12 River Rafting Packing Mistakes to Avoid

I’ll never forget my first river trip. The river carried me under towering red and orange-striped canyons etched by ancient peoples inside Dinosaur National Monument. The rafting, it turned out, was the easy part. Among 210,000 wilderness acres, 71 miles down the Colorado River’s last undammed waterway, you learn to go with the flow. Packing, on the other hand, for four days of floating and camping along the Yampa River, was another story. 

But an adventure is never complete without a few wilderness snafus, most of which can be avoided on the river with a solid packing list. From the surprise attack by hundreds of ants to staying dry (while holding on for dear life) through Warm Springs Rapid class IV rapids, and perpetual hydration, the right gear makes all the difference. “The best way to learn what to pack is to do lots of river trips,” says Tom Kleinschnitz, rafting guide for many decades and director of Visit Moffat County.

Lucky for me, I had experts on hand to help—members of the Bureau of Land Management, a local wildlife refuge expert, a state park ranger, and other longtime guides and outdoor enthusiasts. From this community, once rooted in coal mining and now shifting toward outdoor recreation, like Moab, I learned how to prepare for and overcome the obstacles of the river. Next time, I’ll be ready.

River Rafting Travel Essentials

Mistake: Packing too much

Pack this instead: Lightweight dry bag

My first mistake—the one most first-timers make—was overpacking. Who needs to look good for the squirrels and the expert rafters sleeping on the beach? What’s important is fitting all your essentials for the week in a single dry bag. This will become the bane of your existence if you’re not organized. The more you pack, the harder it will be every morning to take down your tent, roll up your sleeping bag, deflate your sleeping pad, and stuff all of your items back inside. 

Every morning, you’ll be lugging that dead-weight dry bag to the raft, and every evening, it’ll come off the raft so you can set up at a new camp all over again. So learn from my mistake—just when you think you’ve streamlined enough, go through your dry bag and remove a few more items. Unless you want to spend half your trip stuck in the tent, digging for the raincoat you swore you packed. For this reason and for easy access, there’s no other choice but packing cubes.

Mistake: Bringing a windbreaker 

Pack this instead: Ultralight rain jacket

On a rafting trip, the lighter the gear, the better. Right before the trip, I was about to pack my windbreaker, thinking “it’ll never rain,” when a friend spoke up and told me about the lightest stretch rain jacket on the market, clocking in at 95 grams. This ultralight wind and rain coat even withstood her mother’s “shower test,” standing in the jacket over her clothes under their bathroom showerhead to make sure it would keep her dry before a big rafting trip. So many raincoats don’t, but this one passed with flying colors through the rapids, airing out almost instantly. And it’s a good thing, since it rained on my last day on the river. 

Mistake: Packing too many short-sleeve shirts

Pack this instead: Versatile layers

The canyons trap cold air and reduce radiation from the sun. No one wants to be shivering around a campfire after a day on the river, which is why it’s essential to bring layers. The softer and cozier the layers, the better you’ll sleep. In the towering canyons, you never know what weather is coming, but a good rule of thumb, unless it’s the dead of summer, is warm days, cool nights. 

“Having a very warm coat at the bottom of the dry bag can come in mighty handy in some conditions,” says Kleinschnitz. “Layering is right on target.”

On the final night of the trip, the wind came in like a campsite giant, flapping around the walls of my tent. That was the night I needed another layer. This lightweight merino wool would have been the perfect solution, along with thermal leggings and wicking wool crew socks.

Mistake: Packing strapless sunglasses 

Pack this instead: Corded sunglasses you can’t lose

In one whirling rapid appropriately dubbed “Maytag,” I nearly went underwater, but somehow stayed upright. If I had fallen out, though, my sunglasses would have been the first to sink. As someone sensitive to the sun and never without shades, I knew Ombraz’s corded sunglasses were for me when I finally tried them.

