Hello everyone, this is my first post on the forum.

I'm working on assembling a whitewater kayaking survival kit. The two major limiting factors on the kit are money (I'm a broke college student), and storage space in my kayak. My kayak is rather small, so my goal is to fit everything into a 5-liter drybag.

I already carry 50 ft. throw rope, a serrated knife, and a whistle on my lifejacket. I also have a 1-liter steel water bottle in my boat.

What I plan on having in the kit so far:

Short (5 1/4")ka-bar knife
Signal mirror
Bic lighter
Spark-lite
Wetfire tinder
Hat
Water purification tablets
30ft. Paracord
Small flashlight
Compass
Folding saw or pocket chainsaw
Small first aid kit
Duct tape

The obvious items that are not in this kit so far are shelter and insulation. I kayak March - November in Idaho, so there's the potential for 20-degree nights. Most options I've seen for shelter and insulation are either very bulky, or very expensive. Does anyone have recommendations?

I also don't have any dedicated food procurement tools. We'll be on known rivers, with expected return times - so I'm mostly worried about a 1-2 night wait for SAR to come get us!

Are there any items I need to add to this kit, or any items I should leave out?

You need to add some food
Trail Mix
Datrex Food Bars
Granola Bars
anything small and light weight


My .02

Mike

Hi, your kit looks good to me.
Since it´s for whitewater kayaking I would keep the kit light. But it depends on your boat and your style.

My suggestions so far:

- a small candle
- a magnesium firestarter
- Tinder-Quik tinder
- several small fatwood sticks
^^(I wouldn´t count on the Wetfire only. It can fail.)
- a map
- small backup knife

As for the shelter, you could improvise something using survival foil blanket, paracord and branches.

If you avoid bulk and expense for warmth and shelter, you will depend on your fire and your field improvised shelter, which can work just fine.

Be sure you have a good fleece or wool sweater (worn underneath your kayak shell, which i assume you have). See if you can fit in a heetsheets bivy bag and a balaclava helmet or watch cap along with gloves. Since you will be around a fire, wool might work better than fleece, although I personally prefer fleece.

I would suggest at the least a couple of disposable ponchos and some mylar blankets. They are cheap, not bulky and would do a lot to stop you from dying of exposure, which would be your greatest threat in a wilderness situation once you get on dry land. The mylars and ponchos could be completely submerged and still offer lifesaving insulation and protection from the elements. A small Esbit stove and a pot to cook in, add some dehydrated soups, cocoa or other hot beverages to warm your core from the inside as well as some high fat, high energy foods. Chocolate and Spam come to mind... Keep the furnace burning and keep the wind and water from chilling you and you may not be completely comfortable, but you will be alive

Good idea on the multiple tinders, Raptor. I'll see if I can order some tinder-quik when I get my sparklite.

I will have fleece layered under drytop/drypants during the colder months. It may not be enough during a cold, night though - especially since a night on the riverbank will probably start with a swim! I'll look into grabbing a couple heetsheets bivy bags.

I'll look into the Esbit stove, too. I'm not sure if I'll have enough room for stove and a pot, but I may head down to REI with my drybag and see how well it fits! Does anyone know how well stainless steel water bottles hold up to direct heat? I wouldn't expect any issues, but you never know....

I'm not sure what I'll end up doing for food. Since we're unlikely to be out for more than a day or two before SAR shows up, it isn't really essential. I hadn't thought about its advantages for keeping warm though. I'll see if I can get some granola bars or quality protein in my drybag. The biggest issue will be finding food that will survive the temperature swings - it gets pretty warm here in the summer.

...also consider what you will have on your person/ PFD. what can you zip into pockets?

TRO

I'd also go with a much lighter knife than the kbar.

I'd pack extra batteries for the flashlight if possible. You never really know when SAR can get you or you need to break camp in a hurry at night (or on nights). Improvising a torch would just add to your problems.

My question is what would you do if there was no SAR--you seem to be relying on that.

