When thinking of the North, it is easy to conjure images of vast, snow-covered landscapes, winds whistling over mountain passes and empty, frozen lakes.
While it’s true that much of the North is blanketed in snow for half the year, summer is a vibrant season with endless light (the Midnight Sun is real!) and where temperatures can exceed 30 degrees celsius!
This makes it important to pack the right gear to protect yourself from the sun’s rays to allow you to get the most out of your time on the river!
Hats
While ball caps are one of Canada’s most indispensable fashion accessories, they won’t match a wide brim sun hat.
Look for options with a chin strap so no matter what the river brings your way, your hat goes with you!
The Arc’teryx Aerios Shade Hat and Patagonia’s Quandary Brimmer are two excellent examples.A classic cotton bandana and a buff are also great ways to increase the level of protection on your neck and face!
Sun shirts and hoodies
Nothing blocks the sun like a physical layer. Lightweight, long sleeved shirts or sun hoodies will not only help prevent sunburn but also keep you cooler while on the move. All the better if sleeves have thumb holes – great for protecting the back of your hands while paddling!
Sun hoodies are an excellent choice as they provide protection for the back of your neck and ears. Patagonia’s Tropic Comfort Hoody is made from sustainable materials and engineered for maximum SPF protection and breathability. Many other brands including Outdoor Research and Black Diamond sell their own models with defined SPF ratings.
Sunscreen
Perhaps one of the most commonly forgotten items when it comes to packing! On a bright day, the sun reflects off the water and can be further intensified when you’re paddling through canyons, making for some seriously strong exposure.
We recommend having at least SPF 50 and 5 Stars to get the best protection from UVA and UVB rays. Try to choose a sunscreen with zinc oxide as these form a better barrier on your skin and are less irritating, making them an optimal choice for those with sensitive skin.
ThinkSport, All Good and Badger Adventure Sport are excellent options.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are important to protect your eyes, especially as sunlight is so easily reflected off the river. Wrap-arounds or sunglasses with side protection are the best, to protect your eyes from sunlight coming from all directions. Choosing polarized lenses will minimize glare and make sure the full wonders of the landscape are visible!
A lot of our guides wear sunglasses from Smith Optics for their UV protection, durability and style!
Not forgetting your lips...
Lips can dry out and even burn under the sun, so it’s important to pack a lip balm too. Burt’s Bees, O’Keefe’s and Oceanspire all make sport-focused lip balms with SPF and natural ingredients such as beeswax or aloe.
Prevention is easier than treatment. Applying lip balm every couple of hours is far easier than treating painful, cracked lips!
...or your hands
When our hands are out all day working in the sun, a lightweight pair of gloves can go a long way.
Fingerless gloves (like these fishing gloves) are another great option if you want to protect your hands from damaging UV rays but maintain full dexterity.
All that time on the water is very drying, so hand cream is a fantastic item to pack too – and one repeatedly recommended by our guides!
“Post river time hand care is important,” says guide Kyle Stephens. “Once off the river and your tent is set up, spending some time caring for your hands can help make your camp experience that much more comfortable.”
O’keefe’s Working Hands is a firm favourite among our team and you can find it in most pharmacies or Canadian Tires.
Electrolytes
Whether you’re hiking up Goatherd Mountain on an Alsek raft trip, exploring ancient tufa mounds on our classic Nahanni Canoe Trip or journeying through Canada’s deepest canyons by raft, it’s vital to replenish electrolytes lost to maintain energy and hydration levels.
Guide Ursula Kilbridge recommends Nuun Hydration tablets (which even have a caffeinated variety for those wanting an extra boost after the freshly brewed camp coffee has worn off!) and Emergen-C for extra vitamin goodness to stay in peak performance while on the river.
DripDrop has been voted as a great alternative to high-sugar Gatorade for those wanting to replenish salts and sugars lost during physical activity.
For those who don’t want to ingest a list of ingredients the length of your arm, Nectar is a fantastic option which uses organic fruit and stevia for flavour and sweetness, great for moderate levels of exercise.
If you don’t like flavoured water, Buoy Hydration Drops are a great alternative.
Short on packing space? Waterdrop Microlyte are tablet-style electrolytes you can add to your water bottle without worrying about spilling powder everywhere – ideal for when you’re on the go in a raft or canoe!
A final note
It may sound obvious, but one of the items most commonly forgotten on our river journeys are water bottles. It’s important to have a hardwearing water bottle such as a Nalgene to ensure you can remain fully hydrated for your adventure under the Midnight Sun!
