Travel advantages with having a kayak

When driving down the road you can't help but notice a bright colored kayak on the roof top of a vehicle or in the bed of a truck.  Sometimes I have seen multiple kayaks on one vehicle.  I think to myself... wonder where they are going to?  Are they going on a casual float at the nearest river, to a lake, or to the ocean?  Are they going fishing?  One thing that is obvious is that traveling with a kayak looks fairly hassle free!  I believe that kayaks have many advantages when it comes to both traveling and fishing.  Some travel advantages to having a kayak are:

Loading/unloading - Traveling with a kayak can be done with one person, although it is sometimes easier with two people depending on the weight and length of your kayak.  When traveling with a kayak it is often stored on a roof top of a car or SUV or in a truck bed.  Because of a kayaks size it is easily lifted and loaded or unloaded from a vehicle.  Once loaded a kayak can easily be strapped down with bungee cords or ratchet tie downs.

Carrying - Kayaks typically weigh less then small boats or canoes, which allows for them to be carried by one person depending on the weight and length of your kayak.  Depending on the length an average kayak tends to weigh 40 to 60 pounds.  This weight and size allows one individual to carry it for short distances.  A common alternative to carrying a kayak is to use a kayak cart or kayak dolley.

Parking - Traveling with a kayak has several advantages over traveling with a boat.  Typically a kayak can be stored on the roof top of a car or SUV or in a truck bed.  This allows for easy parking at your destination.  Whether it is a hotel , condo, or public parking area parking is a breeze because the kayak will most likely only take up the footprint of your vehicle.

Traveling with a boat typically involves having a trailer pulled behind your vehicle.  Parking a trailer can sometimes be frustrating and at a lot of vacation destinations trailers are not allowed to be parked on site or additional daily fees are charged to park trailers.  Having a kayak avoids this inconvenience and the costs sometimes associated with it.

Storing - When traveling with a kayak storage is easy.  Kayaks can easily be stored on the roof top of your car or SUV or in the bed of your truck.  If storing overnight, locks are available to secure it and prevent theft.  If the location you are traveling happens to have  a garage, a kayak can easily be stored there as well.

Transporting - A kayak can be mounted on a J-bar Carrier or kayak saddles on a luggage rack.  This allows for easy transportation from one location to another once loaded.  J Carriers or kayak saddles can be purchased online.

Transporting a kayak may save you some money vs transporting a boat or canoe.  The money savings occurs because more then likely you will get better gas mileage or miles per gallon (mpg) when traveling with a kayak because of its small footprint.  Typically a boat requires a trailer to be transported and hauling a trailer will impact your gas mileage when traveling.

Overall traveling with a kayak has many advantages, especially for a frugal person who wants to be on the water fishing but does not want the price tag associated with a boat.  Kayaks are not necessarily for every fisherman , but they can be a more practical option in a lot of travel situations.