The Awesome Advantages of a Muti-Day Rafting Trip

As mentioned in my introduction to this website, I’ve come to favor the more rugged, multi-day rafting trips to the quick-and-easy day excursions. The shift was easy but unexpected—rafting is an all-consuming experience, and it is easy to lose yourself in the course of a day. It demands every ounce of your energy and attention; sometimes a few hours out on the Colorado isn’t quite enough. A multi-day trip will allow you to really experience the nature and wildlife on the Colorado.

However, I’m sure some of you out there think multi-day rafting trips are only available to experienced rafters. Maybe you think it’s too tough, or perhaps you’ve never really been a fan of camping. I’m going to stop you right there—if you enjoy rafting, you’ll enjoy a multi-day trip. I have a few arguments as to why this will likely be the case…

It’s the best escape possible. Sure, camping and backpacking can provide a similar escape, but rafting—following the twists and turns of the river until you can’t trace a return path—provides a next-level distance. Once you start a trip, you have to follow through to your target point; there’s no turning back, no wimping out, and no room for mistakes. This high-stakes experience allows you to experience life more acutely—you’ll forget all about your job, your cell phone, or your apartment, instead focusing solely on the river ahead.

You’ll discover new pieces of wilderness. Though some parts of the Colorado are connected by hiking trails, much of the river winds through rugged and unexplored territory. When you get off the raft at the end of the day, you’ll have the ability to explore a piece of the Colorado wilderness few people have had the chance to experience.

You’ll make some friends in the process. When you’re out on a multi-day trip, the people in your raft become family. You’ll cook, raft, and relax together, creating irreplicable bonds; I’ve met some of my closest friends on multi-day trips. You know how kids who went to sleepaway camp every summer talk about their camp friends? It’s like that, but more intense. You might be signing up for a week of wilderness adventure, but you’ll come away with a new family.