Weight Limits & Luggage
Everything you bring has to fit in a floatplane. There are firm limits. Read this section before you start packing anything else.
The Weight Limit Explained
We need to fit you, your gear, and three other people with their loads into a floatplane that carries roughly 1,200 pounds total. The 250-pound target is you and everything you’re bringing — combined. Being over that number doesn’t automatically mean we can’t accommodate you, but it may require small adjustments within the limits of that day’s flights. If the combined weight is significantly over, you may need to leave a piece of gear behind to keep everything safe.
Please do what you can to hit close to the target. If you have questions about your specific situation, contact Paul before your trip — not the morning of your floatplane departure.
Wheeled suitcases and hard-sided luggage are not compatible with floatplanes and rafts. You need:
- One or two roll-top dry bags for your clothing and sleeping bag — these can be compressed and fit into odd spaces in the aircraft and raft
- Two smaller bags instead of one large one whenever possible — easier to load and balance
- No wheeled or hard-sided luggage of any kind on the river portion of your trip
There is usually storage available in our conex at the air taxi if you have items you don’t need on the river — dress clothes, extra footwear, a larger suitcase you used to get to Bethel. You can leave non-river items there.
Bring what you need. Leave what you don’t. Whatever you forget cannot easily be retrieved once you’re in the field — getting forgotten items to you can be difficult and very costly. Pack carefully the first time.
Clothing & Layering
Alaska summer weather can run from crisp and windy to pleasantly mild within the same day. Rain can move through fast. Layering is not optional — it is the entire strategy.
Modern lightweight technical fabrics and performance clothing are designed to keep you warm and dry in exactly the conditions you will encounter on a Southwest Alaska river. Heavy wool and cotton are not appropriate — they absorb water, take forever to dry, and weigh too much. Polypropylene, Capilene, fleece, and waterproof shells are what you want.
Polypropylene or Capilene thermals that wick moisture away from your body. Expedition weight for fall trips. Two sets gives you a dry set to change into each day if needed.
Wool or fleece shirts, a heavy sweater or fleece pullover, and windproof fleece or waterproof ski pants over your waders when you’re not fishing. This is what keeps you warm when the temperature drops.
A high-quality rain jacket and pants — GORE-TEX or equivalent. This is not the place to cut corners. You will wear this. A windproof jacket for lighter conditions is also worth having.
Cotton absorbs water, provides no insulation when wet, and takes days to dry in Alaska conditions. Leave all cotton clothing at home. Synthetic pants only. Synthetic or wool everything.
The Packing Checklist
Check off items as you pack. Your progress is saved in your browser — come back any time and pick up where you left off.
We rent quality sleeping bags — 20-degree or 0-degree — with a fresh liner washed between every trip. If you don’t want to bring your own, contact Paul at booking time to arrange a rental bag.
Common Packing Mistakes
After 30+ years of putting guests on remote Alaska rivers, these are the packing errors we see most often. They’re easy to avoid once you know them.
Things That Cause Real Problems on the River
- Bringing too much gear. Floatplanes have hard weight limits. Every extra pound competes with your fishing gear for space. If it doesn't earn its weight on the river, leave it home.
- Hard-sided luggage. Suitcases don't fit in bush planes and can't be compressed to fit around raft gear. Soft duffel bags only. A waterproof duffel is ideal.
- Underestimating rain gear. Southwest Alaska can deliver sustained rain for days. A quality waterproof jacket and pants are not optional — they are your first line of defense all day every day.
- Forgetting extra dry socks. You will get wet. Having dry socks to change into at camp is a disproportionately large quality-of-life upgrade.
- Cotton base layers. Cotton absorbs moisture and stays cold. Every base layer should be synthetic or merino wool. No exceptions.
- Felt-sole waders. Prohibited in Alaska. Bring rubber or studded soles only. This is a licensing and ecological regulation, not a preference.
Everything you bring on the river needs to fit in a soft duffel that can be compressed and lashed into a raft. A single 65–80 liter duffel plus a small day pack is the right formula for most guests. If you’re unsure, contact Paul — he can tell you exactly what fits and what doesn’t.
Prohibited Items
These items are not permitted on Alaska Rainbow Adventures trips. No exceptions. Some are floatplane regulations, others are permit requirements or safety policy.
- Firearms — not permitted on Alaska Rainbow Adventures trips
- Bear spray — bear safety is handled by your guides with appropriate equipment; personal canisters are not needed and create handling complications on the aircraft
- Felt-soled wading boots — not permitted; rubber soles only. Felt and studs are also a biosecurity issue on permit-controlled waters.
- Studded wading boots — not permitted; rubber soles only
- Wheeled or hard-sided luggage — cannot be loaded in floatplanes or rafts; roll-top dry bags required
Important Notes
A few things that don’t fit neatly into the checklist but matter a great deal for your trip.
We provide three meals a day and snacks throughout. If you’re a heavy snacker, bring your favorites. Consider bringing water flavoring — Stur, Mio, or Crystal Light — if you have a preference. Water is available from the river but you’ll want to make it your own.
Bethel has no liquor stores. If you want to bring alcohol on the trip, you’ll need to arrange a “bush order” delivery from Anchorage well before your trip date — search for “bush orders alcohol Anchorage” to find services that deliver to Bethel. Whatever you bring counts against your weight limit.
Once you are on the river, there is no resupply. Getting a forgotten item to you in the field is difficult and very costly. Pack carefully before you leave home. If you realize you’re missing something essential in Bethel, ask the air taxi whether they can stop by a local store en route to the put-in.
There is usually storage available at the air taxi for items you don’t need on the river — a larger suitcase used to get to Bethel, dress clothes, extra footwear. You do not need to bring everything to the river. Leave non-essentials at the conex.
Rubber-soled wading boots only — no felt, no studs. This is a hard requirement on all Alaska Rainbow Adventures rivers. Both felt and metal studs are prohibited under our permit conditions on USFWS and NPS water.
Bring a rod case. Rods in tube sections travel well in floatplanes and rafts. Rods that are not in a case are at risk. A four-piece 9-foot rod fits easily in a standard airline rod case — this is the right way to travel to Alaska with expensive rods.
A comprehensive pre-trip gear list specific to your river and trip window is sent to every booked client. The list on this page covers the essentials. Paul will walk you through anything trip-specific before departure — including fly and tackle recommendations for the conditions you’ll encounter.
Other Trip Planning Pages
Packing is one piece of the planning puzzle. These pages cover the rest.
Ready to Start Planning?
Questions about specific gear, weight concerns, or what to bring for your particular river — Paul has answered them all and is happy to help.