The company launched after one of the owners had a camel sit on his sunglasses during a camel safari. He wasn’t having the hot desert sun either, so he removed the broken frames and tied a piece of twine behind his head to connect the eyepieces. The rest of the story of the armless Ombraz sunglasses is history. They’re super comfy and perfect for adventuring on the river, mountain, or if you’re like me, always losing your shades. 

Mistake: Packing your softest knit shorts

Pack this instead: Quick-dry shorts

The one thing you can be sure of is that you’re going to get wet. So don’t make the same mistake I did by wearing cotton shorts. No one wants a soggy bum all day on the raft. Think quick-dry, light, and loose. Synthetic or wool blends are your friend on the river. Getting splashed is supposed to be fun. “Quick-dry materials are best,” adds Brian St. George, Colorado Associate State Director of the Bureau of Land Management, who was behind the helm of my boat. 

Mistake: Forgetting bandages

Pack this instead: Moleskin adhesive

Water shoes are the obvious choice on a rafting trip—Chacos worked well for me, but they weren’t the ideal choice for hiking along the riverbank, based on my blisters. You don’t want to be in pain while exploring the canyon hieroglyphics and waterfalls. But a fellow rafter had me covered with her mole skin tape. “I never go rafting without it,” says Nikki Horne, refuge manager at Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge. Her tape may even be better than a Band-Aid.

Mistake: Packing only sandals 

Pack this instead: Fast-drying, closed-toe shoes

For day hikes and chilly river nights in this International Dark Sky Park, closed toes and a little tread go a long way. Bring a good pair of hiking shoes. Salewas are grippy, comfy, supportive, fast-drying, and as light as a feather. Plus, they double as a solid airport shoe, since they’re streamlined and sleek-looking.

“The same could be said for footwear, generally I wear sport sandals (Chacos) on the river and change to something a bit sturdier and more protective when I am hanging around the campfire,” says Kleinschnitz. 

Mistake: Packing only an 18-watt power bank 

Pack this instead: Powerful, multi-device power bank

As liberating as it was to go without internet service for the week, I still had to find a way to meet a deadline the day I got back. That meant writing offline at night after campfire talks. I learned that’s why you get the best power bank on the market—the BioLite Charge 100 Max. It can charge up to five devices at once and is super compact and portable—only a little larger than a standard cell phone.

Mistake: Packing a water bottle without a holder

Pack this instead: Water bottle sling bag

Nobody wants a dreaded dehydration headache in the middle of the wilderness, with no running water in sight. Short of your life preserver, your water bottle may be the worst thing to forget, even one day out on the river, where the sun’s rays are unforgivable.

But forgetting is foolproof if your water bottle is always slung around your neck. It guarantees you’ll be hydrated on the raft, on hikes, around the campfire, and in your tent. And the extra storage in this little sling bag is perfect for electrolyte packs and sunscreen.

Mistake: Packing a cotton tee

Pack this instead: Moisture-wicking UPF hoodie

A sunburn and a soaked T-shirt convinced me to wear the Echo Hoodie by Outdoor Research on the river every day for the rest of the trip. It became another go-to item—lightweight to keep me cool, with UPF 15 for sun protection, especially for the long-haul eight-hour days on the river. Stretchy, comfy, with anti-odor properties (by day four, that was important), this shirt had it all. For cooler days, try Stio’s Hylas Hooded Pullover. “Cotton is wrong for drying fast,” says Kleinschnitz.

Mistake: Bad luck on the groover

Pack this instead: Ultra-breathable pants

Did I mention the groover? This portable wilderness camping toilet—that also has to fit in the raft—got its name from the grooves that the original small metal box left on any legs that sat on it. There’s a first time for everything. Mine, which didn’t last long, involved hundreds of ants crawling up legs. I’d never been so glad to see a pack of Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes. If only I’d been wearing these long hiking pants to keep me protected. 

Mistake: Packing shorts that chafe 

Pack this instead: Comfy loungewear for the campsite

I happily ditched my chafing shorts for these overalls, which were too cute and comfy not to wear around the campfire, even if it was one more item in my bag. They’re made from breathable, quick-drying material, with a seamless and relaxed fit.

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