I’ve been on a lot of whitewater rafting trips, and the number one question I get from someone planning their first trip is “what do you wear white water rafting?” As a hiker, camper, and kayaker, I own a lot of outdoor clothing that can transition from hiking to kayaking to whitewater rafting, so it’s not always necessary to have specific whitewater rafting clothing. You might be surprised to find that some things you already own can double as rafting clothes. There’s no need to freak out about what to wear on your white water rafting adventure, and you can probably even rent several of these items if you’re not ready to invest in specific clothing for a river trip.
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What To Wear for White Water Rafting
If you are new to outdoor adventure travel, let me introduce you to an oft-used phrase: Cotton kills! Basically, when you are deciding what to wear river rafting, avoid cotton clothing. Once cotton gets wet, it stays cold, gets very heavy, and sucks out your body heat. What you want to wear for whitewater rafting are quick-dry synthetic fabrics that can insulate even when wet. Think wool, Capilene, or “Under Armour” type fabric. Many people wear a bathing suit on a day trip, but I don’t find that to be particularly comfortable. For a summer trip, with warm air temps and mild water temps, these are the rafting clothes I would wear.
- Pants or Shorts – hiking pants or shorts are great. I love my Prana hiking shorts, and they dry quickly! Patagonia Baggies are great shorts for river trips, too!
- Tank Top – I have a racerback tank from Under Armour that I wear constantly.
- Short-Sleeve Top – these Under Armour v-neck tops are perfect for water sports.
- Long Sleeve Top – while I often default to a wool t-shirt my mom brought back from New Zealand, this Patagonia Capilene top is very similar. A rashguard-style top also works well.
With these basic rafting clothes, you’re all set for a summer day trip on the river.
Note: if you’ved booked adventure packages through an outfitter, they will likely supply the helmets if needed, as well as lifejackets, or PFDs.
What to Wear Whitewater Rafting When It’s Cold
Now, if you are planning to go whitewater rafting in colder weather, or preparing for a multi-day trip, you’re going to need to amp up your packing so you can be safe and comfortable on your trip regardless of water temperatures. I spent four days rafting the Rogue River in Oregon and it barely stopped raining the entire time. If I hadn’t had the proper clothing, I could have easily gotten hypothermic as I don’t think it ever hit 70 degrees that week. This is where Neoprene comes in. On a cold water day trip (all whitewater is cold, it’s snowmelt) an outfitter will either loan you or rent you a wet suit. I’ve been kayaking around Chicago long enough that I have my own wetsuit, which I’ve worn a ton – between whitewater rafting, kayaking, and snorkeling, it really comes in handy!
- Wetsuit – Generally, Farmer John or Farmer Jane wet suits will suffice – this is a sleeveless style that allows better arm movement. I have a Camaro brand wetsuit that has served me well for several years.
- Neoprene Pants – I get a TON of use out of my NRS Hydroskin Capri Pants. NRS is the leader in Neoprene, and my pair has lasted forever. This is my favorite piece of white water rafting clothing. These pants have even been snorkeling in the Galapagos, Mexico, and Hawaii.
- Neoprene Boots – I also have NRS neoprene booties that I wear under my rafting sandals. Wool socks will also do in a pinch.
- Splash Top – a proper splash jacket can make a huge difference in your comfort on the river. Unlike a regular rain jacket, splash jackets have very tight seals at the neck and wrists to keep all cold water from getting to your base layers. I don’t own one of these, but many outfitters will provide them or rent one to you if you need an additional outer layer.
Best White Water Rafting Shoes
Choosing the best water rafting shoes is the next step after you’ve got your rafting clothes all picked out. Now, if you are just going out for the day, I’ve seen plenty of people show up in old tennis shoes and do just fine. Flip-flops are pretty useless on the river because they will fall off so easily. (Although many guides wear flip flops, they are more experienced than you and I!)
If you plan to get into water sports a little more seriously, then buying a pair of water shoes is highly recommended. My preferred brand of rafting sandals is Chaco. I owned Teva sandals back in the ’90s and they are back in fashion. I’ve also had Keen water sandals, which I found hard to keep from getting too smelly. All three of these are good quality brands, but I love Chaco’s design and fit. (Pro tip: browse the REI outlet for patterns that are on sale!)
Many people opt for Chaco’s ZX/2 model, which has a cute little loop that goes over your big toe. I owned some for years but found that my feet would swell and that little loop would get really tight. More importantly, I couldn’t wear my Neoprene booties with those. So, I’ve switched back to the classic Z/Cloud X sandals. Whichever model you choose, you’re bound to get a rockin’ Chaco tan!
Other Whitewater Rafting Gear
Besides rafting clothing, you’ll want to bring a few other items for your whitewater rafting adventures. Here are some basic things to bring to the river.
