Paddles and Packs

Mandatory Kayak Gear

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Wondering what safety gear you need in a kayak? Read on for a list of mandatory kayak gear plus the other items we don’t leave home without when kayaking.

Mandatory Kayak Gear

Transport Canada’s Boating Regulations state that all kayaks must carry safety equipment.  If you look at the chart on page 16 of  their guide, you’ll see that the following mandatory kayak gear is required:

  • 1 lifejacket or PFD for each person on board
  • 1 buyoant heaving line at least 15 m (50 ft)
  • 1 watertight flashlight or 6 flares
  • 1 bailer or manual bilge pump
  • 1 sound-signalling device (whistle)


For most kayakers, it’s as easy as a trip to Canadian Tire or a local outfitter to get a proper fitting life jacket and a Boat Essentials Kit.  A bilge pump is an add-on, but if you swamp your kayak at any point, you’ll be glad to have it to move water out quickly.  Even our little 8 foot Pelican  is too heavy when full to be able to easily flip it or drain it through the kayak’s built-in drain plug. With even a bit of water sloshing around inside, your kayak will be much less stable, so you definitely want to get the water out.

Don’t Forget

Sunscreen
Hat
Sunglasses
Water bottle
Bug spray
Your cell phone in a waterproof case
​

What Other Kayak Gear Should You Carry?

You can really go all out with kayak gear, and lots of outfitters make a healthy living selling accessories.  Make sure you’ve got the mandatory kayak gear required to be legally on the water! While the list below are not mandatory kayak gear, a few other things will make your life easier.

  • Dry Bag – used to carry things you want to keep dry.  With a roll down top, they won’t spill open if you tip, and they usually float
  • Head lamp
  • First aid kit
  • Reboarding device – it can be very hard to get back in a kayak, especially if it is partly full of water, without tipping it again.  Rebounding devices are used to help you stabilize your boat and/or assist you in re-entering your kayak in deep water.  A paddle float, which is slipped onto the end of your paddle, can act as an outrigger to help you stabilize your kayak as you reboard.  Paddle floats can be inflatable or foam blocks.  For our kids, we carry a foam block, and we have an inflatable on our boats.  Another great item is a rescue stirrup.  With a rescue stirrup, fatigued paddlers and those with limited upper body strength can reboard easily.  Anyone kayaking with a group should carry a rescue stirrup.  Of course, these devices are useless if you don’t know how to use them, or have never practiced with them.  We definitely recommend that beginner paddlers take a rescue and reentry course.  These can be offered in the winter in a pool setting or in the summer in a lake, and will help you learn the basics of reentering safely.  They are a great confidence builder, and definitely a worthwhile investment.  You also need to practice re-entering until you are confident that you can do it!  A session on a hot day when you don’t mind swimming is a great way to start and keep your skills fresh!
  • Tow rope – we kayak with kids, so we always have a tow rope in case one of them gets tired – but we’ve also towed tired or injured adults, and empty boats.  You can buy a tow belt like the one from Level 6, these are great in tricky situations where you may need to be able to undo the rope if you get into a situation where your own safety is at risk.  We always carry our tow belt in one of our kayaks, but we don’t use it in most of the spots we’re in because it isn’t usually necessary for the speeds, distances and conditions we’re in (which is usually just tired kids on calm or slow moving water).  What we usually prefer to use in these safer situations is a static rope about 15-18 feet long with wire gate carabiner clips tied on either end.  This works for the paddling situations we’re in, but if you are concerned about strong currents or choppy waters, we would recommend you take a towing and rescue class and follow their recommendations on equipment..
  • Knife – a serrated blade will help you cut through rope
  • Spare paddle – we always bring a spare along, especially on river runs.  
  • ​Duct tape – whether a strap breaks on your sandal, or you snap your paddle or even end up with a crack in your kayak – a roll of duck tape will not solve all your problems, but it will buy you some time to get home.

Return to our Gear Guide for more kayak, hiking and camping gear reviews and recommendations.

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