Published July 27, 2026 04:38AM
There’s a certain irony to how much gear it takes to head into the wilderness and “live off the grid” on a river rafting trip. Once you leave the boat ramp, you’re responsible for every basic need, from shelter and food to safety, sanitation, and whatever the weather throws at you.
That’s why river trips have a reputation for being expensive. Between specialized safety gear, camping equipment, and river-specific essentials, the costs add up quickly, whether you’re heading out for a weekend float or a 21-day bucket-list expedition through the Grand Canyon. Some items are worth the investment, like a well-fitting PFD or a comfortable sleeping setup like this cot I will never again go without.
The good news is that not every piece of gear has to be expensive. In fact, some of the most useful items cost less than dinner in town. These are the inexpensive pieces of gear that solve annoying little problems, keep you more comfortable, and quietly make life on the river a whole lot better.
Locking Carabiners
NRS Nuq Twist Lock Carabiner
Locking carabiners are the duct tape of a river trip. Bring more than you think you’ll need.
Use them to clip dry bags together, secure water bottles, hang string lights, attach camp shoes to the raft, or keep gear from disappearing overboard. Choose locking models instead of standard carabiners, which can accidentally open, snag gear, or become hazards if someone ends up in the water. I’ve heard enough horror stories involving loose carabiners to never take shortcuts here.
One tip: wrap a piece of colorful tape around yours or mark it with a Sharpie or brightly colored nail polish. By the end of the trip, every black carabiner looks exactly the same and you want to make sure yours come home with you.
A Fitted Twin Sheet
COCOON TravelSheet
Mine has unicorns and rainbows on it, courtesy of my local thrift store, and it’s the smartest $2 I’ve ever spent.
Whether you buy new or not, stretch a fitted twin sheet over your Paco Pad or sleeping pad to keep sand off your bed and create a soft sleeping surface. Instead of sticking to warm vinyl all night, you’ll have something that actually feels like bedding.
Want to upgrade? The COCOON TravelSheet doubles as a lightweight sleeping bag liner or sleep sack. It’s made from Egyptian cotton, includes a pillow pocket, and packs down surprisingly small.
Foam Earplugs
Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs
If your idea of a perfect evening is crawling into bed before everyone else, don’t forget earplugs.
They block late-night campfire conversations, snoring, predawn coffee grinders, and birds that somehow know exactly when sunrise begins. They weigh almost nothing and might be the highest return-on-investment item in your dry bag.
Sleep Mask
Albatross Sleep Eye Mask
The wilderness gets wonderfully dark. Then the full moon rises. Or sunrise hits your tent at 5:30 a.m.
A comfortable eye mask can easily buy you another hour or two of sleep. Mine has lived in my camping kit for years.
A Cotton Sarong
Aloha Collection Pareo
If there’s one unexpected MVP on a river trip, it’s a simple cotton sarong.
Use it as a towel, changing wrap, skirt, picnic blanket, pillowcase, shade cloth, or soak it in the river and drape it around your shoulders on a hot afternoon. It somehow becomes whatever you need it to be.
Thrift stores usually have them for just a few dollars. If you want one that’ll last for years of river trips, the Aloha Collection Pareo is worth the upgrade.
Mesh Laundry Bag
REI Co-op Mesh Stuff Sack
Dirty clothes have a way of taking over a dry bag quickly. A simple mesh laundry bag or mesh stuff stack keeps damp or dirty gear contained while allowing it to air out instead of trapping moisture and odor. It also makes unpacking at home significantly less gross. Just dump the whole bag into the washing machine and run away quickly.
Packing Cubes
Cotopaxi Cubo Packing Travel Bundle
Packing cubes aren’t really about saving space on a river trip, they’re about saving time… and preventing headaches. Keep river clothes together, camp clothes together, and toiletries together so you’re not digging through your stuff every morning looking for that sunscreen you swear you packed.
I like Cotopaxi’s Cubos because the mesh side panels let you see what’s inside without opening them, and the grab handles make it easy to pull them from the depths of a dry bag.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stick
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick
I’m a Chapstick brand purist, but river trips tend to require something more heavy duty. This little stick punches well above its weight.
Dry lips, cracked cuticles, scraped knuckles, sunburned cheeks, chafed skin, rough heels. It handles all of it, disappears into any pocket, and somehow always ends up getting passed around camp.
A Waterproof Whistle
Whistles for LIFE Tri-Power Whistle
A whistle is one of the cheapest and most important pieces of safety gear you can pack on any river trip. Hopefully you’ll never need to use your whistle, but if you do, you’ll want it clipped to your PFD, not buried in your ammo can.
Look for a pealess design or one with a waterproof pea that won’t fail when wet. This one produces a 120-decibel blast that’s loud enough to cut through wind and whitewater.
Quick-Dry Towel
Nomadix Original Towel
A quick-dry towel earns its keep on the river, especially for longer trips where you might go for a dip and call it a shower. Use it after a swim, brush sand off your feet before climbing into bed, wipe down camp chairs, then hang it in the sun and do it all again tomorrow.
I’ve had the same Nomadix Original Towel for years of steady use, and it barely shows it. It’s also large enough to double as a changing towel without taking up much room.
Insulated Camp Mug
MiiR Camp Cup
You’ll use this more than almost anything else you pack.
Morning coffee. Afternoon electrolytes. Evening bourbon around the fire. Hot cocoa when temperatures unexpectedly drop.
I like the MiiR Camp Cup because it keeps drinks hot or cold for hours, and the sturdy handle makes it easy to clip to the raft with a locking carabiner.
Ziplock Bags
Never underestimate the humble Ziplock. They organize toiletries, protect electronics and medication (within reason), store sandwiches for lunch, corral charging cables, and keep small items from disappearing into the bottom of your bag. Bring a variety of sizes and reuse for more than one trip.
