How To Prep and Pack for a Multiday Packrafting Trip
When you’re packing for a multiday packrafting trip, it’s essential to be thorough and prepared to ensure that you have everything you need to remain safe and carry out your activities. To avoid any inconveniences and discomfort, be sure to create thorough lists consisting of all the items you need and even extra “just in case” items for your trip. Continue reading for useful tips on how to prep and pack for your next packrafting adventure.
Create an Emergency Kit
When out camping on a packrafting trip, anything can happen. You’re susceptible to nature and its elements, including animals, bugs, and other harmful elements. It’s important to stay ahead of any mishaps by packing an emergency kit that can come to your aid for minor ailments or unfortunate events.
You can buy a simple first aid kit or create your own custom emergency kit to give you more peace of mind during your trip.
Here are a few items you can include in your emergency kit:
- Bandages
- Healing ointment
- Mosquito repellent
- Oxygen reader
- Band-Aids
- Alcohol pads
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Flashlight
- Whistle
- Battery-powered radio
- Nonperishable foods
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Extra batteries
- Scissors or a box cutter
- Surgical masks
You don’t have to include every item on this list, but it’s a good starting point to help you compile your personal emergency kit.
Bring Extra Food and Water
Bringing an extra supply of nonperishable food and water is just as important as having an emergency kit, and it’s also a way to avoid being inconvenienced when on the trip. You, your friends, or your family might find yourselves a little extra fatigued and hungry after a long day of traveling. You may want to use extra water to rinse your face and hands or cool off on a hot day.
You also never know what circumstances may lead you to need extra food, like encountering guests, accidentally dropping your main meals, or a more unfortunate event.
Core Packrafting Packing List
Of course, on a packrafting trip, you’ll need the necessary packrafting items to use on your adventure. The great thing about packrafts is that they’re portable and lightweight, so they’re easy to carry and transport while camping. You won’t have to worry about hauling a massive vessel or making special arrangements to carry the raft.
Here are a few items you may need to bring to go along with your packraft:
- Paddle
- Wetsuit
- Helmet
- Safety vest
- Throw bag and tow rope
- Spare paddles
- Repair kit
- Sailing gloves
These are all items that you need to packraft safely and remain prepared. You can keep these additional items in a suitcase, the back of your pickup truck, or a wagon if you want to carry them in a backpack.
Miscellaneous List
You never know what extra items you’ll need on a multiday trip. You should bring a few essential items along to eliminate any unnecessary or unexpected trips outside of the camping site to a nearby drugstore. You should also compile a list of items you need for comfort, hygiene, communication, and more. Here are a few items you should consider bringing on your multiday trip.
- Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Solar charging systems
- Portable battery charger
- Fire starter kit
- Locator beacon
- Storage containers for food
- Bear spray
- Sunglasses
- Medications
- Towels
- Compass
There are many other miscellaneous items specific to your needs that you should include on your list. Be sure to account for them on your list and decrease the odds of discomfort or inconvenience during the trip.
Create Necessary Camping Equipment List
You’ll also need camping equipment so that you’ll be able to settle, rest, eat, sleep, and gather after packrafting and adventuring down the river. Creating a list will help you avoid forgetting any pertinent items you need to set up camp and keep everyone sheltered and fed. This is one of the most important lists you need to create when planning your multiday trip. Here are a few camping items to bring along:
- Camping tent and stakes
- Sleeping bags
- Light source or lanterns
- Extra blankets and pillows
- Personal clothing items (multiple days’ worth)
- Cooler
- Tarps
- Portable cookware
- Camp chairs
- Camp tables
- Portable toilet and toiletries
These are just a few necessities that will allow you to maintain a comfortable and practical experience while out in the wilderness. Feel free to add any additional necessary materials based on your needs.
Outline Activities and Plans
If you’re packrafting with a group of people, it’s essential to outline your activities and plans so you remain organized and keep everyone on the same page. Since the trip covers a few days, it’s helpful to know what activities you’ll be doing each day so you can allocate each the right amount of time. When you plan out your schedule, you can ensure that you waste no time during the trip and that everything you need to achieve on the trip gets done.
Bring Backup Clothing
Bring backup clothing in case you get your clothes dirty during the multiday trip. You can even use extra clothing to bundle up for unexpected drops in temperatures. Additionally, extra clothing can help in emergency situations where you need to dress a wound or create pressure around a wound to stop bleeding. It’s smart to remain prepared, and having even just an extra pair of bottoms can be helpful in emergencies.
Monitor Weather Conditions Week Of
It’s essential to monitor weather conditions for the week of your multiday packrafting trip. Poor weather conditions can completely derail plans or make them less ideal for camping conditions. Weather can be quite unexpected despite our best guesses, so it’s important to stay ahead of the game by checking the weather. Doing so will help you avoid disappointment or danger. If there are thunderstorms or heavy rains in the forecast, you should postpone the trip and wait for safe, clear weather conditions.
Knowing how to prep and pack for a multiday packrafting trip is essential. Preparedness helps to avoid dangerous situations and ensures your comfort and safety, which is important above all.
