# another hot grand question



## willieWAO (Jun 14, 2005)

Ive done the canyon once on a nov. 6th launch, and am prepping for a august 13 launch, so i assume its way different, everyone says "Oh man its soo hot, your gonna roast, hot, hot, etc"

Id imagine someone has had this question here before, and there are threads and threads with info, so what im asking you is for any advice for the hot august weather or if anyone can point me to some good threads, any help is appreciated!


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## Salidaboater (Nov 5, 2013)

willieWAO said:


> Ive done the canyon once on a nov. 6th launch, and am prepping for a august 13 launch, so i assume its way different, everyone says "Oh man its soo hot, your gonna roast, hot, hot, etc"
> 
> Id imagine someone has had this question here before, and there are threads and threads with info, so what im asking you is for any advice for the hot august weather or if anyone can point me to some good threads, any help is appreciated!


Lots of people only bring a sheet or something similar to sleep in. No sleeping bags unless real light.

Lots of drink mix of your choice it will make water taste better and you will drink more and feel better.

Obviously your choice of clothes

Sunscreen hats etc.

Have fun


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## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

Electrolytes, and these are the best I have found through my years

Amazon.com: Elete Refill Electrolyte Bottle, 18.3-Ounce: Sports & Outdoors

Just pure electrolytes with no sugars, etc. Has a minor salty taste to some people. Staying hydrated and drinking these electrolytes has the added benefit of reducing muscle cramps and fatigue (everyone I have shared with agrees). 

Sarong.....the duct-tape of desert clothing. We always bring two. Wear a wet one on your head during hot days. Great, airy skirt during the day (lesson: tie them tight before you boat scout or you will moon your crew). Great sheet for sleeping or wet and use for evaporative cooling. Etc.

Lots of hand salve.

It was already bloody hot in mid-May 2013 and I was glad to have all of those things.

Phillip


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Ditto on the sarongs...wet cotton bandana around your neck conducts heat away from carotid arteries. 

Two trips in August. Good chance to experience waterfalls and rainbows during storms.

Enjoy.


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## willieWAO (Jun 14, 2005)

Yea, awesome, thanks guys thats exactly what i was looking for, now, for the night float out at the end, we start from seperation canyon is it?


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Willie,

Something I've long thought about for hot desert trips would be to bring a garden watering can with a sprinkler head on it to wet down my sleeping site and the camp living room. This will allow evaporative cooling to take some of that stored heat out of the ground and rocks so everything's not radiating heat at you all night long. I tried just spreading a bucket or two of water in camp the last time I was on a summer desert trip and it worked pretty well to cool the hot ground off.


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## mpaulkeller (Jun 22, 2009)

I did an August trip a couple years ago and the most challenging part of the deal was sleeping as it stays pretty hot at night. If you can rig up a system for sleeping on the boat, this helps quite a bit. That said, at some camps you will likely be anchored out in deeper water if you want to avoid being high and dry in the morning so you have to be ok with 'swimming to bed' I pretty much just jumped in the water every night before I got in the cot (another nice strategy for staying a bit cooler) to drop my body temp a bit. I don't know how far you are going, but if you are taking out at Pearce's Ferry, I wouldn't plan on scooting as quick as possible from Diamond on as the lower canyon was the most miserable in terms of heat. have fun!


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## jmacn (Nov 20, 2010)

Aug 13th could be downright cold at times. It all depends on the monsoon activity. You'll be way too hot and possibly too cold in the same day. Having a shelter- mega mid for boat sleepers, that can handle heavy rain all night is a good call. +1 for wetting the sand if you're sleeping on the beach. Not only to cool the area you're sleeping, but to keep the sand down when it's windy. Getting the rest of the crew into it can be an awesome way to keep the kitchen area cool for the cooks and sand out of the food. Have fun!


