We’re in the midst of float trip season here in Missouri. We’ve already told you where to go on your float trip. Here is a primer on what to bring.

Water

Sure you’ll be surrounded by water, but you don’t want to drink the river water. With the combination of the heat and the likely consumption of alcoholic beverage, it’s important to keep hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water before you go and bring more with you. You could always fill your own plastic water bottles for the trip or you could go with this fancy bottle. If bringing your own water, it’s a good idea to freeze the water the night before. This way once you get on the river you can leave the frozen bottles out of the cooler and they will thaw in time to be cool and refreshing later in the day.

Sunscreen

Even if the sun isn’t blasting down on you, there’s a good chance it is frying your skin. Minimize how much you are going to hurt for the next couple of days and lather up on the sunscreen. Here’s a link to everything you need to know to pick out the right stuff. Grab your sunglasses as well, maybe even a hat.

Food

Whether you plan on just snacking while you’re on the river or stopping at a sandbar to have a proper picnic, be sure to eat breakfast before you head out to float. Also be sure to pack smart when packing food for the day. You could always go with the boring sub sandwiches and bags of chips, but why not designate that one Pinterest-crazed person in your group as the food person? Surely they will find plenty of fun recipes like these. Be sure to seal up your food. Odds are you aren’t Joey Chestnut and you like your bread dry and tasty. Make sure you put things in air-tight sealed bags and you may want to think about trying to rig your cooler like these folks.

Music

Everything is life is better with good music. Bring along the Floating Boombox from Sharper Image. It plays music from any source you can think of. Need a playlist? Here’s one. Don’t be obnoxious when picking your music. Odds are pretty good not everyone likes just what you like. Also, there will be plenty of families and other folks on the river with you who don’t want to hear offensive tunes.

A Charged Cellphone

There is probably going to be at least one cellphone amongst your crew. Make sure it is charged. Just in case something happens and you can get cell phone service, this will come in handy. Keep it in a Ziplock bag.

Important Phone Numbers

Along with the last one, just in case something happens. When you mix people, alcohol and water anything could happen. In this day and age you will struggle to find people that know important phone numbers off the top of their head. What if someone in your group gets lost and doesn’t have a charged cell phone? Odds are someone around will have one for you to use. That phone won’t do you much good if you don’t know who to call.

Shoes

Cheap flip-flops from Old Navy won’t make it an hour on your float trip. Get you some good, light foot jackets like these from Zappos.

Beverages

Whatever you decide to drink during your day on the river, be sure to bring plenty of it. Usually convenience stores aren’t going to be on the banks of the river if you run out. Be sure to plan ahead and chill your drinks beforehand so you aren’t relying solely on the ice (that you probably won’t have enough of) to keep them cool all day. Again, put another Pinterest-obsessed friend in charge of this one. Remember not to bring glass bottles. Some rivers also ban jello shots, so look into that before you book your trip if you fancy the gelatin/alcohol combination.

Common Sense

This one should be pretty self-explanatory. Rivers are full of rocks, trees and things year-round. This time of year they are full of people too. Use some common sense. Don’t go jumping off of cliffs unless you know for sure it is safe. Be safe and have fun. Here are some tips for a successful trip from Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Tragedy can strike a float trip just like anywhere else.

Featured image courtesy of MissouriOzarksVacation.com

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