Knowing what to pack for an overnight paddle board camping trip can be difficult. You always feel like you're bringing everything but the kitchen sink so we wanted to share with you the must-haves you should be packing, the number of things, our recommendations, and some tips and tricks.
Getting out on the water and stand up paddle boarding is a great way to improve your skills, have a great day out, and explore but SUP camping trips elevate that. It tests your camping skills, packing skills, and your paddling skills.
So we created this post because we want you to be fully prepared because there is nothing worse than arriving somewhere and realizing you forgot something right?
PSA: this post includes affiliate links! this means if you click through and buy something we recommend, you get a small commission. these small commissions really support the creation of all our FREE TO YOU content and we will only recommend products we know and love!
Where to begin?
We like to put things into categories and focus on one section at a time. The categories we break things down into are;
Clothing
Camp kitchenware
Safety gear
Communication tools
Sleeping systems
Food and water.
Then have a stuff sack or dry bags for each category. Take those smaller bags and put them in one (or two) large main dry bags.
Other things you need to be thinking about and taking into consideration are location, length of your trip, how much paddling is required, the weather, and what type of paddling you will be doing.
What to wear on an overnight paddle boarding trip?
For a 2 day/ 1 night or even a 3 day/2 night trip, you really don’t need that much. The key is to wear THE SAME clothes paddling every day (yes, for 3 days!) and THE SAME clothes at camp (for 2 nights). This works because you will be aiming to wear all lightweight, quick-drying materials, and a bonus for you if its merino based cuz then it won’t get too stinky.
Ok, start with separating your clothing into two sections; Warm/Dry Clothing and Paddling Clothing.
Warm/Dry Camp Clothing
A puffy jacket for the cold evenings (doubles as a pillow!)
Rain jacket & rain pants
Thermal tops X1 (medium/heavyweight layer)
Thermal leggings X1 (lightweight base layer)
Quick-dry shorts or pants (wear thermals under your shorts/pants)
Quickdry t-shirt/tank top X1 (lightweight)
Wool socks X2 and Underwear X2 or 3
Warm/Wet Paddling Clothing
Your wetsuit and a Paddling top/ rain jacket OR your drysuit.
Layers for under your drysuit (lightweight top/leggings and socks)
Warm layer/sweater (that can get wet!)
Neoprene booties or water sandals like Keens/Tevas.
We have another FULL POST about what to wear while stand-up paddle boarding if you want full details.
Download our FREE 'Beginners Guide To SUP Camping' Guide!
Click on the button below to get access to the free guide.
What do you need for safety gear?
Safety, in general, is super important but it’s even more important when you are camping in unfamiliar or remote areas. Let’s take a look at our essential list of safety gear that you should think about packing to keep you and your other group members safe.
First aid kit
Board repair kit
Leash
Whistle
Throw Bag or Tow Rope
Flares
Sunscreen
Extra batteries
Cell phone & waterproof cell phone bag
Trash bags
Insect repellent
Firestarter
10-20L Dry Bag
What do you need for your SUP camping kitchen?
When you are out suppin’ you will be burning lots of calories and energy so of course, you will need to be cooking in the evening. Now we aren’t going to tell you what to eat but we are going to give you the staple equipment you are going to need to create those delicious meals of your choice.
MSR PocketRocket Stove
1 Fuel Canister with 75-100mL/person/ day (assuming cooking only for breakfast and dinner, both 1 pot meals, spring-fall temps, and low altitude)
Lighter
Backup Waterproof Matches
Foil Wind Protector
Collapsible Cups or Bowls
Utensils
Cooking Pot X1
Water Bottles - 1 per person
Water Filter
How will I have my morning coffee?
Many people go for the instant coffee sachets that they like. You can just boil some water and add it to or your other option is MSR MugGate coffee filter which also works well for tea.
What do you need for comfortable sleeping while camping?
You have several options when it comes to sleeping arrangements when you are on your overnight SUP camping trip. We are advising based on our location, or that you’re camping in a coastal Canada-type environment (read: rains often, sometimes heavy rain, the potential for high winds).
