Frequently Asked Rafting Questions
Is a river rafting trip right for me?
Our river trips attract all types of people, but they all have one thing in common: a desire to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort. They appreciate that all the details are taken care of by professionals, allowing plenty of opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends. Our guests come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, careers, age groups (from 6 to 91!) and levels of experience --from having never camped or rafted before to having grown up on rivers. Never boring, our river trips do not require sleeping in the dirt, eating freeze-dried food, heavy lifting or athletic skill. Our trips take you away from phones, traffic and hectic schedules. No special knowledge or equipment is needed (that's our job!). Whether you desire beautiful scenery, a little excitement, the chance to challenge yourself, education, quality time with friends or family, relaxation or all of the above, our river trips offer something for everyone.
?Is it Safe
Rafting is an activity that involves an element of risk that cannot be completely removed -- much like the risk of a car accident every time you drive to the store. Risk, however, can be minimized. By carefully educating our guests about the general risks of river rafting and the specific risks involved in the wide variety of optional activities associated with a river trip (such as hiking, swimming, climbing on rocks, etc.), we attempt to make good decision makers of everyone. Our guides are ever watchful and well trained. Regardless of their experience, each is required to attend a week-long annual training seminar covering risk management, river rescue, customer service and many other issues and skills that we feel is necessary to being a professional guide. We have special rules for kids, use only top-of-the-line equipment, and require of our guides a higher level of first aid and CPR training than most other outfitters. We are very fortunate to have an unblemished safety record stretching back 33 years. So, is it safe? From a statistical standpoint, accidents and incidents are rare -- especially on the moderate rivers that we offer at Ouzel. And while we make every effort to minimize risk, we cannot eliminate it. Each guest must assume some risk and be required to sign an Assumption of Risk form prior to departure. Read our participation requirements . Don't hesitate to ask questions of our office or guide staff at any time.
We provide and prepare all meals from lunch the first day to lunch the last. Our guides are fantastic, experienced cooks who prepare high-quality, healthy meals made with fresh ingredients. We serve a variety of fruits and vegetables, and meat and non-meat choices. The evening meals are grilled and baked to perfection. On overnight trips, meals in camp are served on full-sized banquet tables with a selection wine for adult guests. Beverages also include coffee, tea, ice water, lemonade, hot chocolate, iced tea and breakfast juices served throughout the day. Guests are welcome to bring your own sodas, beers or spirits and we'll keep them on ice. Healthy snacks are always available. See our sample rafting menu .
What about dietary restrictions and food allergies?
Our meal plans are designed to be flexible in order to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions. Since dishes are largely made from scratch, it is usually possible to prepare meat/dairy/gluten/nut-free portions of a dish on the side or simply offer an alternative. Our guides are pretty creative with sauces and dressings, and we typically stock a basic supply of common items that assist in creating alternatives. We collect dietary information on the individual guest registration form. If you have dietary restrictions or food allergies, it is important that you provide as much details as possible on the form.
Vegetarians – Vegetarian versions of dishes will be prepared on the side. Meat products are substituted with alternatives such as hummus, tofu, Beyond Meat (and other plant-based meat substitutes), Quinoa, Eggplant, Portabella mushrooms and other protein sources.
Egg Allergies – We distinguish between being able to tolerate ages in baked goods vs. not tolerating eggs at all. If you can tolerate eggs in baked goods, we will have an egg alternative product or replacement item for egg-based breakfasts. We will not check labels for other items. If you have a serious allergy and cannot tolerate eggs as an ingredient, we will have substitutes for egg-based breakfasts and we will check labels for dessert and snack items to ensure there is an acceptable alternative. We will not check labels for pre-made items such as dressings, dips, condiments, bread products and dry or canned goods.
Nut Allergies – We distinguish between serious peanut allergies and other nut allergies. If you have a serious peanut allergy, we will eliminate all dishes with peanut butter or peanut products from the meal plan and peanut butter will not be present on the trip. We will check labels of dessert and snack items to ensure that desserts and snacks are peanut-free or we will have peanut-free alternatives. For other nut allergies, we will eliminate those nuts as ingredients from dishes or prepare nut-free portions on the side. We will also check labels of dessert and snack items for those specific nuts to ensure that those items are nut-free or we will provide a nut-free alternative. In both cases, we will NOT check labels of pre-made items such as dressings, dips, condiments, bread products and dry or canned goods.
Gluten Allergies – We will ask for your sensitivity level on the registration form. We will have gluten-free alternatives for all bread products, desserts and snacks. We will not check labels for pre-made items such as dressings, dips, condiments and dry or canned goods. For those with cross-contamination issues, we will prepare gluten-free alternatives first and separately, avoiding cross-contamination through the use of dishes, utensils or cooking surfaces. Our river kitchens are not certified as gluten-free, but we will do our best to keep you healthy.
Dairy Allergies – We distinguish between “lactose intolerance” and those with a serious allergy to dairy products. For lactose intolerant guests, we will have alternatives for any raw dairy products served alone or as ingredients to dishes, such as milk, cream, butter and cheese. We will not check labels for pre-made items such as dressings, dips, condiments, bread products and dry or canned goods. For those with a serious dairy allergy the same applies but we will take the further step of checking labels for dessert and snack items to ensure that desserts and snacks are dairy-free or we have dairy free alternatives.
Vegans – For vegans, we will follow what is outlined above for dairy allergies and vegetarians.
Organic – While some food items on our trip may be organic, it is only because that happened to be the best option available for that particular product. Unfortunately, we cannot honor requests for organic meals or ingredients.