I have a knife for on the water - a serrated Gerber that clips to the outside of my lifejacket.

I went with the ka-bar as one of the cheapest fixed-blade knives that I trust to hold up to batoning through wood. The 5 1/4" version also fits in my drybag without taking up too much space.

Good point on fitting stuff in my pockets. I'll plan on sticking a spark-lite and some tinder in a pocket. I also have some waterproof tape and bandages in there for blisters, but doubt I can fit much more in. My lifejacket has very limited pocket space.

I'll toss my water bottle into a fire on my next camping trip - make sure it holds up before I'm depending on it!

I don't (yet) do kayaking, but I would consider a layered approach: Some basic items (fire starter, knife, space blanket or trash bag or whatever equivalent, granola bar, whistle, compass) always on your person. Not more than you can carry comfortably in your pockets, west or whatever arrangement you prefer.

You may be unable to retrieve your kayak and the kit in it, either because you've become separated or because you don't have the strength. You should still be able to huddle up somewhere without freezing to death, get a fire going and so on.

If you can wrap yourself in some plastic - ANY plastic - you've just eliminated heat loss due to evaporation, which is not a small thing when you're completely soaked in water. You've also improved heat loss due to convection, although not by very much.

For remote kayaking, I never go with a group of fewer than four people. The most likely reason we'd be unable to paddle out would be a dislocated shoulder. With four people, we'd have two to paddle out to get help and one to stay with the injured person.

The big situation I see which would prevent SAR from reaching us would be severe flooding which forced us away from the river. In that case, our best bet would be hiking to the takeout - not fun in rough terrain and paddling booties! Fortunately, the maximum hike should be less than 15 miles. That's about the maximum distance I'd want to paddle for a daytrip, and we could probably hike out in a few days. For longer trips, the group would have substantially more gear - like sleeping bags, tents, and footwear!

A bunch of good ideas so far, I agree on more and different tinders, perhaps add some type of billy can.
Now for your basic survival items IMO you should check out the Ribz vest, there was a thread on this a couple weeks ago.
You want your basic items with you in case you are forced to part with your YAK, a Ribz is ideal for this use.

Ka-bars are not suitable for water sports. 1095 steel and leather washer handle. Which means it rusts and the handle will disintegrate if its immersed in water for very long.

If you don't mind a suggestion: Google Ragnars forge & buy yourself a stainless steel Mora. Tough, light & sharp.

Other item to add is ferronium rod.

I'd actually suggest that you buy one of Doug's pocket survival packs and add to it.

Survival prioritys are warmth & water so concentrate on your fire shelter and water groups.
RSK.
Plastic sheet for shelter.
Couple of zip-lock baggies to carry water in.
Knife.
4-6 MP1 tablets.

Thanks everyone for the input!

I won't be using the ka-bar on the water. It will be safe and dry inside a drybag when I'm on the water. I also got the knife with a synthetic handle, so it shouldn't disintegrate. I will want to replace the leather sheath though! I consider batoning an essential use for this knife - the mora looked a bit too thin for me to want to abuse it like that.

I'll try and track down some thin plastic sheeting - the tarp I saw at Cabela's was very for its size. I've thought about adding a ferronium rod too - I have one, but haven't used it enough to be able to consistently get a fire going with it. More practice!

my main survival concern is much like yours..the red PFD under my name carry's the gear i would need if i lost my boat and packs.so my question is what is the worse that you are expecting? lose everything and swim to shore,lots of rapids?-water temps?solo?..is this a well know and used river? semi wilderness or play boats?
i carry everything to takes to "camp"--start thinking there..fire-food-shelter..you may to do a search under my name for a layout and breakdown of my kit,the photos were post a couple years ago...
don't skimp and go cheap on this as it could save you life and a 99 cent foil "blanket" from the drug store is not what you would want to depend on..

Welcome! Sounds like you do some stuff most of us don't - look forward to your contributions.

I'd listen to Canoedogs. He's a pretty avid canoe'r, so he probably has a good grasp on the dangers of being in a small boat in isolated waters.

