Canyoning Trip Prep

STOP- Are you able to swim?

With the exception of dry canyons (where water doesn't go above waist level), you must be confident in being in water. Your backpack acts as a flotation device to assist you, and you don't need to be a strong swimmer to be on the trip. However, you must be confident in swimming short distances without any aid, should you come apart from your backpack or when navigating through an obstacle. If you have concerns about your swimming ability, check with your trip leader before coming on the trip. 

Backpacks & dry bags

Your backpack will spend most of its time being submerged in water. The logic of waterproofing things is that we keep individual items that need to be dry dry, instead of trying to waterproof everything or the entire backpack. What usually needs to be kept dry includes:

• Food & snacks

• Clothes to change into

• First Aid & Medications

• Car keys

• Electronics

Your water bottle doesn't need to be kept dry. With individual items kept dry, the backpack can be left soaking wet. Don't bring backpacks that are marketed to be waterproof, as once water gets in, they become a reservoir full of water. Take a backpack that you don't normally use, as it will get wet and potentially scratched up. The cheapest ones tend to perform really well. Make sure you're taking a backpack that's big enough for the trip (usually 30L minimum), able to hold all your food, clothes and wetsuit. If you don't have a throwaway backpack and do need to buy one, something like this might be good, or just go for the cheapest like this. You can also borrow a canyoning backpack from the club and share it between a few people.

Most people go for a big dry bag (roughly 20L) to fit everything in. These can be easily found in Kmart or any sports retailer. Other than keeping you dry, they also trap a lot of air inside which is great for flotation. 

Your dry bag gets submerged in water and has to withstand a bit of water pressure. Therefore, it has to be built with full fabrics- anything that's ultralight or ultra-sil (with fabric that feels like a shopping bag) will not work. It's good to double-bag things you want to stay completely dry, eg. clothes, electronics or first aid, in case they fail or aren't done up properly. This can be through a smaller dry bag (ultralight ones will work) or zip-locked food bags placed inside the larger dry bag. 

To seal a dry bag, fold up the top at least 4 times. Start with squeezing any excess air out of the dry bag for easier rolling. The first 2 folds are the main folds keeping water out, so make sure each fold is clean and free of wrinkles, similar to how you fold a sheet of paper. Continue folding all the way till where your items are and you can't fold anymore. Clip it in and it's ready to go. 

Dry bags should be placed inside a backpack. Some dry bags come with slings, but they should not be worn directly as a backpack. They will be scratched and torn up in canyon environments.

Wetsuits

Essential for wet canyons. They should be full-length (covering your entire body, not just the top) and ideally 3-5mm thick (the thicker they are, the warmer you get). If you go surfing and have springsuits, they are also fine. Wetsuits should fit tight (not too tight of course) as loose wetsuits may not keep you as warm. 

If you don't have wetsuits, consider renting one. Decathlon Bondi offers wetsuit rental at a good price ($25 for 48hrs): Click me. Go for the 4mm one if available. 

A few places in the Blue Mountains offer canyoning wetsuit rental, such as Adventure Base. You can also Google wetsuit rental and you'll find plenty of options. Consider asking around friends who go surfing/swimming in the ocean as they might be able to lend you one.

Note that if you're wearing a rental/borrowed wetsuit, it's important that you wear shorts over your wetsuit covering your bum, as this tends to get damaged/worn out through sliding and scrambling around rocks. Any pair of shorts made of synthetic material will work- no cotton! Your trip leader cannot be held responsible for any surcharges/unhappy friends if your wetsuit gets damaged.

If you do decide to buy one, there are a lot of second-hand wetsuits on the market, and you should definitely source those first before buying brand new ones. Good sources of second-hand gear include Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Op shops in Eastern Suburbs/anywhere that has beaches, and Paddy Pallin in Katoomba (where the commercial canyoning operator clears off their stock). $50-90 is a good price for second-hand wetsuits, vs. $200+ for brand new ones.

Beneath your wetsuit, normal underwear will be fine (and they tend to dry quickly anyway). I personally find wearing swimmers underneath wetsuits makes you colder rather than warmer. Same for any clothing that goes under the wetsuit, even if they're merino/synthetic. 