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## readNrun (Aug 1, 2013)

We recently were on the green and I saw a guy bring a misting system. It just used misting port and some sprinkler pvc. The source was a can with a pump. He hooked the whole thing up to his umbrella (could easily be converted to a bimini setup). All I could think of was this was EXACTLY what I would want when the merc pushed over 100 - especially on the grand.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

ironmanbldr said:


> We recently were on the green and I saw a guy bring a misting system. It just used misting port and some sprinkler pvc. The source was a can with a pump. He hooked the whole thing up to his umbrella (could easily be converted to a bimini setup). All I could think of was this was EXACTLY what I would want when the merc pushed over 100 - especially on the grand.


What kind of can and pump?


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## readNrun (Aug 1, 2013)

DoStep said:


> What kind of can and pump?


Something like this but larger.


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## liquidphoto (Oct 22, 2010)

Agree with MPAULKeller. One thing to keep in mind, the exact sleeping location. If you find a real "neat" spot maybe near some rocks.... bad idea. the rocks give off heat at night (radiant heat). If you move down close to the high water mark, it will be the coolest temp. The obvious down side to this temp oasis is the water may come up to you. Pay att. to the water fluctuation. I have done many trips as a kayaker and some of the nights I had to move up the beach because my 55 deg. bag was not keeping me warm enough (In June, July & Aug). The higher up the beach, the warmer and often more blowing sand. I have been sleeping on my raft the last dozen trips or so and that is the best for the same temp nearly every night and very little sand (If you are in a raft) Some of the camps (ledges) this will not work. Take a quick dip just before bed works nice! 
You'll figure it out, Enjoy!


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## snowjunkie (Jun 29, 2009)

Yes, start at seperation canyon. From Diamond camp there if you can. The next day we did a half layover at camp then pushed off in the afternoon. It took us about 11 hours to get to Pearce. It's imperative that you have SOBER people on the oars and a really good light.


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## J (Nov 6, 2003)

Just returned from a trip.

Lot's of hand salve/bag balm/whatever.

Def. bring a light sleeping bag. You'll need it on some nights.

Sleep on the boat whenever possible. There were only a few nights where we didn't sleep on the boat. It is way cooler.

The mega mid didn't work too well rigged on the boat for us. 

Two people took a misting system on our trip. We used them maybe once. Not really worth the effort. Our permit was 16 days, if you are on a longer permit with more time in camp, YMMV.

Definitely bring a rain jacket and some warm clothes. We had one day of constant rain and it was actually cold. My wife even put on a pair of wet suit pants.

Be aware of the weather and get your hiking in early. Definite flash flood activity while we were there.

Have fun!


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## atg200 (Apr 24, 2007)

I was pretty cold for a good portion of my trip last August. We had many days and nights of very hard rain. Rain shelters for camp, tent and sleeping bag, and good rain gear are a must for August trips.


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## Preston H. (Jun 25, 2008)

Sleep on the boat if possible. If on the beach sleep close to the water. Not only will you be more comfortable, you will not have to walk (and might not even need to stand up) to pee in the middle of the night when you suffer from the dreaded combination of adequate hydration and alcohol comsumption.

Throw aside your pride and engage in silly rafter games such as water fights and pushing people off the boat.

Nipple beers. Several times each day, stand in the water up to your nipples for the time it takes to you to leisurely consume an entire beer. This will lower core temp and elevate mood.

By the way, the timing is pretty close for running into you. Hiking to Phantom 8/21 for a trip on the lower half. Orange Prijon kayak.


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## greenlm2 (Mar 28, 2010)

Cots + wet sheets were a life saver on the august trip that I did. Sleeping off the ground goes a long way towards keep you cool at night.


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## GCHiker4887 (Feb 10, 2014)

*Night Float*



willieWAO said:


> Yea, awesome, thanks guys thats exactly what i was looking for, now, for the night float out at the end, we start from seperation canyon is it?


You can start at Separation. There is a riffle forming there and one is forming at what used to be Lava Cliff Rapid, so keep an eye out for those. Otherwise, watch out for tree tops sticking out of the water and the Huali docks. Note the flows you have, meaning the river MPH and gauge your progress. You don't want to pass Pearce in the dark and run Superimposition Rapid. You would likely die... Hopefully the attachment works, if not DM me and I will email it to you.

