The peace and quiet that you enjoy when kayaking alone is the reward received for lugging around a lot of heavy gear.
If you paddle by yourself, then you are, of course, required to lift and carry your kayak by yourself.
So, how do you lift a 50-100lb boat that is 2-3x the length of your body and carry it to its destination without breaking your back?
To effectively lift and carry any kayak by yourself, you must first plan and scope the route. Consider gear such as a grab handle, kayak yoke or cart, to make the operation easier. Use effective technique to lift your kayak onto your shoulder(s) or roof rack. Finally, keep your head up and don’t be a hero.
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Table of Contents
Plan before you lift and carry your kayak
As you are planning your kayak adventure, consider when and how you’ll be required to lift and carry your kayak.
In other words, how high will you have to lift and how far will you have to carry your boat?
There are typically four times that you need to lift and carry your kayak on land, though sometimes there are more.
From storage to your vehicle.
If you paddle a hardshell kayak, then your first task is to lift and carry your boat from its storage location in the garage, shed, backyard or basement to your vehicle.
Once at your vehicle, you are then tasked with positioning and attaching the kayak to the roof rack, cargo bed or trailer.
If, however, you paddle an inflatable kayak, then simply pick up the bag with your boat in it and carry it to the trunk of your vehicle. (Ease of transport is definitely an advantage to owning an inflatable boat.)
From your vehicle to the water.
This distance could be 20’. It could also be more than one mile.
My preference is to scope the route before carrying my kayak, particularly if the route is long.
Be aware of hazards that are either on the ground or in the air that could impede your progress. Are there roots or fallen trees to trip over? Are there steep, muddy inclines?
This ‘reconnaissance’ also shows you whether you can use a kayak cart (if that’s something you really want to do).
I also like to make sure that there is sufficient room around my vehicle to either remove my hardshell kayak from the roof rack or blow up my inflatable boat on the ground (depending on which kayak I am paddling).
If the plan is to blow up an inflatable kayak, then it’s important to make sure you’re doing so on relatively clear ground that isn’t encumbered by thistles, cacti or broken bottles.
From the water to your vehicle.
Much of this step is the same as the previous step, but in reverse order. There might, however, be exceptions.
For instance, if you are sea kayaking and the tide has either gone out or come in, then your exit location could be different because the water level is either higher or lower. Where you might have entered the water on sand, your exit might now have you battling weeds or coral.
Also, if there has been rain or other inclement weather, then the terrain en-route to your vehicle might have changed for the worse.
If you were paddling an inflatable kayak, then you’ll require sufficient real estate to remove the air from your boat and give it time to air-dry under the sun (it’s always sunny when you’re kayaking, right?)
As I noted in a previous article, you don’t want to pack and store a wet, inflatable kayak.
From your vehicle to storage.
Simply reverse everything in Step 1.
If you paddle an inflatable kayak and were unable to perfectly dry it on location, you’ll benefit from opening it back up and allowing further time to air dry.
Portaging with your kayak.
Yes, some people actually do this. It’s fair to say that the best part of a kayak portaging trip is being done with the portage.
Whether or not you need to plan the steps of a portage is obviously connected to the nature of your adventure.
Scouting the route of your portage is particularly important when you are kayaking alone. Portages rarely occur on flat surfaces. Furthermore, visibility is often reduced with a kayak hoisted on your shoulders.
Best to be familiar with the terrain before you start lugging gear on your back and a kayak on your shoulders.
Choose the right gear to help you lift and carry
Kayaks can weigh anywhere from 40-100lbs. Some sporting goods companies design and sell gear to help make the task of lifting and carrying a kayak by yourself a little easier.
Kayak carry straps
Kayak carry straps are used to lift and carry some sit-on-top kayaks. They loop through your scupper holes and then sling over one of your shoulders.
Adapters are available that loop under the bottom of the kayak, allowing you to carry a sit-in kayak with the same strap.
While the carry straps are lightweight, sit-on-top kayaks can be notoriously heavy. Straps can be a good solution when your vehicle is 50 yards or less from the water. However, they aren’t terribly practical when you have to walk a long way.
If you want to learn more, Pelican Boats manufacturers a good kayak carry strap that you can view on Amazon. (Affiliate link.)
Kayak grab handle
I don’t love dragging my kayak. I try to lift it up whenever I can rather than pulling it along the ground.
Keel guard notwithstanding, I don’t like to do it.
However, I do recognize that sometimes you can’t get around having to drag your kayak.
This happens a lot to me during portage trips where I’m required to to pull my kayak out of the water and onto the granite rock of Algonquin Park.
To make this easier, my kayak has a grab handle that allows me better grip and leverage over my boat.
But let me clear, I’m not in favour of dragging a kayak 100 yards from vehicle to put-in location.
Also, dragging a light inflatable on the ground is one thing. Dragging a heavy fiberglass kayak is another thing entirely.
