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Equipment Rafting Whitewater

July 28th, 2017 ernie Posted in White Water Gear No Comments »

Equipment Rafting WhitewaterMost people who are planning on going on an adventure tour or whitewater rafting trip do not need to worry about Equipment for Rafting Whitewater. The tour company will provide all of the equipment you need. For example including rafts, paddles, life jackets and even tents for overnight excursions. If you are planning to take a class 3, 4 or 5 whitewater tour, many companies will also provide wet suits for you to wear. However if you are planning to do a lot of whitewater rafting, you may want to consider purchasing a wet suit of your own. Read more about Equipment Rafting Whitewater for your information.

Tour companies providing whitewater rafting trips should have all of the latest gear. Participants should do their own visual check to confirm all safety gear is in good condition. Also it should be well maintained. This is for your own safety. As well as you can quickly tell a lot about the tour company. Observe how well they maintain their equipment for whitewater rafting tours.

Equipment Rafting Whitewater

Other personal Equipment for Rafting Whitewater tours that should be considered really depend on the type of trip you plan to take and local weather conditions. If your trip takes you through several canyons and valleys, weather can vary a great deal. In addition the weather on the river will be different than at the assembly point. It will also change in the evening or over night.

Basically you need to take along several sets of clothes for your whitewater rafting trip. Assume a cool day on the river as well as a warm day on the river. Think about the clothes you will need while lounging around the camp in the evening and morning as well as a dry set of clothes in case you get wet while rafting along one of the whitewater rafting rivers. For more information about white water gear, click here.

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Rafting Dry Boxes

November 7th, 2011 ernie Posted in White Water Gear No Comments »

Rafting Dry BoxesThere is lots of equipment available to white water enthusiasts and one of the pieces of equipment rafters may want to consider is a rafting dry box. In addition to bags that will keep your gear dry there are also rafting dry boxes. They seal up tight to keep your food, clothing and other gear dry. It is so important to have something you can count on to keep your gear dry if you are staying over night in the forest along a raging river.

Fortunately there are lots of solutions to keep things dry. In an earlier post we discussed Dry Bags and you might want to take a few minutes to read that post as well before you decide that buying a dry box is the solution for you. Both dry boxes and dry bags  have their advantages. However depending on your situation and your raft one solution can be better than another.

Rafting Dry Boxes

A typical dry box that is used by rafting companies and individuals  is shown on the right. This particular one measures 13.5 inches wide by 15 inches  deep by 26 inches long. It is not a large box. However it can store all of your essentials that you need to get your camp site going at night. Besides the larger the box, the more things you will likely take with you. Small is often better!

Even if everything else is wet, emergency matches, flashlights a quick change of clothes can be stored in this box to get you going. Once that fire is going, you can quickly dry out and more importantly get something hot to eat and dry your clothes out. It can be extremely important to have a warm fire at night to avoid hypothermia setting in.

Rafting dry boxes come in a variety of sizes to meet all of your needs and can be tailored to the size of raft and the number of people who you have in your group. Sometimes it is better to have a number of small boxes than one large rafting dry box. They are just easier to carry and certainly not as heavy. Even if you have several small boxes, they will be extremely appreciated at the end of the day.

Bring Your Lunch

Forgot about lunch! You may be only on a day trip with a pick up at the end of the day. You plan to lunch along the river somewhere. If it gets wet, it is going to be a long day and everyone hungry at the end. A dry box packed with your lunch and snacks is the answer for many rafting companies or individual teams.   There is nothing better after a mornings rafting than pulling up along a beach in a bit of calm water  and arranging for a picnic along the river. Make sure that you enjoy yours by being prepared. Use a dry box to pack your lunch and other things in such as electronics, matches and an extra set of clothes.

White water rafting can be a lot of fun. However like many sports, they can easily be ruined if you are not properly prepared and have the right equipment. In this post we have focused on dry boxes. While in an early one we focused on dry bags. Which ever you use, make sure that you have all of the right gear to make your trip enjoyable. Plan your trip in advance including the raft you will use. As well as the gear you take along to be comfortable both on and off the river.

If you have a piece of white water gear that you find particularly useful, why not let our readers know about it. We will even write a post about it if it is something you feel pretty strong about.

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White Water Gear on Sale

October 10th, 2010 ernie Posted in White Water Gear No Comments »

White Water Gear on SaleThe White Water rafting season is nearing the end in many areas of the country. It is time to put away all of your gear for another season. Before you store all of your gear it just might be a good time to complete any repairs and take advantage of White Water gear on  sale! We know that the outfitters do not want to get stuck with a lot of unsold product over the winter and they want to also replace it with the next years newest and latest gear. Consumers want the very best equipment and if they are going to pay top dollar they want the best. This is the time to get the best deals.

