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Closer Look > What to Bring
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Things You'll Need for Your Otter Bar Experience
April, May, and part of June can be warm and sunny or cool
and rainy with low temps ranging from 45-55°
and highs of 60-85° or more.
Water temps on the Salmon can be quite cool and are slightly warmer on
the Klamath. Between mid-June and September, our area is
typically warm to hot and dry with day time temperatures in the
80-90's, low humidity, and infrequent rain showers.
Night time temperatures are usually in the 50's and
60's. Water temperatures on the Klamath and our
instructional ponds reach a comfortable 70°
or more by mid-summer. Kayak Equipment
We provide all equipment needed for our
Beginner and
Basic
Intermediate programs. However, if you are flying in or
otherwise need equipment, you may make arrangements to borrow Otter
Bar gear and a kayak regardless of which program you are enrolling
in. There is no charge for this. You should try to bring
your own paddling gear if you have it. Paddling
Clothes
We provide paddling jackets and fleece paddling sweaters
to keep you warm. Please bring the following items:
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Long underwear like Capilene®
or polypropylene. You may not need this but it is a good
idea to have it for any time of our season. A thin
long sleeve Capilene® or polypropylene shirt or a long
sleeve rash guard top provide excellent sun protection and
cooling action for our hot, sunny summer days.
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Footwear for use while kayaking. We
recommend neoprene booties with a sole (these may be purchased at
Otter Bar) or a kayak-specific shoe such as those made by
Lotus Designs, NRS, 5.10, etc. Water sandals such as
Tevas or Chacos work well most of the time but folks with
big feet (men's 11 or larger) may not be able to fit them
inside some kayaks. Old tennis shoes are
generally not recommended.
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A cap or visor with a brim that will fit under a
kayak helmet is essential for sun protection. Bring a cap without a
button on top or purchase an Otter Bar cap when you get
here. The summer sun is intense and the river
environment offers little shade: protect yourself. A
wide brim hat is nice for off-the-river time.
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Swim shorts or bathing suit. Shorts are a good
idea to wear over bathing suit bottoms.
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During the months of April
and May you need to bring a drysuit, dry top, or
wetsuit (3mm farmer john).
Outdoorplay offers a full selection of paddling
apparel and guests receive a 10% discount using coupon
code OB1000. We can also arrange to have paddling
apparel from
Kokatat here for you to buy if you call us in advance to
place an order; guests receive a 10% discount from Kokatat.
For Overnight Trips (Beginner School
only)
 All
Beginner School weeks have one raft supported
overnight trip, weather permitting. It is
usually warm and clear with night time temperatures in the
mid-60's. We have a limited supply of gear to loan;
please let us know in advance if you will need to borrow
any camping equipment. For this trip you'll need:
Miscellaneous
In addition to the clothing and personal items you would
ordinarily take while traveling for a week away from home, we
recommend the following items:
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Waterproof sunscreen & lip balm
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Water bottle (we have some available
for loan)
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Small dry bag for
personal items in your kayak
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Camera, film or digital
film cards, & extra
batteries
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Slippers (optional--we have a "No Shoes in the
Lodge" policy)
Items Available
for Purchase at Otter Bar
- Otter Bar caps for wearing under your kayak
helmet and for casual wear. Very stylish.
- Otter Bar T-shirts, tank tops, and sweatshirts
- Sun Paws (sun protection mitts for your hands)
- Chums eyeglass
holders
- Doc's ProPlugs
(earplugs to keep water out)
- Wetsuit booties (the Kicker Wetshoe bootie, also
available from
Outdoorplay)
- Kokatat Gore-Tex dry tops
are now in stock at Otter Bar for 10% off retail prices
- Used kayaks and gear. See our current
used equipment sale list.
There is no
ATM or bank anywhere near us so bring all the money you
anticipate needing while here. We
occasionally stop at the local Salmon River
Outpost where you can purchase beer, ice cream, and snacks.
You may also want money for a massage and, if you'd like to
leave one, a gratuity (which is shared amongst instructors and
lodge staff). Other Stuff
Dress at Otter Bar is casual! We live in T-shirts,
shorts, jeans, bathing suits, and sandals for the most part.
Be sure to bring clothes appropriate for the time of year you
will be here. You may want to bring a party outfit for
our end of week Mexican fiesta. See the info on
weather during
your stay at
the top of this page or see our
current weather conditions.
Our FAQ will answer many of your
other questions.
We serve three meals a day and provide
beverages. If you want beer or other
alcoholic beverages, soda, or snacks you should bring it
with you or buy it at the local store. Please let us
know at the time of booking if you have any particular dietary
needs such as food allergies or if you are vegetarian, etc.
We provide free use of our
top-quality mountain bikes during your stay. If you are
an avid road cyclist comfortable riding on mountain roads, you
may want to consider bringing your own road bike. We
have some of the finest road biking in the country!
Otter Bar guests receive a 10% discount on purchases from
Outdoorplay. Use coupon code CLB-1000.
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Otter Bar Lodge Kayak School | 14026 Salmon River Road | Forks of
Salmon, California | 96031
phone: 530.462.4772 | fax: 530.462.4788 |
©2008 Otter Bar Lodge, Inc. | Site & photos by
Scott Harding
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