Must Have Gear When Doing an Overnight on the Upper Colorado
When looking into a trip to Colorado over the summer, you will be flooded with loads of outdoor activities and world class mountain lodging during your google search. When looking for a trip to truly unplug and enjoy all the natural beauties Colorado has to offer, you will want to look into the the nitty gritty towns specific to the activities you want to do. For example, mountain bikers would definitely want to look into locations in Eagle County as it holds some of the best trails the US has to offer and rock climbers would be interested in staying at a place like Rocky Mountain National Park for several different spots, routes and difficulties. When interested in rafting, one would want to look into Kremmling for its extensive beginner level Upper Colorado River stretches and its highly advanced sections such as Gore Canyon. With trips lasting up to three to five days on the upper section, this trip will definitely purge you from your information overload. Here is some must have gear when doing an overnight rafting trip on the Upper C.
When setting up the the perfect river trip on the mellow Class I-III upper Colorado section of river there are a couple very important items you will want to bring on your trip. Some of the most important aspects include method of cooking your food, storage for food and gear, as well as safety and medical equipment. We will first touch on cooking as everyone is going to want some good grub after a long day on the river. The key when packing is keeping it lightweight and versatile – bring one pot one and one pan to cover everything; bring one bowl and silverware for each person, opposed to a full place setting, to save on space and weight. For storage, you will want both a dry bag to keep out on the raft with you for important small things such as extra layers and snacks. You will want a cargo box for larger items such as dry food, cooking equipment and overnight gear. You will also need a cooler and lots of ice for cold beverages and fresh foods. For safety and medical, make sure you prepare for the worst and dress for a swim, so make sure basic first aid and proper raft attire is taken care of. The three things people tend to forget but will make or break the trip is a pump for inflating the raft in the morning, a Groover for restroom use as digging a hole is not allowed on the stretch, and patch kit in case of small punctures.
Groover
Safety is a big deal when rafting, especially when running private trips, so make sure you know the river well and have researched what to expect on the river. There are many guide books one can rent or buy when rafting this section and all will have very important info on the specific rapids and sections. Don’t be afraid to scout your lines and maybe even port if the river is too extreme. Go out, have fun and be safe!