Still a deal is a deal and if you can get some White Water rafting gear on sale, why not save yourself some money. In fact maybe you can buy some things that you were thinking about, but previously held back because of the price. Now is the time to buy as well as complete any needed repairs.

We checked a few web sites and they all have deals on right now for this years White Water rafting gear! Rafts, repair material, bags, clothing, paddles, oars, storage, transport, rescue equipment, safety equipment, camping and cooking gear. Even if you are looking for Christmas / Birthday gifts, this is a great time to buy and give that special piece that your friends have been looking for. If you need to replace something that is worn out or beyond repair, ship now for your replacements.

White Water Gear on Sale

The following is a short list of things that you might consider as gifts or for repairs. With all of these ideas you will have no problem picking something. Don’t wait to long, since sale items are likely to go quickly

Clothing

  • Bags & Clothing
  • Bags
  • Footwear
  • Hats & Gloves
  • Paddling Clothing
  • Men’s & Women’s Casuals
  • Rainwear
  • Drysuits and Wetsuits
  • Insulation & Underwear
  • Kid’s Clothing
  • Plastic Cases & Boxes
  • Sunglasses
  • Swimsuits

Rescue/Safety:

  • First Aid
  • Helmets
  • PFD’s
  • Rescue Hardware
  • River Knives
  • Throw Bags and Rescue Ropes
  • Satellite Phones

Camping & Cooking:

  • Tables
  • Cooking Equipment
  • Sleeping
  • Shelters
  • Showers, Toilets
  • Washing Supplies
  • Water Purifiers & Containers
  • Chairs

Rafts, Cats, IK’s & Frames:

  • Catarafts
  • Cat Frames
  • Inflatable Kayaks & Accessories
  • Rafts
  • Raft Frames
  • Raft & Frame Accessories
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White Water Rafting Dry Boxes

September 21st, 2010 ernie Posted in White Water Gear No Comments »

White Water Rafting Dry BoxesAnyone who has had to deal with wet gear will appreciate this post about dry boxes for white water rafting. There is nothing worse than arriving at your camp for the night and everything is wet. I mean everything is wet from a day’s rafting through white water. It is starting to get cool. The sun is setting. You cannot even light a fire because your matches got wet as well during the days outing. It can be a very cold night if you have to spend it at a cold camp site with no heat and wet gear.

Fortunately there are lots of solutions to deal with this problem. In an earlier post we discussed Dry Bags and you might want to take a few minutes to read that post as well before you decide that buying a dry box is the solution for you. They both have their advantages, however depending on your situation and your raft one solution can be better than another.

White Water Rafting Dry Boxes

A typical dry box is shown on the right. This particular one measures 13.5 inches wide by 15 inches  deep by 26 inches long. It is not a large box. However it can store all of your essentials that you need to get your camp site going at night. Even if everything else is wet. Matches, flashlights a quick change of clothes can be stored in this box to get you going. Once that fire is going, you can quickly dry out. More importantly get something hot to eat and dry your clothes out. It can be extremely important to have a warm fire at night to avoid hypothermia setting in.

These dry boxes come in a variety of sizes to meet all of your needs. They can be tailored to the size of raft and the number of people who you have in your group. Even if you have several small boxes, they will be extremely appreciated at the end of the day.

Keep Your Lunch Dry

Forgot about lunch! You may be only on a day trip with a pick up at the end of the day and lunch along the river somewhere. If it gets wet, it is going to be a long day and everyone hungry at the end. A dry box packed with your lunch and snacks is the answer for many rafting enthusiasts.   There is nothing better after a mornings rafting than pulling up along a beach in a bit of calm water  and arranging for a picnic along the river. Make sure that you enjoy yours by being prepared and using a dry box to pack your lunch and other things in such as electronics, matches and an extra set of clothes.

White water rafting can be a lot of fun, however like many sports, they can easily be ruined if you are not properly prepared and have the right equipment. In this post we have focused on dry boxes, while in an early one we focused on dry bags. Which ever you use, make sure that you have all of the right gear to make your trip enjoyable. Plan your trip in advance including the raft you will use as well as the gear you take along to be comfortable both on and off the river.

In future posts we will add additional information about other pieces of gear that are must haves while white water rafting. If you have a piece of white water gear that you find particularly useful, why not let our readers know about it. We will even write a post about it if it is something you feel pretty strong about. Note that Spam comments will be deleted.