Tent
The most important thing is to keep everyone dry and comfortable. Everyone needs to have their own little area to sleep and the size of the tent needs to be accommodating for this.
The fly MUST cover the entire tent - all the way to the ground!
Groundsheets are helpful to protect the bottom of the tent but must not extend past the tent's footprint or you risk catching water.
Stuff that everyone needs:
Sleeping bag - one per person
Sleeping pad - one per person
Inflatable pillows (optional, one per person)
Headlamp - one per person
Extra tarps and rope - can be used if you are expecting heavy rain or to make a kitchen shelter.
What to pack for SUP camping meals?
You need to choose your evening meal carefully. It has to be something everyone likes because space and equipment are limited so you don’t want to be cooking several different meals. We recommend the big pot method. You can put it all in one pot and let it work its magic.
We love this 5 Day SUP Camping Meal Plan by the Seasoned Surfer because it's nutritional, energy-dense and delicious!
Focus on simple meals with a SMALL number of ingredients. Some staples we also recommend bringing;
Snacks - granola/protein bars, nuts/trail mix, dried fruits, and crackers.
Soup - it takes up no space and its nutritious and easy to heat up
Electrolyte drink mix
Protein powder
A small bottle of grapeseed oil
Basic seasoning (salt+pepper, Mrs' Dash etc.)
Warm drinks - Coffee, Tea, hot Chocolate
How much water do you need for an overnight paddle boarding trip?
Water is a VERY crucial part of enjoying your overnight adventure. We want to give you a few water conservation tips and recommendations on how much water you should bring per person.
Our recommendation is to bring 6 litres of water per person per day. This means you won’t feel restricted on how much water you can intake and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We included 1 litre of additional water for uses such as dishes, water for brushing teeth and additional tea before bed etc.
Ways to conserve water:
Use hand sanitizer if possible.
Bring face wipes to wash your face instead.
Showering - it’s only for a few nights so use baby wipes -that’s a personal preference.
Washing hair or shaving - just don’t…
Don’t drown your toothbrush in water before you start to brush.
Use the smallest amount for dishes.
Why you should carry a water filter...
One of the best solutions to prevent you from running out of water is to invest in a water filter. It will allow you to turn almost any river, lake, or pond into safe drinking water while camping. BUT if you’re on the ocean, you’re gonna have to bring it with you!
Communication is key!
We are so used to having our cell phones at the tip of our fingers but using your cell is not always possible when you are doing an overnight camping trip. It is essential that you have some way to communicate with outside resources in the event of an emergency. Marine radios are an absolute must in our opinion. They are perfect for basic communication (getting a daily weather update) and in case of an emergency.
Unfortunately, emergencies can happen and it’s best to be as prepared as possible. Even if you are in a group you may find yourself in the situation of getting lost and people are unaware of where you are.
Reasons why you need a marine radio
You can contact boats in your vicinity or the coast guard with a marine radio.
Most marine radios expand up to hundreds of miles.
Cell service isn’t always available in coastal places.
Communication is reliable and fast.
More Resources
Watch
A useful video on ‘Overnight Paddling Gear List - Kayak Camping & Paddleboard Camping’
Read
A recommended read on an in-depth look at what you should pack inside each of your bags and how you can separate things for ease. How to Pack a SUP for Multi-Day SUP Camping.
Listen
If you like to listen to things as you go then this is the one for you. It’s by Jo Moseley and she talks all about The Joy of SUP.
Download
We created a free Day Kit Checklist -You can print it off and store it with your paddle gear PLUS it’s free so make the most of it!
Are you ready to pack for an overnight SUP trip?
I hope this post helped give you a mental checklist of what to pack for an overnight SUP camping trip. If you take one thing away from this post it is to break things down into categories. Sometimes it can be overwhelming but if you find a clear space in your living space and lay things out and create a checklist then I’m confident you will win at the packing game.
If you want some tips on how I recommend you pack a dry bag then please check out my other blog post here.
As always please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or send me a DM on our Facebook page or Instagram.
Happy SUPPING, until next time...
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