I've got nothing for you besides a camping-based experience. But my fiance and I are talking about getting kayaks, so I'm paying attention to this thread!

This gear would be intended for semi-wilderness day trips. The "worst-case" scenario would be a dislocated shoulder or broken bone in a remote area. I always paddle with a group, and in rapids up to class IV (for now). In those conditions, it is extremely likely my friends would be able to retrieve my boat and gear. In that situation, my plan is to have one person stay with the injured person while the rest of the group paddles out to get help.

I'm not concerned about water temps, since I'll be dressed appropriately for a potential swim. I'm more worried about a sub-freezing night.

I will listen to all the advice, and get the essentials into a pocket - probably a heatsheets bivy bag, a firestarting kit, a few water purification tabs, a pin kit (for retrieving stuck boats) and a bit of food - in addition to my current knife, throw rope, and basic first aid.

I'm glad our suggestions are helpful. I would just like to add, that at some point as you perfect the gear you carry, that you consider a compact synthetic fiber mummy bag of reasonable quality. You can do without it, but sealed away in double bagged plastic, it will make an impromptu evening out much, much more pleasant.

It will also come in handy in many outdoor situations - a real basic item. I am recommending against my preference which is down. Synthetic fibers are much better around water and humidity.

Excuse me if I missed something in this thread - I didn't read every post, but skimmed through it, but ...

It sounds like you're planning on stowing some (all?) of this gear in the kayak, but what happens if you are separated from the kayak?

I recently watch an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive" where a father and son went rafting on a river that unknown to them was not yet free of ice. They hit ice, got dumped out of the raft, never saw the raft again, managed to get to shore, and once on land had nothing but a fixed blade knife and a lighter. They managed to get a fire going and warm up enough to survive the night inside a debris shelter. The son (an MD adult with kids) left the father behind, took the only pair of shoes they had (the others were lost in the dump) and hiked to a major river where he waited hoping to be spotted by a plane - it worked, but they would not have made it another day or two.

Similar stuff can happen while backpacking (though many backpackers will get almost violent insisting that it can't happen and that a survival kit is a waste of weight). Imagine heading away from camp at night to dig a cat-hole and you get disoriented on the way back to camp. You're now spending a night in the woods without your primary gear. Hopefully you can find your camp the next day.

With that in mind, I have a few thoughts:

1. Have on your person at all times (imagine getting dumped unexpectedly and having to swim away from your kayak) sufficient gear to survive until help comes.

I'll second Leigh's advice on starting with one of Doug's PSP kits, tuck in a few extra critical components (LED light, mini Bic lighter, a few Micropur tablets), add a knife, some kind of liter-sized water container (HD ziplock bag), simple first aid kit (gauze pads, antibiotic, band aids), and some kind of shelter (very large trash bags, plastic sheets, ...). Keep it small enough to carry on your body.

2. Make sure you've given someone information such that they will miss you and send someone to look for you. Without that, it could be a loooong time before someone comes a lookin'.

3. Seriously consider saving up the money to add a PLB to your kit. It can quickly and easily turn a multi-day agonizing wait hoping for rescue into a few hours (?) of waiting for a sure rescue. Don't underestimate its value. These days a really nice PLB costs no more than a mapping GPS.

And again, the PLB does no good floating down the river without you. Put it on your person with your survival kit. I recently came across a video by Doug Ritter where he said the three most important things you can carry are a knife, a PSP-like kit with some extra add-ins, and a PLB.

Sound thoughts Ken,

I keep at least a minimum kit on my person when in the field.

In the winter the easiest way for me to get seperated from my main kit/gear pack is to have my snowmobile go through thin ice. If you end-up on shore you have only the gear on you, and you are soaking wet, not a good situation. If time allows I am going to practice this situation in the next week or so as I need some new photos for an upcoming presentation.

