Drew Cutter wrote:
I live in the great lake area. The sleeping bag concern me because of
its bulk.

A compression stuff sack will take care of much of that issue.

Do I carry more water for hydration?

It depends on what you have available. A water filter can help reduce
the amount you have to carry, but only if the temps are above freezing.
Snow and ice can be melted, if necessary. I don't typically drink as
much in the winter as in summer, but only because I usually sweat less.

Also my winter jacket when and if I'm spending the night on a island.

You need both insulation and shell gear. However, some garments can
serve double duty. For example, you could also consider carrying a parka
and matching foot sack, rather than a parka plus a full sleeping bag.

The tent would have to be a 4 seasons tent.

True, but that doesn't mean a huge increase in bulk.

I would imagine the length of time I can be out is limited , Less room for a week stay out.

The limiting factor is space to carry food and water, plus your
tolerance for being out in the cold.

I been ready the article in sea
kayak magazine (summer trip packing )to get an i idea of what i might be
running into . So i need more hints on what can or can't pack. My boat
has 7' of storage space.

That sounds small. What kind of boat is it?

Brian ,

The boat is nc kayak - expedition . The boat is 19'2" long. It has the
ability of carrying 450 lbs.

Drew Cutter wrote:
Brian ,

The boat is nc kayak - expedition . The boat is 19'2" long. It has the
ability of carrying 450 lbs.

In a boat that big, you should have no problems with space. Remember,
it's got 2-3 times the space of a typical winter backpack. The key is to
pack efficiently. One of the best items I've found to help with that is
Voyageur's tapered dry/float bags. They allow you to pack items well
into the bow and stern, yet still retrieve them easily. When not being
used to carry gear, they function as float bags.

--
Regards

Brian