Owyhee River: Packing List & Equipment Suggestions Southeast Oregon       4 or 5 days     April 1 - May 31 Class III+        Book an Owyhee River Rafting Trip Owyhee Rafting Trip Schedule & Prices

You'll find a packing list below, plus information on the following topics:  What to wear on the river Where to find items you'll need How to pack

What O.R.E. provides

We provide our guests with waterproof drybags and boxes for your personal gear, lifejackets, camp chairs, tents, sleeping bags with cotton liners, and sleeping pads. All meals are provided, as are cups, plates and dining utensils.

What to wear on the river and in camp

For cool weather (or when the rapids are chilly)

Appropriate clothing for these conditions is clothing that dries quickly, and keeps you warm even when the garment is wet. Modern high-tech synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene, capilene, and polyester fleece do both. (Wool provides warmth when wet, but does not dry quickly and is less comfortable. Wool is often less expensive, however, especially when purchased from Thrift or Military Surplus stores.)

Think in terms of layers of clothing for changeable and cool weather. As conditions change, you can add or subtract layers as needed. The first layer in cool weather should be long underwear made of synthetic materials such as polypropylene or capilene, which provide warmth and wick moisture away from your skin. The middle layer(s) should consist of polyester fleece (or wool), and will provide further warmth. The outer layer consists of a rain jacket and rain pants (ponchos are not recommended). Rain gear made of modern waterproof, breathable fabrics such as Goretex are best. But for a less expensive option, coated nylon will work, too.

A surprisingly large percentage of heat loss occurs from our heads. For this reason, a wool or synthetic hat will go a long way towards keeping you warm.

Wetsuits are generally not needed (although they can be worn in place of a middle clothing layer). However, wetsuits do make inflatable kayaking more comfortable in cool weather, and for this reason O.R.E. provides wetsuits on a shared basis for kayakers. If you'd like to bring your own suit, look for an 1/8" thick "farmer john" style (which can be worn in conjunction with a sweater and raincoat). Thicker, full-body scuba style suits are warm, but they're less comfortable, and their bulk makes rowing and paddling more difficult.

For hot weather

Nylon shorts, bathing suits, and cotton T-shirts are recommended, as well as a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. Long-sleeved cotton shirts and slacks may be worn to keep cool and to ward off sunburn.

Cotton clothing is recommended for hot weather only! Wet cotton will lower your body temperature. This is great for keeping cool during a heat wave. But cotton provides no warmth when wet.

On your feet

For footwear while on the river we recommend nylon or canvas tennis shoes, hard soled wetsuit boots, or sports sandals such as Tevas. For extra comfort you may want to wear nylon or polypropylene socks as a first layer. For cool weather and cold water, wetsuit boots work well. Sport sandals and shoes also work well for cool conditions, when combined with thick wool socks or neoprene wetsuit socks. Sport sandals are comfortable for rafting, and are preferred by many of our guides. But they're often more expensive to purchase, and do not protect your feet as well as do shoes.

In camp

You may want a change of shoes, and comfortable clothing for lounging or hiking. While cotton clothing may be worn on shore in dry weather, you may want to bring a second set of polypropylene and fleece for rainy weather.

Where to find items you'll need

Check with local sporting goods stores. If they cater to outdoor sports (hiking, backpacking, etc.) rather than team sports, they should have most of the items you need. Gear is also available through mail order and on-line by contacting REI (800-426-4840, or www.rei.com), L.L. Bean (800-341-4341, or www.llbean.com), or Northwest River Supply (800-635-5202, or www.nrsweb.com).

How to pack

Pack your gear in a manner appropriate for your journey to Jordan Valley. When we meet we will supply you with a watertight river bag into which you will pack your clothing. This "clothing bag" is roughly 14" in diameter and 24" tall. We’ll also provide you with a second, larger river bag (roughly 16" in diameter and 33" tall) which you will share with one other person. Into this "camp bag" will go your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and other bulky items.

These first two bags are somewhat difficult to get in to while we're on the river during the day. So we also will provide you with a third, small river bag (8" x 13"). This "personal day bag" is the place to store those items you want to keep handy such as as sunscreen, camera, sunglasses or sweater. 

Additional packing details:  

-   These three bags provide ample storage space (more than one might imagine, based on the dimensions cited). However, we generally bring along a few extra bags for overflow items.

-   Items that you want to keep handy but which really must stay dry (an expensive camera, for instance) are best kept in a 50 caliber military surplus ammo box. O.R.E. brings a few of these boxes along on each trip to be used on a shared basis. If you would like to bring your own they can be purchased at most military surplus and some sporting goods stores. (Please note that ammo boxes cannot be carried in paddle rafts or inflatable kayaks.)

-   The bags that we provide are watertight under most conditions, even when temporarily submerged. However, leakage can occur, so we recommend that you wrap your clothing in heavy-duty plastic garbage bags for extra protection. We also recommend that you pack your camera, binoculars, reading material and similar items in zip-lock style food storage bags.

Packing List

River Gear

	swimsuit, or shorts and T-shirt (avoid cotton shorts)
	tennis shoes or sport sandals, or hard-soled wetsuit boots
	wool or synthetic "ski" hat — for cold/rainy days
	wide-brimmed hat (preferably with chin-strap), or baseball cap — for sunny days (wide-brimmed hats do a better job of keeping the sun off, but baseball caps can be worn beneath the helmets used by inflatable kayakers)
	2 pair warm socks (wool or synthetic)
	waterproof rain jacket and rain pants
	Polypropylene or Capilene long underwear tops and bottoms ("expedition weight" is preferred)
	warm sweater or jacket, polyester fleece or wool
	water bottle or canteen
	waterproof sunscreen (SPF 15 minimum), lip balm
	sunglasses, with strap (i.e. "chums" or "croakies")

Extra river clothing, camp clothing and gear

	camp and hiking shoes (or lightweight hiking boots)
	1 pair long pants
	1-2 pair shorts
	1-2 long-sleeved shirts
	1-2 short-sleeved shirts
	socks and underwear
	personal toiletries, including small towel, biodegradable soap, dry-skin lotion, prescription medicines
	small flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries

Optional Items

	a second warm sweater or jacket, polyester fleece or wool, and fleece or wool pants (recommended!)
	gloves (especially if you’ll be rowing or kayaking) — bicycling, weight lifting, or gardening gloves work well
	binoculars
	camera and film
	reading material
	pen and journal or notebook
	compact fishing gear
	insect repellant
	spare glasses, sunglasses
	small daypack, ammo box, or small dry bag
	beer or soft drinks (up to 2 six-packs per person), wine or liquor — all in unbreakable containers. (We provide coffee, tea, and juice; also wine with some dinners). Please note: Consumption of alcohol is prohibited during the day — but is o.k. once we arrive in camp.
	People sensitive to the sun may want to bring lightweight cotton clothes (such as a surgeon’s outfit) for sun protection.

Pease do not bring: pets, guns, valuable jewelry, cellular phones, or radios (personal "walkman" type music players are o.k.).

 

Overview

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