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Kayaking with kids: what to bring, how to get ready, what to expect
Kayaking tourism is getting increasingly popular and more and more people want to try to spend their free time in this way. At the same time many of them want to spend their time with their kids. Adults often take the approach “we’ll go and see”, but when they’re planning to go with their kids, a million questions arise. And that’s good, because you need to get ready for kayaking, in particular if this is your kayak debut and you’re going to take your kid. Kayaking on a calm lowland river is safe, but you should know in exactly what you are going to participate so that you have nice memories when the kayak rally ends.
A capsized kayak is not that terrible
If you capsize in a mountain kayak, the only thing you can do is an Eskimo roll, i.e. you roll with the kayak or cabin, i.e. you unfasten the spray deck and leave the cockpit. Both these things look easy only on TV. In the case of wide tourist kayaks with large cockpits in which you generally don’t use spray decks, it is much simpler. You fall into the water gracefully and often don’t even plunge your head.
What to wear on a kayak trip once again
Lowland kayak rallies are a form of activity practised mainly in summer. So choosing clothing for this kind of trip should not pose any problems. You should, however, pay attention to some important issues.
We usually wear a short-sleeved tee and shorts while paddling. We assume that it is better to sit in wet shorts than in wet long trousers. Today, clothes made from light, synthetic and breathable materials are available on the market. You should have such clothes if you’re planning to go on kayak trips frequently or on a long kayak trip. Remember that fabrics made from natural fibres such as cotton take a very long time to dry, while all synthetic materials dry much more quickly and – just like fleece – keep you warm even if they are wet. Thus sweaters, fleece shirts or jeans are not fit to kayak trips.
Food and cooking during a weekend kayak trip with KAJAKIEM.PL
Today I will shortly discuss food for specific kayak trips, namely the weekend kayak trips organised by the Travel Agency KAJAKIEM.PL, with whom I have been cooperating for years. These are weekend kayak trips (we arrive on Friday evening and paddle on Saturday and Sunday). The instructors go with the group, and the baggage is transported in a minibus to the next campsite.
I am very often asked about food supplies for such kayak trips, the availability of shops on the kayaking route or the cooking and camping equipment provided by the tour operator.
Kayaks and the overcoming of obstacles
Every river is a surface flow that runs in a natural channel. From the point of view of kayak tourism, the more natural the river is, the better, as it is more interesting. Kayaking on the controlled channels may be easier, but it is certainly more boring. It is good if “there is much stuff going on” during a kayak rally: the shallows, a bend, a fallen tree. How to avoid obstacles?
What should I bring for a kayak trip?
The list of things you should bring for a kayak trip largely depends on whether it is an individual trip or a trip organised by a specialised company. If it is the latter, you must check what is provided by the event organiser. E.g. if the price includes wood for the campfire, you don’t need to take a small axe. Kayak trips vary in terms of baggage transport. If a minibus is provided to follow the participants, you can take slightly more things and pack them slightly less competently. If you’re going to kayak with your belongings, you have to protect them properly against water and, above all, make sure that when you pack them into the kayak, there will be still some place left for you. For kayak trips, you bring things such as
10 mistakes made during kayak trips and how to avoid them
- Lack of skills and knowledge about kayaking
When choosing a kayak trip for holidays or even for a weekend, we should keep in mind that although lowland kayaking is not an extreme sport, at least one person in our group should have some basic knowledge about kayaking. The most important issues are: how to paddle forward and backward, steer the kayak, how the kayak floats on the river, when obstacles appear and in an emergency, i.e. if the kayak capsizes
Which kayak trip should I choose?
A guided or individual kayak trip? In recent years kayaking has become more popular as it is a cheap form of active tourism. Many companies that provide both fully guided kayak trips and kayak rentals have been established. Each of these companies determines its package of services under a specific name. Below is an overview of services provided by Kajakiem.pl. Check which kayak trip you should choose.
A one-day kayak trip: how to get ready?
Are you going on a several hours’ kayak trip? Check what you’ve forgotten about…
We’ve gathered the most basic information about what to take and how to get ready for a short one-day recreational rally in one place. This post is dedicated to those who are going on an organised kayak trip and don’t have to plan the route, the logistic details, or choose the equipment, etc. Have a nice read and enjoy the rally 🙂