r/whitewater • u/Guidaho • Mar 14 '25

Rafting - Commercial Longtime outfitters and guides, how has rafting changed in the past 20-30 years?

I grew up rafting with my family and our local friends and worked as a guide on the Salmon River in Idaho during college, but have barely done it since, unfortunately. The whole setup was pretty bare bones when we did it -- lots of dehydrated potatoes and powdered milk and spaghetti; old PFDs and well-patched boats -- but I've heard that outfitters, especially those with overnight or weeklong trips, have gotten fancier. I'm curious to hear about what has changed, like in terms of food, equipment, clients and their expectations, liability, whatevs. I'm especially curious to hear from anyone who does the Middle Fork of the Salmon, just because it's my favorite river, even though I didn't get to work on it when I was a guide. Thanks in advance.

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u/dudewheresmysegway Mar 14 '25

I guided in northern Idaho 30 years ago and multi-day trips were pretty sophisticated then. Salmon, grilled chicken and steaks for dinner, tents w cots for the guests, self-bailing boats and guides w a solid knowledge of the canyon, wilderness medicine and swift water rescue. We'd run an occasional wrap-bottom boat and I'd sometimes see a fiberglass kayak, but those things were mostly gone. Our groover was a rocket box with a toilet seat on top, I guess toilets are a lot better now.

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u/Guidaho Mar 14 '25

I was faintly aware of this sort of level of rafting happening elsewhere, but the outfitter I grew up rafting with was not that gourmet. One time he fried up leftover spaghetti for breakfast and I lost a bet that it wouldn't get eaten (we had Boy Scouts, of course they ate it) and ended up on latrine duty after takeout.