My apologies for the slow reply. Your comment got tagged as 'held for review' so I didn't actually see it until just now! I have to load/unload my canoe pack at either end of a portage, yes. One of the reasons I have a Delta (which to answer your question, I love) is because it has huge dry hatch openings - which means I can fit very large bags through them. I only have four things to load into the canoe pack: a compression sack (clothes + sleeping bag), a 30 L dry bag (with a few smaller dry bags for organizational purposes inside it), the tent bag, and my food bag. It only takes a couple of minutes to get set up, and a couple of minutes to 'tear down'. But it can still get annoying on trips that have tons of short portages (river travel) as the set up / take down can be more time consuming than the portage itself!

I think they just might...seems odd since I have a rule of only saying positive things on here. Thanks for the link, I was looking for that great list you created of items to pack. Trying to plan a path for May. Thanks again have a great one!

Your reply also got flagged for review - does YouTube have it in for you? :) No, my website is still up, or at least it better be - it's paid up for another couple years! www.kayakcamper.com

Thanks for the response :) Did you take your website down? I seem to remember you had a good list for packing.

Hey Andy,


YouTube flagged your comment for review for some reason, which means I didn't even notice it until just today! A kayak is a great solo tripping boat for sure, as long as you've put in the time to plan and pack carefully (and build a yoke that works), otherwise it would probably be a massive pain in the behind. My first kayak trips were definitely not as smooth as they could have been!


I hear you about escaping TO. I love the city, but getting away from the craziness from time to time is essential to my sanity ;)

Somewhere in the 48 - 50 pound range.

+Kayak Camper Thanks!

+Stephen James One I designed and built myself - I have a video that shows it in more detail at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6JJ8GONuU

+Kayak Camper Thanks for your response. I was actually considering the Delta 16 or 17. My plan is to take a test run on both this spring at Frontenac Outfitters in April or May. This will be my second kayak, the first, to get my feet wet, was a Venture Flex 11. I would like to do some camping trips with the kayak. I don't have much in the way of wood working tools so I'm also looking for a commercial kayak yoke, failing that I guess I jut have to improvise something. Nice video's! Keep them coming!

+Mike Driscoll


This is the third kayak I've owned, and yes, I love it. I've been paddling for many years but I don't pretend to be an expert on kayaks or kayaking, so the best advice I can offer you is to test paddle anything and everything before making a decision. The 'yak in this video is the Delta 16', my previous was a Delta 14.5.


The reason I buy Delta, aside from being a Canadian company, is that their 'yaks have a ton of storage space and just as importantly, large hatch openings. When you're loading and unloading your kayak multiples times a day at portages, the easier it is to get things in and out of those hatches the better. Their boats also take a beating and are easy to repair. I switched to the 16 because I'd become a more experienced paddler, and the extra length and slimmer width makes a huge difference in cruising speed on the water.


For what I use it for it's the perfect kayak. My next kayak, when this one has finally taken too much punishment to go on, will be another Delta 16.

+Brett Hamlin


Hey Brett, I somehow never saw this comment - my apologies. I can't speak to the North Channel specifically, but black bear advice is the same no matter where you're going. First and foremost, don't lose sleep (and I mean this literally) over black bears. You're more likely to die in a car accident driving to your put-in than from a bear. Or getting struck by lightning. Or a meteor. What I'm saying is you probably just shouldn't go outside.


Keep a clean campsite and hang your food (or use a bear-proof barrel like I do - I hate hanging bear bags) well away from your site and you'll be fine. For peace of mind I take bear spray on all of my trips, but I've never used it and almost certainly never will. On the rare occasion I encounter a bear on a camping trip they tend to run away in a hurry.


That being said, it's scary hearing one sniffing around your campsite in the dead of night when you're alone, but bear attacks on humans are extremely rare.