The Whitewater Blog
arkansas rivercoloradocolorado businesscolorado raftingdry baghip packhip throw bagkayakingmesh bagsnaturenature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearRafting Storiesstoriesthrow bagthrow bagswaist throw bagwhitewaterwhitewater arkansas riverwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater raftingwhitewater safety
Should You Have a Waist Throw Bag?
Around 70% of river guides surveyed use a waist throw bag. Those who don’t often cite entanglement concerns. There is always a risk associated with ropes and moving water. However, hours of scouring the American Whitewater Database only revealed one incident of a guide getting caught on his throw bag.
arkansas rivercoloradocolorado businesscolorado raftingdry bagkayakingmesh bagsmulti-daynaturenature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearRafting Storiesstoriesthrow bagthrow bagstravelwhitewaterwhitewater arkansas riverwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater raftingwhitewater safety
5 Ways to get Involved in your Local Whitewater Community
There will almost always be a local Swift-water rescue option where you can learn, hands on, how to throw a throw bag, self-rescue and entrapment rescue, as well as how to flip and unpin boats and how to tie river knots. These courses are offered throughout the year in most whitewater communities. You can always contact a local raft outfitter for info about swift-water courses in your area.
coloradocolorado businesscolorado raftingkayakingnaturenature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearthrow bagswhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations, “every regulated trip carries…a throw bag containing a minimum of fifty feet of rope.” Throw bags are required safety equipment for commercial whitewater rafting. However, there are no requirements for when or how to use your throw bag.
For example, some guides prefer to have a knot at the end of their throw rope, and others prefer a clean line. This personal preference is often the subject of heated debate. To learn more about this division in our river community, we reached out to guides, private boaters, Swiftwater Rescue, and industry experts.
coloradocolorado raftingdry bagGrand Canyonkayakingmesh bagsmulti-dayoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearthrow bagthrow bagswhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
3 Essential Bags for Whitewater Rafting.
In this discussion we will talk about 3 essential whitewater bags to bring with you. First up, the throw bag. Essential to keep one accessible. You never know when a bad situation is coming and it is best to be prepared. Second, a dry bag. Dry bags are very important if you want to keep your clothes dry. Getting to camp and finding out your change of clothes is wet is a real bummer, and in colder months could be dangerous. Lastly, a good gear bag. Obviously rafting requires lots of gear and organization. Having random gear spread out all over the raft is never a good idea. Down below we will go into details and break down the specifics of why these bags are essential.
coloradocolorado raftinggunnison gorgekayakingmesh bagsoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearthrow bagswhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
9 Must-know Knots for Raft Guides
Whether you’re a private boater new to whitewater, a 15+ year guide, or a life-long Redbull kayaker, there are a few knots you need to know. And not just know but be able to tie at a moment’s notice in high-stress situations.
campcampingcoloradocolorado raftingGrand Canyongrooverkayakingmesh bagsmulti-daynature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearRafting Storiesstoriesthrow bagswhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
How (Not) To Use a Groover Toilet
We reached out to the river community for groover fail stories, and you guys delivered. The following horror stories come to us from all over the country. Each is worth a laugh and provides a great opportunity to learn from others' mistakes. Enjoy!
coloradocolorado raftinggunnison gorgekayakingmesh bagsmulti-daynaturenature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearstoriesthrow bagswhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
Between the quiet beauty of floating and the irreplaceable adrenaline of whitewater, river trips attract millions of visitors every year. Whitewater rafting and kayaking offer a way to connect with wild places, build community, and move your body. However, there is a dark side to the sports we love.
coloradocolorado businesscolorado raftinggunnison gorgekayakingmesh bagsmulti-daynaturenature blogoutdoor blogoutdoor gearoutdoorsraftingrafting gearstoriesthrow bagstravelwhitewaterwhitewater blogwhitewater kayakingwhitewater safety
What's the best meal you've had on the river?
So as you can guess, we had the whole canyon pretty much to ourselves. We decided to get ourselves and all of our gear down to the river the old fashioned way. Hiking. We opted out on renting horses, because we wanted to have a “real” adventure. So, we carried a 9' raft, all of our gear, paddles, pump, fishing pole, small food cooler that contained 4 sausages, small camp stove, tarp, dry bags, mesh bags, throw bags and camera gear in only 2 trips. 2 trips down a mile long, steep, rocky trail to the put-in. Down, up and down again for a total of 3 miles and well over a 1000ft of elevation changes. Down at the put in we had the pleasure of meeting Rooster, an old school park ranger that has patrolled that area for decades.