-Josh

View attachment Diamond Down in the daytime.pdf


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## GCHiker4887 (Feb 10, 2014)

snowjunkie said:


> Yes, start at seperation canyon. From Diamond camp there if you can. The next day we did a half layover at camp then pushed off in the afternoon. It took us about 11 hours to get to Pearce. It's imperative that you have SOBER people on the oars and a really good light.


NPS/Coast Guard require at least 1 person on watch with a light. If you run a motor, regular Coast Guard rules apply here for that. We did watch shifts, but no moon and low water forced us to do some steering. Take off the outside oars when you barge up, and keep your other oars in your locks! Empty locks become swell impailment devices in the dark. We had a bunch of glow sticks we tied around the barge. Serves a few purposes, first they look cool when you have a 100 of them everywhere, and they provide some awareness of obstacles on the boats. Try to keep boat-hopping to a minimum. Deflate a floor for somewhere to pee. Watch out for hitting those silt banks, they will bury you in sand...


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## Salidaboater (Nov 5, 2013)

greenlm2 said:


> Cots + wet sheets were a life saver on the august trip that I did. Sleeping off the ground goes a long way towards keep you cool at night.


Not to hijack a thread but I am getting ready to buy my first cot (I'm getting old) 

Any suggesting on good light weight cots?


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## catsailor (Mar 8, 2014)

*Roll o cot*

Just got off this week. Slept directly on the mesh of the roll o cot set up on the boat. Woke up cold most nights and had to pull an unzipped light bag over me. We had some 60 degree nights. But even in extreme heat, a wet sheet over you with mesh under kept air flowing. Sleeping on the boat is at least 10 degrees cooler.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Preston H. said:


> Nipple beers. Several times each day, stand in the water up to your nipples for the time it takes to you to leisurely consume an entire beer. This will lower core temp and elevate mood.


Probably the best thing I've read all day. I never used emoticons, but...

_(.)(.)_
~-~-~-~-~-~-~


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## greenlm2 (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't actually own a cot, I borrowed one for that trip and I don't remember much about it, so I don't have any useful info. Sorry!


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## firejenson (Mar 15, 2012)

Roll a cot is by far the best. Lightweight, well built, and comfortable. Spring for the wide version. With cold weather I place a Paco pad over the cot and it is toasty warm.


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

On the cot question. After a bunch of cot purchases, on the advice of a seasoned Grand Canyon boater, I purchased a roll a cot. Bomber design and construction. One of if not the best purchases ever of camping gear. As mentioned previously, in the heat, sleep on the mesh with a wet cotton sheet for coolness. If it is cold, add a paco pad or a thermarest. I have and use either Paco or Thermarest depending on the trip. In a raft I use the Paco, in a canoe it is usually the Thermarest.

My first Grand Canyon trip was in mid august. When it rained it was cool sleeping for sure. We just pulled a tarp over head and enjoyed the cool time. Most nights I slept on a pad on the river's damp sand with feet close to or in the water. Be prepared to move up or down the bank depending on the "tide". If beach is short and steep, just get close as it makes sense, normally there is cool air within 4 or 5 feet of the water level.

Plenty of great tips already posted on other things to bring to make for a more comfortable trip.

Be prepared for the blistering hot sun during daytime lunch stops. The hot sun can actually burn bare feet. If in kayak or raft, keep teva's binered in close by, maybe light sox for the feet's sun protection. A nice wide brim cotton hat (dip it in water for more coolness) is a must. Same procedure for a light weight cotton long sleeve shirt. I like the fishermen's models as they have plenty of pockets for sun screen, lip protection, sun glasses, hand/foot salves etc.

Be aware that the August sun seems to me to be extra powerful. Just a few extra minutes of bare skin (or even wet or dry cotton garments) can leave most of us with a painful burn that makes the rest of the trip very uncomfortable. Carry plenty of aloe plus sun screen.


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## trevko (Jul 7, 2008)

I loved sleeping on my raft in the summer. I had a hatch for the front bay, brought a piece of wood to fit over the footwell space, and had two poles for my megamid - running each pole out to an oarlock. The key is choosing a camp that does not have a big eddy surge.

As we said earlier - depending on the monsoons, it can get downright chilly at times as well.


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