Ultimate Packing List for White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon

September 2023

Ultimate Packing List for White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon

So, you are thinking about going on a white water rafting trip down the Colorado River and camping in the Grand Canyon. We booked this adventure through Wilderness River Adventures and they (along with other rafting companies) provide a thorough list of what to pack since this is a fairly unique trip. Before going on this trip I had never been camping before so this list was all I had. I only had a 30L backpack and I still over packed for this trip and could have done with far less now that I have gone on this trip. This is the blog post I wish I had to prepare for my trip.

While I outlined all the things I packed in this post, I think now that I have done the trip, this post is a more accurate better representation of what you actually need – and it is shockingly very little. The list may seem extremely light but trust me, this was really all you need. You can certainly pack more, but it will likely go unused. The reason? Everything dries extremely fast here and the river is used to rinse everything. The company provides large and small dry bags so you do not need to pack those or ensure your backpack is waterproof. 

To show what you need and why you need them, I divided up the packing list by items you need while on the raft and items you will need while at camp.

RAFT

• UV shirts – These are essential as the sun is brutal with no shade. Because of these shirts, no one in our group got sun burnt. What is also great about these shirts is how fast they dry when they are wet – a critical component for anything you wear on the boat. While I packed three, I actually only wore one of these on the entire trip since it kept getting wet and washed every day. If packing one doesn’t feel right, do not pack more than two. Since clothing dries extremely fast, each time it gets wet – either from the rapids of rinsing in the water – it dries very fast.
• Bathing suit – Wearing a bathing suit under your clothing on the boat ensures that when you are wet, you will dry more quickly. Having a wet bottom for an extended period of time is no fun. Wearing bathing suits bottoms also ensures you can easily go tinkle in the river. While I packed two, I only ended up wearing one for the same reason as the UV shirts. 
• Shorts – For males, this is covered by wearing a bathing suit. For females, either sport shorts or compression shorts will do. If packing one pair doesn’t feel right, DO not pack more than two. 
• Rain jacket – In the mornings when the sun has not gotten high enough yet, it is still chilly and getting 50 degree water splashed on you may not be as fun until it gets hotter later in the day. The rain jacket was great for the morning to keep us a little warmer until the heat of the day started.
• Sandals with straps – My Xero sandals have been wonderful for all our water trips and this was no exception. You definitely want some sort of water shoe for the trip. Sandals with straps are needed so they stay on your foot during rapids or walking in the water. 
• Water proof wide rim hat – I am not a hat wearer but I purchased a wide brim hat for this trip. Sun protection really is critical while on the boat and the one I purchased also had UV protection and was water resistant. Regardless of the hat you bring, make sure it has a strap to ensure it stays attached to you while going through wild rapids. 
• Sunglasses and straps – If you have caught onto the trend, the name of the game here is sun protection! For sunglasses, make sure you get a strap to attached them so if they come flying off in a rapid, they do not become a river donation. I also packed a pack up pair of sunglasses in the event something happened to the first pair and extra glasses straps.
• Sunscreen – And a lot of it. I was shocked how much we went through so definitely packed extra of sunscreen. Since you alternate going between soaked and dry, the sunscreen application frequency is higher than normal beach vacations.  Using solid sunscreen helps for carry on packing as it does not count towards your liquids.
• Waterproof pouch for phone – This was essential for keeping my phone out and protected while on the river. What I did was snap the strap to the life vest so I could have it out and on me. If you are bringing a go-pro, make sure you have one that is waterproof or have waterproof casing. For “nice” cameras, I do not know how to waterproof them for being on the boats.
• Water bottle – Hydration is essential on this trip so having a large water bottle is key. The rafting group recommends something like a Nalgene that is lightweight. We brought our Hydro Flasks and I am glad we did not purchase another water bottle for this trip. On the rare occasion we had ice, I was over the moon happy for that cold water. Water is accessible on the boat during the day as well and you are encouraged to keep drinking. 
• Carabiners – These are needed to connect your water bottle, day dry bag, and anything else to the boat. It is a bumpy ride so it is important you have your items secured to the boat. I grabbed a pack of them and their utility was very helpful. 
• Also throw in a few plastic ziplock bags as they may come in handy for organizing your items in your dry bags.

