Hi Josh – I would definitely choose the seat, as it raises you up into a more comfortable paddling position. Without a seat, you have to lift your arms up quite high, which feels a bit awkward and would be tiring after a while. You could bring something else to sit on, like maybe a folded up camping mattress, but there’s a good chance it would get wet, so if you don’t have a chance to dry it out at the end of the day, you’d have to sleep on a damp mattress. Another option might be a sleeping bag in a waterproof stuff sack (i.e. a dry bag). I haven’t tried that though.