Lord Nerd on High wrote:
Just wondering what the average distance one could kayak in day, or rather
eight hour period? Nothing too intense and under normal weather conditions.
With hiking it's about 10 miles, biking is about 40 miles. Is kayaking
somewhere in between?

Both of the figures seem very low for an eight hour day. Hiking, one can
typically cover 2 mph or so at a moderate pace. Your cycling speed is
only 5 mph, which is incredibly slow. Even a relatively unfit cyclist
can pedal at 12 mph and 15-17 mph is within the realm of anyone who's
even reasonably fit.

My friends and I were thinking of kayaking on Lake Champlaign in Vermont this
summer and part of the plan would be to kayak up to some of the norther islands
that allow for camping. I guess I'm just trying to figure out how far south we
have to be to provide a good day's journey, though nothing that would wipe out
inexperienced, yet fit, 32 year olds.

If you're paddling at a relaxed pace with occasional stops, figure on an
overall average of 2.5 - 3 mph. Depending on how much paddling you do,
you simply may not be able to - or want to - paddle for eight hours, so
plan your trip accordingly. If it's convenient for you, I'd suggest
planning on paddling for no more than 4-5 hours, plus breaks. That would
work out to 10 - 15 miles. If you're strong paddlers and can handle
longer time on the water, a distance of 30 miles would not be
unreasonable. Just remember that you still have to set up camp when you
arrive at your destination. You can't just flop on the couch with a
pizza and a beer. ;-)