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White Water Rafting Gear

September 7th, 2010 ernie Posted in White Water Gear No Comments »

White Water Rafting GearWhite water rafting is a lot more than just running the rapids when it comes to considering what rafting gear you need to have to be properly prepared.  Often you will experience multiple environments. For sure you will get wet when you go down the river and are splashed by the spray from running the white water rapids. But what about while you are waiting on shore to be picked up, what about stopping for lunch, or camping on a multi day trip? Multiple changes of clothing are necessary as are pen and paper to record some notes for your trip along with cameras that must be kept dry.

Each of these conditions require a variety of gear and temperature variation will also change the need for the layers of clothing that you may bring along with you.

Hot, sunny days won’t feel uncomfortable if you wear light, protective, and quick drying clothing. Cool days or rain can produce spectacular river images with swirling shades of color and light. If you have enough warm, waterproof gear, you won’t feel cold. You will feel alive! Having the right clothing can make the difference between enjoying a wonderful trip in the outdoors and being cold and miserable while others are enjoying the scenery and camaraderie of their white water rafting trip.

White Water Rafting Gear – List

Here is a quick list of items that you may want to consider for your next trip. If you are unsure of what you will need, speak to the organizer or guide for your white water trip. Always make sure that you are well prepared.

  • Bags
  • Padding and clothing
  • Dry suits and wet suits
  • Plastic Cases & Boxes
  • Footwear
  • Mens & womens casuals
  • Insulation and Underwear
  • Sunglasses
  • Hats & Gloves
  • Rainwear
  • Kid’s Clothing
  • Swimsuits

You may not need all of this gear for each trip, so plan accordingly to take along only what you need. Having too much gear can also be a problem as well since now you have to load and carry all of this gear. Finding that middle ground were you have everything that you need without being over prepared is a tall order if you have not been down a particular set of rapids before. The best idea is to speak to your guide or talk to people who have gone on the trip before you to find out the conditions and what white water gear you may need. Remember too that the conditions can change very rapidly due to the time of year as well as local storms that can cause rivers to rise rapidly.

Rafting Gear – Multi Day Trip

If you are planning a multi day trip, then camping and cooking gear is also something that you will need to consider. We put together a quick list of camping gear for your consideration.

  • Tables
  • Shelters
  • Water purifiers & containers
  • Cooking equipment
  • Showers & toilets
  • Chairs
  • Sleeping gear
  • Washing Supplies

Finally safety gear and repair equipment for your raft should be considered. Take a moment to consider who you want to notify about your trip. Especially about your location and expected return date. This is important since it will tell people when and were to start looking for you if you are late returning.

  • Repair equipment includes:
  • Adhesives & materials
  • Repair parts & tools
  • Cleaner and protectant
  • Valves
  • Pumps and inflators

Enjoy your trip and have fun. Be well prepared and you will have one of the best trips you can ever expect. Feel free to leave comments on our post about your experiences. Also about any special gear that you believe would be valuable to our readers.

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White Water Safety Gear

August 22nd, 2010 ernie Posted in White Water Gear 1 Comment »

White Water Safety GearWhite Water safety gear is mandatory for all rafting expeditions for your group to remain safe. That 3,000 cfs of flowing water you are on appears to be gentle when you start, but it provides a hefty ride once the rapids begin. Each cubic foot weighs 62.4 pounds, so 3,000 of them add up to 187,200 pounds flowing by every second past rocks and falls. That’s the same as 20 or so elephants rumbling along. As long as you stay on their back you are ok, but don’t try stopping in their midst! When this flow of water is squeezed through a small area, it becomes much more violent and there is lots of whitewater as it tumbles over underground rocks.

Always be prepared with white water safety gear such as a good PFD, safety ropes, glue, patches and pumps – all the things you need to put it back together if your plan goes wrong in the middle of a trip. Ensure that your white water rafting company has all of these things as well. It is a good measure of just how professional they are and how well prepared they are to make sure that you and your buds remain safe in any situation.

White Water Safety Gear

Here are a few things you need to think about.

  • Glue and Patches
  • Pumps
  • First Aid
  • Helmets
  • PFD’s
  • Rescue Hardware
  • River Knives
  • Throw Bags and Rescue Ropes
  • Satellite Phones

Glue and Patches
Glue and patches suitable for doing repairs to your inflatable raft which is no longer inflated. Don’t forget a pump to help you re-inflate the raft once you have completed the patch. This can mean the difference between a long walk or having to wait until someone notices that you are not back in time.
First Aid

A Comprehensive Medical Kit contains everything you’ll need to deal with reasonable emergencies. Included in a zippered nylon bag are sections dealing with Wound Management, Trauma and Infectious Control, plus a selection of medical instruments. A kit should also have advanced versions of blister and burn treatments, oral re-hydration salts and diarrhea medication, plus a tube of Glucose paste, a liquid sugar gel for cases of low blood sugar. A medical guide book tells you what to do.
Helmets

A high-density ABS shell for durability, and dual density EVA foam lining for multiple-impact protection should always be included.

