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DIY Kayak Blind (need input)

Jay_Disarray

Jay_Disarray

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
1,950
Location
MN
I've been contemplating how to hide my kayak when the time comes for duck hunting next year. I have a Lifetime Yukon 116. Its 11ft 6In long, 32In wide, and 78lb with a 350lb weight limit. Ill be throwing the kayak onto my roof rack when done each time, since I don't have a trailer or hitch right now. Anything that goes on or in the kayak will have to be removed each time, and be easy to stash away when under way or done for the day.

I've looked at the premade blinds with the doors, and they are cool, but I'm not entirely sold on adding one to my yak. Mostly because they are build for 12ft kayaks and mine is a 11ft6in, and I'm not sold on them being easy to stash away easily when grassed either, as well as the price tag.

So this is what I'm looking at creating, but I'm not really a sewing person, so I'm looking for some input from people who are more experienced in DIY layout blinds and sewing. I'm thinking for the fabric i could use a cordura fabric but I'm open to options.

The doors will have a thin foam inside, to give it a little bit of rigidity. that will be sewn entirely, with a few inches of excess of bare fabric with edging, for the flap. Grommets can be punched into the flap, with an extra layer of reinforcement. Those grommets can be attached to tie downs on the kayak. A single row of molle panel on the door, to allow for vegetation attachment.

The bow cover will be an egg shape with 4 grommets and 2 rows of molle on it. the grommets in the rear of the bow cover can be affixed to the grommets/tie down for the doors. the grommets on the front can be affixed to the kayak handle on the bow.

I have a camera mount on the bow of the kayak, which i could place a small pvc pole, to give the doors something to rest on in the front and open it up a little, if needed.

I haven't done any measuring yet, but i would imagine the door without the flap would be around 4ft long, and 24 inches wide. the doors could have a stitch down the center, allowing it to fold in half for storage, allowing it to be around 2ft square when folded up. that should fit nicely in the back on the bottom under my decoy bag on my way in and out, and take like 5 minutes to set up. I'm not concerned with the back of the kayak, since it will be different sizes when i have a full or empty decoy bag and gear. I plan on just using some burlap on that.
 
Original Kayak

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Attachment Points



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Blind Overlay On Kayak



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Blind Design


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Tie Downs

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IMO, for a quick removable option I'd use some bungee from SG knots to run a "skirt" and thread it through either some snow fencing or rope netting for your base.

You can either go with a hood or flip doors. This is a sneak boat but you can go with the same principle.

My sneakboat Blind build (up Dated)

Started with a Bankes Intruder Sneakboat. A 12 foot unsinkable duck boat. I removed the Rails and covered the boat with Rope fencing. I cut everything to fit. Melted the rope ends. Used a 3/8 inch rope border. Then I put a Double layer of Max 4 camo net on.
www.refugeforums.com www.refugeforums.com
 
My duck hunting these days often involves my kayak(Ascend H10) and I’ve found that DIY ghillie netting is the easiest and simplest. No doors and no moving parts. With wearing a ghillie shoulder shroud and ghillie netting on the boat you will eliminate the need for doors and IMO it is less boxy and looks more natural. Easy to wad up and stuff in a cheap backpack or stuff sack for the trip in and out.
 
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On one of my canoe blinds I found one of these chairs at a garage sale. I cut the legs off and used them as a frame for my blind doors. It worked pretty well and was light. I used poly netting and put raffia grass in it.


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This was another setup I settled on. If you notice there is 1/4 inch PVC tubing attached to the back of the canoe. When I got to my hunting spot I would bend them so they arched from the back, over my head, and terminated on the canoe floor. One of the ribs in the canoe held them in place on the floor. I would drape burlap over them and add whatever natural vegetation was in the spot. I threw burlap over the rest of the canoe too. I sat in the floor and shot out of it like a layout blind. Worked pretty slick.


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I’m with these other guys. Anything that may drag in the water is going to make paddling suck. Anything that sticks up and can catch the wind while traveling is going to make paddling suck. Get something to break up your silhouette. If you don’t want to do a krylon paint job get something like a netting to cover the yak. We’re not talking about a 18 ‘ boat with two guys sticking up 5’ out of the water. Most guys I know that duck hunt out of a yak spray paint the boat and just pull themselves up into the cover.
 
Ckwilli said:
This is my 14.7 old town canoe. I just cover it up with ghilie material and burlap.
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That's what I was going with originally, but with snowstorms and cold outside, and not too much to do inside my mind wanders, sometimes gets fanciful ideas and thoughts
 
I've never tried that, but I'd expect paddling something with that sort of superstructure on it is going to be unpleasant. If it were me, I'd consider something with shock-corded poles - either PVC or tent poles - and mesh or burlap or ghillie netting. Beach or anchor in place and then deploy it.

As I type this, I remember years ago using shock-corded tent poles and a USGI poncho to make a sort of awning / shallow dome tent. The tent poles went into the corner grommets on the poncho, crossed in the middle, and the poncho stretched to make a shallow dome structure. Maybe you could do something with that, a sort of giant rectangular umbrella with a flap in one section you could move to shoot from.

EDIT: I think I swiped the idea from http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm
 
I will add, get ya a good seat. This or the momarsh invisilounge are great seats.
I'm making a hunt tomorrow. I'll snag a picture of mine grassed in and set up.
fourriverslayoutboats.com

BAR Seat

Please note: This is NOT an “in stock” item and shipping lead times will vary based on demand. Stronger Hinge Design 4 Positions, Flat, 2 Recline positions & Sit Position Resets at 95 Degrees Adjustable Head Rest Shoulder Strap Introducing our Four Rivers B.A.R. seat . With a heavy duty metal...
fourriverslayoutboats.com fourriverslayoutboats.com
 
Iron_llama said:
I've never tried that, but I'd expect paddling something with that sort of superstructure on it is going to be unpleasant. If it were me, I'd consider something with shock-corded poles - either PVC or tent poles - and mesh or burlap or ghillie netting. Beach or anchor in place and then deploy it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't super clear on this either, but it wouldn't be on while paddling, it'd get put on at the hunting spot and taken off before leaving. I might just go with the netting and camo netting or burlap.

EricS said:
If you don’t want to do a krylon paint job get something like a netting to cover the yak. Most guys I know that duck hunt out of a yak spray paint the boat and just pull themselves up into the cover.
Click to expand...

From what i understand painting the HDPE plastics are notoriously hard and wear easy, requiring maintenance and lowering the aesthetic of the yaks. Any experience with it?
 
I have some neon green on my kayak that I dull with some flat paint. Anything that rubs it will take the paint right off but I just touch it up once a year. Snow fence with fast grass zip tied to it is still the best I’ve come up with. Rolls up easy but is a little bulky but rides behind me just fine. Netting is the easiest but doesn’t blend the same to me where I hunt.


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Jay_Disarray said:
I wasn't super clear on this either, but it wouldn't be on while paddling, it'd get put on at the hunting spot and taken off before leaving. I might just go with the netting and camo netting or burlap.



From what i understand painting the HDPE plastics are notoriously hard and wear easy, requiring maintenance and lowering the aesthetic of the yaks. Any experience with it?
Click to expand...
Spray painted kayaks look bad. It scratches off easily and requires frequent touch ups.
 
EricS said:
Spray painted kayaks look bad. It scratches off easily and requires frequent touch ups.
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Do you ever mud yours then? Just to dull it down a bit? I'm just not sure about the bright green colors in mine
 
I failed to take a picture Saturday. Ended up the hole I planned to hunt didn't have near the cover I thought it did.
 
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