General Information
What do your tours include?
Tours include: Kayaks and all gear pertaining to kayaking, group camping gear (including tents),
camp meals/snacks and professional guides. Some tours include hotel rooms, please see tour
itineraries for details.
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What is not included in your tours?
Not included: Airfare to and from Petersburg, meals in town, alcoholic beverages, personal insurance and optional tipping of guides.
How do I sign up to go on one of your tours?
Signing up: Call us at 907-772-4600, email us or send a $250 deposit to confirm your tour date. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will send you a tour information packet. Final payment is due 45 days prior to the tour departure date.
How do I get to Petersburg, Alaska?
Getting to Petersburg: Viking Travel (our local travel agency) knows how to get people in and out of Alaska. Contact them at 1-800-327-2571 or www.alaskaferry.com.
What is your cancelation policy?
Cancellation: If notified 60 days prior to departure, we will refund all payments less $100, 60 to 30 days less $300, within 30 days tour fees are not refundable.
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Paddling: Experience and Difficulty
Do I need to be in great shape to enjoy the tours?
No! Our tours are not work-out sessions. Kids to seniors in reasonable shape will have no problem.
Do I need prior paddling experience?
No! We will teach you all you need to know to safely handle the kayaks and enjoy paddling.
How much will I be paddling?
About 3 to 5 hours a day. Our goal is to explore, not see how many miles we can paddle.
Equipment and Food
What do you recommend I pack to wear while paddling
Please plan well when packing for your tour. Bringing the proper gear and clothing is essential for your enjoyment and well-being. In the summers, we enjoy a cool, moist maritime climate with temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 70s. A typical week is 25% sunshine, 25% rain, and 50% overcast. In order to keep up with the variable temperatures and weather, it is best to layer your clothing. We recommend having a paddling outfit as well as a camp outfit with a couple of extra items to change into during the week.
Paddling Outfit
2 sets of long underwear tops and bottoms of a synthetic material such as capilene, polypropylene, lifa, etc. Mid-weight or a combination of mid-weight and lightweight is best. Cotton will not keep you warm once it is wet!!!
Extra top layers such as expedition weight long underwear, a lightweight fleece or fleece vest. It?s all about layers in Southeast!
Uncoated nylon pants (great for layering over long underwear)
Nylon shorts (can also be used over long underwear in place of nylon pants)
1-2 t-shirts (synthetic are best)
Warm socks (no cotton)
Sun or rain hat (baseball cap works great)
Warm hat (wool or fleece)
Lightweight fleece gloves (we provide paddling poggies in LeConte Glacier Bay)
Nylon wind shell or lightweight rain coat
Rain jacket and pants (Good quality and large enough to wear comfortably over your other insulating layers. Paddling jackets work great.)
Swimsuit (believe it or not, there's a great swimming hole at Big Creek and hot springs on the Stikine)
Knee-high rubber boots. We wear them in the kayaks and on any of the short hikes we do?you?ll love yours by the end of the trip! We rent them for $10. Bringing a pair of insoles (from a pair of tennis shoes or simple felt/cushioning material) to put in your rubber boots will make them more comfortable and add an extra layer of insulation between you and the chilly waters!
What camp clothes should I pack?
Please plan well when packing for your tour. Bringing the proper gear and clothing is essential for your enjoyment and well-being. In the summers, we enjoy a cool, moist maritime climate with temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 70s. A typical week is 25% sunshine, 25% rain, and 50% overcast. In order to keep up with the variable temperatures and weather, it is best to layer your clothing. We recommend having a paddling outfit as well as a camp outfit with a couple of extra items to change into during the week.
Some people like to wear their paddling clothes around camp but it?s also nice to have some camp clothes.
Sweater, vest or fleece top
Fleece jacket
Warm pants (wool/fleece)
Sleepwear (cotton OK)
Camp shoes. Teva sandals or lightweight walking shoes work well. No hiking boots necessary!
Undergarments
Do you have any miscellaneous gear suggestions?
Sleeping bag, good to +20 degrees F (available for rent $40, reserve ahead)
Sleeping pad (We provide full-size Therm-a-rest camp rest pads, free of charge, for your use on the trip)
*We rent sleeping bags with Therm-a-rest pads and sleep sheets for $45.00. Please
reserve in advance!!
Personal toiletries (we?ll bring the TP!)
Sunglasses, croakies
Camera in waterproof box or dry bag with extra battery and film
Bandana and/or small towel or washcloth
Sunscreen and lip balm containing sunscreen
Bug repellent
Water bottle (at least one quart)
Flashlight
Binoculars
Small pocket knife
Reading/writing materials
Lee?s Clothing here in Petersburg stocks most of the clothing you will need including rubber boots. Phone: 1-800-478-7702 or 907-772-4229.
Do I need to bring my own camping gear?
No! You just need to bring your personal clothingand sleeping bag. To help in your packing, we'll send you a clothing ist when you sign up.
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How should I pack my gear?
On all of our tours, there is
always limited space for gear
and a possibility that the bags
may get wet, so it is important
to pack wisely. Your gear (excluding sleeping bag and pad) needs to fit into two medium sized dry bags or two medium sized nylon duffel bags (approx 12? x 18?) that are lined with trash compactor plastic bags. Your sleeping bag should also be in a nylon stuff sack lined with a compactor bag. Trash compactor bags can be found at most grocery stores and will work much better than regular plastic bags. Bringing a larger nylon duffel bag that will fit all of your smaller bags will make carrying your gear easier, but is not required. We can help you sort and pack and answer any questions in Petersburg before heading out on the tour.
Is there room to store extra luggage I may have on my trip?
Any extra clothing and luggage you have can be stored either in the Scandia House luggage room or with us while you are out on your tour.
*If you have any questions, feel free to contact us: 907-772-4600 or
info@tongasskayak.com.*
What type of kayaks do you use?
We use double and single sea kayaks. For first time paddlers, doubles are the best place to start, but after a couple days, you may want
to try a single.
What's the food like?
How does fresh salmon, halibut, shrimp and pasta dishes sound? Green salads, fresh fruit and freshly baked brownies, too. We can accommodate special diet restrictions with prior notice.
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Weather
What's the weather like?
The Petersburg area has a mild maritime climate. A good guideline is 25% sunshine, 25% rain and 50% overcast. It is a Coastal Rain Forest!
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Will I stay dry
Yes! We use large tarps over kitchen areas, common areas and tents.
Guidelines and References
Does Tongass Kayak Adventures follow industry guidelines?
We are members of, and follow the guidelines of the Trade Association of Sea Kayaking (TASK), the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association and the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. We operate under a Special Use Permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
Can I talk to people who have been paddling with Tongass Kayak Adventures before?
No problem! Just give us a call at (907) 772-4600 or check out our online slide show, which includes customer testimonials.
If you have a specific question, not addressed above, please email us at: info@tongasskayak.com or call (907)772-4600.
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In addition, everything has been well thought out: the camps, the food, the places we stopped along the way, float plane transportation, everything! The equipment from the kayaks to the tents is all first class.
- California