PFD’s – Personal flotation Device

On any river on any boat or raft your best friend is your Personal Flotation Device (PFD). A human PFD must be Coast Guard approved – snug so it can’t be ripped off or ride up and interfere with vision when in the water. Type III PFD’s, favorites for whitewater, are comfortable, stylish, and colorful. Flotation is a minimum of 15.5 pounds. Type V PFD’s are rated for commercial use, have a minimum of 22 pounds of flotation, use straps with buckles instead of zippers, have a flotation collar behind the head and adjustments to fit a wide range of wearers. And don’t forget your dog’s PFD. Although natural swimmers, dogs find it hard to swim in whitewater and need extra flotation, too.

Rescue Hardware

Pullies for making it easier to haul things over rocks and through the water, a whistle for communicating, oval carabiner’s and water proof bags to keep things like matches and flares dry.
River Knives

There are a variety of knives to choose from. Choose a rugged, strong knife that can be used to cut rope and shave shavings to help start fires.
Throw Bags and Rescue Ropes

An easy lifeline that will do triple duty is a 100′ length of 1/2″ Blue Water Rescue Rope. A waterproof bag has a sealed opening and closing system for easy access and re-packing.
Satellite Phones

Everyone figures their cell phone will work every where. Unfortunately there are many places in the wilderness were cell phones do not work. Rent a satellite phone for the trip to make sure you have a lifeline back to civilization in case you need help!

Golden Rule for White Water Rafting

Always tell someone were you are going and when you expect to be back. Stick to the plan, because if you do have an accident and need rescue, the first place they will look is on the river you planned to go on. If you end up somewhere else, no one will know were to look.

Feel free to leave comments on our blog.

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Dry Bags for Rafting

August 10th, 2010 ernie Posted in White Water Gear 4 Comments »

Dry Bags for RaftingHave you ever gone rafting or boating for the day or overnight and everything, I mean everything, gets soaking wet? Even your expensive camera and that cell phone that would not have worked anyway in the wilds, gets soaked and shorts out!  Some river water is very cold and there is nothing better than getting out of your wet clothing into some nice dry sweats, pants and shirts. Dry Bags for Rafting can protect all of your things.

If it gets wet, the only thing you can do is build a fire, but, oh, the matches got wet too and you lost your lighter when you got dumped in the water. Wow could conditions get any worse out in the wilderness far from a warm camp site with the sun setting and the night getting cold! That’s where dry bags for rafting come in handy.

Dry Bags for Rafting

One of the basics of rafting is to have something you can stow your clothes and camping gear, where they are going to stay dry, just in case you flip over in the rapids or there is a heavy down poor. Dry bags come in all sizes and shapes. There is something for campers, for hikers and of course white water rafting enthusiasts. You may want to select a bag that you can use for multiple purposes to save some money. Take your time and chose the right water proof bag for your sporting needs.

There are small dry bags that you can place things like matches, cameras, cell phones and other small items that you do not want to get wet. There are large dry bags that you can use for tents. Also your food and even stow your clothes in for long camping trips.

Once you have a dry bag, you will wonder why you never had one before! Even if you are going on an organized white water rafting trip were the rafting company transports all your stuff to the next place you are going to camp or meet your car, they cannot always guarantee that it will not rain or your stuff will not get wet. Placing your camping gear and clothes in a dry bag, makes it easier on the rafting company as well as yourself!

Dry Bags for Rafting or Dry Cases

There are situations were a soft dry bag will not do the trick for you. Although they will keep your things dry they may not protect them from being bounced around or from getting crushed. A dry case is the answer. These cases are water proof and shock proof. They will withstand a great deal of bouncing and physical shock while protecting your things inside.

You might have a first aid kit that needs to come along. But you do not want everything to be a jumbled mess when you need it in an emergency. Cases are also good for protecting electronics, providing that the interior is properly padded. Also that your camera is packed tightly and snugly so that it does not bounce around inside.

Dry cases are also great for travellers, who are going by plane. I once saw a load of suitcases sit in the rain for over an hour. You can imagine how everyone’s clothes were soaked! This was on the way to a vacation destination too!

We are going to have more posts about gear that many people will find useful for camping and rafting, so check back often. Feel free to leave comments about any gear that you find useful as well. Spam comments will automatically be deleted.

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