Bringing kids on a river trip is a great way to unplug and connect as a family, and a little preparation goes a long way in making sure everyone’s comfortable and having fun. Here are some tips and suggested items to help your child thrive on the river.
Packing Tips
Comfort from Home: Favorite pillow, blanket, or stuffed animal. While we provide full-size sleeping bags, a familiar item from home can help make the tent feel more cozy and restful.
Snacks & Treats: Our menu is designed to be healthy, yummy, and filling for all, but having snacks ready to go in your day bag is a great idea. Shopping for this stuff can be done in Salmon or Stanley when you arrive before your pre-trip meeting, or at home before your travels. Electrolyte drink mix packets are also a good idea.
Entertainment: Less is more when it comes to toys and entertainment, let Mother Nature do the heavy lifting here. A small pack with a good chapter book, headlamp, small water gun, Kanoodle, or travel games is not necessary, but could be helpful to get your kids to buy into camp life.
On the River: Must-Haves for Kids
Hydration & sun protection are key for all river participants, but especially for kids. Here are a couple “staple” items to pack (these are also staples for me when I go out on the river):
Long-sleeve sun hoodie: Ideal for all-day coverage, it can be worn at camp too.
Sun protection hat: A full-coverage hat is great, though a comfy trucker-style hat works well too if they’re more willing to wear it.
Comfortable sunglasses: Make sure they fit well and have a strap if needed.
Insulated water bottle: Keeps drinks cool and more appealing throughout the day. Look for ones with straw lids and a loop to clip on with a carabiner. HydroFlask, CamelBak, and similar brands all have great options.
Comfortable shoes for the river and for camp. Chacos, Tevas, and Keens are the best river shoes. Rain boots, sneakers, or Crocs are great camp shoes. Make sure the shoes are broken in before going on the river!
Day One Orientation for Kids
On the first day of your river trip, tour around the cooler/water set-up to be sure your kids know where to go for drinking water and cold beverages. Do a tour of the bathroom setup together. You can pull one of the guides aside for a private tour, they can help answer any questions about camp life when you get out there.
What We Provide for Kids
Here are some things that we provide for kids on the trip: Youth-size life jackets and helmets, youth size wetsuits (if needed), snacks to share with the group, an art box for drawing at camp, and camp games.
