Last summer, when I told friends and family that I’d be rafting 225 miles from Lee’s Ferryto Diamond Creek, Arizona, on the Colorado River, I received all kinds of remarks. Some said,“That’ll be the trip of your life,” while others noted, “That place will change you.” While bothprovedtrue, most folkswere surprised to hear I’d be going inthe heat of July, and there was justified concern for heat exhaustion. With the chilly, 50-degree water discharging from Glen Canyon Damand temperatures soaringover 100 degrees most days,it took considerabletact to regulate between suchextremes. As often as our crew would joke about joining the “Grand Canyon Swim Team,”being in the water the entire trip just wasn’t feasible or safe. At high noon on day six, the reading at Phantom Ranch was 114 degrees. No number of dips in the river could turn that heat down. Luckily, I had gear along that kept me cool, protected, and comfortable for the duration of the adventure. Here are some of the essentials.
Patagonia Tropic Comfort II Hoodie($59 and Up)
The heat of the Southwest’ssun can beat through cheap polyester T-shirts, so I opted to packsomething that was light but also provided long-sleeved protection—the. Rather than lather up my skin withSPF 50 every two hours, this was a great way to bothstay cool and avoid exposure toharshrays. It dried off quickly but retaineda nice level of moisture between my skin and PFD.
NRS Drag Bag ($35)
On a raftingtrip like this, hydration is a no-brainer. All of us on the riveraccepted that our water would likely be boiling in our bottles and our beers would be sandy and warm—until someone showed up with, that is. It easily held a 30-packof and chilled our half dozen water bottles throughout the day. Though we tried to remember to take it out of the water and secure it to the top of the boat during the big rapids, it may or may not have taken a ridedown the infamous while clipped to the outside of the rig. This bag isdurable and affordable, and bringing it with youwill put you in the runningfor trip MVP.
YetiPanga 100 Duffel($400)
I was skeptical that this zippered duffel could reallybe submersible, but after a test run in the Atlantic Ocean, I decided to bring it along. Over the course of 16 days, it’swhat kept mykey items—a sleeping bag, pillow, tent, cell phone, and journal—dry. is truly watertight, and you don’t have to dump all your stuff out to access things like you do with traditional roll-top bags. Thanks to its ample exterior webbing, it’s easy to lash a water bottle or second set of shoes to the bagfor easy access.
Adidas Terrex CC Voyager Parley Water Shoe ($90)
I’m a tried-and-true Chaco advocate, but on this trip I liked ,because it added a layer of protection from the sun for my feet.I was alsoglad to have a closed-toe option for side hikes and better traction when cacti and snakes lurked with one misstep.The soles ofthisshoe aredesigned to be self-bailing and breathable, so they’re best worn without socks.
Jack’s Plastic Paco Pad ($215)
For this adventure,a small camping air mattress suited my needs. However, the smart folks brought along these. Based on theirshape and waterproofing, theyallowed my companionsto sleep on the boats, which proved to be the coolest placeat night. These padscan also serve as a fun floating mechanism, turning a meagerrapid into something much more exhilarating.
StreamMachine Water Cannon ($22)
Even though it’s from Walmart, the Water Cannonplayed three crucial functions:spraying the scalding rubber rafts so they were cooler to touch, rinsing ourselves down, and cleaning the sand from our boat. It proved its worth within the first few days, and everyone wanted to borrow it to douse their boats. Be mindful:it’s still cheap plastic, so it bent from the heat under direct sunlight. (StreamMachinealso makes a more durable one of these, .)
Hala AtchaSUP ($1,300)
While we all anticipated the burly whitewater, it was easy to forget just how many flat sections we had to row. This provided our group with a new way to play around in the river when things were more mellow.It performed best in the crashing wavesbut could also be surfed in some of the small holes offthe current. At nine feet six inches,it was a great board for everyone to jump on. But it didposetwodrawbacks: it tookup a large amount of raft storage spacewhen inflatedand requiredits own pump. Depending on your skill level, riding a SUP in thewhitewater may turn out to behalf paddling and half swimming, so in terms of keeping cool, it was worth bringing along.