What to bring on a float trip
General
- Boat/Paddles/PFD (Personal Floatation Device)
- This may seem obvious, but if you forget any of these you will not get very far! An extra paddle is never a bad idea and you are legally obligated to have a Coast Guard approved PFD for every person in the boat.
- Rescue Bag
- This is a throwable bag full of rope that will allow you to retrieve swimmers, or help recover a pinned boat. Having one of these is not enough; you need to know how to use it BEFORE you get on the water. Trying to learn how to throw a rope in an emergency situation is too late! If you carry rope, you need to carry a good River knife that is immediately accessible in case you have to hack your way out of an entanglement. A good way to handle that is to attach a good River knife to your PFD.
- Painters
- A “painter” is simply a length of line attached to each end of your
canoe. These can be used to “line” a boat through a tough spot, tie
off at the campsite, and tie down to your vehicle. 20’ of line on each
end is a good choice! Make sure they are properly stowed, yet easy to
get to because a loose painter in a loose boat makes for an
entanglement hazard!
- Mesh Trash Bag
- If you are caught tossing any of your trash in the River or
on the ground by a law enforcement officer, you will be fined. If you
are caught doing it by an PWP member, you will not live to see the
Take-Out! It is never a good idea to carry glass containers of any
kind anywhere on the river. Plus, your cooler should latch securely or
you should be able to lash it shut. This is so if you dump your
boat, you will not litter. Remember, you are biodegradable; most of
the things you take are not! You should also have a can cooler (koozie)
for your individual hand held beverage can. If you should happen to
drop it, it will float and can be retrieved.
- Sunglasses/Hat/Sunscreen
- You get a lot of sun on the River before you know it. If you are
especially susceptible, a lightweight long sleeved shirt and long
pants are a good idea as well.
- Snacks/Lunch/Water
- You will be surrounded by water, but bringing your own fresh
water supply is essential. Or at least have a good water filter with
you.
- Soap/Hand Disinfectant
- Make it a biodegradable, multipurpose type of soap for
dishes, hands, and body. “Waterless” hand disinfectant is a good idea,
too.
- Toilet Paper/Small Spade
- The toilet paper should be of a biodegradable nature. Find a spot at
least 200’ away from any water source, dig a hole, do your thing, and
cover it over. Better still, carry a chemical toilet. And don’t forget
to use that “waterless” hand disinfectant!
- Lawn Chair
- For kicking back at the lunch spot or at camp! The collapsible variety
works well and is easy to stow in your boat.
- Fishing Gear
- If you are going to fish.
- Matches/Lighter
- Butane lighters work after they get wet, matches do not, but there are
several ways to water proof matches and waterproof matches are sold
commercially.
- First Aid Kit/Fire Starter
- Make it a good one, keep it well stocked, and hope you never have to
use it! If you boat during cold weather, you may want to carry a piece
of “fire starter” with you in case of emergency.
- Repair Kit
- Needle, thread, self-adhering nylon patches, duct tape, multi-tool,
and glue are a few ideas!
- Cooler
- Never leave home without it!
Clothing
This will obviously depend on the time of year you will
be boating in, but here are a few tips! Since you will be on the water,
you should always keep in mind the possibility that a complete immersion
scenario exists. Remember, as far as clothing is concerned, it is better
to have it than to need it so don’t be afraid to have plenty of warm,
dry things available! If you are cold and uncomfortable for very long,
you are not going to be having any fun! Steer away from cotton, as it
will retain no insulating value when wet and will not dry out fast
enough. Stick to synthetics such as polypropylene and fleece.
- Raingear
- A squall can come up on you unexpectedly and after a few of these,
good raingear will pay for itself. A poncho may be hazardous if you
are wearing it and fall out of your boat and swim. Ponchos are more
likely to catch on branches, rocks, etc. and cause an entanglement.
- Dry Clothes
- Always have some spare dry clothing with you even if you are going for
just a day. And it can get chilly at night around the water, even in
the summer, so have something warm with you. To keep your clothes dry,
always use a dry bag or box. Trash bags DO NOT make good dry bags and
you don’t want to discover this fact the hard way!
- Dry Shoes/Socks
- Use one pair of river shoes for getting wet, and another pair for dry
feet around camp. Keep your dry pair dry in your dry bag or box!
- Towel
- Every good Hitchhiker carries a towel!
- Rubber Boots
- If you are boating in the winter, these come in handy in case you have
to get out and drag your boat through a shallow spot. Remember, if you
fall in with them, you will weigh a ton so leave your hip waders at
home!
Cooking
If you are going with a group, you may not need to “double up” on some of these items!
