Items Everyone Should Have In Their Rafting Survival Kit

Most people understand that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Preparedness doesn’t just happen by chance alone, and a bit of foresight and planning must go into making any precautionary measures. This is especially true when deciding on what your rafting survival kit should contain. You don’t have to think that by making one you are expecting the worst to happen, just that if it was to, you would be ready.

If you are planning a rafting adventure of your own this summer, be sure to go over this list and ensure that you have the contents with you in a dry bag, one that can be lashed to the raft itself. One other note is that this survival kit is big and can be because the raft will be carrying it until it is needed. Most survival kits for other situations would be much smaller as you would be forced to carry it, but since that is not the case here, it’s best to bring anything that could be needed and sift through it when the time comes. With that said, let’s go over this list and explain what the items are needed for.

Necessary Rafting Survival Kit Contents

• Bandana: A bandana is an all around great item to have on you. Can be used to shield your head from the sun, wrap up cuts or abrasions, kept wet and wrapped around your neck to stay cool, or any other number of purposes. Try to have at least one, but two or three could never hurt.
• Belt Knife: A belt knife is one that should stay on your person at all times, and is kept on your belt so as not to fall out of your pocket. It is also easily accessible in case you need it in the moment. For instance, in the event you are tossed out of the raft and managed to get wrapped up in cords underwater, the knife can be used to cut yourself free. Beyond that, a knife is one of the most crucial items to have as its overall versatility and potential uses are endless.
• Bug Netting: When in a survival situation, any annoyance is going to be heightened and made worse. For most people, bugs make the top of the list for annoyances outdoors. A proper bug net will shield you from these pesky critters at time when your nerves are already going to be shot.
• Candle: If you can help avoid sitting in the dark, you will surely be happier. They are also useful for keeping a flame going in case you dont have much dry material around you to use.
• Metal Cup: Your going to want something to boil water in, and a metal cup is the best option for that without having to carry bulky pots. Hot water will raise your spirits if your cold, as well as your body temperature. You can also steep pine needles and other edible plants to receive a few extra vitamins and calories. Boiled water is also one of the best ways to kill bacteria in water that would otherwise make you sick.
• Dried Food: Dried food is good for a long time as it doesn’t spoil, and for that purpose is perfect to take in a survival kit of any sort.
• Duct Tape: If anything in the world breaks, it can be fixed, fastened, or wrapped up in duct tape. Its uses are endless, and you should always have some of it with you.
• Fire-Starting Device: Magnesium strips and flint,  friction starters, or anything really is better than nothing. Even a basic lighter will make you extremely happy when you want to start a fire.
• Tinder: Tinder of any sort is extremely useful when everything around you is damp or wet. It will be needed to start the base of a fire so that a larger one can be built up on top of that. Even picking up things along the way as you find them is a useful habit to get into. Dry wood chips, moss, pine needles, and the like will all do the trick.
• First Aid Kit: Should be pretty self-explanatory. An entire article could be devoted to this item alone, and as such, you should research what is best needed for a first aid kit, as often times, they are dictated by the region and climate you will be in.
• Fishing Equipment: Anything helps when trying to scavenge for and find food. Fishing lines, hooks, lures, and lead weights will all come in handy. The pole itself is not necessary, and if truly wanted, could be fashioned in the field.
• Flares: No better way to signal for help in the night. Best used if you know a party is nearby or that you hear a plane or helicopter overhead.
• Flashlight: Again, no one likes being beholden to the dark. Can also be used to flag down emergency responders at night.
• Wire Saw: Folding saws, hatchets, and any other number of sawing instruments would work. But mainly these are needed for either making shelter, or some other form of device such as a hauling sled or raft. A wire saw though is lightweight, flexible, and gets the same job done in the end without having to worry over carrying a sharp saw in your otherwise waterproof bag.
• Orange Garbage Bags: Bright colors are best in daytime for allowing emergency personnel the best chance to spot you. You can tied one to the top of a stick and carry that around as you walk as a sort of flag. Garbage bags themselves also have a great number of other uses that make them worthy of being included in this list.
