I’ve grown up loving nature and being outdoors, whether that be on a camping trip, a hike, or just watching the stars in my backyard. So, when I was hired as the graphic design intern at Chums this summer, I was stoked to be surrounded by people who shared this love of the outdoors too. As my internship progressed, I interacted with hundreds of pictures of people on river trips and heard stories for coworkers about the amazing experience a river trip provides. I was hooked—immediately putting a river trip on my “bucket list.” Then, just a few weeks later, I was lucky enough to be invited on a river trip on the Main Salmon River in the Northern Central part of Idaho. I write this blog post to not only share my experience and show my appreciation to the trip and the wilderness I spent 6 days in, but to also offer five pieces of advice I would give to someone else going on their first river trip.

There is nothing better than being in the middle of wilderness—no traffic, no street lights, internet or service—it is just you, nature, and the people you’re with. The world seems simpler and even more beautiful. Then, add the exhilaration of traveling down class three and four rapids in an inflatable kayak to the tranquil isolation and surrounding beauty, it is an experience you can never forget. At least, that’s how I look back on my first ever river trip. I am extremely thankful to have spent six days on the Main Salmon River in Idaho. In a landscape that rivals the most beautiful sceneries around the world. We spent our days kayaking eleven to seventeen miles a day, and then setting up camp on the secluded beaches that are scattered along the Salmon.

The first two days were cold and foggy, which was actually really nice once you squeezed into a wetsuit and were paddling down the river. On this trip, Idaho threw all kinds of weather curveballs at us. Perhaps, the most notable of these curveballs was on day three. The group of fourteen guests and five guides found ourselves at a beautiful beach after kayaking on one of the most exciting stretches of river. The cool fog from the morning and early afternoon had burned off and we were able to peel off our wetsuits and enjoy an afternoon playing corn hole and bocci ball in the sun. With clear skies above and endorphins flowing from an incredible day, a few of us decided to sleep under the stars. After a couple hours, I was gently awakened by a few light rain drops, which felt great against my slightly sunburnt skin. I fell back asleep, confident that the sprinkling would stop in a few minutes as Idaho rain often does. A few minutes later, my sleep was rudely disturbed by a torrential downpour. With no tent set up or shelter to hide under, everyone ran for cover under a tree on the beach, which did little to keep us dry as the wind pushed the rain horizontally into us. It took us twenty minutes for someone to propose we set up a tent. Sandy and soaked to the bone, three of us crawled into a two person tent with only an emergency blanket to keep us warm.

You couldn’t help but laugh at the predicament we got ourselves into. We got too cavalier and presumptuous with Mother Nature, and she made sure to put us in our place. We stayed awake through the night, huddling together in the sandy puddles of water that had accumulated beneath us. When the sun rose and we came out of the tent to put on dry clothes, we discovered perhaps our biggest mistake of all—not closing our dry bags full of clothes. Once we got back on the river and started that day’s adventure, the no sleep and no dry clothes didn’t matter. The sun and dry Idaho air would take care of that, it was a memory I would never forget and something we all learned from.

So, my first piece of advice I would give any first time river tripper would be: respect mother nature and be prepared for any weather she may throw your way.

My next piece of advice to first time river trippers would be to: lean into the experience and embrace being out of your comfort zone. While it may seem like a cliche, by leaning into the entire experience and getting outside your comfort zone, you will not only get the most out of the adventure but you will get to look back and be proud of your effort and appreciate the once in a lifetime moments even more. So, go through that class four rapid. Sleep outside under the stars (put up a tent just in case). Hike to the hot spring. Paddle all seventeen miles. Do the things you wouldn’t do in your everyday life. You signed up for the trip for an adventure—go make it a great one.

My third piece of advice is a little bit more specific and a little less “profound”—nevertheless, it is important—put sunscreen on, always. Regardless of it being sunny or cloudy, you can still get burned. And even if you are wearing a wetsuit, don’t forget to lather up your ankles and neck, because there’s nothing more uncomfortable than putting on a tight wetsuit in the morning and having it scraping against your angry, sunburnt skin.

My next to last piece of advice is: get to know the people on your trip. Whether it be your friend, significant other, family, or a stranger, a river trip without any distractions from the real-world is a great way to connect with others. You have so much time to really get to know someone and learn from them. Making connections with your fellow river trippers is part of the experience. And after the trip, you’ll never know when you might need a friend to stay with in Nebraska or hire a contractor in Vermont or whatever the scenario may be, you can expand your worldview, connections and relationships by using the time away to open up with others, and hopefully, they will in return.

My last piece of advice, and perhaps the most important one I could give is: if you get invited to go on a river trip, say yes. Six days without your phone, work responsibilities, and daily stressors of the real world, may be just the thing you need to reset and get perspective. Not to mention, the amazing amount of fun you’ll have doing it.

The 3 products I'd highly recommend for any backcountry river trip, whether it be your 1st or 20th, are the Downstream 4L, the Orbiter Float, and the Floating Phone Protector. The Downstream 4L is great to keep sunscreen, chapstick, and any other essentials dry while you are on the water and can't access your belongings. The Orbiter Float is the perfect, lightweight product for making sure you don't lose your sunglasses on a class 3 or 4 rapid. Lastly, the Floating Phone Protector is not only such an awesome product for taking pictures while on the water, but if your phone does go overboard, the bright colors, dry seal, and floating design will ensure your phone's return.