What gear should I take to scout a rapid?

So, you’ve come to the marquee drop of the run, that one big nasty drop that everyone has be dreading all day. A lot of boaters have an inclination to drop their gear and equipment of fin the raft and have lunch, a toilet break, or a scout. Personally, I like to be prepared and not having my gear on me gives me the ick as the kids say. What do you take with you when you go for a scout? For that matter what should you take with you anytime you leave your boat?

Risks of Leaving Your Gear Behind

I’ve experienced a lot of strange things and heard a lot of weird stories from things happening during a scout, but what I am most concerned with is dealing with risks on the river. So, naturally I first try to evaluate the risks of what could happen.

Most injuries happen in the raft by impacting equipment, but the second largest injury category happens out of the raft from impacts to rocks, and slips, trips and falls contribute greatly to those numbers. Uneven, slippery, or broken ground is basically the composition of every river bank. So, let’s put that as risk #1.

Next, what happens when you slip? Where are you likely to go…in the river…in the biggest rapid possibly. To we want to avoid that risk, if possible, by not scouting too far or staying high on the bank, but if the risk exists, we can take steps to mitigate it.

If someone does swim a rapid, I’d like to have some tools to affect the rescue as well so that is my next consideration. That rescue could take the form of a swimmer from the bank slipping, setting safety and a swimmer from another raft, I’ve also had several experiences where another crew comes through while I’m scouting and they have carnage, so we need to maintain awareness of all of those risks.

Finally, when evaluating risks, heat related illness is a major issue for me personally so I tend to be pretty sensitive to it especially in late spring days when you are all layered up for the swim, but you are also experiencing warm days. There are other medical concerns too, such as asthma or allergic reaction to things like bee stings so that is another consideration when leaving the raft.

Essential Gear for Leaving the boat

Scouting does offer a natural break from the river and so does a lunch break. The highest potential for heat related illness happens here so I am always inclined to take water and a snack. To try to mitigate risk as much as possible, I generally never remove my equipment when I’m stopping between put in and take out. I’ve had rafts float away from me at random intervals so I definitely don’t want my gear to float away with it. I have also seen and experienced several light taps to the head while walking on slippery rocks so keeping that helmet on is a solid way to mitigate risk of a head injury while walking on shore.

I have been on several scouts where I needed to do rescue work for my own crew or other crews so having my full kit plus a throw bag and even a paddle are super helpful. Sometimes rafts float away so having a paddle close at hand can be useful if a raft gets away or you have to finish up a rescue and r1 a boat somewhere. Paddles are also very effective at having something to quickly reach out and pluck a swimmer out of the current or help with a shallow water crossing without being swept downstream.

As far as throw bags go, pretty much everyone should have one and be trained in it’s use. You never know who could swim or where so having a crew to be ready to make that rescue happen can make a huge difference. If a boat gets wrapped in the marquee drop, having a bunch of extra rope at hand can make quick work of that. Most importantly it saves a lot of time when you leave one crew at the scout to set safety so the rest of the boats can start their runs. Having a throw bag on hand makes it so you don’t have to waste a bunch of time and energy running up and down river grabbing gear.

The most important rule for leaving the raft though is be prepared for anything. The river is a dynamic place so having what you need close at hand can be a lifesaver. We tell our junior team not to dump pieces of gear off for the scout or lunch so they can be ready and we advise the same for any paddler. If you’re allergic to bees maybe consider taking an EpiPen in a small box too. Running the river doesn’t stop at lunch or a scout so why leave your gear behind, taking gear off just means you have to take more time to put it on later, so why remove it if you are still engaged in the activity. Boat smart, scout safe, and if you need some help working on skills or have questions, check out the beginner and intermediate rafting series for more knowledge.