Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 32 Several companies provide guided tours, but with some organizing and will- ing accomplices you can do the guiding yourself and save money. Our party consisted of four adults and four children (aged 8 to 12). We rented three canoes from Mike at Missouri River Outfitters who also picked us up after the float and drove us back to our vehicles. He is full of knowledge and can be found on 1-866-282-3295. His email is mro@mroutfitters.com and his Web site is www.mroutfitters.com Once you have the basic information, gather your fellow travellers and start planning. Here are 15 helpful tips to keep the youngsters — and therefore the adults — happy on a three-day float down the glorious and historic Missouri River: HOLD A PLANNING PARTY. Space is limited and you don't want to end up with five tubes of sunscreen and no bug spray. Make a list and put names beside who is bringing what. DON'T OVERPACK. Games for the kids might seem like a good idea, but there is more than enough to keep them busy. Making up tents, building fires, and setting up the kitchen are fun and keep the kids feeling part of it all. Binoculars are a good idea to keep tired eyes happy and alert as they focus on golden eagles' nests and beaver dams during the float. DO BRING RAIN GEAR! Even if you are packing in 90-degree heat, it is crucial to have protection from wet weather. My husband and I unpacked our raincoats at the last minute thinking it couldn't possibly rain. How wrong we were. We narrowly avoided hypothermia. Have one set of warm clothes. Daytime temperatures can soar into the 90s; evening tempera- tures can dip into the 40s. Be prepared as storms can come on quickly. KEEP ESSENTIALS DRY AND TO HAND. Make sure each adult has a small dry bag (if you rent canoes, you can often rent these as well) close at hand for phones, cameras, wallets, matches and any other precious belongings. A CAMPING CLOTHESLINE IS A BONUS. You are on a river all day and things will get wet. Having somewhere to dry your clothes overnight makes for a more comfortable trip and a much lighter load. BRING A FIRST AID KIT. ere will be scrapes and cuts, so you need antiseptic cream, wipes and Band-Aids. Adults might want to pack a small showering towelette. After a long, hot day of paddling this is a wonderful luxury. PACK AN UMBRELLA FOR EACH CHILD. is may sound strange but we found these a godsend. On the river they were used as Huck Finn-style sails and as protection from both rain and sun. At the campsites, they were turned into spinning tops on land and water. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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