How To Plan A Kayak Harpeth River Trip

By Margaret Meyer


Hiking and just walking forever or just camping is not a one hundred percent sure way of getting the full outdoors experience. Many have added to their outdoor trips things that great explorers of the past have done, and that is to take canoes and kayaks on the waterways to fully enrich their outdoor adventures. Thus if you are planning a kayak Harpeth River journey for your next outing, then do read on for some tips that may be of great use to you.

A checklist is something that most seasoned travelers will make, and this will include things that need to be taken or prepared. However, in this case you may need to include a checklist that will include mental, physical and emotional conditions needed for such a strip. Making a complete checklist that takes n all factors will prepare you for the best and worse of your trip and is basically a very good assistant to have in a manner of speaking.

The primary thing to do first is choosing where you should go first. Of course in this case is to go to the Harpeth River in Tennessee. This waterway is one of the main tributaries of the Cumberland River, and together with the Ohio, form the watershed of the Mississippi River. As you have already chosen this waterway, then you must have information on it and study it well.

Knowing where the whitewater areas are located along the water is of prime importance prior to you taking your trip. As in the case of this waterway, a majority of these whitewater spots are located at the river tributaries, the Little Harpeth River being one of them. It is strongly urged and suggested that unless you are an experienced canoeist or kayaker, that you stay away from these areas.

When you do go out on the river, you will notice that it is basically always smooth and takes a lot of turns, or meanders. As such, due to these twists and turns, it will mean that there be quite huge changes in currents and current directions. You should ask a well versed local where the strong and unexpected currents are along the course of the waterway.

A good, or rather great idea to put on your checklist is to get an experienced guide for your trip. This guide must not only be versed in the ways of this river, but also own a good safety track record as well in his or her career. Do interview a prospective guide thoroughly on the safety aspects and such of a particular trip.

A fun, and sometimes an expensive part of the trip, is to prepare gear for it. It is best to scour forums, and sometimes be involved in them, so as to get the best opinion from more seasoned kayakers on what to bring. You can also do most of your gearing up via online shopping so you can also save a bit of time in this respect.

If you do plan to adventure in a group, then sit down with your group and make a list of things you may want to do and able to do. This is so that everyone will not have too high of an expectation and everyone can have fun. Also keep the trip within two to three days maximum as it can be quite tiring for most people.




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