Ikea bag while kayak camping
Equipment

IKEA Tote Bags for Kayakers

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IKEA tote bags revolutionized (if revolution is simply change) the way I carry gear to and from my kayak. In the past, I’d grab a couple or three dry bags, carry them up the beach to the tent, drop, and repeat, but since my trip to Norway last year, where I discovered IKEA tote bags being used by the folks we kayaked with, I’ve been using these lightweight and compact bags to store my gear, carry my gear from the car to the beach, and to carry from the kayak to camp. At IKEA stores, they cost $0.59, but without a nearby IKEA, Amazon is the only option.

About Ikea Bags

These bags weigh under three ounces, light for something that carries 19 gallons, and easily carry over 20 pounds. They come with two sets of handles: one for carrying by hand and a longer one for carrying over the shoulder. The blue polypropylene material takes a beating and keeps on going. It doesn’t soak up water and is easy to clean. When folded, the bags easily fit up into the ends of the boats where nothing else fits, or to keep one handy, little room is lost when keeping one in the day hatch. They’re so handy that we’ve been using them around our house for shopping.

A downside: In early 2009, Danish, kayak blogger, and tote user Helge Helligsøe (translated to English) wrote about how prevalent the totes are becoming. After the first day of a kayaking course, he reached into his bag looking for a change of clothing and out came an unexpected piece of women’s clothing. Apparently, the women instructors also used IKEA totes for gear, and the blue bag that he thought was his was actually one of the instructors.

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