Thomsen River Details & Equipment List

Weight and bulk are very important considerations when choosing your clothing and equipment. Please do not bring any more than we have indicated unless you contact us first. Weight is an important safety factor for our aircraft charters. ALL (including camera gear etc.) of your equipment and clothing MUST weigh in at 35lbs ( 16 kg ) or less. If your gear exceeds 35lbs we reserve the right to insist you leave gear behind on short notice prior to boarding the charter aircraft. Please don’t put us in that position.

Please take your time when choosing and purchasing your clothing and equipment - it is important for the comfort and enjoyment of your trip. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions. Any cotton or excess clothing and equipment you bring must be left in Inuvik. Storage is available at your own risk.

On the first field day of the trip, we will issue everyone a one piece floater suit (www.mustangsurvival.com, model MS-185) and a pair of neoprene pogies (www.mec.ca product , # 4013-790) for use on the water.

Expect weather to be highly variable. We have seen lows of -3C and highs of 25C. Some trips are warmer than others. It is often windy, and we have experienced both rain and snow for numerous consecutive days.

The single most important consideration for your clothing is the fabric. Do not bring any cotton clothing any further than Inuvik. Wicking layers (underwear) should be capilene, wool, silk or similar. Insulating layers (jackets, pants) should be fleece, wool, pile or similar. Outer layers (wind and rain jackets/pants) should be nylon of a waterproof breathable. If you are not sure what type of fabric a particular clothing item is made of, check the label.

You will need to bring all of (and no more than) the following clothing items (where applicable, reference numbers from the M.E.C. - www.mec.ca and R.E.I. www.rei.com online catalogues are provided as an example of a suitable item)

Equipment List

We will provide group equipment such as kayaks, paddles, tents, stoves and pots. If you prefer to bring your own tent, please call and clear it’s performance with us well before the trip.

Please bring all of the following (where applicable, reference numbers from the M.E.C., www.mec.ca , and R.E.I., www.rei.com , online catalogues are provided as an example of a suitable item):

Optional

Photo Gear
Your camera equipment requires special attention. Please ensure the following:

Packing
The object when packing for a kayak trip is to have all your equipment and clothing organised in a variety of small waterproof bags. In general, lots of small bags are preferable to a couple of larger bags. More, smaller bags will make your job easier when packing your kayak.

Your gear may be waterproofed by using dry bags lined with a heavy duty garbage bags (dry bags can fail). Dry bags made of a flexible nylon or cordura seem to fail less often than those made of heavier stiffer materials. You may also simply use stuff sacks lined with 3 layers of heavy duty garbage bags. Lined stuff sacks when properly sealed (ask your guides on the first day to demonstrate) are at least as effective as dry bags.

Maximum bag size for your stuff sacks or dry bags is 20 cm (8”) diameter and 36 cm (14”) length. This is true for all your bags including your sleeping bag. Thermarests should be packed on their own in a lined stuff sack or dry bag and may exceed the maximum 36 cm (14”) length.

Your day pack (also lined with garbage bags) can be used for packing items you want to keep handy in your boat such as sun screen, snacks, toque etc.

People often have very similar looking stuff sacks and dry bags, so you may wish to mark yours with a permanent marker.

All your dry bags / stuff sacks will fit easily inside your duffle bag for travel to Inuvik, and for hauling up the beach.

For this trip, please note that we request that you limit your checked luggage to only one bag, which can be up to 70 pounds (31 kg) on First Air from Edmonton. Carry the most "hard to replace" or essential items in your carry-on luggage.

Gear storage in Inuvik
You will be able to leave a bag of gear that you do not need on your trip in the Aklak hanger at the airport or at our hotel in Inuvik. It will be available to you on your return to Inuvik. You may wish to consider leaving a clean change of cotton clothes in Inuvik for the end of your trip. We have yet to have a single non-alcoholic item go missing in Inuvik, but storage is at your own risk. Please bring your wallet, identification, and plane tickets with you on the trip.

