Outback Long-term Stand

I have been trolling the internet for 3 solid weeks hemming and hawing about how to build a stand for my new Outback. I live in Ottawa ON Canada, where our temperature varies from -20F to +110F. I hope to keep the Outback upright (hull down) and would like to keep it on the stand whenever not in the water... but in a garage which does not have direct sun exposure. There are lots of stands in web pictures, but most Kayaks weigh less than the Outback.

The 2 main designs are some sort of "sling" system where the webbing is perpendicular to the hull, and some sort of "rail" system where padded rails are parallel to the hull running down the flats.

Anyone have any advice one way or another (or am I being paranoid)?

For a sling, I was going to use two collapsable carts. The webbing would be X inches of low stretch fabric like Soltice Mesh or Sunbrella. I could make the webbing any width but was thinking 8 inches or so, like this:

http://nomadness.com/articles/kayak-dinghy-stands.html

For a rail system, I was thinking something like below, but with pool-noodle padding to increase the surface area. The PVC also bends a little which will help to conform to small convex in the "flats".

http://oakpwrd.tripod.com/pvckayakstand.html

Thanks in advance,
James

I believe in keeping it simple. I have an Adventure and store it in my garage upside-down on two padded sawhorses. In my opinion Mirage kayaks should be stored upside-down.

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Southwest Hobie Island Club
http://www.facebook.com/southwesthic

What dregsfan said.

Store it upside down and save yourself a lots or worry and cost. I keep my Outback upside down on two 2'x4's with just a strip of rug. I do keep my Adventure on the trailer full time rightside up, but it is supported by three V supports and two rollers on the keel. Still gets some minor lumps.

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I'm right 98% of the time. The other 3% I don't worry about.

Thanks guys.

I'd like to stay hull down as it is way easier to load/unload and I can also mess around with rigging... at least during the soft water season (May - Oct) here. I see lots of web people, perhaps improperly, holding kayaks up on 1 inch webbing... if I were to take it to the extreme and do something like 12 inches (x2 slings).. would I really see a problem? During that interval, the longest I'd go without taking it off rack and into the water is probably 3 weeks.... and most time, it is way less than that.

The problem with the internet photos is I don't know how long they keep the kayak there... or what temperature they are sitting at.

With all the Outback owners on here... surely not everyone stores it upside down... right?

Somewhere I remember reading the yak should be stored upside down. Memory is fragile... If I'm correct, I'm betting it has to do with stresses put on the bottom. The yaks are plastic which is nowhere near as durable as say aluminum. I suggest consulting the owner's manual and or Hobie. If I were to contact Hobie, I'd ask why. Personally, I made a wooden cradle using Hobie plug-in wheels that supports the yak with multiple points of contact to minimize the weight of each contact--plastic bends.

Most of us do. - Roger

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Roger
2010 Oasis
Lucie Belle

I made a stand for our yaks that would give us the best use of space and allow me the ability to do my rigging projects when I wanted. 1 yak sits on the bottom upside-down supported by 2 pvc crossbars the yak on top is supported by 8 mesh straps so far everytime I've taken the yak off the top position the hull has been straight and flat no dimples the only time I've had dimple issues has been when I left the Revolution sitting on the shore on the Trax cart without the tennis balls on the support legs.

Flipped it over left it there in the sun it was fine when I came back.

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Fastfish/Geoff
Kayaks Owned>Outback/Mine & Revolution/Wife

Finally got the structure for my stand complete. Thanks for the comments, guys.

I ended up going with a convertable approach. Hard braces (2x4 with closed cell foam and wrapped with outdoor carpet) for hull up long term storage. Pool noodles threaded with dock line inside b-pex piping for hull down short term.

That is a very nice rack. Do you take alot of meds. ??