Mike

Andrew:

I would sugest that if you can take your gear to a friend who has a vacume seal like a food saver or the equiliant. Take your gear that you know you will use only incase of an emergencey and seal it up with an extra ziplock back in it. This way your can save space and ensure total waterproofness of the gear in the vacume sealed bag.

The extra ziplock bag is for when you open the vacum bag you have another bag to put the gear in.

While I know you won't have the K-Bar in the watter, or rather I should say it in't your intention, I would sugest going with a more watter aprpriate knife as I know watter is a tricky item and can work it's way into the darndest places.

Finaly I would sugest a phylosophy that I see repeated here a lot, "Two is one, and one is none." Meaning that redundancy is your friend.

Consider checking out a couple kayak forums that deal with marine kayaking. They often have some pretty serious enthusiasts who prepare for almost anything in perhaps the most potentially hostile environment around. I have seen some awesome discussions of survival gear to wear in the assumption you are going to be separated from your boat.

Too much wool on your body when in the water can be dangerous
as it weighs you down. Nearly lost a scoutmaster one winter while canoeing.
He was a big fan of Filson clothes.

Also I've noticed
how much lower in the water others have floated when wearing
wool clothes after falling out of a raft. Makes it harder to
see obstacles downstream and to catch your breath.

Sure, you may get some holes in your fleece from a campfire, but it will dry faster anyway. In a survival situation, the last
thing I would worry about is how snappy my clothes looked.

I like the polypro heavyweight army longjohns for boating
as they are the lightest to carry, the fastest drying, and
add to buoyancy.

The idea is he has the wool available in the survival kit for wear underneath his windproof shell (the kayak jacket). Sorry I did not make that clear.

The only thing that touches my delicate body when on the water (or in as the case may be) is neoprene.... Provides that ever so nice buoyancy.

A real nice combination is a farmer john worn with a float coat. It works great for sea kayaking, but might not be quite so good for river work.

I'd love to buy a PLB. For larger groups and longer trips, the group usually all chips in to buy one. I don't consider it a necessity for shorter trips, because my wife always knows where I'm going and when to expect me back. I plan to get one as soon as I can afford it though, just in case.

I'll see if I can track down someone with a vacuum sealer - may let me squeeze some extra clothing into my drybag.

As hikermor said, wool is fine as long as it's under a drytop - I've never gotten more than a trickle of water inside my drytop, even swimming in class IV. A farmer john wetsuit and a drytop is great for on the river - especially if the wetsuit has padded knees! It stops being warm enough when water temps drop close to 40 degrees. I'll be upgrading to drypants for the Spring boating season so I can start paddling in March instead of April.

Hi Andrew. 2 comments.
The blue closed cell sleeping pad foam can be stuffed into the hold of a kayak and it forms itself to the inside fairly nice.
It takes less space than you expect. It can still be pulled out if you need something warm under you. It also protects the inside of the canoe from the gear.

One of the things I see with fire-steel rod is people don't scrape it hard enough when using it. A light scrape gives flashy sparks that don't burn long enough to catch bad tinder. It looks good but there is not much heat in it.
A good deep hard scrape will give big fat sparks that burn for a bit longer.
A small square edge on the back of your knife makes a very good scraper.

I agree with the suggestion that you buy one of Doug's pocket survival packs and add to it.

the knife you attach to your PFD
heatsheet
Couple of zip-lock baggies or Gerber bags (search) to carry water in.
4-6 MP1 tablets

AND- I'd re-think "deployment". It isn't hard to be separated from your boat and the gear you stow in the dry bag. Doug's kit, even with a heatsheet, can be attached to your PFD (or some PFD's have a secure pocket. Somehow, on your person. Consider http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/mini-whanganui-br-644-1894-0.html

I'd second the comments about stuff on your person. To me, most likely scenario involves just you, wet and exhausted puling yourself ashore. I'd want an instant shelter (heatsheet, plastic bag etc) and a reliable firestarter (plus tinder and maybe an esbit tab or similar) - sometimes, if you cant get warm really fast and easily, all the other stuff may become irrelevant :-(