What to Bring on a Rafting Camping Trip

This is the list our guides send before every camping trip. Keep the river items where you can reach them during the day, pack the camp items in your dry bag, and check the river notes at the bottom, since a few trips have their own rules about bag size.

On the river

• Two or three swimsuits, or shorts and a top (no cotton)
• Sports sandals or hard-soled wetsuit booties, ideally ones that stay on when you swim
• Synthetic paddling gloves if you plan to kayak. They're not required, but they help with blisters
• A wide-brimmed hat or ball cap. A ball cap fits well under a helmet
• A polypro, synthetic or hydro-skin shirt for mornings and chilly days
• A 1-liter water bottle with a carabiner
• Waterproof sunscreen
• Sunglasses with croakies or a chums strap. Consider bringing two pairs

In camp

• Comfortable pants
• Comfortable shorts
• Long sleeve and short sleeve shirt
• A fleece jacket or sweatshirt
• A rain jacket
• A different pair of shoes for camp, so you can get your feet dry and the sand out of your toes
• A sleeping bag, or rent one from us
• A pack or travel pillow, or rent one
• A small pack towel
• Insect repellent
• Personal items like medications and hygiene, kept to a minimum
• A headlamp or flashlight
• A battery pack if you want to recharge your phone for photos

Nice extras

• Binoculars, because bird watchers go nuts on Idaho trips
• Super-soaker squirt guns for the kids and the kids at heart
• A beanie for cool evenings
• A good book and a sleep mask

Medical

If you have an allergy that can cause anaphylaxis, you're required to bring at least one EpiPen. Please let your guide know when you arrive.

River by river

• Rogue 2-Day Intro to River Running. We give you an 18 by 36 inch dry bag, about the size of a medium duffle, and everything goes in it, sleeping bag included. A synthetic sleeping bag rated to 45F works well, or rent our sleep kit. We supply wetsuits and splash tops for chilly mornings.
• Rogue 4-Day Camp Trip. Closed-toed shoes and socks for camp, a warm layer for chilly mornings, a sun shirt and a water bottle with a carabiner. Our sleep kit rental comes with a sleeping bag and a pack pillow.
• Salmon River 2-Day Intro to Overnight Rafting. Pack for two days, not six.
• Lower Salmon 4-Day. If you want to fish, bring a rod, your own tackle and an Idaho license, which you can buy in Riggins or online.
• Main Salmon 6-Day. Pack for the plane. Day 1 starts with a short flight on small planes, so everything you bring has to fit in the one duffel we hand out at the meet and greet. That duffel is your size and weight limit for the flight. We provide sodas, fizzy waters, Gatorade and water, plus two 6-packs of beer per adult per trip and some wine per adult per night. Bring anything else you'd like to drink.
• Hells Canyon. Bring a sleeping bag, or rent one from us along with a pack pillow, and a separate pair of shoes for camp.

Questions about an Idaho trip? Text us at 208-630-6668. For Oregon trips, call (800) 635-2925.