Having small children should not deter a family from enjoying a float trip. There are ways it can be done safely and will provide all family members with a lifelong memory to treasure. By far the safest mode of transportation for a float trip with small children is a raft. Rafts are difficult to turn…
‘Twas the night before the float trip and all through the camp Not a creature was stirring not even a scamp. Wrong. Or is it?
Now that you’ve been on several float trips, have minimized the number of tip-overs, and have traveled the same five or ten miles of the river over and over again, it’s time to up the ante. It’s time to challenge yourself and make the river fresh again. One way of accomplishing this is to do…
Rope swings have been a component of river fun for as long as there have been rivers and people, but are they dangerous? Are they criminal? One of the rules enforced by the Missouri Water Patrol is no cliff jumping or rope swings allowed. I was fully aware that cliff jumping/diving was banned, despite it…
Mention a float trip, and most people think of summer. June, July, and August are great months for floating, but they’re not the only months. Autumn is a time that should be considered as well. Fall float trips are a well-kept secret known only to a few Missourians. But that needs to change. While the…
The temperatures have dropped and frost is eminent, yet you still have the urge to kayak and canoe. What’s a person to do when their floating buddies have disappeared along with the warm weather? Are they simply fair weather friends? Don’t despair. While the majority of kayakers and canoers consider floating to be a warm…
Float trips are hard work in a hot sun—both of which can build up a terrible thirst that sometimes needs something a little stronger than water or soft drinks. I’m talking adult beverages. Again, this is an area where creativity shines.
I spent last weekend floating the Meramec River, actually kayaking the Meramec. I did a five mile trip on both Friday and Saturday and other than the turns in the river being the same, the two trips could not have been any more different. That’s one of the beautiful things about floating. It’s never the…
Every summer, tens of thousands of visitors flock to Missouri rivers to cool down, relax with family and friends, and float. Floating is an age-old Missouri tradition that makes use of one of the state’s natural resources—spring fed streams and waterways. Most of the time, a great day is had by all, and everyone returns…
Besides a canoe and a paddle, a cooler is the next most important item needed for a successful float trip. A cooler holds your food, and more importantly it holds the beer. After all, who wants to drink warm beer on a hot summer day? With such importance placed upon a cooler, take the time…