It鈥檚 going to be a huge big-water season here in California, thanks to the snowpack, and I鈥檓 excited to try river rafting with my friends. We already have a weekend trip planned to the Kern in June, but I feel like there are so many fun essentials to buy beforehand that I can鈥檛 find on Google鈥檚 packing lists. Help?
鈥擜spiring River Runner
Dear Aspiring: River rafting is one of the most exhilarating activities you can do, right up there with bobbing for apples, but it can also be dangerous, like shooting heroin. I鈥檒l get to the good stuff in due course鈥攂ut first, let鈥檚 have the obligatory SAFETY WARNING.
Who are you going with? Do your friends actually know what they鈥檙e doing, or are they college-age hooligans, as I suspect? Or maybe you鈥檝e hired a guide? That鈥檚 not a bad idea, because the Kern serves up whitewater that鈥檚 as serious as it gets, so you don鈥檛 want to be in over your head.
Your chances of dying increase exponentially if you鈥檙e not wearing a life jacket. So buy a U.S. Coast Guard鈥揳pproved Class III or V personal flotation device suitable for your weight. A legit local shop will set you right. And when you鈥檙e on the river, wear it. A whopping 84 percent of drownings occur because the person wasn鈥檛 wearing a life jacket, according to that same Coast Guard. You can still have a good time while wearing a PFD, but it can鈥檛 save you if you don鈥檛 have it on.
OK, now back to the fun stuff!
Wait, no鈥攁 few more safety points. The number of sunburned folks you will spot at a busy river take-out rivals the beaches of Canc煤n, Mexico, during spring break. Skin cancer is no joke, people! News flash: getting splashed with water all day might mean you need to reapply sunscreen several times. Please don鈥檛 be like that roasted Boston College bro I once saw whose inner thighs were literally peeling off鈥攗se a lot of high-SPF sunscreen (preferably with zinc, for staying power) and reapply it every two hours.
It also helps to cover up. Those wide-brim straw hats are de rigueur with river guides because they鈥檙e cheap and they work. Look for one with a string to secure under your chin. Remember: you鈥檒l be outdoors, where the wind tends to blow. And speaking of retention, don鈥檛 forget a pair of shades, along with some means of holding them to your head鈥攎ost sunglasses don鈥檛 float.
I also recommend a UPF-rated hoodie, so you don鈥檛 have to slather your whole body with lotion; if you can鈥檛 afford one, a thrift-store Hawaiian shirt will at least help you cover up, and it looks steezy. And if it鈥檚 hot, cotton holds water better than polyester and will keep you cool.
Footwear is also crucial. What type of highly stylish sandals are you going to choose? As long as they strap to your feet (no flip-flops!), you should be good to go. Bedrock, Chaco, Keen, and Teva all make solid footwear with soles designed to provide grip on wet rocks.
But rafting isn鈥檛 all sunshine and rainbows. Just like the wind, precipitation tends to rear its head, even in sunny months. So it鈥檚 wise to pack a thin, synthetic midlayer, in case you catch a chill (fleece is great here), and a solid rain jacket or poncho.
As for the fun part: get out there and go rafting鈥攋ust please don鈥檛 drown!
Send your questions to deargear@outsideinc.com.