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Family River Rafting Safety Tips
Rafting can be a fun adventure for the entire family. This outdoor activity is refreshing, invigorating… and dangerous.
There are a few steps that you and your family can take to ensure that your rafting experience is a positive one. That way, you can all come home safely, remembering the great times you had together.
5 Best Safety Tips for Family River Rafting
Always choose a rafting provider who is licensed to provide the experiences you want with your family. Ask the outfitter questions about how long they’ve been in business and the training program they use. If you’re unsure about their professionalism, you can ask to see their license, insurance policy, and other documents.
If your outfitter can’t or won’t produce that information, then it is time to find a different provider.
Once you settle on a company, you’ll want to implement these additional family river rafting safety tips.
Always Wear a Personal Floatation Device
There is always a risk of falling overboard during a family river rafting trip. That means everyone should be wearing a life jacket. Make sure you have all of the buckles clipped, and that the device fits snugly around the chest. You should be able to breathe easily and the item should not slip over your head.
Wear Protective Gear While on the River
Everyone in the raft should wear a helmet. You might also consider protection for your elbows and knees based on the conditions of the river and what you expect to encounter during the trip.
Dress Appropriately for Your Family River Rafting Experience
It helps to wear a wetsuit when rafting, even if your trip happens during the summer. A splash jacket, river shoes, and quick-drying items are essentials to consider. Remember to put on some sunscreen, even if the day isn’t hot, and UVA/UVB sunglasses will reduce glare while in the raft.
Know How to Handle the Paddle Correctly.
You should always have one hand at the end of the paddle over the T-grip on the shaft. The other hand should be at the base of the paddle. This grip makes it easier to stay in control while cushioning any blows that might happen while going down the river. Your outfitter will show you specific techniques to use so that you’re following the correct safety protocols.
Work Hard to Stay in the Boat.
A family river rafting trip can turn scary in an instant when someone gets swept overboard. You’ll want to pay attention to any potential rocks that might be in your way as you go down the river. Listen to your guide to know when you’ll need to lean in while placing the paddle grip to the floor of the boat. If your children aren’t strong swimmers, then you’ll want to take that fact into account when evaluating the difficulty of the journey you wish to attempt.
A little extra planning will help your family river rafting trip be a safe, rewarding experience. Implement these tips with your outfitter to ensure that the experience is positive for everyone.
3 Things You Need Take With You on a Plane
When traveling on a plane, there are a few necessary things to take with you in your carry-on bag. Here are 3 of our must-have items for your next flight.
eReader
A compact e-reader gets rid of the bulk and weight of packaging books, and is a cinch to carry on planes, cramped buses, and in hostel bunks. Taking a high volume of books with you in a compact place like an eReader should really be called a “traveling essential.” A protective case is strongly recommended to cover the screen when it’s stowed away. Kindle is our best recommendation for this.
Padfolio
Padfolios may have many purposes for your overall wellbeing while vacationing. They give you a way to keep important thoughts, items for documentation, etc. Even padfolio planners have a place on your own list of travel fundamentals because they may keep your schedule for you without the need to rely on wi-fi.
Headphone adapters
This is particularly true with new iPhone users. Headphone jacks are not universal anymore. Those times are gone. Nevertheless, most planes are not equipped to deal with these new headset jacks, so forgetting your headset jack adapter could make a long flight feel even longer. For your sanity, bring an adapter with you!
Power Charger
Some planes have power outlets in seats now, but don’t be surprised if your plane doesn’t. Avoid this outcome all together with a tiny power charger. They can be as small as 4 inches long and weighing less than 4 ounces, leaving your devices charged and full of life for your entire flight.
Portable Showers: Camping and Staying Clean
Camping can be one of the best family experiences during a holiday, vacation, or weekend adventure. There are developed campsites all over the world where you can bring a tent and have some fun.
When you are camping for more than a couple of days, the urge to have a shower can become intense. If your campground doesn’t have facilities for you to use, it might seem like you’ll be dirty and smelly until you get home.
That’s when a portable shower makes for a valuable investment. You can go camping and stay clean!
