Gear List For Your Summer Float Trip

Gear List For Your Summer Float Trip

So, you’re gearing up for your first summer float trip–while you will likely have most of the core boating gear, bringing some extra essentials can significantly enhance your comfort, safety and chances of having a great day.

Basic Comfort & Weather Protection

Layered Clothing: Weather on the water is unpredictable and can change rapidly. Be prepared with these basics.

• Base Layers: Moisture-wicking (synthetic or wool) tops and bottoms to stay dry.
• Mid-Layers: Fleece or down for insulation.
• Outer Shell: Rain jacket, rain pants, or spare waders. Temps can drop, even on sunny days.

Hats: A wide-brimmed hat for sun protection, maybe a wool beanie for weather changes.

Buffs: Face and neck gaiters or buffs provide sun, wind and bug protection–made with lightweight, quick-drying and breathable stretch fabrics.

Polarized Sunglasses: Essential to cut glare, see fish and recognize potential hazards underwater. They also protect everyone’s eyes from hooks, branches, mayhem.

Sunscreen & Lip Protection: Sun and reflective glare off the water can lead to skin irritation or even sunburn. The 15 Best Travel Sunscreens for every skin type from Condé Nast Traveler.

Fingerless Sun Gloves: Many fishing guides and oarsmen swear by them–to protect your hands from sun damage, bug bites, nicks and scratches.

Footwear: Not unlike your hands, uncovered feet can become exposed to sun, bugs, river rocks and debris.

• Wading Boots: If you plan to be out of the boat and wading, it’s a smart idea to protect your feet and have some additional traction. Rubber soles are generally preferred for drift boats (studs can damage boat floors).
• Wet-Wading Shoes & Sandals: Lighter and more comfortable if you’re mostly in the boat for the day.
• Wading Socks: Neoprene booties for wading boots, or even merino wool socks under some sandals for weather changes.

Water Bottle/Hydration: You can never have enough water. It’s also not a terrible idea to invest in a packable filtration system, if you needed to pump or press more. Making the move away from single-use plastic is also a good call–no one needs to see more discarded plastic water bottles on the river bank.

Waterproof Speaker: We don’t know if anyone really wants to hear your ‘77 Grateful Dead Cornell show leaching across the river corridor, but if you need a river speaker, the Turtlebox is a good place to start.

Safety & Emergency Gear

From boating expert Tim Romano: “Little things you or your fishing partner might forget on the next journey–items that would really bum you out if forgotten, like your sunglasses, or rain jacket.”

Dry Bags: For your phone, wallet, keys and any other items you absolutely need to keep dry.

Headlamp/Small Waterproof Flashlight: Even if you don’t plan to be out past dark, unforeseen circumstances can occur. You also could be hunting gators with mice…

Basic First Aid Kit: For minor cuts, blisters, headaches or more serious situations, should they arise. Don’t forget any personal medications.

Leatherman multi-tool: Always handy for cutting mono, making lunch, or minor repairs.

Hand Warmers‍: For cold-weather floats or chilly kids.

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter: Removes bacteria and parasites from river water.

Spare Packable Rain Jacket: Throw one in a dry bag, just in case.

Spare Protective Sun Hoody: Throw this in a dry bag next to the rain jacket.

NOSO Patches: For repairing all kinds of gear.

Fabric Bandages: Welly makes great tin kits too.

Extra Hemostats, Nippers: Essential fishing tools you can’t live without.

Wag bag: For #2 emergencies.

Whistle: For signaling in an emergency. Many PFDs have one built-in.

Spare Car Keys: Keep a set hidden somewhere on your vehicle or with a trusted person, separate from the keys you might lose on the water.

Boat Fishing Gear

Fishpond Cutbank Gear Bag: “Organization, durable design and great way to manage and carry your boat gear.”

Fishpond Nomad Mid-Length Net: “You don’t have to be a fishing guide to appreciate a long- or mid-length-handled fishing net that’s durable, light to carry and easy on the fish you catch.”

Manley 6.5-inch Teflon Super Pliers: “The cutters are robust and powerful, easy to see and simple to operate on the fly. They work great on heavy-duty fluorocarbon, wire leaders, even saltwater hooks.”

Arctic Zone Titan PRO 25Q Roto Hard Cooler: “This cooler size is where soft-sided totable coolers and hard-sided rotomolded coolers intersect.”

YETI Rambler Half-Gallon Water Jug: “While expensive, the YETI Rambler Half Gallon Jug makes a case for being the best in a category: well-designed, easy to clean, extremely durable and most importantly, the ability to keep ‘cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot’ for astounding lengths of time.”

Ombraz Armless Sunglasses: “We love the Ombraz minimalistic product concept and think these will quickly become fan favorites on the river or flats this summer–think activity enthusiasts more than drinking by the pool.”

Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio: “At the end of the day, these radios struck us as professional grade–far better than the toys you might have used as a kid talking from one tree fort to another.”

Cling Mag Grab: “Smart, functional fishing tool with a touch of class. The anodized aircraft grade aluminum on the housing and the high-grade, stainless-steel alloy on the back plate should be able to withstand corrosion and day-to-day abuse.”

Victorinox Swiss Tool: Another river accessory. “For anglers who appreciate simple, durable and well constructed gear, this multitool is a great addition to any day trip or river float.”

Montana Fly Company Boat Box: “Most serious anglers could find value in this oversized fly box. It’s great for boaters, though far too large to carry stream-side. It also could be a great ‘truck box’ to work out of (with the addition of a smaller box).”