Multi-day Raft Trips - Tips to make your whitewater rafting trip a success

Traveling in style on a raft or Cataraft with friends or new acquaintances, things you should consider before you start your trip. The most important for the group dynamic is communication. Having all the players together long before the trip will help with compatibility. We find putting all the group gear dynamics on an excel spread sheet, works well. We have a if you would like to use it as reference group gear check list.

Make your meeting fun, plan a party. The number of days on the river and boat will determine how many people can go. The key to a successful multi-day trip is good prior planning. If you’re going to be exploring a new stretch of water, talk to others who have boated it and shop for up-to-date guidebooks and maps. Break out the distances for every day and allow for scouting time, wind, side hikes, lunch and the possibility someone else may have the camp you want. Depending on the group and the river flow about 15 miles a day is a good number to shoot for.

Put the trip on a spreadsheet e-mail to trip members, this can be done either before your meeting or after. Take the spreadsheet with you on the trip so you can remember what you signed up for.

Spreadsheet Columns: People, Boat type, Last Name, First Name, Phone Number, Cell Phone Number, Email Address, Paid Status. On the bottom of this information or on the next page, requested gear, list all the gear needed for the trip, so folks can sign up for what they want to bring and chores they want to do. Make a list of meals and duties so folks can sigh up for what they want to do. I have been on many winter trips where the trip leader requested fire wood, we had so much wood left over the next guys that got the camp had to be really surprised, what a gift.

Trip Leader Questions to be discussed at the first meeting

• What size are the boats, catarafts, kayaks.
• What size coolers fit in each raft.
• How many passengers on each boat, and are the passengers able to row.
• Kitchen supplies, (coffee, tea, cream, sugar, cooking oil, paper towels, hand scantier, ect.)
• Group Gear, who is bring what.
• Articles for the kitchen box, what boat is it going on. Make a diagram where stuff goes and tape inside the lid.
• Food -- Menu. Make good lists for shopping.
• Shuttle - how are you handling it.
• Group expenses: How they are to be handled.
• Dogs on trips. Make rules if you have the dogs.
• How are beverage bottles going to be handled
• What chores need to be done and who is doing them.
• Do you have kayakers

On the River:

• Boater etiquette at the put-in.
• Who will lead the trip and who will run sweep and safety in the middle.
• Away\\\'s keep a boat in view in front and in the rear view at all times. If you do not see the boat stop, wait for the boat in the rear to catch up. It is one way to stop the group incase of emergency.
• How are the boats to be spaced on the river.
• Where is the First Aid located, and who has training.
• Agree on signals that will be used on the water. They may vary between groups.
• Talk about how to handle a swimmer.
• Talk about rescue set up at major rapids.
• Who has the rescue gear.
• Talk about the use of throw Bags, every boat should have at least one.
• Ask about the use of illegal substances.
• Talk about Alcohol

Camping on the River.

• Is the Groover set up first.
• Is the Kitchen set up first.
• Are the kitchen and groover done before individual camps are chosen.
• Space for the boat with the kitchen box and food raft on the beach.
• What time to get up and loaded in the morning.
• How is drinking water, food, groover, and garbage going to be handled
• Who is doing dishes and are they using a 3 or 4 bucket system.
• Fire pan - Are you using it for cooking and who is responsible for putting it up and tanking it down.

Each boat should carry a basic medical kit and someone should have a complete one. Know how to use the kits; organizations like the Red Cross offer first aid and CPR classes. Multi day trips, especially those in remote areas, offer challenges and rewards. Do your homework, prepare for emergencies. Plan prepare and pack!

Most problems that come up on trips are do to communication, we are all there to have fun. So get the hard stuff out of the way before you go and enjoy the trip.

SYOR!