of the hazards you might run into out here
and I think that you can prepare yourself with the right gear
for a multi-day openwater trip. And some of the gear ...
starting over here ...
I would not leave town without
a spray skirt for my kayak, it keeps the water out and keeps you warm and dry.
Then a tow system, I like a waist mounted tow system because if I need to be towed
I can hand it off to someone else.
so if you have a tired or sick paddler they can be towed to shore.
I also like a tarp. A tarp is a great piece of gear to get you out of the wind quick
on those days when you come off the water and you're cold and miserable feeling
you can get in some quick shelter ... it's easy to put up.
Another crucial piece of gear is a flare.
They make several different kinds. This is a parachute flare
so it goes up and lasts a lot longer. I recommend taking a few flares
and hopefully you'll never need one but if you do
you've got a back-up for your back-up if you take at least three.
Another great piece of gear you can make with just a couple of
carabiners and a short piece of rope ... is a contact tow.
So now you can contact your boat to someone else and help them out ...
administer to them ... get stuff out of their hatches while you're on the water ...
hands free ... great piece of gear.
Another crucial piece of gear ... is a chart.
A tide chart and a regular navigational chart are crucial pieces of gear.
This is a navigational chart and it helps you find your way around
into the deep water. When the tide is out, you're going to need it.
Another probably even more important piece of gear
is a way to get your water around.
If you look in the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail Guide it will give you
how much water you should take but one of the great pieces of gear we use
is a water bag ... you can use water bottles
but you do need to prepare to carry a lot of water on this trip.
Another piece of gear that I like ... it's kind of my "everything" piece of gear
is what's called a "seal suit" or "storm cag" ... it's a jacket that's hooded
that goes over everything so if you're out on the water and you're paddling
and it gets cold it goes over you, your PFD
and where your skirt would go on your boat
and it packs down pretty small as you can see here.
Other critical pieces of gear that I wouldn't leave home without would be
the appropriate footwear. Something with a hard sole ...
I like something that drains and something that won't come off my foot
in surf or in mud. If I'm walking through mud it doesn't get pulled off my foot.
A hat that gives me plenty of protection from the sun, my ears
and the back of my neck as well as my face ... pretty important.
And then this interesting piece of gear here ...
is called a "bivy bag" ... it's a Mylar bag ...
it's big enough to fit someone in and it keeps them out of the wind ...
it gets you warm. A lot of times I'll land on shore, if it's cold I'll get in it
while I make something hot to drink.
If you have someone who comes out of their boat and you can't get them back in
you can put this around them while they're in the water and it'll keep them warmer
while you try to affect a rescue
so a "bivy bag" is a really important piece of gear.
Other pieces of gear that I wouldn't leave home without would be ...
a medical kit. Fairly comprehensive
and not just having a medical kit but knowing how to use it
having CPR and First Aid under my belt.
Also, before I leave shore, the people that I'm paddling with
I want to know if they have any medical concerns
and if they have any medication and where it's kept and make sure
that they have their medication with them for a multi-day trip.
Along with a medical kit I like to take a repair kit.
A repair kit that I can fix my boat as well as my tent with.
So I have mastic tape that will stick to anything when it's wet,
a sewing kit, duct tape, various other items to repair things in the field
in a wilderness setting.
A bilge pump to empty your boat if it gets full of water.
And then something you need to think about
is the size and type of bags that you're going to load all of your stuff in.
And I like to compartmentalize in a lot of small bags that fit in my boat easier.
Long thin bags fit the ends .... I also like nylon coated bags
so they don't stick to each other or to the inside of the boat.
Easy to get in and easy to get out.
Another thing that I deffinately will take with me on these trips
is a mosquito net for my head .... so long sleeve clothes
and a mosquito net keep the bugs away.
As much of the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail is on a very gently
shelving coastline the water's not very deep until you go out pretty far.
So a lot of this coastline you're going to have to be pretty far off-shore
and that means really good navigation.
Navigation requires tools ... GPS with extra batteries
maybe a deck mounted compass but certainly a hand held compass and charts.
I strongly recommend that you do your navigational work before you hit the water.
While the weather in Florida in the winter is considered balmy
and it's definately the most plesant time to paddle the trail
you want to consider that temperature can plummet into the 20's
a lot of times its in the 70's so you want to prepare for just about anything weatherwise.
You want to have a weather radio with plenty of spare batteries
and consider that hypothermia in Florida is real.
Probably the most important piece of gear I take including my kayak is ...
my Personal Floatation Device or my "PFD".
I like a PFD thats got reflective tape and plenty of pockets.
So in this pocket I have my radio ... in here spare hatch cover, food, compass.
Over here I have ...
a rubber skull cap to keep me warm if I get out there and it gets cold.
I definately want some way to cut lines so I have a knife on mine
you can also get snips that work to cut lines. When you have lines around the water
entrapment is a real concern so snips or a knife ... a must.
And then on the back a strobe light for night time rescue
a bag on the back for the water bladder ... and flares.
So if I were to come out of my boat and get separated from it
I may be a victim but I'm not a helpless victim
with food, with hydration, with signaling devices and something to keep me warm.
So ... probably as or more important than my paddle.
Every time I hit the water I have my PFD not only with me
but ON. It doesn't work unless you wear it.
The minimum level of training and or experience to paddle this trail
I would consider it to be ...
the individual needs to be able to paddle 15 to 20 miles a day in a loaded boat,
have the equipment to do self rescues,
the experience and the equipment to be able to camp comfortably,
the clothing to be comfortable. The food ... the appropriate food for the trip
as well as not be a liability to the group you're paddling with.
The way to obtain the appropriate skills to kayak out in this venue
would be find a local coach ...
hopefully one associated with the American Canoe Association
or the British Canoe Union. They can give you the stuff you need to know
to paddle in a place like this.
To insure a safe paddling adventure make sure everyone in your group
has appropriate gear, experience and skills.
Then you can come out here and enjoy Wild Florida on your own terms.