What Are the Benefits of a Portable Shower?
Portable showers can solve the sanitation issues that happen when people gather for an extended time. It might only be you with your family or friends, but it won’t take long for potential problems to creep up.
There are also some additional benefits to consider when using a portable shower when camping.
Emergency Source of Water
There are times when you might need to have an extra water supply when camping. Having a portable shower ready to use can provide that requirement. It can help you to get clean, remove dirt from a wound, or help with drinking needs if you’re in a tight spot.
Added Comfort
Camping can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a time when youngsters start missing what is at home. A portable shower can provide a moment of comfort that can reduce the feelings of homesickness that can sometimes lead to unwanted behaviors.
Accessories Make it Adaptable
A basic portable shower hangs from a tree so that you can become clean. Most models will also work with a variety of accessories so that you can personalize the experience. You could set up a shower tent so that you’re not stuck showering in your swimming apparel. Biodegradable shampoos make it easier to stay clean. Then you can dry off using a microfiber towel.
Easy to Transport
You can take a portable shower to any camping location. It is possible to use them even when you’re out in the backcountry. That means there is never a need to compromise on your hygiene while you take some time to enjoy nature with your family or friends.
What Will it Cost?
Many portable showers are in a price range between $50 to $100. If you want additional features, such as a privacy tent, then you can expect to double the retail price of your preferred model.
When you start thinking about cleanliness and hygiene while camping, it is important to remember your eating habits. If you aren’t maintaining an appropriate nutritional profile, then your body will respond with more odor because it must work harder to remove toxins.
Using products from brands like Amazing Grass, Standard Process, or Metagenics can help you to stay healthy and energetic while camping. Each manufacturer creates specific items that support your physical and mental needs.
Take a portable shower with you to ensure cleanliness. Then remember to eat clean too!
Fun Places to Go on Your Family Getaway
If you are planning a fun family getaway, then you’ll need to find a unique destination that everyone will love.
There are always places like Disneyland, a national park, or a charming town to explore that can create the perfect day trip or weekend experience. This list of fun places will help you to step outside of your box to think about trying something new.
The Best Fun Places to Go with Your Family
If you are willing to go off the beaten path, there are some incredibly fun places to go that will provide lots of smiles and laughs.
The Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour
This fun experience is in Waterbury, VT. It includes a look at the people and the machines that make the incredible ice cream that we all love. One of the best parts of the experience is the free samples that you’ll receive. There is a history lesson about the founders of the company too. Then you can tour their flavor graveyard where over 30 different selections didn’t make the grade for sales.
The Neon Museum
This Las Vegas attraction allows visitors to get a taste of what the city was like in the past. The abandoned neon signs from the different casinos that have gone out of business over the decades are on display in this outdoor museum. The oldest item in the collection dates back to the 1930s. There is a lot of rusted metal and broken glass, so watch your footing as you take a look at all of the signs.
Dinny the Dinosaur
A local businessman loved dinosaurs so much that he constructed two of them in the 1980s in Palm Springs, CA. You can see them from miles away as you’re traveling along I-10. You can wander the desert grounds to stretch the legs for free. There’s also a museum inside the stomach of one of the dinosaurs to complete the experience if you’re willing to pay the small fee.
Wall Drug
The tiny town of Wall, South Dakota, is the full-time home of about 900 people. Most of them work at the extensive shopping complex that visitors love to tour. About 1 million people come to this experience each year because they can ride a jackalope or get scared by a T-Rex. There are lots of unique finds and hidden gems waiting for you here, so take your time to browse and have some fun.
Alley Oop Museum and Fantasyland Park
You’ll find this fun attraction in the small town of Iraan, TX. It is a life-size recreation of the 1930s comic strip that shares the same name as the museum. The central feature of the experience is a 65-foot slide down a dinosaur. Several exhibits are available to tour when the complex is open, with several other comic-based attractions to find. It does close during the winter.
If you’re looking for a unique way to have some fun with the family this year, then these attractions can be an exciting way to try something new. Which one do you think that you’ll visit first?