There may be times when your best guess about what to wear for a day’s kayaking has fallen short of keeping you comfortably warm and dry. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, or if you get chilled at the end of a long stretch of paddling, you can easily throw on another layer if you have a cagoule handy. They’ve been around for quite a while, in versions for backpacking and kayaking, but aren’t in widespread use. The new Paclite Storm Cag by Kokatat is a generously cut “one-size-fits-most” that you can slip over your PFD and spray skirt.
The bright-orange waterproof fabric has a soft feel and all of the seams are taped. The rubbery fabric cuffs make a comfortable, nearly watertight seal at the wrists. The hood has two elastic drawcords to cinch the opening around your face and keep it in place when you turn your head. There is a small pocket on the left arm and a larger pocket on the chest that has a fleece-lined hand-warmer behind it. There is no access through the cagoule, however, so to get to gear in your PFD pockets, you’ll have to peel the cagoule off the coaming. Strips of retroreflective tape sewn on the sleeves and hood should make you show up clearly in the dark whenever someone shines a light on you.
The bottom of the cagoule has a circumference of roughly 105 inches and should fit even the larger coamings of touring kayaks. In our tests, the cut of the cagoule made for a good fit over the spray deck without any excess fabric. Having the extra layer on didn’t get in the way of paddling or even rolling. Keep in mind you shouldn’t cover the spray skirt grab loop with the cagoule.Rolled up, the Storm Cag is about the size of a pair of 12 oz soda cans—small enough to tuck beside a kayak seat or in a deck bag, ready to take the chill off while you’re under way.