Clothes

Keep your wetsuit in your backpack- don't put it on the moment you step out of your car. There will be a bushwalk before the canyon starts, so wear normal clothes, and there will be an opportunity to change into wetsuits before everything starts. After changing into wetsuits and being ready to dip into the water, place your clothes in the big dry bag, and it's also worthwhile to double-bag them using a lighter dry bag or with zip-locked bags. Water can start leaking into your big dry bags towards the end of the day, so it's good to double-bag when you can. 

No cotton layers. There's an old saying: cotton is death. When they are wet, they will feel really cold when you put them on. Synthetic clothing works well in canyons as they are quick drying, and merino layers work as well if you have some. Synthetic > Merino if you were to pick. Most breathable sportswear uses synthetic fabrics and will be fine- check out Macpac, Decathlon or Target. Avoid merino outerwear (eg. T-shirts/pants) as merino is not very abrasion resistant, and tree branches along the walking track will poke holes through them. Synthetic will work better, or any merino-synthetic blend. Merino layers are fine as thermals or inner layers. 

Carrying a rain jacket is optional, but good if you're someone who gets cold easily, especially when the weather isn't warm or on longer canyons. A proper rain jacket with Gore-Tex or equivalent fabrics (eg. Patagonia Torrentshell, or something like this, $60) works best (not a cheap $10 poncho). When it gets cold with wind/water they are great at keeping you warm. Store it in a dry bag such that if you end up not needing them, you can simply pop them back into your wardrobe without having to wash them. Fleece doesn't work as well once it's wet compared to rain jackets. 

Wear wool socks. Your socks will get wet and merino wool keeps it warm and comfortable. The icebreaker merino socks are really good and I'd highly recommend purchasing them. They're good not just for canyoning but also for bushwalking and backpacking trips, where one pair of socks can last you many days. Don't wear cotton socks.

Bring a full set of clothes + shoes and keep them in the car, and a towel if you want. It's more comfortable to have fresh new clothes to put on when you finish a long day (plus keeping dirt out of car seats).

Shoes

Any normal shoes that aren't waterproof will be good. Don't bring waterproof shoes (eg. those with Goretex fabrics) as once they get wet they become a reservoir. Even better, trekking shoes with drainage holes (like the image below). 

No thongs, sandals, slippers, crocs or going barefoot. Shoes should, at a minimum, cover your toes. Don't forget there's still a bushwalk before and after the canyon.

Take a pair of shoes you don't normally wear, as wet shoes can take as long as a week to dry. If you're buying a pair of shoes, cheap volleys from Kmart/Aldi/Target will do. If you're looking to splurge, something like this from Decathlon will last you for many canyoning trips.

Food & water

Just carry as you normally do on a bushwalk

Don't forget your snacks- bring high-energy snacks as canyons can be physically demanding

Helmets

Bring a climbing helmet. Bike helmets are fine as a one-off substitute, but are not ideal and should not be a consistent recurrence. You can borrow a climbing helmet from the club, so there shouldn't be a reason not to have one.

Electronics

Action cameras like GoPro are great for canyons. Definitely take them if you have one- just make sure you mount them securely.

Most modern-day phones are rated to be waterproof, but it's ideal not to submerge them for prolonged periods. Any previous repairs you've done to the phone can also weaken its waterproofing glue. Place them in a waterproof phone bag- any cheap ones like this will do. Use the strap to hang it around your neck while using it, and put it back in your backpack when not in use. Phones can be scratched up when abseiling or in tight scrambles if they're not in your backpack.

Try to keep the electronics you take to a minimum. Power banks and charging cables should be kept in the car. Turn on airplane mode on your phone while you're in the canyon to minimise battery usage, and only use it to take photos.

Be extra careful when taking out electronics while you're in water. Items dropped in the water will be nearly impossible to retrieve, and may be gone forever (a long time). If you're taking out your phone for pictures, make sure it's in a phone bag, strapped around something secure. Some people tuck their phones inside the wetsuit which also works. Your trip leader cannot be responsible for lost valuables or if they're damaged in water.

Magsafe charging cables are good to have when you're back in the car. Your phone will be wet and your charging port will be disabled until it's fully dry. Magnetic charging bypasses that and lets you charge your phone when you need it. Let your phone dry in the air, wipe out water near your charging port with tissue paper before charging it. Wet charging ports can damage your cables or the phone itself. 

What to expect for the day

1. Your car gets to the meet-up point where everyone meets. We make sure everyone has all the essentials and use the bathroom before heading off. 

