Please see below some ideas for what to bring for clothing & camping items. This list is not authoritative, but suggestive. Pack for your personal needs and requirements. Remember, there are no conveniences, or locations resupply on our trips. Bring all your own toiletries and any necessary medications. You can arrive with personal gear in a backpack or duffle bag, and then stuff into one of our dry bags before pushing off.
Our top “don’t forget to pack” recommendations are:
Warm Weather Months — Spring/Summer/Fall
- Foot protection you don’t mind getting muddy & wet. An old pair of tennis. River sandals. Go barefoot if you want, but bring old tennis shoes also for the rough places. Bring extra pair of shoes & pack into drybag to change into at camp.
- Sun protection: Sunglasses, sun screen, long sleeve clothing and a wide-brim hat that doesn’t blow off in the wind. Sun protective swim wear if you are a swimmer. I highly recommend sun-protective clothing for children and anyone particularly sensitive. We find ours at www.nrsweb.com or www.sungrubbies.com, but most outdoors outlets carry them. Quapaw guides often wear head-to-toe sun protective clothing all day long.
- Water Protection even if it doesn’t rain, you might get wet from splashing waves, paddle drips, early morning dew, etc. Start out with polypro layers, top that with fleece or wool, and in case it gets really bad, pack a pair of top-to-bottom rain gear. This combination will provide sufficient all-weather protection, whether it’s a full rain or just cold & windy. Remember, it always feels colder on the river, especially in the winter!
- Head lamp for after-dark reading, eating, whatever. When the mosquitoes come out after dark, the only secure place is your tent!
- A towel. Good Swimming from sandy beaches and islands of the Lower Mississippi River! Towels are also great for all kinds of things, from drying your face after a morning splash, to wiping sand out of your tent, to a makeshift pillow, etc.
- A knife. Useful for everything from cutting steaks to making tent stakes!
- Notebook, journal, sketchbook, camera. You will want to record some of your experiences and the amazing sights & sounds of the Mississippi River. Always a surprise when you least expect it! You might have life-changing thoughts, ideas for a new business, or maybe just a sweet note to a loved-one. Also, you might want to pack your bird guide and binoculars.
Maybe a star chart? The skies are dark over most places along the Lower Mississippi Valley, and on clear nights the stargazing is superb.
ALSO: bring several changes of clothes, and dress in layers in cool evenings. A sweater, fleece pull over & rain jacket for cool mornings/evenings. Camping close to the river is similar to camping on a Pacific Ocean beach in the Fall & Spring, the day might be warm, or even hot, but it feels cool by the water’s edge, and even cooler if there is a breeze
Cold Weather Months — Spring/Summer/Fall
The Mississippi flows swiftly out of the northern states into our region. As such, the water can be surprisingly cold, especially in the early spring. Furthermore, our water temp is usually independent of local air temp.
- Foot Protection you don’t mind getting muddy & wet. On the water, Neoprene Booties are the very best. We stock NRS 11mm neoprene knee high booties for rent ($35) or purchase ($85+ tax) – these are the best we’ve ever worn. Rubber or plastic Barn Boots work almost as well, but your feet will get cold if the water gets in! Easily found at your local hardware store. For the sandbar, it’s nice to have an old pair of dry tennis shoes to change into, or equivalent. Bring extra pair of shoes & pack into drybag to change into at camp.
- Head Protection for both cold & sun. Remember, you lose 90% of your body heat through your head. Best set-up: bring one hat for sun, and another to put on at night.
- Water Protection even if it doesn’t rain, you might get wet from splashing waves, paddle drips, early morning dew, etc. Start out with polypro layers, top that with fleece or wool, and in case it gets really bad, pack a pair of top-to-bottom rain gear. This combination will provide sufficient all-weather protection, whether it’s a full rain or just cold & windy. Remember, it always feels colder on the river, especially in the winter!
- Wetsuits required when water temperature falls below 60 degrees (generally November through April). Not required for our expedition.
- Head lamp for after-dark reading, eating, journaling, finding your way around camp, get one with a red-light option for reading your star chart.
- Thermos filled with your favorite hot beverage. Nothing tastes better on a cold windy day than a sip of hot coffee, hot chai, hot chicken broth, hot miso soup. Refill at lunchtime, refill every morning.
- Sun Protection: Similar to snow sports, winter sunburns are common, especially facial sunburn. Sunglasses, sunscreen, long sleeve clothing and a wide brim hat that doesn’t blow off in the wind. Low- angle winter light has a sneaky way of getting underneath your hat brim (reflected off the surface of the river).
- A knife. Useful for everything from cutting steaks to making tent stakes!
- Notebook, journal, sketchbook, camera. You will want to record some of your experiences and the amazing sights & sounds of the Mississippi River. Always a surprise when you least expect it! You might have life-changing thoughts, ideas for a new business, or maybe just a sweet note to a loved-one.
- Star-chart: at least one per group. The best sky- watching in the mid-south! Let the campfire burn low and enjoy an ever-changing rotation of the heavens over your sandbar camp, the stars & constellations reflected with mirror-like splendor in the middle of gentle boils & eddies. Watch falling stars seemingly sizzle into the cold dark water. Have you ever seen the entire Milky Way reflected on the face of the river?
- A Towel. Towels are great for all kinds of things, not just washing your face in the morning, but wiping sand out of your tent, a makeshift pillow, etc.
ALSO: bring several changes of clothes, and dress in layers in cool evenings. A sweater, jacket, fleece pull over & rain jacket for cool mornings/evenings. Camping close to the river is similar to camping on a Pacific Ocean beach, the day might be warm, or even hot, but it always feels cool by the water’s edge, and even cooler if there is a breeze blowing over it.