Hi Don,
Sounds like a great trip! I have been running expeditionary style trips for 22
yrs. with the longest trip length of 38 days in Grand Canyon. Alot of the
rivers I have worked on were most noted for their whitewater and the art of
staying less wet became a science among the guides. Here is a few tips that can
make a difference on extended overnighters. First of all plan on your dry bag
leaking...even brand new ones will leak if they are not strapped just right or
loaded in the right place. I like to use the heaviest garbage bags I can find
and line my stuff sacks with them. You don't need to roll your sleeping bag
just stuff it into a stuff sack lined with a garbage bag and squeeze the air
out with your knee and twist it closed. Do the same with your tent...and use a
separate bag for your clothes the same way. Put your rain fly in its own
garbage sack to keep the rest of your tent as dry as possible. And when you get
to camp get right to work drying anything that might be wet. Try to rig your
boat with a low center of gravity. This will keep it stable in case of a
suprise like logs across the river or bigger rapids. It will also keep your
profile low in case of big windy days. If you are covering 60 miles you will
need to average over 10mi a day. For me that is alot of water to cover for
fishing. If you can, talk the group into making a couple of long days then
cutting the miles back for the prime fishing areas. Spare oars are a
must.....so is a good first aid kit. I have not floated the Smith, but know
that it has minimal whitewater (class II) and is mostly fast moving water that
will challenge your rowing skills. Even so carrying a throw rope can help for
a swimmer, be used as an extension for a bowline tie up for camp, or a great
clothes line. A good repair kit for your boat is a must have too. Patch
material, glue, sand paper scissors, spare oar lock and a valve or 2 is a
minimum in my kit. Be careful what you choose to wear while on the water. If
you choose to wear neoprene it will only be dry the day you start your
trip...then each morning you will be putting on wet waders.....it can get
pretty chilly if your rowing into a stiff breeze during a snow shower. another
thing I like to do is wear my life jacket under my rain gear. It keeps it dry
and I can use it for a pillow at night. This is just a short list of tips so if
you want feel free to give me a call at home and I will talk your ear off about
river tripping.
Cant wait for the report on this one!
T Wolf
253-863-0711
Don Claridge Claridge wrote:
> Hi,
> In two weeks I'm going to be floating the Smith River in Montana. It's
> approximately a 60 mile float that will require us to carry everything we
> need with us for 4-5 days and we plan to use our pontoon boats - I have a
> River Otter. Having not used the boat for overnight travel before and with
> time getting shorter, it just occurred to me that I should have asked before
> if anyone has any tips for carrying provisions on a pontoon boat. I plan to
> take in one dry bag my sleeping bag, tent, back packing stove, water
> filter, dried food and some clothes. Also plan to carry an extra oar and
> rod/reel. One person in the party will have a larger river raft and has
> said she would carry such things as a shovel, axe, and some of our bags.
> Has anyone done this before and any suggestions?
> By the way, I live in Spokane and fly fish whenever and wherever I can.
> Unfortunately, I have to travel all over the US every week so most of my
> excursions are limited to Eastern WA, Northern Idaho, Western Montana, and
> sometimes British Columbia. I've been receiving your mail for the past year
> and have found it to be quite interesting, but haven't contributed before
> today.
> Thanks for any replies,
> Don Claridge
