Have you ever wanted to get out and plan your own adventure, but just lack the know-how or have no clue where to start?
Maybe you have all the gear, but not the experience. Or maybe you have the experience but not the gear. Whatever your situation, I want to encourage you to get out and make that trip happen. Planning and doing a private trip is often one of the most amazing ways to grow as an adventurer. For me personally, almost all of my best learning happens on private trips.
Planning your first private trip may seem like a daunting task, but trust me, it will be worth it! As you plan that trip, I want to offer you some of my own two cents about what I’ve learned from doing my own private trips.Here are just a few tips and tricks that I’ve learned to make your private trip a trip to remember:
Safety first
First things first. A good trip is a safe trip. Before you jump on the river or do an adventure on your own, ask yourself if you can do it safely and confidently. Do you have the needed skillset to safely execute the desired adventure? If something were to go wrong, do you have the experience needed to handle that situation? As the well-known saying goes; “it’s better to be safe than sorry“, especially when it comes to adventuring.
So the first step in having the perfect private trip is to make sure can adventure safely.
Check the weather and flow
As you plan your trip, keep in mind the weather conditions that will affect your trip. Often time the weather is the last thing I check when it should be the first. Is it going to rain? Is it going to be hot? Will the weather add or take away from your trip? If you’re going to be in the water will it be cold enough to need a wetsuit? Is there enough flow to even raft the river? Is the flow high enough that it could change the river?
All these and more are important questions to ask yourself and consider when planning your trip. Granted, you can’t always control many of these factors. But if you know about them beforehand you can prepare accordingly for your trip and make sure that you and all your friends will have a good time whatever the weather or flow brings.
Bring all the goods!
When it comes to food and snacks on a private trip, I say go all out! Bring all your favorite snacks and gourmet treats. If you are having lunch on the trip, pack something yummy, and don’t forget to bring dessert! One of the best parts about doing a private trip is that you don’t have to stick to a specific schedule. Which means you can stop multiple times to take in a beautiful view, play, or enjoy a snack break.
Some of my favorite snacks for adventures I recommend adding to your list are; cheese sticks, dried mangos, salami, cheese and crackers, fancy granola bars or protein bars…
Take your time
Enjoy your time out on your adventure. If you are not on a tight schedule then there is no need to rush. Take your time to stop and relax. Stop at places you’ve never stopped at before. Explore a new swimming spot or find a spot to have a quiet time and maybe even take a little cat nap in the sun. If you are brave enough you could even bring a book in your dry bag to read as you rest in the sun.
Make the best of your day out by taking your time to fully enjoy all the moments.
Jam to some music
One of the newest things I’ve done to enhance my adventures is bringing my portable speaker to play music while floating down the river or hiking up a mountain. My little speaker is waterproof and super easy to clip onto a boat or a backpack. I’ve brought it paddle boarding, rafting, and hiking. There are times when you just want to enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of God’s creation, but I also think that there is a time when playing some soft and fun background music will add to the experience.
If there is a way you can bring music on your adventure, go for it! Put together a playlist that has songs that will add to the mood of the day and have fun. But please remember not to play the music too loud, remember to respect those around you, please.
Invite your friends!
If you have the trip all planned, and the weather and safety are taken care of, then it’s time to invite others to share it with you. The more the merrier, right?! There are times for adventuring alone, but private trips become a whole new level of fun when you get to bring your people along. Maybe you’ll get to introduce your buddy to something they’ve never done before. Or maybe you’ll get to help someone face and conquer a fear. Those are precious moments that you will be able to cherish with your friends forever.
Relax and have fun!
Last but not least, have fun! This one is a no-brainer but still needs to be said. I can recall so many times I envisioned a private trip going a certain way and I put so much stock into it happening just the way I planned it. When things went down that were out of my control, I was unable to have fun. All I could think about was how disappointed I was that things changed. It sucked the joy out of my day and I was not able to fully enjoy and embrace the sweet moments and fun that still came out of it.
It’s okay to plan and have an expectation for your adventure. But also be ready to have fun if things don’t go as planned. Let go of any pre-existing ideas, and commit to having fun, no matter what happens. Whether the trip goes as planned, or not, if you have fun and learn, then it will be a trip worth happening.
Get out there! Plan that trip!
Now it’s time for you to get out there. Do your research, invite your friends, and put together your own private adventure! And then let us know how it goes! If you have any tips or tricks for planning the perfect private trip please share them with us in the comments.
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