Gear List: La Venta River, Chiapas, MX
An EXHAUSTIVE list of absolutely every piece of gear I’m taking on a 5 day jungle packrafting trip…
Paddling Gear
Wolverine (Small) Self-Bailing - Alpacka Raft
Werner Strike 4-Piece Paddle
Astral PFD
NRS “Scrappy” Paddle Helmet
NRS Splash Pant
NRS 55ft Throw Bag
(2) Twinkies
(2) Osprey UL 20L Bags
(2) UL Locking Carabiners
Compactor Bag (Cut Open for “clean tarp”)
Bow Bag (ExPed 70L Backpack Brain)
1 Nalgene + Break Away Strap
Astral River Shoes
Repair Kit
Hygiene + First Aid
0.5oz Dr. Bronner’s Soap
Tooth Brush (cut handle)
Toothpaste Dots
Wide-Tooth Comb (cut handle)
Hair-Ties
1oz Hand Salve / Zinc Paste
1oz Zinc River Safe Sunscreen
First Aid Kit
Blister Kit
6 UL Wag Bag Kits + Foil Bag
Baby Wipes w/ Witch-hazel
Clothing
(1) Merino Wool Sports Bra (bikini top)
(2) ExOffio Travel Undies (bikini bottoms)
(1) Darn Tough Merino Wool Socks
(1) Neoprene Socks
(1) Short-Sleeve Synthetic Shirt
(1) Long Sleeve Synthetic Sun - Shirt
(1) Synthetic Shorts
(1) Synthetic Long Legging
(1) Synthetic Quick-Dry Hiking Pant
(1) UL Rain Jacket - *Also doubles as splash top.
Pack/Tent/Sleep
ExPed 70L Backpack*
Tarptent Double-Rainbow \(2018)*
Tyvek Ground Sheet
NeoAir XLite Thermarest UL
Sleeping Pad
Sea-to-Summit +15° Sleeping Bag Liner*
Katabatic Gear 30° UL Quilt
Big Sky UL Pillow
8L Sea to Summit Stuff Sac
Cooking + Water Purification
Primus Stove
8oz MRS Fuel Canister
1 Mini-Bic Lighter
Spork
Small Kitchen Towel
Sawyer Squeeze
2L Platypus Dirty Bag + Tubing
(2) 1.3 Gallon/5L Collapsible Water Bags
Cameras + Electronics
GoPro 12
(2) GoPro 12 Batteries
Float Strap
Anker 10,000 Battery Bank
Amazon Solar Bank 20,000
3 Way Charging Cable
Apple Headphones
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Headlamp
Garmin Explorer
Miscellaneous
Mini Playing Cards
Mini-Laundry Line
2 Trekking Poles
Notes on Gear Choices
While I do anticipate a short approach, as well as several 1-2 hour portages on the river, I chose a few items that were heavier in weight for a little more comfortable trip.
Backpack: While I prefer to use my Mountain Hardware 50L UL Summit Pack, I think for this trip I am safer using my 70L ExPed Bag. I didn’t pack food, so I have no idea how much space in my pack I will need to accomdate my food brick - so better safe than sorry!
Tent - I wanted a 2 person tent this trip because I just wanted room to move around in my tent, as opposed to my UL solo tent. I also wanted a tent that can be set up freestanding without stakes. Moving rocks on the banks of rivers disturbs the riparian ecosystems, so I can use my trek poles to make my tent free-standing instead.
Sleeping Bag Liner - After a few more conversations about the river, sounds like I could get away with leaving the sleeping bag liner at home, but sleeping on a plastic mat is gross - so I’m still going to bring it.
Photo: Chris Brinlee Jr. // Four Corners Guides