A high quality inflatable kayak is constructed to take a beating. Assuming you don’t pull it through a field of drywall screws, it should be fine.
Fiberglass, however, is fussy. Even a short distance of dragging can make the underside of a glass boat look like the starting line of a kitty cat drag race.
So, a grab handle is fine. Dragging your kayak a very short distance is acceptable. Dragging a fiberglass kayak anywhere is moderately punishable.
Kayak yoke
If you enjoy the occasional serving of discomfort and heartache with your kayak trip, then portaging might be to your taste.
The only way to effectively portage, alone, with a kayak, is by using a kayak yoke. Period.
A yoke is a took that helps you carry a boat on your shoulders. In its simplest form, it looks like a strip of wood that sits across the back of your shoulders, with a notch cut out for your neck.
After attaching a yoke to the cockpit of your kayak, you can hoist the kayak onto your shoulders and tote it in whichever direction strikes your fancy.
If you are going to portage, you must use a kayak yoke. Without it, you risk loss of time, physical injury and rapid spiritual degeneration.
There are so many ways that a kayak portage can go bad without a yoke. Just use one.
Kayak Cart
When paddling alone, or with others for that matter, a kayak cart can sometimes be convenient. If the terrain between your vehicle and the water is sufficiently smooth and kayak carts are even allowed, then you can potentially prevent a sore back by using one.
Simply position and attach the cart to the balance point at the back half of your kayak, take hold of the grab handle at the bow, and pull your boat behind you.
Once you have removed your boat from the cart, you’ll need to either lock the cart up somewhere, or return it to your vehicle (and risk losing your kayak while you return the cart).
It’s your decision.
For as long as my body allows, my preference will be to carry my kayak. However, when the time comes, I will switch over to a kayak cart. Why? I will gladly accept injured pride in place of an injured back, if it keeps me out on the water.
If you are more comfortable in your own skin than me and won’t suffer from a bruised ego by using one, then Perception Kayaks manufactures a model that I’m told is dependable. You can learn more about it on Amazon. (Affiliate link.)
Roof rack
The type of roof rack you use informs how you lift your kayak.
I like to use a load assist device which attaches to the rear of your existing roof rack and allows you to slide your kayak onto the rack without scratching either the rack or your kayak exterior.
How to lift any kayak by yourself
Now that we have discussed planning your on-land route as well as gear that can help you transport your kayak, let’s discuss how to actually lift a kayak, all alone.
How to lift a hardshell, sit-in kayak to carry on your shoulder
Step 1. Remove everything from your kayak. This includes gear and water.
Step 2. Place your paddle close to you on the ground.
Step 3. Stand on the left-hand side of the cockpit with the bow facing in the direction that you want to proceed. (You can also start on the right-hand side of the cockpit. No prejudice here.)
Step 4. Bend your knees and assume a medium squat position.
Step 5. Lean the kayak on its side, against your leg, so that the cockpit is facing away from you.
Step 6. Holding the near side of the cockpit, pull the bottom of the kayak up so that it is sitting on your thigh.
Step 7. Pull the cockpit towards your body and onto your right shoulder.
Step 8. Straighten your legs.
Step 9. Curl the toes of your left foot under your paddle (that is resting on the ground).
Step 10. Use your foot to lift the paddle towards your hand.
Check out a simple YouTube video showing how to do it here.
You are now standing upright with a kayak on your shoulder and a paddle in your hand. This is one method of lifting a kayak.
How to lift a hardshell, sit-in kayak to portage
The first steps are similar to those of the previous method. At the risk of being redundant, I’ll include them again, anyway.
Step 1. Remove everything from your kayak.
Step 2. You need a yoke to portage. It should already be attached to the kayak cockpit. Double-check that it is securely fastened.
Step 3. Stand on the left-hand side of the cockpit. (Yes, the left-hand side, again.)
Step 4. Bend your knees and squat.
Step 5. Lean the kayak on its side, against your leg. The cockpit should be facing away from your body.
Step 6. Grab the near side of the cockpit and pull the bottom of the kayak onto your thigh so that the entire kayak is sitting on your bent leg.
Step 7. Take hold of a side of the cockpit with each hand.
Step 8. Lower the bow of the boat gently onto the ground while turning the boat upside down.
Step 9. With the bow on the ground and the boat upside down, lift the rest of the kayak over your head.
Step 10. Position the kayak yoke on your shoulders.
Step 11. Lift the bow of the kayak so that the entire boat is balanced on your shoulders.
Step 12. For improved visibility, tilt the bow up slightly.
You are now ready to journey to the next put-in location.
How to lift a hardshell, sit-on-top kayak to carry on your shoulder
Step 1. Loop the kayak carry straps through the scupper holes.
Step 2. Tilt the kayak so it is sitting on its edge and leaning against your leg.
