Owyhee River:
Packing List & Equipment Suggestions
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Southeast Oregon
4 or 5
days
April 1 - May 31
Class III+ |

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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 |
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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
The weather in the Owyhee River canyon is often warm
and wonderfully pleasant. But the weather here is also
quite variable: we may experience both warm sun and a
cold storm in the space of several hours. Cool or
even cold weather as well as wet weather can occur on
any trip. So please pay close attention to the
proper selection of clothes and gear for your river
vacation. Hopefully you’ll never need most of the
cool-weather gear that we strongly recommend you bring.
But it is vital that you do bring these items just in
case!
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.)
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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
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swimsuit, or shorts and T-shirt (avoid cotton shorts)
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tennis shoes or sport sandals, or hard-soled wetsuit
boots
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wool or synthetic "ski" hat — for
cold/rainy days
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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)
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2 pair warm socks (wool or synthetic)
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waterproof rain jacket and rain pants
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Polypropylene or Capilene long underwear tops and
bottoms ("expedition weight" is preferred)
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warm
sweater or jacket, polyester fleece or wool
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water bottle or canteen
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waterproof sunscreen (SPF 15 minimum), lip balm
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sunglasses, with strap (i.e. "chums" or
"croakies") |
Extra river clothing, camp clothing and gear
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camp and hiking shoes (or lightweight
hiking boots)
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1 pair long pants
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1-2 pair shorts
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1-2 long-sleeved shirts
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1-2 short-sleeved shirts
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socks and underwear
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personal toiletries, including small towel,
biodegradable soap, dry-skin lotion, prescription medicines |
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small flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries |
Optional Items
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a second warm sweater or jacket, polyester fleece or
wool, and fleece or wool pants (recommended!)
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gloves (especially if you’ll be rowing or kayaking) —
bicycling, weight lifting, or gardening gloves work well
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binoculars
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camera and film
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reading material
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pen and journal or notebook
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compact fishing gear
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insect repellant |
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spare glasses, sunglasses |
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small daypack, ammo box, or small dry bag |
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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. |
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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.).
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