There are many aspects of packing for a paddling trip. The first thing to think about is how long you plan to be on the river. Below is a good starting point for a packing list. The list starts assuming that you will be out for a few hours. There is also as packing-list for multi-day trips (which will assume you are taking all the single day equipment, plus other things). Finally, a list of things to NOT bring on the river.

Since the paddling trip will have the participants surrounded by water, it is best to assume that everything you bring will get wet or lost. This is not to imply that it will indeed get wet, just that you had best make that assumption. Remember, the river bottom is not as easy to get access to as a pool. If you drop something, and it sinks, you will probably not get the item back.

There are special bags and boxes designed to keep cargo dry (called dry-bags and dry-boxes – pretty clever eh?). These work fairly well, as long as the dry bag/box is not exposed to extended periods of submersion. One fact to keep in mind is that the dry bags/boxes also keep water in. If you put something in wet, it will make the air in the bag/box *very* humid and make everything in the bag/box damp. The more times you open the bag/box, the more likely it is that you will get water inside.

There are a couple of other items to discuss regarding packing. The first is not to pack the kitchen sink. What this means is that you will probably need far fewer items on the river than you think you do. On a related note, KYPPA would like to emphasize the “Pack it in, Pack it out” philosophy. Please don’t litter - either accidentally or intentionally. Human impact on rivers can become a serious and significant stress to the natural balance of the river.

Single-Day Packing List

• Appropriate clothing for the weather

  	Summer clothing	Winter clothing
  	Cotton T-shirt Nylon Shorts Bathing suit	Polypropylene or silk Fleece or wool Nylon or Gortex jacket

• Appropriate foot-wear (buckles, laces, or straps)
     Flip flops are bad - they fall off.
• Dry clothes for after the trip (you may be able to leave these in the vehicle at the take-out.
• Sunblock

• Sun glasses
• Sun glass straps
• Waterproof camera
• Cooler(s) (if room in boats; not recommended for whitewater trips)
• Necessary Medications
• First-Aid kit
• Food/water for 1 (or 2) meals
• Maps of the river and take-out area
• Cell phone

Multi-Day Packing List

• All of the Single-Day packing list plus...
• Tents
• Sleeping bags
• Stove
• Pots & pans
• Water and/or water filter
• Food for appropriate number of meals (plus ½ to 1 day extra)
• Repair kit

Do Not Bring List

• Glass containers
• Alcohol or drugs (other than medications)
• Coolers on white water trips