Step 3. With your back straight, bend your knees in a squat position.
Step 4. Sling the carry strap over your shoulder.
Step 5. Keeping your back straight, stand up by straightening your legs.
Sit-on-top kayaks can be pretty heavy. Especially fishing boats.
Full disclosure: I’m terrible at remembering to maintain good form. Nevertheless, when your kayak is almost 100lbs, good form protects your back. Bad form breaks it.
How to lift a hardshell kayak onto a roof rack.
There are several types of common kayak roof racks. The most common are either crossbars or J-cradles.
Lifting your kayak onto a crossbar rack is easiest from the rear of the vehicle.
Step 1. Position the stern of your kayak so that it is behind your vehicle, somewhere in the middle and less than a boat length away. The bow should be pointing about 45 degrees to the right or left of the stern.
Be mindful of whether your kayak loads face-up or face-down.
Step 2. Lift the bow of the kayak in the air while keep the stern on the ground.
Step 3. With the bow in the air, walk it over and lean it against the roof edge of your vehicle. Using an assist device will reduce wear and tear on the kayak hull and vehicle roof.
Step 4. Walk to the stern of the kayak and lift it.
Step 5. From behind, push the kayak onto the roof of your vehicle. Check frequently as you are sliding it to make sure it is centered.
Step 6. Once the kayak is in place, secure it to the rack in normal fashion.
If you have a J-Cradle, then the task of loading the kayak on the roof is slightly more challenging.
If you are tall and strong, then follow the earlier lifting instructions to lift the kayak onto your shoulder. Once on your shoulder, the final step is to lift the kayak from your shoulder onto the J-Rack.
This can be particularly challenging if you’re lifting a heavy, sit-on-top fishing kayak.
How to lift an inflatable kayak
Given a fixed length, inflatable kayaks are quite a bit lighter than hardshell ones.
Most, though not all, inflatable kayaks are sit-on-top models. Differences notwithstanding, the best way to pick them both up is the same.
Step 1. Stand beside the kayak with the bow facing in the direction you want to go.
Step 2. Bend your knees and assume a squatting position.
Step 3. Lean the kayak against your leg so that the cockpit/inside of the boat is facing your body.
Step 4. Position upper cockpit/kayak wall on your shoulder.
Step 5. Keeping your back straight, straighten your legs.
With your inflatable kayak on your shoulder, you can now bring it wherever you fancy.
How to carry any kayak by yourself
Once you’ve lifted your kayak onto your shoulder(s), much of the complicated work has been completed. Your task is now the same as that of a pack mule. You have to carry your kayak to its next location.
Keep your head up.
With the full weight of a kayak supported by your body, the tendency is to look down to make sure that your footing is sure.
Footing is obviously important. You don’t want to step on something sharp or wipe out on something slippery. Nor do you want to step in a hole and break your leg. (You know what happens to race horses that do that.)
Monitor your footing, just look further ahead to do it.
If you’re looking down, it won’t be long before you’re banging into objects or other people. In a worst case scenario, you could end up taking the wrong path or falling entirely off a path.
As a wise man once said, “Life is better when you look up.” He wasn’t talking about kayaks, but I am.
How to handle wind
A kayak that is hoisted on your shoulder has a lot of surface area. On a windy day, it can act like a sail, allowing you to be blown all over the place.
If you are carrying a light, inflatable kayak, a stiff wind can literally pick it up and blow it away.
There is no great solution to dealing with wind while carrying kayaks by yourself.
You might consider fastening a light inflatable kayak to your waist (not your wrist, which will snap) so that it can’t completely blow away in a strong wind.
Alternatively, a kayak cart repositions your boat so that its surface area faces the ground, rather than the wind. Toting a kayak on a cart rather than on your shoulder on a windy day, gets your body out of harm’s way.
This assumes that kayak carts are allowed at your kayaking location.
How to manage fatigue
Don’t be a hero when it comes to carrying a kayak alone. There is no upside to doing that.
Take breaks when you get tired. Switch shoulders, if needed.
It’s better to be healthy than punctual. Don’t risk injury to keep a schedule, especially if you’re adventuring alone.
Thoughts on carrying a kayak and wearing a PFD
When carrying a kayak slung on one shoulder, I do like to wear my personal floatation device (PFD) as well. It provides a little extra cushion that I appreciate.
However, I don’t like to wear my PFD during a portage. I find that my kayak yoke slips all over the place and that the short-term comfort improvement vanishes when the kayak starts to move around on my shoulders.
Others disagree and prefer to wear a PFD during a portage. Different strokes for different folks. (Sweet kayak pun!)
How to lift and carry a kayak by yourself – Parting thoughts
As with anything kayak-related, be smart and be safe.
Plan your route, make use of helpful gear, use proper technique and exercise good judgement.
You will be amazed at the things you can accomplish by yourself, including lifting and carrying a kayak.