Need some gift ideas for your favorite river runner—and you don’t have much time? Here’s our list of gear that any river runners would appreciate—all of which you can likely find at REI or have shipped pretty quickly.

River group gazing at a stack of solar camp lights ringed by colorful solar string slights in camp
Luci lights make great gifts because you can never have too many
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Table of Contents

1. First-aid kit

Every river runner could use a new, freshly stocked first-aid kit. It never hurts to have more than one, especially smaller kits that can be used as back-up and carried by kayakers or stand-up paddleboarders. Another related idea is to furnish a resupply of frequently depleted first-aid staples such as bandages, ibuprofen, and antiseptic ointment.

Here are a few great kits that we’ve used on river trips over the years:

First aid kit for river trips
Replacing or restocking a well-worn first aid kit is a gift any river runner would appreciate

2. Water bottle with a latch

Keeping hydrated while you’re paddling seems simple enough, but not if you can’t easily reach your water bottle during the day. If you have an inflatable kayaker or paddleboarder on your list, a water bottle like this Contigo with a clip that can attach to a strap keeps water close at hand. A carabiner works, too. But since carabiners often get swiped for other duties, having a water bottle with a built-in clip is clutch.

Also look for a water bottle that has a straw, which makes it easier to quickly grab sips in between waves. A few we like:

Contigo water bottle with clip
This Contigo water bottle has a handy clip for attaching to straps other gear on the boat to keep water handy for paddlers

3. Solar lights

You can never have too many solar lights on a river trip. We bring more than a dozen on most trips and use them to light the kitchen area, mark a path to the groover, simulate a cheery campfire when there’s a fire ban in place, and generally create a festive atmosphere. The variations on solar lanterns just keep coming. Here are a few camp lights that make terrific gifts (and check out our detailed post about the best camp lights for river trips).

Luci solar lantern
You can never have too many solar lights on a river trip

4. Water filter

Every river runner could use some kind of water filtering device to supplement the fresh water supply carried on the rafts. In addition to bringing some water bottles with built-in filters (like the aforementioned Grayl GeoPress Water Filter and Purifier Bottle), we also bring a larger hanging filter. Here are a few we recommend:

For more details about how to filter water on river trips, best containers for bringing fresh water, and other water-related tips, check out 3 Essential Water Filters for River Camping (and Other Clean Water Supply Tips).

MSR Gravity Water Filter hanging from branch on river bank
Our favorite filter for river trips is the MSR AutoFlow XL Gravity Filter as it’s high-capacity and super easy to use

5. Thin stackable camp plates

Our kitchen gear scheme specifies that whichever raft hauls the kitchen gear brings enough dishes for everyone. (See our tips on planning river trip meals here.) Having super-thin, stackable plates cuts down on space in the dry box. Here are a few plate sets to check out:

  • Wheat Straw Plates: These are similar to ones we scored at Target years ago (no longer available). The price is right especially if you’re trying outfit your river dishware for 16- or 20-person river groups.
  • ECO Camp Plate: Also a great choice for packability and affordability, these are available as plates or wide, shallow bowls.
  • Hydro Flask Camp Plate: If money were no object, I would invest in a full set of these metal plates. They are beautiful and functional, and provide heat transfer protection so your fingers and lap don’t get scorched.
  • Sea to Summit Detour Collapsible Bowl: A brilliant innovation, this dish combines stainless steel construction with expandable silicone sides. See it in action below (and check out that recipe for our Colorado tabbouleh, a sturdy salad that is a mainstay of our river trip meals).
Grain salad in metal camp bowl with tomatoes and cilantro on large boulder
Thin, stackable plates take up less space in the dry box

6. Neck gaiters

No river runner can have enough neck gaiters, whether a classic Buff or any number of spin-offs. These are indispensable for sun protection, sand-in-the-mouth protection, cooling agents, and more.

Here are a few to consider as stocking stuffers for your favorite river runners:

Woman with cloth neck gaiter
Wearing a neck gaiter as mask

7. River games

It’s always good to have a communal game that everyone can play in the evening while the cook crew is slaving away—or as an after-dinner way to unwind. Our favorite pick is glow-in-the-dark bocce, especially on a nice sandy beach, because a nearly unlimited number of people can play.

Other games we love:

  • Coghlan’s Fireside Gaming Kit: This includes a deck of cards and some dice, so can be used to play liar’s dice (just roll the dice and call poker hands) or any classic card game like hearts or pitch.
  • Aerobie Spring Ring Flying Disc: Perfect for evening disc tossing and inexpensive enough that you won’t be too bummed when it ends up in the river.
Glow in the dark bocce balls in river camp
Glow-in-the-dark bocce is our favorite river game

8. Packing cubes

Packing cubes are excellent for organizing gear in your dry box or dry bag. (Check out our post on packing gear for river trips using packing cubes, compression sacks, and other organizers.)

Here are a few types of packing organizers we recommend:

  • Cotopaxi Cubos Del Dia packing cubes: Best used to pack clothes and personal gear, this set of three different-sized packing cubes would be a welcome gift for any river runner. It’s my favorite organizational tool for keep the chaos at bay in my roll-top dry bag, helping me avoid having to dump the whole mess out to find what I’m looking for.
  • Cotopaxi Allpa Gear Hauler Tote: Square, sturdy totes are useful for organizing gear within your dry box and hauling it from the boat to camp without multiple trips. This Cotopaxi tote fits the bill with a large capacity, compression straps on top, and sturdy handles.
  • REI Trailgate Gear Bin: These large-capacity cubes are also great for organizing gear in the dry box. These come in three sizes ranging from 60 liters to 140 liters.
Mountainsmith Basic Cube storage cub on sand
Large gear totes keep random gear corralled into logical groups in your dry box

9. River guides

River guides make welcome gifts, whether your river crew has high hopes for the Middle Fork or just wants to explore all the possibilities in the local area. Down River Equipment carries most of the RiverMaps guides for rivers throughout the West, plus a few classic Belknap guides. We love RiverMaps guides as they contain plenty of detail, are laid out in a logical fashion, and are waterproof.

Boy reading Belknap river guide on banks of Green River Desolation Canyon
Studying the Belknap guide on a Desolation Canyon trip

10. Whistle

Does everyone in your crew have a whistle for signaling? This Vargo Titanium Emergency Whistle is tiny but mighty, and is pretty much indestructible. Buy one for your own life jacket, and buy several more for your river-running friends and family.

This Vargo Titanium whistle is tiny but mighty

Consider this list of last-minute gift ideas for the river runners on your list as just a starting point. Especially when you start thinking about gear that is even better in multiples (like Luci lights), you’ll come up with plenty of ideas. This list gives you a solid place to start.

The best thing about these gifts is they’ll start everyone thinking about next year’s river trips—the greatest gift of all.

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