2. We'll do a bushwalk to enter the canyon. Some bushwalks can be in thick scrub with scrambling and bushbashing involved. 

3. Once we get to the start of the canyon, we'll change into wetsuits. Put our clothes back in the dry bag and zip everything up. Inflate inflatables (if applicable). 

4. Go through the canyon. Scramble through a few rocks and swim. 

5. The canyon ends. We take off our wetsuits and quickly rinse off the sand. Deflate inflatables. Put on normal clothes. Snack time if you feel like it. 

6. Time to get back to the car. You'll do a bushwalk similar to how you got in. Sometimes the walk out can even be more interesting than the canyon itself. 

7. Return to your car at the carpark. Change into the clean layers you left in the car. Make plans for dinner/go home.

Things to look out for in a canyon

There are two main priorities in a canyon, no matter what you do.

1) Prevent slips, trips and falls
Rescues in canyons are difficult and therefore this is your number one priority. If you're not 100% on not slipping and tripping over, then you should 100% slow down, and map out something safer. Scrambling over wet terrain can be challenging. You're new to canyons, and being slow is something we've expected, so there's no stress trying to rush things through. Your priority is to navigate that safety, at a speed that lets you avoid slips trips and falls, and over time (usually after 2-3 trips) you'll probably become more confident with this terrain. Alert others to loose surfaces such that everyone is aware of potential hazards. 

2) Hypothermia
Canyons are cold environments, and it's important to look out for yourself and others. Watch for the 4 "umbles"- grumbles, fumbles, mumbles, stumbles. Grumbles: when someone keeps complaining, becomes impatient, or voices that they're cold, they're cold. Fumbles: when someone starts fumbling with simple actions, eg. zipping up jackets, that's a red flag. Mumbles: slurred speech. Stumbles: when someone stumbles while they walk and becomes unsteady. 

Some people can feel colder than others. From my observation, these people tend to be colder:

• Those of East Asian ethnicity, eg. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Malaysian^

• Those smaller than average, ie. weighing <65 kg

If you (or someone) gets cold, the quickest fix is to put on a jacket. However, the most effective solution is often to keep yourself moving and avoid prolonged stops. While swimming or floating, use your pack to elevate your heart above the water, or swim in backstroke. A floatation device (like a lilo or pool toy) can help for long swims.

A few extra tips for a more enjoyable trip:

• Be a team player. Help out others by passing backpacks, or anything that works best as a team. Assist those who might be struggling when possible. Communicate concerns and hazards you've identified. 

• Keep communication simple and only when essential. Too much information can confuse people, and put more stress in an already stressful scenario. Clear, definite instructions are good. 

• Keep yourself entertained. Jokes, stories, or songs while you're waiting around. 

• As usual, try to stick together as a group

• Canyons are cold environments and you may feel exhausted and start questioning whether you've actually enjoyed it. It's totally ok to find this to be too much/not enjoyable. It does take time to get used to the elements and start appreciating things, so don't be pressured to show love at first glance.

Generic tricks to help with scrambling in terrain

• Cross obstacles (eg. tree logs, bushes) perpendicular to them, instead of parallel. Many tree logs can be slippery, so take care and it's best to avoid stepping on them. 

• In sandstone, any surface that's sand-like has very grippy surfaces. Stand on them and you can be confident that you'll never slip. The darker the surface looks, the more slippery they are.

• Sand and gravel tend not to be slippery and are good to step on. 

• Squeeze your foot between rocks for stability

• If needed, lower your centre of gravity by crouching down. 

• If unsure, test its friction by scuffing one foot over it instead of committing with full body weight.

• 3-point contact rule as per any rock scrambling. Use your hands for balancing. As long as you have two independent sets of attachment points, you'll never fall.

Swimming in canyons

Your backpack will be your floatation device- there's no need for life vests. The only thing you need to do to activate that is lean back onto your backpack and swim. Use your arms like swimming in backstroke, and legs like swimming in breaststroke. Swims can be long through a canyon, so strive for a balance between speed and conserving energy. There's no point in going for a burst in freestyle if that means you're exhausted for the rest of the day.

For very special cases, your trip leader may ask you to bring a floatation device. Something as cheap as Kmart's air mattress ($7.50) will do. Don't bring them if this isn't mentioned.