Packing List For River Floating Trips

What To Bring

Ready to head out on your Shenandoah river trip? This master packing list for river trips (including canoeing, kayaking, and rafting) helps you to plan for a successful river adventure. Remember that shoes are required for all river trips; flip-flops are not allowed on any trip.

Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting Checklist

  • Change of Clothes
  • River Shoes
  • Swimwear
  • Sunscreen and a hat.
  • Rain Gear (weather dependent)
  • Food (Snacks and drinks are available in the outfitter store for your trip or purchase a meal at our own King’s Eddy Grill)
  • Drinking Water (no glass bottles, please)
  • Cooler (no styrofoam, please)
  • Rope or bungees to strap belongings down
  • Trash Bags
  • Dry Bag or Waterproof Container
  • Fishing Gear and Fishing License (a selection of tackle proven to work on the Shenandoah is available in the outfitter store. Fishing licenses are also available)
a baseball hat, water shoes, water bottle, and towel in an orange kayak

Tubing Checklist

  • Bathing Suit
  • Shoes (required for all tube trips)
  • Sunglasses
  • Waterproof sunscreen
  • Hat and T-Shirt
  • Cooler (no styrofoam, please)
  • Change of clothes
  • Water
  • Snacks
  • Chapstick or lip sunburn protection
a young man with a green tube

Camping Checklist

Our packing list for camping trips includes additional items needed for a fun-filled multi-day trip. These items should be considered in addition to the list above.   

Please note that it is the responsibility of all multi-day participants to provide their own camping equipment. While we do not provide camping gear for our multi-day trips as a general rule, we can on a case-by-case basis, but it greatly adds to the cost of your trip.

  • Tent
  • Rain fly
  • Ground cover
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sleeping bag pad
  • Cook stove
  • Cooking utensils
  • Paper plates
  • Plastic knife and fork
  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • Lighter and lighter fluid
  • Additional food
  • Enough water to drink and to cook with or a backcountry water filtration system
  • Additional trash bags
  • Shovel for backcountry human waste disposal

Plan Your Trip

Check out our local lodging and camping options before your trip, view the current river conditions, and more!

Contact Us

Talk To Our Adventure Experts


Whether you want to lazily float down the river in a tube or just get away for an hour or a couple of days in a canoe, kayak or raft, we can provide the expertise and knowledge to help you plan your Shenandoah river adventure.

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