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When going on vacation there’s always some drama about what to pack. That annoying moment when suitcase full of clothes, shoes, cosmetics, mobile devices, chargers and documents is lying on the floor of the living room. It’s a super mess and you’re trying really hard to organize it.

After hours of outstanding creativity and laser focused strategic planning, you manage to fit everything in. Gloria!! Now you can relax and treat yourself with a glass of wine. You deserved it.
Then all of a sudden you realize – oh gee, we booked rafting. What does it mean? More clothes?

Wouldn’t it be just perfect if you could take with you everything you have. Your bed and pillow, your favourite armchair and your whole wardrobe.

Well, we can’t really help you with the rest of the stuff, but we can tell you that rafting requires no special extra equipment. Now you just grab that glass of wine and finish reading this blog. We will explain in detail

• • list of the things you need to bring with you
  • list of the equipment you will get at our sports center
  • list of the things you can take if you wish or have to
  • list of the things that you don’t need
  • what you should bring with you in case of bad weather

Just wear whatever clothes and shoes you feel comfortable in. Yes, T-shirt, shorts and flip flops are fine. During your rafting adventure you will leave your clothes, shoes and towels in our bus to make sure they stay dry. And don’t worry about the shoes. For rafting we will give you neoprene shoes.

There are just 4 things you need to bring with you if you booked rafting.

• • • swimsuits/bikini

First of all you need swimsuits. Best if you have them under your clothes when you come to our sports center to avoid crowds in front of the changing cabins.

You will wear your swim suits under the neoprene suit. You can also wear shorts, but they need to be tight enough to fit under the neoprene. In case you don’t have swimsuits you can also wear synthetic underwear. We don’t recommend wearing cotton because cotton gets cold when it’s wet.

• • • towel

You will need a towel because you will be wet after the rafting trip. The sizes and colours are completely up to you.

• • • extra pair of underwear

When you finish your rafting tour your swim suits will be wet and you will need something to change. You can also have extra swim suits instead of underwear.

• • • ponytail elastics for long hair

If your hair is long enough to tight them to a ponytail, do it. You don’t want a strand of hair giving you a hard time when you’re supposed to paddle hard thru the rapids.

Just put all those things in a bag. You will leave that bag in our bus.

Your rafting adventure will start at our sports center in Bovec. In our gear room we will give you all the equipment you need for safety and comfort.

• • • neoprene suit/long john

It’s a 3 mm thick sleeveless suit meant to protect your body and legs from cold water.

• • • helmet

Don’t worry about your haircut. Our special ultimate rafting helmets are not here just to protect your head and brain from injuries. They are also designed to screw your hairstyle beyond recognition. So cancel that hair saloon meeting, it’s a waste of money. Your fancy hairstyle is gonna go south the moment you put rafting helmet on.

• • • neoprene shoes

No special shoes or socks are needed. You will wear neoprene shoes on barefoot.

• • • life jacket

To help you float on the surface of the Soča river in case your boat flips or if you decide to jump of some rocks or do a bit of swimming during your tour.

• • • splash jacket

It’s optional, but we recommend you take it for protection from cold water and sun.

• • • vision glasses

If your glasses are not very strong, then it might be better if you go without them. However, if your world is blurred without glasses, then of course bring them with you. Use a stripe because you don’t want to lose or break them.

• • • contact lenses

From our experiences it’s better if you use contacts than glasses when going on rafting.

• • • medicine

Our guides take first aid kit on the Soča river with them for the case of emergency. But, if you need special medicine you can of course take it with you. Your guide will have it in his waterproof box. Just please consult with our office staff about any medical condition that might affect your rafting trip.

• • • sunscreen

In the warm summer months the sun gets strong and there’s not much shade on the Soča river. Therefore, it might be smart if you put some sunscreen on your face to protect your skin from UV rays. At our sports center you will be given an option to take splash jacket. It’s not just to protect you from cold water but also from strong sun. So if your skin is pale take splash jacket as well.

• • • sports camera

Your guide will have his GoPro camera on the Soca river and he will take photos and videos of your exciting rafting moments. All the photos and videos will be send on your email within 24 hours for free. You can still take your camera with you, but it has to be waterproof and you must have helmet mount. Selfie sticks, hand mounts or helmet stripes are not allowed for safety reasons.

• • • water

One of the best things about Soča river is that you can still drink its waters because it’s crystal clear. And we want to keep it that way, so we avoid taking any extra plastic that might end up as garbage polluting it.

• • • sunglasses

If there are medical reasons for taking sunglasses you can take them. Otherwise, we don’t recommend taking anything that you might lose.

• • • mobile phone

There are several reasons for not taking your mobile phone with you. Neoprene suits and life jackets are without pockets so there’s nowhere to keep it safe. You can’t hold it in your hand because you need to paddle. We take care of the photos and there’s no WiFi on the river anyway. Besides, you might break it or lose it.

• • • food

Rafting trip takes 1h20min on the river. Together with driving to the starting point and back, changing from your clothes to the equipment and safety talk it almost never takes more than 3 hours. Even little babies can survive without food 3 hours, right?

If it’s raining and the temperatures are below what you consider nice, it’s a good idea to wear long sleeve synthetic shirt under your neoprene suit. It will help keeping you warm. But it has to be synthetic. Cotton on the contrary is gonna make you feel even more cold.

You can also ask us to give you neoprene jacket instead of splash jacket. Neoprene jackets we usually use only for canyoning, but we can give it to you also for other water sports activities if it’s cold.

So, let’s sum it all up before you hit that lovely “book now” button. There are only 4 things you really need for rafting

• • • swimsuit / bikini
    • towel
    • extra underwear
    • ponytail elastics if you have long hair

If perhaps we forgot to list something you might need or wish to bring anyway, just mention it in the “special notes” section of the booking form and we’ll let you know if it’s possible.