There are lots of good reasons to keep kayaks off the ground... including general boat hygiene, discouraging rodents and spiders from nesting, speeding the washing and drying process, raising them to a working height that's easy on your back, and expanding available storage space by opening the area beneath the boat. This little trick is a lightweight solution to the problem, and can be scaled to whatever height and width needed.
I have published a little how-to article that gives the dimensions and other details, but basically this is a very simple hack that involves fabrication of an X-stand (like a camping stool) out of PVC tubing. That article also has photos of the stands in use with various kinds of boats; we have used them with all sizes of kayaks, canoes, and even a 10-foot inflatable dinghy. They also come in handy for awkward items like sailboat masts.
The important part is the fabric saddle; after a few experiments, we ended up using a strong synthetic mesh instead of a densely woven cloth that would hold moisture against the hull and cause mold. We were also tempted by simple web straps and slide-release buckles instead of the somewhat more complex solution, but that's a bit dangerous... not only are there moisture-retention issues, but some hull materials (like rotomolded polyethylene) will take a "set" if stress is concentrated in a small area over time, especially in hot weather. After considerable experimentation, we settled on a strong mesh that has held up over 3 years of use without any sign of degradation from the evils of ultraviolet, moisture, and stress. The material is a large-hole polyester high-tech mesh, 450 denier, 24 gauge, 4.5 oz per square yard.
NOTE: if you buy this item, what you will receive is one pair of these mesh slings (enough for the two stands needed for a single boat), with sewn tunnels of heavy outdoor fabric (blue mesh, assorted tunnel colors). You must acquire the PVC pipe, elbows, and pivot bolts to complete the stands at a local hardware store. The tunnels will accommodate tubing up to 1.5" diameter, though we generally use the 3/4" PVC stuff.
This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 15 February, 2009.