Checking in with the Crew and Checking Ingredients – If you are concerned about ingredients or how meals are being prepared, please check in with your guides when they begin meal preparation. You are welcome to read labels and talk to the guides about how the meal is prepared and served.
Cross-Contamination – For those with serious food allergies we strive to prepare relevant dishes separately and prior to other dishes to avoid cross-contamination through use of utensils and preparation/cooking surfaces. To further avoid cross-contamination, those guests will be invited first through the buffet line at lunch and through the cafeteria-style buffet line (guides serve the dishes) at dinner and breakfast.
Bringing Your Own Items – You are welcome to bring your own food items to supplement our meal plan if it is necessary to accommodate your dietary needs. This should be coordinated with our office. Otherwise, personal snacks will need to be kept in the day-use dry bag provided to each guest. If you are bringing items to supplement our meal plan, non-refrigerated foods should be packed in a single, durable bag (not paper or plastic). Items needing refrigeration should be packed in a small cooler (ideally soft-sided and not more than 20 qt. capacity). You only need enough ice for the first day. After the first day, there will be room in our large coolers for your items.
In many ways, river trips were made for kids. Regardless of a child's age or the current "phase" they happen to be going through, all kids thrive on our trips. Our guides are very skilled at drawing out the quiet ones and reining in the wild ones. They'll play bocce and river tug-o-war, learn about plants and animals, hear stories about native Americans, sleep out under the stars in a "dream circle," learn to guide a raft or "surf" a kayak, ride an "otter slide," and always make new friends. Parents are often impressed at what their kids are capable of and the opposite is true too! Our guides not only make sure that the kids are never bored, but do the same for parents, creating opportunities for parents and adults to pursue their own interests.
The riverside campsites we select most often have a variety of options for tent sites. We find that most guests enjoy selecting their own personal site and setting up our easy-to-set-up tents on their own. Our guides will be happy to teach you how to set up your tent at the first campsite and are always available for “troubleshooting” during the trip. If you find that setting up your tent is difficult and don’t mind the guides selecting your site, feel free to let your trip leader know that you would like your tent set up for you each night. We will be happy to accommodate your request. We provide roomy tents (family- sized tents available on request), cozy sleeping bags and thick pads. Each year, we host many people who have never camped before, but we have always been able to make the camping experience fun and comfortable for them. Our camps are clean and well-organized, complete with tables and chairs, toilet facilities, hand washing stations, tables for snacks, a river library, games and other amenities. The guides make sure that you are comfortable and know your way around on the first evening.
Reservations are required on all trips and can be made by phone or securely online. A payment or deposit will be due at time of reservation. Since availability on all trips is limited, our cancellation policies apply in all cases. We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to protect your investment. Meeting instructions, packing lists, area information and helpful planning tips are e-mailed on receipt of your deposit.
We do not cancel trips due to inclement weather. If your trip departs in the early or late season, we provide you with information on how to prepare for inclement weather. If we cancel your trip due to unsafe river conditions, inadequate bookings or for any other reason, all payments will be refunded. Multi-day trip reservations require a deposit of 20% per person, due at time of reservation. Your deposit is non-refundable. Final Payment is due 30 days prior to departure and is non-refundable. Our Half & One-Day Trip reservations require payment at time of reservation. After 30 days prior to your trip there is a $10/person cancellation fee. No refunds for cancellations received after 48 hours prior to your trip. Read our full policies .
Some camps on some of our rivers have toilet facilities installed by the forest service, but most do not. For rivers without facilities, we bring portable toilets downriver with us. These are state-of-the art units with a molded seat that is about the same size, shape and height of a regular toilet. Toilets are set up in a screened location away from camp and an "occupied" indicator will ensure privacy. During the day it is provided as needed. There is always a portable station available for washing hands with soap and water. For women rafters who desire more information about feminine hygiene on a river trip, more information is available here .
For the river, wear comfortable clothes that can get wet; swimsuits, quick-drying shorts and t-shirts. Bring quick-drying long pants and long-sleeve shirts for protection from the sun (if you are sensitive) or for cooler days. Keep in mind that wet cotton clothing will cool you on a hot day and rob you of all heat on a cold day. Comfortable cotton pants and shirts are great for camp. You'll want shoes that can get wet; sandals that have a heel strap and are secure on your feet are good. Prior to your trip, we will send you a detailed clothing list. You can also purchase clothing for all of your outdoor activities from Northwest River Supplies.
For shoulder-season or cold-weather trips refer to our Cold Weather Trip Suggestions.
Certainly! We have a tremendous supply of water: the river! The water temperature varies with the river and time of year, but it's always refreshing. We suggest that you bring biodegradable soap. We also carry solar showers that use the sun to heat water (not available on 2-day trips). These work very well, even on cloudy days. Let your guide know in the morning that you would like a hot shower that afternoon or evening. The guides will set up the shower on a tripod in or near the river and make every attempt to provide enough hot water for everyone.
Each trip planner will discuss specific plant and animal concerns for each river. Insects, rodents and reptiles are always present, but bother us very little on river trips. Snakes are rarely seen and usually avoid us before we know they're even there. Ticks are sometimes present in the early part of the season, as are mosquitoes, but you usually have to get away from the river and into the woods or tall grass to find them. As such, creepy crawlers are usually not abundant and easily avoided on river trips. The guides will let you know what is present and how best to avoid it. While you may never need it, we do recommend bringing insect repellent -- just in case.
If you have enjoyed your trip and feel that your guides have done an outstanding job, it is customary to thank them with a gratuity. A gratuity of between 15% and 20% of your trip fare is much appreciated. The guide staff has a tradition of sharing gratuities.
