Our Guide on What to Wear in the Back-Country

(and on our tours)

Our guide, Randy Gulick, in one of his signature fits. photo: @Absolute by Allana

Dressing for the back-country can be a daunting experience, especially in Tumbler Ridge where weather can turn like a dime, and can range from one extreme to another. That is why we have crafted this handy guide to help you, whether you are joining us on one of our tours or adventuring on your own.

Rule 1: Dress in Layers

One of the most important rules in outdoor dressing is to always dress in layers. We recommend at least three. This is especially important when hiking or river-boating. When you are hiking, even if it is winter and you are snowshoeing instead, you will inevitably begin to feel hot, and you will want to take a layer off temporarily. The ability to do this is important because when the outside temperature drops, sweating becomes your worst enemy. As soon as you stop, you'll cool off, and then the sweat will really cool you off.

When you're river-boating, particularly to Kinuseo Falls, you'll notice that the outdoor temperatures fluctuate an incredible amount. It may be 25º at the boat launch, but our boat travels at over 55 km/h and the wind can be cold. The cold only increases once we get close to the falls, where mist coming off them can cool temperatures significantly in the small canyon. We supply blankets on board, but you always want to be prepared.

Rule 2: Prepare for Rain

In the mountains, blue skies can swap to grey skies in half an hour. You can't trust the weather networks either because mountains can snag clouds and twist weather so quickly that the forecasters can't keep up. It's unpredictable. So bottom-line, if it rains, you don't want to be soaking wet. That means a good raincoat and good shoes (more on shoes below).

On our tours, we go rain or shine. We do have a top for the river boat if it is raining, which keeps our guests from getting wet inside the boat, but you will want to be prepared for when you get out, etc.

Don't despair if you aren't fond of the weather on the day of your trip, as Randy likes to say, "If you don't like the weather in Tumbler Ridge, just wait 15 minutes, you might like it even less."

Rule 3: No Flip Flops

We highly recommend avoiding the use of flip-flops on our tours. The ground near Kinuseo Falls can be incredibly slippery, and flip-flops are too flimsy to be of any help if you have to walk even a short distance through the bush.

On the boat we recommend sandals with straps (particularly a heel strap to keep them from falling off in the water), running shoes, or hiking shoes, etc.

If you are joining us on a hiking tour, or jeep tour, etc., we strongly suggest a good pair of hiking boots that have had a chance to be worn in a bit. There's nothing worse than setting out on a long hike in a new pair of boots, and suffering the entire way from blisters. If you don't have a pair of worn-in hiking boots, then a trusty pair of running shoes can work just as well most of the time.

This concludes our short, but hopefully helpful, guide for outdoor newbies. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.