Magpie Gear and Clohting LIst

Please make sure you bring the following things. If you have any questions call our office. If you don’t already have a local supplier for purchasing your river gear, we recommend Northwest River Supplies. They are familiar with our trips, sell quality gear and provide excellent service and competitive prices www.nrsweb.com .

[ ] Small, lightweight, compressible sleeping pad. Do not bring foam pads because they do not compress well and space is an issue on the baggage boats.

[ ] Lightweight compressible sleeping bag with a rating down to 35 degrees.

[ ] *waterproof paddle jacket

[ ] *Waterproof Paddle pants

{ } wet suit socks (need to fit inside river shoes) 

[ ] quick dry pants

[ ] 3 quick drying synthetic shirts (heavy, medium & light) (also known as Synchilla, fleece, pile, polypro or Capilene. )

[ ] *river shoes (important) (preferably 5-10 with stealth soles)

[ ] *neck buff (bring 2)

[ ] baseball cap to fit under a helmet

{ } sun hoodie

[ ] water bottle with locking carabineer attachment for clipping into boat. Note: Carbineer must lock so that if a boat flips there is no way to get hooked on the carabineer. Do not bring non-locking carabineers.

[ ] lightweight hiking shoes.sneakers

[ ] *sun glasses with neck strap

[ ] headlamp (flashlight) with batteries

[ ] good quality rain jacket with hood (Note: paddle jacket will not suffice)

[ ] 2 synthetic pants (Synchilla, fleece, pile or polypro)

[ ] 4 pairs of underpants

[ ] 3 socks (2 pair synthetic quick drying)

[ ] 2 additional pairs of cotton socks

[ ] medium weight jacket  (dry down, compressible jackets are great)

[ ] 1 long pants

[ ] 2 long sleeved shirts (light colored to reflect sun)

{ } woolen beanie hat (should fit under rafting helmet and should not have any rolls so in case of a swim it will not cover face) 

[ ] bathing suit

[ ] toilet kit

[ ] *soap (only Dr. Bronners can be used in the river)

[ ] small towel

[ ] sunscreen

  • *Headlamp (flash light): A good headlamp is a valuable tool for any river trip because it keeps your hands free. Princeton Tech makes an excellent, lightweight, inexpensive ($30) LCD light that will last 80 hours on one set of batteries called the Aurora.
  • *River shoes: River shoes should stick to wet rocks, not come off in a strong current and should protect your toes. The water on the river is not that cold (68 degrees) so you do not need wetsuit booties. Sandles are not suitable river shoes because they do not protect your feet and are difficult to swim in if you unexpectedly end up in the water. We strongly recommend Five-Ten shoes with “Stealth soles. They will work well on the rafts and most importantly for hiking around on wet rocks. A “stealth” bottom sole is the only shoe that will stick to wet rocks, period! Five-ten is the only company that uses “Stealth” soles. You can find a store that sells them by going to www.fiveten.com . If you can not find a store that handles them they can be purchased directly from the company by going to their website. The water tennie is the preferred model and they do not come insmaller woman's sizes. A good alternative is the woman's guide shoe which also has the "stealth" bottom and comes in small sizes.
  • *Paddle jacket & paddle pants: It is mandatory to have a waterproof paddle jacket and paddle pants on the river. This will keep you warm and relatively dry and is worn over your synthetic shirts.
  • *Soap and Shampoo: Because you will be washing in the river it is imperitive that you bring only Dr. Bronners soap which can be purchased at health food stores. It is made from natural ingredients and does not pollute.
    *Neck buffs (neck gators): Neck buffs are stretchy, circular scarfs that pull over your head and go around your neck. They are available from multiple venders on the internet for between $12 and $20. We purposely wait for August to run the Magpie when most of the black flies have left but there can always been a few remaining and their favorite target is the neck and behind the ears. A neck buff will protect you in these areas as they can be pulled over the back of your head if necessary. They are also excellent for sun protection and warmth.

NOTE: You will be limited to 22 pounds for the expedition, so you must limit yourself to what will fit into the medium size waterproof bag Earth River will supply you with. Additional belongings can be left at the hotel at the start of the trip.

EARTH RIVER PROVIDES:

  1. waterproof river bag
  2. Tent
  3. cup, plate and eating utensils.
  4. life jacket (type 5) paddle, helmet
  5. self-bailing rafts and kayaks
  6. Satellite phone, first aid kit,

OPTIONAL:

[ ] personal medication

[ ] breakdown fishing pole

[ ] camera, film, and soft waterproof case (no metal ammo cans)

[ ] binoculars

[ ] book

[ ] journal and pen

[ ] lightweight bicycle gloves (for paddling)

[ ] pocketknife

[ ] tampons, lip protection, other personal needs

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Each year a few people (approx. 2%) end up on our trips without their belongings. By the time they receive them from the air carrier the trip is over. Because this is a real possibility we highly recommend the following steps to protect your self. Pack all necessary river gear (fleece, paddle jacket, river shoes, hat, sun glasses, bathing suit, etc.) into the largest legal carry on bag you can find and don’t check it. Pack everything else in a regular suitcase. This way if you become separated from you checked bag you will have the most important things for the river as well as the clothes on your back for camp. A couple of year we started recommending this packing plan to our guests. Since then we have averaged about 6 people a year who arrived to do a trip without their checked bags. In each case they had packed their river gear in carry ons and all were able to complete the trip with little discomfort. 

“Earth River runs the only continuous, top to bottom, multi-camp, wilderness expedition on the Futaleufu. A week without roads, electricity or cell phones.”
“I’ve been on nearly all the commercially run rivers in the world and Earth River and the Futaleufu stand out as the very best of the best.”—Fred Wiedemann, Co-founder
"Earth River is the premier river runner in the world. Their staff includes the finest guides to be found."
“Earth River’s conservation effort on the Futaleufu is Herculean and represents the single largest river land trust endeavor ever initiated by a commercial outfitter."—Ronald Dodson, Pres."
"I want to personally thank Earth River for helping us stop the hydro-electric projects on our land preventing the destruction of one of North America's last great wildernesses.
“Earth River’s Futaleufu trip is an astonishment. The amazing camps, all different from one another, but all surprisingly and ingeniously comfortable”—David Rakoff
"I want to personally thank Earth River for helping us stop the hydro-electric projects on our land preventing the destruction of one of North America's last great wildernesses.