Desolation Gear Checklist

What to bring on Desolation

Specific to this permit, not a generic camping list. 2 of these are written into the permit rules, and every one of those carries the rule it comes from.

• Required

  A washable, leak-proof, reusable toilet system, or an engineered bag system inside a hard-sided animalproof container

  Permit rule: “A washable, leak-proof, reusable toilet system is required; engineered bag systems are acceptable if carried in a leakproof, crushproof, animalproof hard-sided container with a screw-on or ratchet-locking lid”

• Required

  A metal fire pan at least 12 inches wide with a 1.5-inch lip, carried even if you only use stoves

  Permit rule: “A durable metal fire pan at least 12 inches wide with a 1.5-inch lip must be carried on all trips, even if stoves are used, and remains required during a fire ban”

• Bring

  Type I, III or V PFDs, worn by everyone from Jack Creek Rapid down

• Bring

  First aid kit, repair kits, air pumps, spare oar/paddle/motor per vessel, and a bail bucket or bilge pump

• Bring

  For boats 16 feet and over: a Type IV throwable or a 40-foot rescue rope, plus a whistle or horn

• Bring

  Completion of the Utah Mussel Aware Course

• Bring

  A dishwater strainer

  recommended here rather than required, but you will want one on a nine-day trip

• Bring

  A fire blanket under the pan

• Bring

  Shade structures for the long open beaches

• Bring

  Extra water capacity; the Green is silty and needs settling before filtering

General backcountry gear

Kit we recommend for backcountry trips in general. This is not a checklist specific to Desolation — the Colorado Plateau Rivers rules for this permit are above.