• GPS Unit: A functioning GPS will be your best friend for telling you exactly how lost you are. It will tell you where you need to go, as well as geographical formations to avoid, such as steep mountains, or sheer ravines. Makes trekking out yourself quite a bit easier.
• Map & Compass: If you don’t have a GPS, or the one you had has failed you, it’s time to rely on what your ancestors did. An old fashioned map and compass worked for grandpa, and so long as you know how to use them, they’ll work for you too.
• Survey Tape: When moving from the area where you initially became lost or stranded, it is important to leave markers for emergency responders to know in which direction you are heading. Orange surveyor tape is one of the best optons for this, as you can easily tie them around branches or trees as you move along.
• Money: You never know when a couple extra bucks will come in handy.
• Multi-Tool: Another essential item regardless of the type of kit your or putting together. Having a saw, knife, pliers, tweezers, and any other number of instruments, the multi-tool will be your best friend in the field. If you had to choose only one item from this list, the multi-tool should most definitely be it.
• Needle & Thread: Great for mending clothing that has been torn, tarps or other cloth material. But also very useful for stitching wounds up that would otherwise fester in become infected if not closed.
• Parachute Cord: Cord that is relatively strong has a wide range of uses. They can be used to tie off wounds, bound items together, create snare traps, and any other function that your mind could come up with. Parachute cord is often preferred because of its overall strength, which is required for ensuring a parachuter doesn’t become detached from the parachute itself after the powerful jerking action occurs when a parachute has been deployed.
• Pencil & Notebook: In a survival situation, there are going to be a lot of things running through your head. Being able to jot down notes for location, number of days, and any ideas that pop in your head will be useful. The isolation of a survival situation often gets to a person as well, so being able to communicate, even with yourself, can be a great help.
• Protein Bars: These should be used as your last resource, when no other food could be gathered, caught, or found. But having a number of protein bars along with some dried foods will at least give you enough extra energy for a few days. Remember a person can last weeks without food, so use them when they are most needed.
• Safety Pins: Safety pins have a range of uses, they can be used to keep torn clothing together, as fishing hooks, and can even doubly as sewing needles.
• Signal Mirror: During the day time, unless you make large markers on the ground, or start a fire, the best way to signal a plane or helicopter in the sky is with the aid of a mirror. An eye in the sky will quickly notice the glimmer or shine of the mirror as you refract light towards it. A most useful signaling tool. It can also be used to start a fire if you have the patience.
• Snare Wire: Snare wire will be very useful when the time for catching food arises. Small game such as squirrels, rabbits and the like will provide a great amount of nutrients if a proper snare is created. The hardest part is setting one up in an area you know game to travel through… small game make small trails and are often difficult to recognize.
• Solar Blanket: An emergency solar blanket will be most welcome on a cold night, or one, most likely, where you are wet and already have a hard time staying warm.
• Water Purification Tablets: These should be used as your last resort when other purification devices have failed, or when boiling is not an option. They keep for a long time, kill most bacteria, and should be trusted enough to have in your kit at all times.
• Water Purification Device: When boiling is not an option, use a water purification device. There are a wide range of types, and it is up to you which one you want. The only thing that would be recommended is to avoid ultralight sticks as they only kill bacteria, where other devices can purify water of other minerals, toxins, debris.
• Whistle: A whistle is useful for signaling people that you can spot with your eye. The sound travels further than your voice can and is more distinguishable. At times when people can’t see you, all that’s left is to be heard, and the last thing you want is to spot rescuers, but be too weak to call out to them. A whistle ensures that is not an issue.

At Wilderness Aware Rafting, we offer great family rafting trips where the whole clan can get together and do something fun outdoors. If you are interested in Arizona Salt River Rafting, Rafting Colorado, or any other number of Land-Based Adventures, be sure to check and see what trip offerings we have available!