: Go for a decent spray skirt and decent rain gear separately. I'm not sure how
: you expect a poncho to serve as a sprayskirt. It will either be huge and
: baggy -- catching rain in folds, or it will be open on the sides, allowing
: waves to splash in.

: You can make a lightweight sprayskirt from nylon cloth, and a poncho too if
: you wish. Nylon fabric from the fabric store is about 2 to 3 ounces in
: weight for a yard. Your total weight for a poncho should be under 12
: ounces, and a sprayskirt would be under 6 ounces. Campmor and several
: other camping supply places sell a liquid urethane product for recoating
: tents and sealing seams. You can roll this onto your home-made poncho and
: sprayskirt and let it dry.
: Campmor also sells fabrics. They used to have a urethane-coated nylon fabric
: that could be used for tent flies. You could cut your raingear from this
: material and then just need to touch up the seams for complete
: waterproofing.

: Making a comfortable harness for portaging your boat is probably more
: important than saving a few ounces of weight. You need to be able to see
: where you are going, and to keep your balance. The smoothly finished
: kayaks are slippery to grip when wet, and handles at the bow and stern are
: nearly useless for a one-man portage. If your gear weighs too much you
: just make two trips, or move half your gear 50 to 100 feet, and go back
: for the second half. If you make your haul in a series of short stages you
: need never let your gear get out of eyesight. It is slower, as you cover
: the same ground twice, and you need to unpack and divide your gear, then
: repack on the far side -- but you can portage as much weight as you can
: pack in the boat.

: Consider a packframe, and also consider how you will get it into your
: hatches. Hmm, sounds like something I should design.

: PGJ

Thanks Paul for setting this up better in my mind. I was just looking at a site that has an entry level spray skirt that will fit my large cockpit. I am really thinking of going that way now. I have a packframe that I think will slip behind the seat into the back decked section when completely packed and ready to go. I think my kayak will be high and wide enough to do this and I will post pictures if it works out. I am starting to think how to build a carrying yoke for this kayak on down the road. If I wore a poncho bungied to the deck, it would give kayaking a bad name and look like H.

John