A river tubing checklist does not need to be complicated. Pack for a few hours of sun, water and being outdoors: drinking water, sunscreen, secure footwear, quick-drying clothes, phone protection and something dry for afterward.
The biggest mistake is usually bringing too much. Anything you take onto the water becomes something you need to keep dry, secure or carry back out.
Quick River Tubing Checklist
Must Bring
- Drinking water
- Water-resistant sunscreen
- Swimsuit or quick-drying clothes
- Secure water shoes or strapped water sandals
- Waterproof phone pouch or dry bag
- Sunglasses with a retainer
- Towel for afterward
- Dry change of clothes
- Small trash bag or secure trash container
- Any essential personal items you truly need
Food and Drinks
- Simple snacks
- Drinks in secure containers
- Reusable water bottle
- Cooler if appropriate for your trip
- Sealed containers for food
Sun Protection
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Lightweight sun shirt if desired
Phone and Valuables
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Small dry bag if carrying multiple items
- Secure attachment point or strap
- Only the valuables you actually need
Nice-to-Have Extras
- Bug repellent
- Small waterproof camera
- Speaker where permitted
- Cooler tube if offered by your outfitter
- Extra sunscreen
Leave These at Home
- Expensive jewelry
- Loose electronics
- Bulky gear you will not use
- Clothes you need to keep dry
- Loose flip-flops if you have more secure footwear
- Anything you would be upset to lose in the water
What to Pack in Your Cooler
Keep cooler packing simple. Tubing is easier when you are not managing a floating pantry for several hours.
Start with drinking water. Add a few foods that can stay contained and tolerate an outdoor trip without creating a pile of loose wrappers.
Good tubing snacks are generally things you can open, eat and secure again without needing plates or a lot of utensils.
- Plenty of drinking water
- Sandwiches or wraps in sealed containers
- Fruit that travels well
- Snack bars
- Chips or crackers in resealable containers
- Other simple food appropriate for your group
Keep food packaging under control from the start. A small trash bag or designated trash container means empty wrappers and containers have somewhere to go immediately.
For Crimson Canoes trips, guests may bring food and drinks. Anything brought onto Salt Creek should come back out with you.
If alcohol is brought, anyone drinking must be of legal drinking age and follow all applicable laws.
What to Wear
Wear clothes designed to get wet rather than clothes you hope will stay dry.
A simple tubing outfit is a swimsuit or quick-drying base layer, lightweight shirt if desired and secure water shoes.
Loose flip-flops are easy to lose. Water shoes or strapped sandals generally make more sense when you may need to walk across wet, uneven ground.
For the full clothing guide, read What to Wear on a River Tubing Trip.
Do Not Forget Sunscreen
Several hours on the water can mean significant sun exposure even when portions of the creek are shaded.
Choose sunscreen appropriate for your needs and follow the label. Sunscreen is not truly waterproof. Products labeled water resistant state whether their tested water resistance lasts 40 or 80 minutes, so a multi-hour float can require reapplication.
A hat, sunglasses and lightweight sun-protective clothing can reduce how much you rely on sunscreen alone.
How to Protect Your Phone and Keys
A phone pouch should solve two problems: water and losing the phone entirely.
Use a waterproof pouch that closes securely and has a reliable strap or attachment point. A loose waterproof phone can still disappear downstream.
If you carry keys, keep them secured rather than sitting loose in a cup holder, cooler or tube.
A small dry bag makes sense if several members of the group want to consolidate phones and small belongings, but only if the bag itself can remain secured.
What Not to Bring
Unnecessary Valuables
Leave expensive jewelry, watches and irreplaceable items somewhere secure. Recovering a small object after it falls into moving water can be difficult or impossible.
Bulky Electronics
Large electronics turn a relaxing float into an equipment-management exercise. Bring only what adds enough value to justify protecting it for several hours.
Anything That Cannot Get Wet
Assume anything on the float can be splashed or soaked.
Loose Trash
Do not start the trip with cans, bottles and wrappers rolling around the tubes. Contain them before you enter the water.
Poor Footwear
Bare feet and unsecured shoes can make creek access less comfortable. National Park Service river guidance commonly recommends sturdy or closed-toe footwear for natural river environments.
What You Don’t Need to Bring With Crimson Canoes
If you are tubing Salt Creek with Crimson Canoes, three of the largest logistical items are already handled.
Crimson Canoes provides:
- Inflatable tube
- Life jacket
- Transportation to Salt Creek
- Transportation back to downtown Bloomington
Float options include lounging tubes and classic inner tubes.
Optional rentals include:
- Cooler tube
- JBL speaker
That means you do not have to buy a tube, inflate it, figure out how to transport it or arrange a second vehicle downstream.
See how the Salt Creek float works.
Crimson Canoes Packing Checklist
For an approximately three-to-four-hour Salt Creek float, this is a practical starting list:
- Swimsuit or quick-drying clothes
- Secure water shoes
- Drinking water
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses with a strap
- Hat if desired
- Simple snacks
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Trash bag or secure trash container
- Towel waiting for afterward
- Dry change of clothes
Your tube, life jacket and transportation are already included.
If you want more explanation about why each item matters, see What to Bring on a River Tubing Trip.
Before You Leave Home
- Check the weather
- Confirm the trip is operating
- Apply sunscreen as directed
- Fill water bottles
- Charge your phone
- Put valuables you do not need somewhere secure
- Pack dry clothes separately from creek gear
- Make sure everyone has secure footwear
- Make sure food and drinks are contained
- Know where and when your group is meeting
If you are heading specifically to Salt Creek, the Salt Creek Tubing Guide covers the full experience.
