The Unexpected Things You Get From A MultiDay Raft Trip

Multi-day rafting trips are vacations like no other. It’s camping, a white water excursion and educational experience rolled into one off-grid trip. You know you’ll get plenty of sun, awesome meals, and amazing memories with your loved ones. But if you haven’t experienced a multi-day rafting trip before, there’s plenty of other keepsakes you might not expect to come home with. Some of those gems are found in what seems to be the harder parts of the trip.

 Unplugging From Daily Distractions  

Society surrounds us with devices that we use for virtually… everything! Work, unwinding, connecting, creativity, you name it. They’re an incredible distraction as they provide us with so many opportunities to occupy our time.  

When you take a multi-day rafting trip, deep within a canyon nestled in complete wilderness with no 5G in sight, the only option is to immerse yourself in reality, and it feels absolutely amazing. Those eyes will thank you when they can focus on a glistening river and wildlife instead of a screen. Your body will thank you for using it to swim and hike. And your brain will thank you for giving it a break.

Being in the Know

Our guides know it all about rivers. Want to know how the canyons you’re floating through formed millions, maybe billions, of years ago? Mega geological information, check. Looking for a lesson about the area’s ancient civilizations? Absolute anthropology insight, check. Interested in the animals and how they ended up in a particular area, or what they’re up to on the daily? Biology background, check check. If you want to know rafting history, how running a river works, or where that incredible lasagna recipe came from, river guides will be more than happy to share.   

Feeling Relaxed in Whitewater

Dropping into whitewater wave and getting splashed by the cool water does sound intense, at first. Once the first splash washes over you, you’re ready for the next hundred. If not, there’s always tomorrow! The only job while you’re there is to enjoy yourself and the people around you. Riding through a whitewater wave train will put a bigger smile on your face than most advanced amusement park ride in the world. Guides are awesome teachers and river runners, and you’ll know you’re in good hands. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!

More Energy

Sunshine is the best re-charger there is. Start each day as the sun peaks over the canyon walls with hot coffee and a delicious guide prepared breakfast. As the sun washes over you, you’ll feel ready for a new day of adventure. Drifting in the rays on the river nourishes the body and soul, and the spectacular scenery that surrounds urges us to get out there and experience it. When you’re tuckered out, naps in the sand, dips in river, and stoked guides are a constant source of rejuvenation. Also, you’re going to get the best sleep of your life each night in camp.   

The Best Sleep Ever  

It takes sublime work getting through rapids and exploring the wilderness. Now combine that with a satiating meal cooked over a superb campfire, the welcomed cool evenings, and a crystal-clear starry sky… it’s a perfect storm for major snoozing. It’s perfectly acceptable to drift off in your chair around the campfire, or in the middle of storytelling. Don’t let the tent fool you either, they’re more cozy and comfortable than they come off. Without the harsh glow of a distracting screen, you’ll fall into a deeper sleep then you may be used to.

Appreciation for the Little Things  

The sky in the southwest is a blue so vivid it can only be truly captured in person. The rocks are looming sculptures painted with thousands of years of history, and millions of stars reveal themselves away from city lights. Adventures tend to bring out the best in people and show us the beauty in everything. We take more time to concentrate on ourselves and loved ones, catching things we may usually miss. When we appreciate the wilderness, it makes it easy to be grateful for what we have in life and those that we get to share it with.  

Wishing you chose a longer trip

There’s a reason why nature completely consumes us. Days of fresh air, running rivers and camping is total wilderness therapy. When the last day on the river comes, you might feel reluctant to trade the raft in for a vehicle, and your PFD for a seat belt. When the serenity of wilderness and the river becomes your home for a short time, you may realize how hard it is to go back to the day-to-day without campfires, splashes and incredible landscapes to admire. Go ahead, take that extra day of vacation – you’ll be glad you did.

Multi-day rafting trips have so much to offer as a vacation. Traveling a river for days at a time is a such a unique and fulfilling adventure, from the joy you’ll have on the rapids to the peacefulness you’ll experience encapsulated in nature. Come jump in a raft and take off for a few days, the river is waiting for you!

More Reading:

The Health Benefits of Spending Time in the Wilderness

7 Things You Should Know Before Going on a Multi-Day Raft Trip