Travel Insurance
We require that all participants have evacuation insurance for your protection. You’ll be in remote areas where emergency medical evacuation can be very expensive. If you don’t have proof of insurance at the start of the trip, you cannot take part in the expedition.

We have had a number of incidents where flights have been cancelled, clients break a leg, get sick, or have a family or work emergency which prevents them from going on the trip. Fortunately, most had full trip insurance, and were reimbursed for all costs. Remember that we cannot reimburse you for cancellation 90 days prior to departure (please see our Terms and Conditions)

Often premium credit cards, AAA insurance, dive certifications, and even some health care policies will provide some sort of coverage. Key pieces you should educate yourself about are baggage coverage, medical reimbursement, trip cancellation, trip interruption, and adventure sport riders or restrictions.

You are required to obtain an evacuation telephone number we can call collect from abroad in the event of a medical evacuation. This cannot be a 1-800 number, as they do not work from abroad!

Drugs
If you are on any medications, please be certain that you bring an extra course of that drug as a backup.

Personal Medical Kit
Your guides will carry an extensive wilderness first aid kit; however, you should bring the following items for your own personal use: athletic tape for blisters; bandaids (elastoplast or fabric type are best); 1 roll gauze or telfa pads; topical antibiotic ointment; antacid; mild analgesic (e.g. Aspirin, Tylenol). IMPORTANT: if you are to be on any form of medication during the trip, be sure to bring an extra course of that prescription along as a backup.

Money Matters
Hotels, shops and restaurants will accept credit cards in Inuvik. There are banks and ATM machines in Inuvik. Some expenses you may wish to consider are hotels and meals in Inuvik, tipping for personal services, extras such as spirits and while on the trip, and handicrafts in Inuvik

Tipping The Guide(s)
While our guides are well paid, they work hard to make your trip a trip of a lifetime. A guideline for a generous tip would be $ 15 a day, per guide, per person.

Bathing
We have to carry all our gas for our stoves with us on this trip. We can provide you with one cup of hot water which you can add to cold water for a bird bath. Please bring a small washcloth and a zip lock bag for your bathing pleasure. We recommend you bring biodegradable soap and small towel. You’ll feel great!

Maps
We will supply you with a laminated map of the area in which we will be traveling. The following 1:250,000 maps provide coverage of the Thomsen River and Aulavik National Park. Remember to laminate your maps before the trip so that they will last!

Final Information E-mail and Guide Call
About two weeks before departure, we’ll send you a Final Information e-mail inviting you to join our Guide Call. This conference call allows you to meet your fellow explorers and discuss last minute issues, such as meeting times and places or changes to the itinerary.

We’re here to help prepare you so your expedition experience is special—don’t hesitate to call with any concerns or questions.

Nahanni River Adventures, Nahanni offers exceptional expeditions by raft and canoe on the great rivers from Alaska to Nunavut including: South Nahanni River, Tatshenshini River, Alsek River, Firth River, Snake River, Wind River, Stikine River, Burnside River, Coppermine River, Horton River, Mountain River, Yukon River, Taku River, Gataga River and Sea Kayaking and whale watching at Point Adolphus, Alaska, over-looking Glacier Bay National Park.

Our expeditions encompass Nahanni National Park (South Nahanni River), Kluane National Park (Alsek River), Ivvavik National Park (Firth River), Glacier Bay National Park (Alsek River), Herschel Island Territorial Park (Firth River).

Nahanni River Adventures operates in Alaska (United States of America), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia (Canada).

Nahanni.com is the online presence of the company, Nahanni River Adventures Ltd.

Nahanni River Adventures works with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to ensure the environmental integrity of our wild places.

Neil Hartling, founder of Nahanni River Adventures, is also the author of: Nahanni, River of Gold...River of Dreams. Alaska to Nunavut - The Great Rivers. Nahanni River Guide. These books may all be purchased through Nahanni.com.

Common misspellings of the name are Nahani, Nahannie, Nahanie, Nahoni, Nahonni.
Nahanni River Adventures.