Clyde's Grand Canyon Blog: Personal Gear List

Don’t overpack! You’ll stay in the same clothes quite a lot. We’ll have sun showers along and you can do laundry along the way.

Apparel

• Hats – 2 or more, brimmed ones that shade the face, ears, neck. Chin strap, some way to keep it on your head.
• Sunglasses – 2 or more pair, along w/ retainers – Chums, Croakies, etc
• Prescription glasses, best to have a second pair if you really need them – same w/ contacts.
• Shirts – 2-3 long sleeve, 2-3 short sleeve. Look for ones w/ Sun Protection Factor (SPF or UPF rating), the weave blocks out UV rays. NRS HydroSilk is and example. Synthetic fabrics dry quickly, cotton more slowly.
• Shorts/swimwear – 2-3 pair – pockets are nice, belt loops if you carry a belt knife, Leatherman, etc.
• Long pants – 2-3 pair – to shield from the sun and if we get wet, chilly weather. Again, SPF is good. Hospital scrubs work okay.
• Wise to bring a light fleece top, it can still get chilly at night, early morning.
• A pair or two of river sandals/shoes, some synthetic socks to prevent or protect sunburn.
• A pair of lightweight hiking shoes for side hikes. They’ll get wet.
• A set of raingear – jacket and pants or river splash wear. Does double duty as a windbreaker, warmup in the morning.
• Couple pair of light gloves, for sun and blister protection.
• In July, the air temps. will be hot, probably up in the 100s. It’s also the rainy season and showers are a possibility. However, the water is cold - ~ 47 degrees coming out of the dam, warming up ~ a degree every 30 miles or so. You’ll get splashed a lot and there’s always the possibility of a swim. Some neoprene booties are a good idea, especially in a non-self bailer. If you get cold easily, some lightweight wetsuit pieces would be a good investment. I’m not pushing NRS gear but look at our website, www.nrsweb.com at splash wear, HydroSkin, wetshoes and gloves. Contact Clyde if you have questions.
  

Camping Gear

• Light sleeping bag
• A sheet (probably won’t need much more)
• Compact sleeping pad – don’t bring a cheap air mattress
• Pillow
• Tent – shared when possible
• Tarp/ground cloth
• Flashlight or two – strongly suggest headlamp
• Batteries for anything that takes batteries
• A good pocket or sheath knife, you’ll use it for a lot of things
• A non-ceramic coffee cup, insulated best
• Couple-three water bottles – need to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration
• Towel & washcloth

Recreation

• A good book
• Binoculars – compact best
• Camera(s) – plus a way to waterproof them. Lots of film, memory cards, batteries

Miscellaneous

• Any medicines you need
• Miscellaneous toiletries
• Lots of sunscreen
• “Chapstick” w/ sunscreen
• A small dry bag to keep things in you want to get to during the day
• We’ll have some larger dry bags but if you want to have your own, you should be able to get your personal gear in something the size of the NRS 3.8 Bill’s Bag.