General diving articles

Getting ready for a tourist rafting down the river. General tourist equipment.

milaeryomina

Well, well, we already know what  clothes and shoes you must take with you for rafting down the river . We also know what  personal equipment we need on this trip . It was my turn to talk about the tourist equipment that everyone uses, i.e. in general.

Team-wide camping travel equipment
1. Tents. The choice of a tourist tent should be given special attention. This is the very roof over your head that will protect you from any adversity. The tent should be free of obvious flaws: holes, loose seams, no broken locks, fasteners and ties, with intact and functioning arcs. Those shortcomings that seem like a trifle in the city, in nature in severe bad weather can lead to great discomfort and ruin the whole rest, and in the worst case can become a serious threat to health. It is desirable that it be two-layer (single-layer is now practically not produced with rare exceptions). When buying a tent, pay attention to what kind of weather (or, to be precise, "bad weather") it is designed for. This value is indicated in thousands of units and ranges from one and a half to three thousand (tents for amateur tourism). Perfect option, if the arches in the tent are aluminum or duralumin. These materials are much stronger and more durable than CFRP. But, if you do not go on hikes all the time, but get out only once or twice a year out of town, into nature, then tents with arches made of carbon fiber will fully cover all your needs. They cost less than tents with metal arches, and with proper use and skillful storage, they can last up to 10 years.

Finally, let's say that if your team is quite large and the question is "how many tents to take?", Then always count so that the number of sleeping places is greater than the number of tourists. The fact is that the number of places in tents is calculated very economically, for hiking (when the volume and weight of equipment is very important). And we, in our articles, talk with you about river rafting (this type of recreation is sometimes also called tourism for the lazy) and in this case you can afford to take one or even two "extra" tents. The option with a large number of berths will allow you to relax in much more comfort than the option with “end-to-end” berths, ie. one to one. 

2. Campfire equipment. The most important thing during preparation for river rafting is not to forget to take kettles and kettles. It is advisable to have one large pot for making soups and cereals and one pot for brewing tea. We do not recommend taking a teapot (with a "spout"), because they are less durable, more capricious to transport. It is quite possible to do with a simple bowler during the hike. There is one general requirement for the boiler and kettle - the handle should not be wooden or plastic, in order to avoid it catching fire.
In addition to the common boiler and kettle on the rafting, you must have one or two cutting boards (you can just pieces of plywood), one large plate-salad bowl, one or two containers for bulk products. Be sure to take a ladle or ladle.

Also, the so-called tripods, tourist cables, grates, etc. are also referred to as campfire equipment. In general, those devices that allow you to hold the pot and kettle need fire. It is difficult to give any recommendations here, since it all depends on the wishes and experience of tourists. The main thing is that it is available. Although, many make do with spears and crossbars, which are chopped on the spot.

3. Awning. In any river rafting, it is advisable to have an awning with you or, in extreme cases, a large piece of polyethylene. They can always cover things during the rain (on the catamaran or in the camp while the tents are not set up). You can hide under the awning yourself while cooking or while eating.

4. Ax and chainsaw. Any team of axes must have two (one spare). Axes must be functional and sharpened. A chainsaw is also desirable because makes life much easier on the rafting, but not necessary. You can do without it (if the terrain allows). 

5. The camping equipment industry develops from year to year and offers a huge number of things that make life in nature quite comfortable. These things are not necessary for every alloy, in many ways they are even superfluous, but we will mention them in one line so that our readers have an idea that they exist. First, it should be said of the tourist furniture. For example, a table and chairs make any river rafting more comfortable.

Secondly, you can take large awning tents or tents for the rafting. They are not intended for spending the night in them, but they make it possible to have a comfortable dinner, wait out the rain and bad weather, and shelter from active sunlight.

Thirdly, you can take a diesel or gasoline generator with you on any trip. Then you will have electric light in the evenings, you will be able to recharge the batteries on cell phones, cameras and navigators. Fourthly, we will mention the plastic barrels with a wide neck, which are very convenient to store food, and some even transport tents in them (the rigidity of the barrels protects the fragile carbon-fiber arches from breakage).

General equipment -
means for rafting
1. Catamaran. The most ideal means of rafting down the river for a large company is a catamaran. A catamaran (or a raft, which performs the same functions for an amateur non-category rafting) allows the whole team to be on the same "board" and promotes communication. In addition, the catamaran / raft is safer for children and for tourists in general, especially if it is equipped with a deck in the form of a banner or wooden deck. Amateur tourists usually rent catamarans.

Therefore, we will give several recommendations and tips on what you need to pay attention to when renting a catamaran. First, be sure to check the integrity of the cylinders. The ideal option is when you came to pick up the catamaran and the cylinders are deflated and packed in a bag or herm (and before that the cylinders stood inflated for a day). In this case, there is a guarantee that having arrived at the river you will not have to glue the catamaran cylinders. Secondly, be sure to check the availability and completeness of the repair kit. It must contain glue (not expired), pieces of rubber, sandpaper (zero or one), scissors, wide tape, electrical tape. Thirdly, check the integrity and completeness of the frame (if the catamaran has a factory frame). Fourth, don't forget the paddles. Fifth, be sure to make sure that life jackets are included with the catamaran and check if so that they fit all team members. Sixth, it is desirable that the catamaran be equipped with a deck or deck. Sometimes the banner deck of the catamaran is made in the form of a large hermetic package, where you can put all things during the rafting - this is very convenient. Well, and finally, we will give advice to check the harness, i.e. ropes with which the balloons are tied to the frame or with which the frame is tied.
The undoubted advantages of the catamaran include the fact that its design easily allows you to install a transom and hang a boat motor.
The tips for renting a raft will be about the same, but assuming there will be no frame.

2. Kayaks. In our article, we took out the kayaks separately, because alloy on them has its own specifics. Firstly, the speed of rafting on kayaks is usually higher than on a catamaran. Kayaking requires the best physical fitness from tourists. Secondly, kayaking requires more organization and discipline in the team. Someone will surely be tempted to swim faster forward, camp on the shore and not notice that you stood on the bank of one channel, and the main team went along the other and everyone was lost. Kayaks are frame and inflatable. We will not talk about the advantages of this or that type of kayak, because at the level of amateur rafting (and we have devoted our articles to this), the differences between inflatable and frame kayaks are completely insignificant.

3. Inflatable boats. Probably, this is one of the most democratic and inexpensive options for rafting. Basically, everyone can afford to buy a small 2-seater rubber boat.

Rubber boats must be taken at the rate of one 2-seater boat per person. Don't forget about things! Rafting on the river on rubber boats has one drawback - everyone will have to sail separately, and if you tie the boats, the speed of the rafting drops significantly. The boat option is only suitable for small teams of 3-4 people. 

4. Homemade alloy means. Let's just mention them and not say anything about the advantages or disadvantages. So, tourists sometimes make wooden rafts (less and less in recent years) at the starting point. Rafts are often made using car cameras. The author of this article has seen a small rafting tool made from ... plastic bottles! 
We do not recommend taking these rafting facilities seriously, because first of all, the question of the safety of the alloy arises. And secondly, aesthetics play an important role in river rafting. Rafting on a beautiful and stately catamaran or on a raft from cameras - these are, as they say here in Odessa, two big differences!