Day 3 rafting trip
I am taking the spirit of the desert tour beginning 5/19. My question is about the float trip on the Colorado river on day 3. Is it safe to bring a non-waterproof camera on the trip. How wet will people and property (like cameras and iPhones) get? Is it like a white water rafting trip or is it more sedate. I’d really appreciate anyone’s experience.
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Not from a Tauck tour, but the rapids through the Grand Canyon can get pretty exciting. I doubt Tauck will go through any of the large rapids. A Tauck traveler's age tends to be considerably older than the 20 something I was at the time of this trip.
Here's a couple a pictures from a trip I did 40+ years ago. Yes they had cameras then (
), just not digital ones. These are scanned photos.
I can't help as to the type of raft trip, but with liability and Tauck customer demographics in mind, I would expect it to be mostly a float trip.
That being said, I would still get a "dry bag" (e.g. Dry Sack) for your camera and anything else you don't want to get wet. I used one for my DSLR camera in the Galapagos when taking Zodiac trips back and forth between the boat and islands. The Zodiac may stay dry, but that doesn't guarantee you won't trip or fall in shallow water or drop your bag getting in and out.
You can find them online, at outdoor stores, Walmart, etc. A few years ago a set of 3 (different sizes) was less than $20.
Here is a link to a set of 3 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Products-Ultimate-Sack-Three-Pack/dp/B001AZNATC/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=dry+bag&qid=1649871783&sr=8-12
The Colorado float trip on day 3 near Arches National Park in Moab
I would expect it to be relatively tame in May. The flow rate depends on snow melt from the Rockies. In May, the snow is just beginning to melt. I'll be skiing in Colorado the next couple of days and there were 4 inches of new snow yesterday! It really picks up in June and July.
I agree with AlanS on carrying a dry sack. Personally, I have one from Osprey which is kind of the gold standard of dry sacks. I f I have stuff I want to be sure will be dry (cell phone, etc.), I wouldn't recommended some random brand to save a few bucks and risk it leaking or tearing.
We've rafted on the Colorado River near Moab (not with Tauck) and it's very tame.
Then, again, I rafted the length of the Grand Canyon (185 miles, also not with Tauck) last September and it was NOT tame!
With respect to dry bags: I assume that the rafting trip is just a part of one day. Unless there are shore stops on the itinerary, I wouldn't (and didn't) take a DSLR. I took a GoPro, but as much as I'm not a believer in cell phones replacing "real" cameras, you can get water-proof cases for phone inexpensively and/or you can trust the water-resistance standards for newer phones to handle the spray. The pictures and video from newer phones will be more than adequate. That's what I plan on doing for the rafting trip on "Cowboy Country" with grandson this summer. Just have a tether!
We took a FLOAT trip with Tauck on the Colorado river on another tour, you don’t get wet, it is literally a very tame float. I see no harm in carrying a dry bag, I have those very bags that Alan shows pictures of. Recently I was with a very well traveled person and they told me those bags are not super waterproof like expensive ones.
Our float was memorable by the guide reciting Shakespearean sonnets, he was in somber mood, his girlfriend had just split with him. Plus, I think we saw about twenty bald eagles.
We took that trip in 2019 and it’s more a float trip. Beautiful scenery and not too wet. Maybe at the most one or two class 1 rapids. I brought a small digital camera with me and just protected it in a plastic bag. It is a beautiful trip and worth having a camera of some sort with you.
It’s a fantastic trip that I did with Tauck this past October. It’s very tame with just a few rapids. You will not get drenched but you may be sprayed with water. Yes, just keep your phone you camera in a ziplock bag. Wear waterproof sandals and clothes that dry. All you need on that river raft trip is a camera and no backpack. There isn’t anywhere to store it.
I use a Joto waterproof pouch with my iPhone. I use it all of the time while paddle boarding & doing multiple other water sports, you can take pictures & videos by touching the pouch in order to access your iPhone camera.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Cell-Phone-Dry-Bags/zgbs/wireless/17875443011
Good luck…I’ll be right behind you on the May 31st tour.