I got this question via email, and it’s a great question that I am sure a lot of people have interest in.
“Looks like I might be doing the Jarbidge-Bruneau run this may. I was wondering if you would have any recommendations for a first overnight trip out of a hardshell (69 miles, 4 or 5 days). If you are interested, you’d be more than welcome to come.”
There is only one portage for sure, so weight isn’t too big of a deal, but always under consideration.
What I’d bring:
Breakdown Paddle, throw rope and Pin Kit: These never leave my boat. Extra items in pin kit that are key on overnights: Multi-tool. Needle + fishing line to patch skirts. A bottle of Ibuprofen.
Drybags: Always a toss up between weight and durability. Watershed’s are really nice, durable and significantly heavy. I have no sponsor in this area and use a mix of Sea to Summit, NRS and Wal-Mart dry bags.
I generally get everything into four drybags, one for my sleeping bag/pad/shelter, another for food, one for extra cloths and the pin-kit misc gear bag that gets food overflow too on longer trips.
Sleeping Bag: Hmm Idaho, almost 5,000′ at put in, in May. I would imagine it could freeze the first night although it’s not too likely. I like down for weight and compression. I’d take my Feathered Friends 30 degree bag. They are honest about their ratings. If I had an REI or North Face bag it would have to be a 20 degree bag, they rate theirs for survival not sleeping.
Shelter: I normally take a Hennesy Hammock, but in the desert I doubt there would be enough trees to guarantee a spot every night. I’d take a ground pad of choice and bring a sil-nylon tarp with some bug spray just in case.
Filter: Personally I’d skip on a water filter + pre filter because the river is so silty. I’d bring either iodine, or my personal choice, just a small bottle of bleach. 5 drops per quart treats me well and it tastes like the water in Davis.
Cooking: I doubt there is enough firewood for fires every night, so a stove is necessary. If you want a light boat bring a propane/butane stove. I’d probably just haul down my old Svea 123 and some extra gas because it’s so cheap to use. I just use a cheap aluminum cooking pot with a lid that holds at least 4 cups, plus a spoon or spork.
Cloths: Normally I don’t bring any extra cloths and plan to dry mine by a campfire, but on this one that’s not a guarantee. I’d just bring flip-flops for around camp, shorts, a wool base layer for my legs and a light down coat. (it’s a steal at that price) I also like to throw in a beanie for cold nights.
Random: Headlamp with fresh batteries, mp3 player, camera.
I saw that for this river you need a port-a-potty. You’ll know more about the pvc pipe tubes climbers use than I would, and that’s the route I’d go, just have everyone deal with their own.
Well that’s about it for the basics, I try to keep it pretty simple.
Food is up to the user, but I learned it’s way better to pack too much rather than almost enough. Not having enough food can ruin any trip, no matter how great the river, it’s not fun if you are starving. I’ll plan this as a four night, five day trip. A lot of people are into the freeze dried, which saves weight, but is terribly expensive for how good it tastes, so my suggestions might just be a little redneck 
Dinners:
1. Steak, throw it in some marinade and freeze it. Keep it in a ice chest until it goes in your drybag. Everyone will be jealous at camp and it’s cheaper than a freeze dried meal! Goes well with instant mashed potatoes.
2. 1 package bratwurst of choice. I plan to eat two and night and they come in a six pack. Goes well with mac-n-cheese.
3. 2 leftover brats and Instant mashed potatoes
4. 2 last brats and either a noodle variety of choice or a different flavor of instant potatoes.
Desert: I have a sweet tooth and try to bring something chocolate for after every dinner.
Lunch: This is a tough one because nothing is dehydrated. It’s also less organized because a lot of stuff I bring gets split up.
Two family size boxes of Triscuits. Substitute with cracker of choice.
Block of cheddar cheese, split into two zip-locs: two lunches with crackers
Salami – two lunches with crackers.
1 big packet of good Tuna. Good to eat with the last of the crackers.
Breakfast: I just bring 2 packets of instant oats per day. It’s mediocre food but easy.
Snacks: I like to bring a big bag of trail mix and another treat per day, like two small peanut butter cups per day.
Drinks: Tang or similar. It’s nice to have, especially if it’s cold and dry weather. People never bring it but always beg it off me, it’s liquid gold. I also bring 2 Emergen-C packets per day to keep the electrolytes up on big days.
Guess I was way off on this one, here is what he really meant:
Do you re-trim your boat (slide seat forwards) to account for gear weight in the stern? I do move my seat about 1″ forward.
Do you still use the float bags or rely on the dry bags to fulfill that role? I rely on the drybags for that role.
Good ways of securing the drybags in the stern (so they don’t swim even if I do)? They are easy to clip into a loop anchored in the rear cockpit rim on the Jackson boats, my big drybags clip into that loop and hold the small ones in place.
How do the combination drybag/floatbags perform? The watershed are reputed to be great and the others rather miserable.
