Guided Rental Information

Sunny Cove offers guided rentals for groups of 4 or more who are experienced campers and have their own equipment and wish to save money by providing their own food and gear. In these instances, Sunny Cove provides kayaking equipment and guide service only. The guided rental is for groups that arrive fully prepared to handle the camping portion of the trip and are relying on us to provide kayaking equipment and expertise. 

Sunny Cove provides the following:

  • 1 guide per 6 clients

    • Each guide has a radio and a first aid kit. The lead guide has an extended trip first aid kit and bear spray.  

  • Kayaking equipment to include: double kayaks, paddle, spray skirt, Personal Flotation Device and boots. We encourage groups to bring their own first aid kits, bear spray, and radios.  Sunny Cove supports “Leave No Trace” practices and will provide the “wag bag” system for human waste. 

  • Each participant is provided a 20 or 30-liter and a 10-liter dry bag and rubber boots for use during the trip.

Rental groups are expected to provide the following:

  • All trip food, packed in self-provided soft-sided coolers or waterproof dry bags – the group is responsible for providing these). 

    • Meals below are based on a 3-day/2-night trip: 

      • 2 breakfasts/ 3 lunches / 2 dinners

      • Snacks

      • Drinks

  • All tents and camping equipment including but not limited to the following items:

    • 3 or 4 Season Waterproof Tent with Footprint

    • Tarps

      • We recommend one tarp per tent.  Occasionally we experience heavy rainfall and we’ve learned the rain fly of a tent isn’t always enough.  It’s also nice to have a tarp to cover your ‘kitchen’.

    • Crazy Creek chairs (must pack small or flat)

    • Roll Tables/Picnic Cloth (must roll up)

    • Water Filtration System 

    • Water Storage Bags (we use dromedary bags)

    • Portable Toilet System (Wag Bags are preferred)

    • Toilet Paper/Hand Wipes and Hand Sanitizer

    • Sleeping Pad

    • Sleeping bag 

      • We HIGHLY recommend synthetic fill over down fill.  This is a wet environment and down will not insulate when wet.  A 0°-20° degree synthetic bag will work well.  Be sure to pack this into a dry bag during transportation.

    • Cordage/Rope

    • Coolers

      • These must be soft-sided. Hard coolers do not fit in the kayaks.

    • Head Net

·       All personal gear including, but not limited to:   

·      Synthetic Shirt and Pants

o   Think about layering, light to mid-weight polypro, wool or synthetic materials, rather than utilizing bulky, heavy layers. We generally suggest bringing a layer to wear while paddling, a layer for sleeping (can act as a second paddling layer if necessary) and a third layer as a back-up should one of your first two layers gets wet. 

o   Do not pack any cotton layers. Cotton does not dry quickly and will not keep you warm when wet. Even your socks and underwear should be synthetic.

·      Synthetic Jacket

o   This should be a pull-over or full zip polypro, wool or synthetic jacket. 

·      Synthetic T-Shirt

o   Hey, there's nothing wrong with being optimistic. If we experience mild, sunny days you'll be grateful you have a t-shirt. 

·      Waterproof Jacket and Pants

o   Gore-Tex (or similar waterproofing) will work well in most cases, however, if the forecast looks wet for the duration of the trip we may recommend rubberized rain gear. If you'd rather wait to see how the forecast pans out you can pick up rubberized rain gear in Seward. Skip water resistant or inexpensive raingear. It's much easier to enjoy Alaska's liquid sunshine when you're warm and dry.

·      Socks

o   Expect to change your socks often...dry feet are happy feet. Pack one pair for each day of paddling, one pair to sleep in and one pair as back up. Remember, cotton socks will not keep you comfortable. Your socks should be synthetic or wool.

·      Gloves, Hat, Shoes

o   We'll provide pogies to help keep your hands warm during kayaking, but a pair of inexpensive, neoprene fishing gloves can provide additional warmth. We also recommend a pair of lightweight fleece gloves to wear while in camp.

o   An insulated hat will help keep your head warm while paddling or in camp. A brimmed cap (ball cap or visor) is helpful on sunny days or can be combined with the insulated cap if cool and rainy. 

o   We're going to give you a pair of waterproof, knee-high rubber boots to wear but you may want a pair of shoes to wear in camp. Waterproof or water-resistant hiking shoes are a good choice for camp shoes.

·      Personal Items

o   Sunglasses, with a strap

o   Spare Prescription Glasses (if needed)

o   Spare Contact Lenses (if needed)

o   Sunscreen, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Wet Wipes, Medications, Bug Repellant 

§  Odor free if possible, we'll be camping in bear country. You must store all toiletries in a gallon Ziploc bag with your name written on it. We'll keep this bag in the bear box at camp.

o   One Liter Water Bottle

o   Pocket Knife

o   Head Lamp and Batteries

o   Toilet Paper and Lighter

§  Store these in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.

o   Personal First Aid Kit

·      Extras

o   Camera/Cell Phone with Solar/Battery Charger

§  You're going to want to take LOTS of pictures. We'll make sure you have a dry bag to store your camera and other items you may need while paddling.

o   Reading Material

o   Journal and Pen

o   Binoculars