The Storm Cag
Note: the original article was inadvertently purged on a site update so content may be different if you have previously viewed this article.
The storm cag is one of those items that get introduced to new sea kayakers early on as an essential piece of safety gear.
The idea behind this storm cag is that it is large enough that it can be worn over your entire kit – immersion gear, PFD, spray skirt, tow belt, etc. This makes it really easy when landing to grab it out of a hatch and throw it on. Then, right before launching, it’s quick and easy to remove, toss it right back in the hatch, and get on the water. That maximizes the amount of time you can be wearing it and keeping warm or dry when not paddling.
Off the water
The greatest threat to us as paddlers is conduction. Water conducts heat away from the body 25 times faster than air and with water temperatures averaging around 50° in Puget Sound, immersion gear is vital to survival should we swim.
As we paddle, especially in immersion gear and base layers to reduce our risk if we swim, we are going to sweat. Even if the outer layer of our immersion gear remains dry, any wind moving across its surface is going to have a significant cooling effect. Add in a wet outer lay, from either a swim or rain, and wee can add evaporative cooling to the remix.
Spend any time on a beach during a break and you are going to start to cool off – likely quickly.
This is where the storm cag becomes a critical piece of safety kit. Toss it on over all of your gear and you significant reduce, if not eliminate, evaporative and convection cooling (as well as radiant cooling using the hood). The fact that the cag fits over everything just makes life easier and less of getting chilled.
A fleece lined kangaroo pocket and an adjustable hood keep your hands and head warm. Since the cag is highly compressible and can be rolled into the hood for compact storage, it takes up little space.
The cags sold by Kokatak and companies Reed Chillcheater are long enough to allow the wearer to be able sit down and tuck there legs under the cag. Beyond further reducing heat loss, the cag will essential double as a bivy to help an already chilled paddler to warm up.
On the water
The real benefit of the storm cag is that the bottom is designed to act as a spray skirt, incorporating a bungee cord to cinch it around your cockpit coaming. That allows one to wear the cage while paddling – especially helpful for someone already chilled or during long paddles on cold, rainy, windy days.
The ‘skirt’ can, depending on conditions, either be worn over your regular spray skirt or in place of it.
This functionality has come in handy on a paddle a few years back for some on a trip with me and I know quite a few expedition paddlers who have used them while paddling in some really wet weather.
Of course using the cag in this manner, especially WITH your spray skirt comes with a caveat – you need to practice your wet exits, rescues, and even rolls wearing it. It’s not any less possible or more risky, but any addition of gear can impact personal experience. (This article, and the below linked video, were prompted by a question posed on Facebook regarding safety concerns using the cage this way.)
Storm cag alternatives
While a critical piece of safety gear, the cag isn’t a cheap piece of kit. If you are on a budget, a XXL or XXXL rain poncho will provide the same benefits at a fraction of the cost.
While they won’t function the same way while paddling, the reality is they will still keep you dry and quite frankly, I have never worn mine while on the water.
Your thoughts?
Do you carry a cag or poncho?
Have you used it?
Have you tried to exit, roll, and do rescues wearing it?
Robert Nissenbaum, 2024
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