"Life is either a great adventure or nothing"
- Hellen Keller

Lake Pend Oreille Kayaking

One of the fundamental elements to staying comfortable while on one of our adventure-based experiences is effective layering.  To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation, and weather protection.  Cotton is not an appropriate option for most applications (except for underwear in camp).  Try to bring only what is necessary—this will help you, other participants, and our Field Instructors.

 

Weather

Daytime temperatures usually range between 50° - 80° F, with evening temperatures dropping to the 30’s and 40’s, depending on the month.  Evening temps of 30 degrees are possible in early June and late September.  You may encounter cool and rainy conditions including fog and wind.  Therefore, effective outdoor clothing such as rain gear is imperative. 

 

Gear Checklist

 

Kayak Gear*

☐        Sea Kayak

☐        PFD and spray skirt

☐        Paddle

Personal Paddling Gear

☐        Kayak Safety Equipment (i.e., bilge pump, paddle float, strobe)

☐        Wetsuit/Dry Top & Paddling Pants

☐        Spray Jacket (if used with wetsuit)

☐        Dry bags for personal gear and food (2 each)

☐        Paddling gloves

☐        Wetsuit booties, water sport sandals (with neoprene socks), or a “wet shoe” (tennis shoes w/ neoprene sock)

Personal Camping Gear

☐        Sleeping bag rated to 30º or less

☐        Sleeping pad

☐        Tent

☐        Stove and cooking gear

Personal Outdoor Clothing

☐        Rain Jacket and Pants (waterproof and breathable, such as Gore-Tex are great)

☐        Mid-weight fleece jacket or wool sweater

☐        Long sleeve lightweight, loose fitting shirt

☐        Hiking pants, quick-drying, lightweight (zip-off legs are great)

☐        River shorts/hiking shorts, quick-drying, lightweight

☐        Mid-weight top and bottom (poly-pro)

☐        Synthetic T-shirt (poly-pro)

☐        2-3 pair underwear (for camp, cotton okay)

☐        2-3 pair of synthetic socks

☐        Swimsuit or river shorts and jog bra (for women)

☐        Head net or Bug jacket

☐        Wool or fleece hat

☐        Sun/rain hat

Personal Footwear

☐        Lightweight hiking boots or trail runners

☐        Water shoes or sandals

Personal accessories

☐        Cup, Bowl, and Spoon in a ditty bag

☐        Bandana

☐        Sunglasses and retainer strap

☐        Toiletry kit

☐        Personal medications

☐        Sun block and lip balm

☐        Plastic bags – Ziploc for wet clothes

☐        2 Water bottles - 1 quart is best

☐        Water purification (i.e., water filter or iodine tablets)

☐        Favorite snacks (i.e., Cliff Bars)

☐        Headlamp/Flashlight

☐        Insect repellent

☐        Pak Towel (i.e., quick drying)

☐        TP system: biodegradable toilet paper & 1 Ziploc quart baggie & 1 Ziploc gallon baggie and plastic/metal trowel

Optional Field Gear

☐        Camera and film

☐        Extra dry bag for personal gear (small)

☐        Small binoculars (7x or 8x is best)

☐        Camp Pillow

☐        Pocket Knife or Multi-Tool

☐        Small fold-able Camp Chair (i.e., Crazy Creek)

Feel free to give us a call at 208-265-4000 should you have any questions regarding the gear list.  The staff at the Eureka Institute will be happy to help you with gear questions. 

 

*Denotes items available for rental for additional cost

^Denotes items needed for intermediate and advanced kayak adventures