Living by the Arkansas River and Browns Canyon National Monument, getting on the river is an adventure that is literally right in my backyard. It can be an quick afternoon kayak run, an overnight, or an all day event on the river combined with side hikes.

My favorite RIMBY trip is definitely an overnight in Browns. The best thing about rafting overnight is that, unlike backpacking, you can take whatever you want! Tent, chairs, firepan, paco pads. The list goes on and on. Rafts are the ultimate pack animal! It’s awesome to spend time on the river, and then have an evening to eat and relax by the fire as the sun goes down and the stars come up.

The last overnight Devin and I did, we found the perfect rock beside the river to set up camp on - no sandy beaches for us! It was right after Zoom Flume, one of the bigger rapids in the canyon, so we had the built in sound machine of the river to lull us to sleep.

We made foil packs for dinner with chicken, potatoes, onions and peppers - all spiced up with some Mountain Standard Camp Spices. Toss the ingredients in some tinfoil and then throw them in the fire! It’s about the easiest camping dinner possible.

The fun’s never over with overnights. You get to wake up the next morning, pack up camp, and head out on the river again!  

Here are my top 5 things to not forget on a river overnight:

1: Bottle of wine - perfect for the sunset by the fire

2: Change of clothes - no one want to put soggy, damp clothes back on to raft in the morning before the sun breaks over the canyon walls

3: Dark Chocolate - for the sweet tooth we all inevitably have

4: Fire pan - if you want a fire in Browns Canyon, you’re gonna need one of these suckers!

5: Rain Jacket - keeps you semi dry as you’re rafting and breaks the wind at camp during the night. I love my MS Terrain n Rain Shell for this!

Ambassador, Anna Wong, lives and plays in Central Colorado. She's learning how to roll kayaks and taking some incredible photos this season. Check out more of her work and follow along on her adventures on Anna's Instagram!