CAMP

• Head lamp – This is a non-negotiable and make sure to also back spare batteries. Mine died the last day so luckily I did not need it any more but that would have been a huge mistake if it happened earlier in the trip. 
• Solar powered bank – Being disconnected is wonderful but you are going to need a few items to recharge. Whatever device you decide to use for taking pictures and videos, a Kindle perhaps, or anything else you may need for your trip requiring a charge, you are going to need more than just a power pack for five days. I brought a power bank charger and a solar charged power back. I ended up only needed the solar power pack for the trip but I am glad I had the back up one as well. Running out of battery on my phone to take photos was not a scenario I wanted to mess around with. 
• Eye mask – You would think being at the bottom of the Grand Canyon that it would be pitch black dark at night. At least for our trip, that was not the case. Even without the moon, the stars numbering in the millions so having an eye mask really helped me sleep at night.
• Pillow case – While you are given a cot, sleeping bag, and sheet, you are not given a pillow. While we purchased a stuff sack, you really do not need to spend the money here – just pack a regular pillow case from home. Then, stuff your clothes into it to create a pillow. Some travelers brought a blow up pillow so it is your preference on how much support you need from a pillow. I also brought a jacket so I stuffed that in there as well. Additionally, I would put items like my headlamp and glasses case into the pillow so they did not get lost in the cot and I had easy access to them if I needed them. 
• Camp clothes – You are going to want comfy and dry clothes for when you are at camp and for sleeping. For me, camp clothes and PJs ended up being the same thing. Honestly, with all the sand it was so much easier to just not constantly be getting changed. Once again, I brought two “outfits” and ended up only wearing a comfy shirt and water resistant quick dry pants.  I also packed a fleece jacket which I threw on in the evenings.
• Face and body wipes – Your bathing routine is most likely going to be altered down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Washing in the cold river every day was not going to happen. So I packed face wipes and body wipes to minimize the need for water. The face wipes really were the ideal way to wash your face – just splash a bit of water from the water bottle and you will have a clean face. The body wipes were a last minute add on and I have to say, they were a life changer on the days I did not bath in the river. It really made our skin feel clean and refreshed. Both wipes were such a treat after a long day on the river.
• Toiletries – Our toiletry bag rarely changes so this had our standard items.
  • Contact lenses and solution (also bring extra of this – the dry environment is brutal we almost ran out)
    • Are you a contacts wearer? I had concerns about using my contacts without getting an eye infection on this trip but with the guide’s emphasis on good hand hygiene, there are actually good measures at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for handling contact lenses. When putting them in, make sure to hand wash right before putting them in and do not touch anything else in between those activities to avoid sand. Make sure to bring plenty of contact solution and extra lenses – it is extremely dry in the Grand Canyon and we all had issues putting contacts in at various times of the trip because our eyes were so dry. Make sure to also pack plenty of eye drops to keep eyes and lenses moist. Another great thing to pack is a small mirror with a light to be able to see what you are doing. My final contact lens tip is to take them out shortly after arriving at camp – do not wait until it gets dark as everything becomes more difficult in the dark. Wash your hands once the hand washing stations are set up and pop the lenses out. Your eyes will thank you for more hours of lens free wearing.
  • Tooth brush and tooth paste
  • Lotion – we went through an entire container – it was so dry down there!
  • Bandages or sports tape
  • Hair Brush
  • Deodorant
  • Soap / Shampoo – One that is biodegradable and has multiple uses. I love the shampoo bars from Lush as they can be used as body wash and shampoo. I also used this to freshen up our clothes when we washed them in the river. 
  • For female travelers – If there is even a small chance you could get your period while on this trip, back yourself your favorite non-pad items like tampons or a menstrual cup.
• Scent packet and buff – Your secret weapon to conquering the bathroom. Last minute I threw into my bag a packet of lavender hoping it would help alleviate the unpleasant smells of the bathroom situation. I put the sack into a buff and put it over my mouth and nose so I did not have to hold it and I had both hands to navigate the bathroom to-dos and I have to say it worked like a charm and I am so proud of myself for thinking of this item.
• Electrolyte packets – Dehydration is a real concern on this trip so throw in an electrolyte packet per day of your trip to ensure you are re-hydrating properly. I love these packets from LMNT because they do not have sugar.
• Towel – Funny, I actually never used this until we got back from the Canyon but it still feels like something you should have.

Backpack

The bag you use for the trip does not have to be waterproof. And it does not have to be that big! Since we were hiking in, we wanted something lightweight. We did not have a legit hiking backpack prior to this trip and now that we have one, we will not be going back. After some research we went with the REI Traverse 32L backpacks and they worked perfectly. I am glad I did not give in and got a larger bag cause at 32L, it can be versatile for a day trip without being too large. Everything we packed fit easily and that is with over packing quite a bit.

Additional Items

If your trip requires you to hike in or out of your rafting adventure, you will want a few more items. For our trip, the hiking was in the beginning so we were able to wear those items then pack away until we left. Hiking also requires you to pack everything up so it encourages you to keep your pack light – the hike we did was 12 miles!

• Hiking shoes – My trusty Xero hiking shoes once again proved wonderful leaving my feet happy after 6 hours of hiking downhill. Do not show up to Bright Angel Trail with new shoes and if you can get a wider toe box the better – especially if you are hiking down the trail.
• Hiking outfit – I wore the REI sunshirt and Water resistant quick dry pants
• Water bladder
• Hiking poles if needed 

Items I Packed I did not Need

• Merino wool shirts – I packed a 150 and 250 base cause I thought it would be cold and I was so nervous about sleeping at night and being freezing.
• Hat and gloves – Again, nervous about being cold.
• Puff jacket – Could you tell I was concerned about being cold?
• Thick socks for camp – Cause no one likes cold feel.
• Leggings – I ended up not wanting to wear anything tight cause it was so sandy.
• Second bathing suit
• Second UV shirt  
• Kindle – Even though we were exhausted every night and had trouble sleeping in the beginning, reading was really not something that worked at night due to the bug’ attraction to the light. I fully expected to read on this trip and I never turned it on. Kevin read his once in the morning when we got to sleep in.
• GoPro – I forgot to pack a pin to attach the camera to the hand grip but even if I had it, I do not think I would have used it as my phone ended up being perfect for capturing photos and video.
• Packable day bag – This has always been a must pack on your other trips but it was useless on this one.The company provided day dry bags that we used and when we did walks off the boat during the way, they were never far or long.

Read all the details of our adventure exploring the Grand Canyon here!

Thinking of going on a trip like this? Read What to Expect white water rafting and camping through the Grand Canyon here!

Read all blog posts for this Grand Canyon adventure here!