# Kayak carts



## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Who has one? And when do you use it?

I've seen more than a few threads on kayak carts. Yet out of the maybe 200+ guys I've kayaked with, I've never seen anyone actually use one.

I always figured they were more for saltwater guys to get across beaches and dunes...areas where they can't pull up to a boat ramp. Or for guys who pull their yaks behind bikes. 
But I've never really seen one used outside that.

Almost any flatwater I've paddled, there would be a ramp or a fairly close parking place. 
And rivers, we're usually hauling boats over guard rails, down muskrat slides, over fallen trees...I've always considered them to be more trouble than they're worth for that kind of stuff. And most of this summer I've been hauling around a 14 foot canoe that weighs plenty, but I still kind of feel like a cart would be in the way.

I've used the bottom portion of moving dollies to haul kayaks down two tracks back to ponds in Ohio Power. But for day to day use, do you guys use them a lot? What's the scenario?

(I'm kind of trying to convince myself I need one...)


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I have one I made from mostly PVC and added an axle and pneumatic wheels. I used it on my salt trip last month and it was the only way I could get around to access points. I could attach my cart (use 2 ratchet straps to secure it) and pull it anywhere easily...except in loose sand. Loose sand is a beast that requires wide tires, which I didn't have. I was able to launch near high tide in an inlet creek near where we stayed, but as the tide fell that creek dried up so I had to take out elsewhere. I ended up taking out nearly 3/4 mile away, but since I strapped my cart to the back of my boat, I was able to reattach it and pull the boat back with ease. I use it some here on Ohio, anywhere I would have a long drag by myself. If I can park close, I just drag. 

It's one of those things like hunting rainwear...it's not always cheap, and you may not need it that much, but when you *do* need it, it's worth its weight in gold.


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## farleybucks (Aug 8, 2009)

> (I'm kind of trying to convince myself I need one...)


pretty funny
i don't use one often, but some spots are farther than i want to carry/drag my yak and gear. as you have probably seen some river access spots are sometimes a bit of a walk.
there are a few spots that I go to that have a bike path that go along the river and the parking lot is a few hundred yards away from the river, so i strap on the dolly and walk it down the path to the river. Some of the sit on tops weigh a ton and/or are awkward to carry/drag (especially with gear/rods/etc).

i never have put the dolly in my yak, i always walk it back to the truck...i have too much other stuff in my yak to mess with it too always seemed like a pain to strap it in to the yak...another thing that gets in the way, but i have seen a lot of people do it.
Some of the sit on tops weigh a ton and/or are awkward to carry/drag (especially with gear/rods/etc).


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## RebelWithACause122 (Mar 29, 2011)

If you don't need one, you don't need one... no need to "convince" yourself that you do. My outback weighs over 100 pounds when rigged for a fishing trip (this includes my cooler with ice and drinking water). I also tend to have a lot of "loose" items when I'm going fishing with it... and I find it very handy to be able to leave the kayak always upright. I have a scupper-hole dolly, which is super easy to use. I plug it into the rear scupper holes while the kayak is sticking out of the back of my truck, then pull the kayak back and set the wheels on the ground. Then I just grab the front handle and the entire 100+ pounds of kayak and gear follow me right down into the water. I reach down, pull the dolly out, and place it on the rear deck, where one carabiner on the deck bungees clips on to hold it snugly in place.

For my application, I find it very easy to use, and a great convenience. I plan on purchasing a sit-in kayak in the not too distant future, and one of the reasons is so that I have something lightweight that I can easily carry into places less accessible by big plastic barges on wheeled carts.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

All the above makes perfect sense.



RebelWithACause122 said:


> If you don't need one, you don't need one... no need to "convince" yourself that you do.


LOL!! I know!!
But I'm out of boats to rig right now. Nothing to buy, build....nothing.
A guy can only make so many spinnerbaits in the evenings...


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## ajarvi (Jul 22, 2007)

I have a Ride 135 and use my homemade cart pretty much where I need to take it.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

I made one out if junk just sitting around and it didnt cost me a thing!..... It broke the first time I took it out now I am going to go buy one


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

I have one that I made out of 1 1/2" pvc that has a 3/4" allthread axle and I've used it a few times. Thing is, it's too big/heavy to just strap on the kayak, once I get to the water. So, I'm going to build another one with a 1/2" allthread axle, hard plastic tires and cover the allthread axle with a pool noodle. This design will make the cart weight about 4 lbs. and it will strap easily on the top of my kayak without making it "tipsy" or adding too much weight. 

I use it about 10% of the time. Usually, when there's a lot of people around a boat dock and I don't feel like leaving my kayak and fishing stuff there, long enough to park my vehicle and walk back. The only other time is when I can't park close (20 yards or so) enough to the shoreline, so I load up my kayak, at my vehicle, with all my fishing stuff and walk it to the shore.

Bowhunter57


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

i just built one today. check out my commander has arrived thread. only cost $21.21 , but i had a lot of the materials on hand.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I don't have one... Yet. I've been thinking about building one from PVC, though. I have a SOT, and it's kinda heavy (70lbs with no gear) and very awkward to carry. I'm pretty sure that very soon, I will break down and buy the materials to build it.


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## bruceride (Aug 1, 2011)

I have one that I cobbled together out of an old bicycle baby carrier... I only have used it walking back the two track at AEP, tho. Every place else I have been I can just carry it from the truck to the water. Tell ya what, tho, I would have never wanted to carry that thing back to where we were at AEP w/o the cart...


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

One spot that I frequently fish/launch is 1 mile from the nearest parking location. It's a similar layout to AEP. It's a long hike down a crappy trail.

The kayak dolly is the only way to launch here. 

When you position the wheels just right......and you balance the load just right....you don't feel much weight at all. 

When you NEED wheels......you'll know.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

flyphisherman said:


> One spot that I frequently fish/launch is 1 mile from the nearest parking location. It's a similar layout to AEP. It's a long hike down a crappy trail.
> 
> The kayak dolly is the only way to launch here.
> 
> ...


That's the best advice for anyone using a dolly, make sure you position it somewhere close to the middle of the boat. If you have it all the way at the rear of the boat, there's a lot of weight for you to carry. Get it closer to the middle and it balances much better. I carried my fully loaded 13'6" SOT over 3/4 mile last month on a salt trip and could have gone 3-4 times that far with no issues or fatigue.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Jmsteele187 said:


> I don't have one... Yet. I've been thinking about building one from PVC, though. I have a SOT, and it's kinda heavy (70lbs with no gear) and very awkward to carry. I'm pretty sure that very soon, I will break down and buy the materials to build it.


Make it strong! I have a Future Beach Angler 160 -13'4 - 74 lbs. The cart i made was 2 full size mountain bike wheels mounted on a piece of steel conduit. It broke the bolt from the bike wheel in half. I was thinking the large wheels would be better for the river bank, but I think they let it sway to much.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Check out this link for a DIY kayak cart. It looks to be way stronger than any of those PVC carts. I was able to get most of the materials at menard's for under $10. However, I do have some of the materials already laying around my garage. I just need to get an axel and a couple pneumatic wheels from harbor freight and I'm golden.

http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot.com/2012/02/build-strong-diy-kayak-cart.html?m=1


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

There's a video on YouTube for this cart too.


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

I made one out of an old golf pull cart. Pretty durable and it has really saved my back.


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

I dont have a cart either but often wonder if I should use one. For the places I fish I dont think it would make the trek any easier but it would probably add some years to the yak. I find myself dragging, pushing, pulling, and even sometimes dropping my ride to get in and out of a float. I will probably regreat not using one after I rub a hole in the hull.


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