- Pots/Pans/Strainer/Mess Kit/Coffee Pot
- Bring what you will need to cook what you are going to eat. Remember,
firewood may or may not be available so you might want to bring a
small charcoal or gas grill with you. Bring a plate, fork, spoon,
knife, and a cup. An insulated coffee cup works well and you can use
it for either hot or cold beverages. Toss in a scrub sponge for doing
dishes, strain your dishwater and put the solid residue in the trash
bag. A small amount of bleach in the dishwater works well to disinfect
dishes.
- Stove
- A small propane or white gas stove is a must. And don’t forget the
fuel that goes with it!
- Spices
- Make yourself a spice kit to have in your “kitchen”. It is amazing how
much this will improve your cooking!
- Paper Towels
- Make sure these are either burned in your campfire, or put in the
trash bag!
- Dutch Oven
- You can prepare an entire meal with one of these or wow your friends
with a tasty River Dessert!
- Ground Tarp
- Put this under your “kitchen” to catch falling crumbs and then empty
it in the trash for “no trace” cooking!
- Table
- Roll up tables come in handy and are easy to carry in your boat!
- Plastic Storage Bags
- “Zip-Lock” type bags come in handy for all kinds of things, and don’t
forget to throw in some extra trash bags!
- Coffee Can/Lid
- If you fry bacon, or anything that produces grease, you will need
something to put the grease in!
Camping
Bear in mind that if you are camping by a River in the
rain, the River is subject to rise or even flash flood on you. Even if
it is not raining where you are, it may be raining upstream. If you wake
up in the middle of the night and your tent is afloat, you will not be a
happy camper! Make sure you have your boat secured before you go to bed.
It is, after all, your ride home!
- Tent
- A smaller “dome” type tent works well and is easy to carry in your
boat. It is best if your tent is self-supporting (meaning it will
stand without stakes). Sometimes it is hard to stake down a tent in
the sand and gravel! Make sure BEFORE you go that it sheds water!
- Sleeping Bag
- Keep this item dry or you will wish you had! Down bags are nice, but
will be useless if you get them wet. Synthetic filled bags work well
even if wet!
- Ground Pad
- This will insulate you from the ground in the cold, and cushion your
sleep! The self-inflating type that you can roll up works well!
- Tarp
- A small nylon tarp is always handy to have and is easy and lightweight
to carry. It can be used for shelter in the rain or any number of
things. Remember, if you are going to use it in conjunction with your
tent, it goes IN your tent, not under it! If you put it under your
tent and it rains, it will pool and hold water under your tent.
- Flashlight/Batteries
- Invariably, it will get dark! Also this is good to have with you even
on a day float in case of emergency and you get caught out after dark.
- Lantern
- Always handy to have. Remember, if you use these in the summer, you
are going to attract every insect for three counties! And don’t forget
the fuel that goes with it! Citronella candles also make for a nice
ambiance, but make sure you do not drip wax on the gravel bar!
- Rope
- To hang lanterns, wet clothes, tarps, or your paddling partner! Bring
a good knife in case you have to cut lengths or your paddling partner
apologizes and you decide to cut him/her down!
Carrying
It is NOT a good idea to lash everything into your boat.
If you should happen to dump or swamp your boat, you will have an
incredibly hard time recovering your boat with everything lashed in it,
and you will have to take everything out anyway! Lash everything shut,
and if you must, lash everything LOOSELY to your boat so in case of a
spill, it will float up and out of your boat and still be retrievable.
Use dry containers, and dry bags that are waterproof and float even when
full (and all of them will unless you are carrying a load of bricks!).
It is better if you use several smaller containers rather than one big
one because it is easier to get things out that you need, and you can
have a more versatile packing arrangement in your boat. Remember, no
matter what it is that you need, it will ALWAYS be on the bottom!
- Dry Bags
- These work well, float and come in all kinds of sizes! Trash bags DO
NOT make good dry bags!
- Buckets/Barrels/Lids
- These are nice because they float, are waterproof, are more or less
crush-proof and you can sit on them! They make nice containers to
carry the charcoal in!
- Dry Boxes
- These also come in various sizes and are nice for the “kitchen”. Make
sure you don’t get one too big for your boat!
While this list may seem a bit extensive, it is actually
not and personal items such as your toothbrush, etc. have not been
included. You can minimize and personalize, and if you are going with a
group, you can consolidate some of these items into “group items” and
spread them around the group for carrying. Things such as cooking
equipment, first aid kit, tables, etc., may fall into the “group items”
category, but just make sure your consolidated items are appropriate for
the size of the group you are with. The important thing is that you have
what you need and what makes you comfortable on the River.
Happy Paddling!