- Dry Bag – I call this my “river purse.” A small, clear dry bag is perfect for carrying your keys, cell phone, sunscreen, and anything else you need for a day on the river. Larger bags are critical for overnight trips so you can have dry clothes to change into at night.
- Pelican Case – these small, hard cases are also great for anything important that you need to keep dry.
- Water Bottle – the key to picking the right water bottle is having something you can clip to it and keep it attached to the boat. Nalgene bottles are perfect for whitewater rafting.
- Carabiners – I use these for everything! Clip your water bottle and a dry bag to the boat, clip your camera or phone to your life jacket, and hang clothes up to dry once you reach camp. Always have a few extras floating around. If it’s not clipped to you or the boat, you might lose it!
- Clothes Line – for overnight trips, having something to hang your clothes from is a must! This is on every packing list, not just the whitewater trips.
Do you have more questions about what to wear on a rafting tour? Shoot me an email or drop a question in the comments!
I never knew how much I needed this post
Great post! We are heading to the Grand Canyon for a week on the river. Friends advised we buy water shoes with toes. I have the Chaco’s you mentioned. Will they work as well as the shoes with toes?? We’ll be doing some hiking every day too.
Thanks!
I’m so jealous…and excited for you! It’s really a personal preference – I hike in Chacos quite a bit around Tucson and people think I’m nuts. We had a “shoe bag” on the raft where we kept hiking shoes for the longer hikes, so I switched back and forth as needed, but also did a fair amount of hiking in Chacos. The guides seem to wear Chacos or flip flops mostly.
Rafting is on my bucket list of things to do. Thanks for letting me know what to wear. It’s always good to be prepared!
Heh! I sort of love the Chacos tan! It must remind you that you had a blast out rafting, once you’re back in town. 😀
This is really useful. I love the idea of whitewater rafting, even though it scares the bejeebers out of me. The river up here in BC are sooo fast, I’d be equally excited and terrified!
I grew up whitewater kayaking all summer long, and I agree that good water shoes are super helpful. Layers, too, are crucial since the temperature can fluctuate while you’re on the river!
Good shoes while white water rafting a definitely s good call! Especially if it’s rocky!
Great information on what to wear when whitewater rafting. I never would have thought about wool.
These are some really great tips! I’ve never been whitewater rafting – jealous that you’ve been so many times – but saw a sign for it in the hostel I’m in and was already pondering what to wear!
As someone who has never gone white water rafting but would love to in the future, this is a great and informative post! As an avid outdoor traveler, I know that packing and wearing the right clothes can definitely make or break an experience.
I’ve actually never gone white water rafting, but I really want to try it. Great tips- would just add to also make sure you have sunscreen! I do a lot of swimming and kayaking and if you’re on the water all day, it can be really easy to get burned.
Great point! My last trip we were covered head to toe, so I didn’t think much about sunscreen!
Haha! Chaco tan for the win! I’ve only river rafted seriously once (although I love to kayak), and it was fun! It was at the smith river. It was cold at that time so we had to wear dry suits too. Also, I wear glasses and there were rocky parts, so glad I didnt lose them 🙂 Happy more rafting adventure to you 🙂
I should add a glasses strap to this list. We did have a guy lose glasses in the Grand Canyon, although the strap would not have helped him as a huge wave just knocked out a lens!
This is a really useful guide. I’ve gone white water rafting a couple of times, and both times wished I had a dry bag, it would’ve been so useful! (and for other water sports too!)
These are great tips, wish I was brave enough to go ha ha! I am not at all a dare devil and I think you need to be for these kind of adventures…
Love the pics!
Valerie
I am the biggest chicken ever, but you wouldn’t know it. I am terrified of falling out of the boat and so far, I never have!
Thanks for this post, I would have worn all the wrong things! The carabiners are something else I would not have thought of!
Carabiners are like the duct tape of the outdoor adventure world! So many uses!
My family wants to go whitewater rafting on our next vacation, and your article had great advice for what we should wear on a trip like this. I liked how you said to consider synthetic material for our clothing, as it can dry quickly and wick moisture from the skin. We’ll keep this in mind when white water rafting.
Thanks, Eli! I hope you all have a great time on your next trip!
Thanks for explaining that synthetic fabrics are best to wear when rafting because they have the ability to insulate even after they get wet. My husband and I want to start doing more adventurous things with our family, and we like the idea of finding a rafting trip that we could all do together. I’m glad I read your article because I haven’t been on a rafting trip before, and your tips about clothing should help us stay comfortable during the adventure!
My friend and I are planning on going on a white water rafting trip next year and since I’ve never been in one before I really have no clue what to expect. Thanks for telling me that buying a wet suit would be a good idea. They should really help me keep warm especially if the waters over there are cold. It’s going to be an entirely new experience for me so I want to make sure it’s as fun and comfortable as can be. Your article was great for this and I’ll definitely have to remember it once we go on our trip.