Washing dishes on a river trip can bring you great joy, if not life-changing magic. With good friends at your side and a terrific canyon view in your sights, the time passes quickly. Here are time-tested tips for how to set up your dishwashing operation in river camp, a list of essential camp dishwashing gear, ... Read more The post How to Wash Dishes in River Camp appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

The Upper Colorado is a wonderland of whitewater well known to many paddlers in Colorado. But if you’ve avoided this stretch because you’ve heard it’s crowded, consider giving it a shot. The Upper C has many options for both hardcore paddlers and families looking for a low-hassle overnighter relatively close to Denver. Here’s a guide ... Read more The post Planning an Upper Colorado River Trip appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

Sipping a well-brewed cup of java while the sun rises over the canyon on a river trip is a singular pleasure. That experience requires that you don’t run out of coffee and you have the right equipment to make a good cup. The best camping coffee maker for a river trip is a thermal coffee ... Read more The post Best Coffee Presses for River Camping appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

For most people, the Smith River in Montana brings fish to mind. Lots of big, beautiful trout. But I think of wildflowers: Fields and fields of wildflowers. Pristine water, limestone canyon walls. Although I know someone who has run the Smith 25+ times (he’s lived in Montana a long time), the Smith is an exceedingly ... Read more The post Guide to Floating the Smith River in Montana appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

Part of the joy of being on a multi-day river trip and camping out every night is leaving fussy things like bubble baths and wardrobe changes behind. But some modicum of cleanliness is good for your personal relations with other river trippers and keeps rashes, chafing, and cracked skin at bay. Plus, good camping hygiene ... Read more The post 17 Essential Personal Hygiene Tips for River Camping appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

Packing food for camping on river trips poses some unique challenges: It’s a little like packing food for car camping, but you need to think about what will happen if your food is in a boat that flips at some point. Also, if you’re on a multi-day river trip—for three weeks if you’re on Grand ... Read more The post 9 Food Packing Tips for Camping on River Trips appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

When you first inflate your new paddleboard, you’ll quickly realize that you need some accessories before you get on the water. For starters, most boards don’t come with paddles. There’s a lot of other gear you can use to make your time on the water more comfortable and fun. (Note: This post includes affiliate links, ... Read more The post 5 Essential Accessories for Your Stand-Up Paddleboard appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

As any grade schooler can tell you, nearly any decently detailed map will show you the rivers—skinny blue threads for the little creeks, big snaking tubes for the Mississippi down around Louisiana. But for river runners, the essential river map information includes—at minimum—the location of access points, rapids, and campsites, with bonus points for popular ... Read more The post Best River Maps, Guidebooks, and Apps for Rafters and Paddlers appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

This protein-rich, hearty vegetarian white bean chili comes together extremely fast, perfect for making and throwing into the freezer on a weeknight before your river trip. Ingredients This vegetarian white bean chili has an unusual spice mix that makes it a real crowd-pleaser. I like to serve it with cornbread, which you can make ahead ... Read more The post Simple & Hearty Vegetarian White Bean Chili appeared first on RiverBent ..read more

Running a multi-day river trip in the early spring or late fall seems obvious if you want to extend the paddling season or experience a permitted river without winning a lottery slot. But those shoulder-season trips can be frigid, especially in the Rocky Mountain West.  After running a couple of notably cold river trips—the whitewater-rich ... Read more The post Tips for Staying Warm on Cold-Weather River Trips appeared first on RiverBent ..read more