Packing list

For us nothing beats a new secluded swimming spot, ideally one that’s off the beaten track, hidden in the mountains, tucked behind a headland or includes a bit of a hike to get to. A close second, finding a great piece of kit that works just as it should - like the RuckRaft ;-)

When it comes to kit we’re always looking at weight, functionality and sustainability (you can see this in the design of our product too).

We like to pack light and support our fellow British born brands when we can. Here we share the gear that’s at the top of our packing list.

Aquapac dry bags: You can never have enough dry bags and UK based Aquapac are our favourite. As well as dry bags, they make covers for all your tech as well as your map - no one wants a soggy map or wet phone.

Buffalo System Mountain Shirt: The Buffalo is spot on for 90% of the conditions in the UK. And if it’s raining that hard and is that cold - just find a nice pub and settle in for a few hours. There’s a reason the military and mountain rescue use Buffalo.

Chaco Mountain sandals: We’ve got a few favourite pairs of shoes. But if we had to pick one piece of footwear for a full day of cross country swimming, Chaco would be it. Something to comfortably walk, swim and wear all day. When we had an issue with one of our walking boots in the hills of the Lakes, the Chaco came to the rescue - 10miles in these sandals with no ill effects.

Socks: actually a crucial bit of kit. We like Smartwool a lot. Stance Crew socks are also decent.

Montane Plum Mountain Cap: We’ve just found this one. A down filled cap that packs down tiny. It’s super warm and it’s even got a cord to go round neck so it stays put and will clip to bags so you don’t lose it. Ethically sourced so a double thumbs up from us.

Buff Neckwear: Really simple – a tube that can be used as a hat, scarf, snood or hairband. Gets used a lot.

Micro fibre towel: We’ve always got one packed in the bag but still not found the perfect one. Sea to Summit are a very good range of basics.

Rucksack / Backpack: There are so many. And unless you are a special shape (super long or short back) then most can adjust to fit. Look for the quality of the back support, shoulder straps all have to be spot on. See our blog about our obsession with rucksacks.

Jet Boil stove: It’s always handy to have a stove with you for a hot cuppa or a bowl of soup. If you want a small, light one that quickly, this will do the trick.

Skin food: Vaseline and Sudocrem are essentials for basic prevention and treatment of chaffing. For faces, hands and anything else that’s suffered from going in and out of the water and into the elements it has to be Weleda Skin Food - sensational.

Planning an overnighter?

With 120L of XL dry bag capacity, the RuckRaft can transport all your kit across the water, so grab your sleeping bag, tent and mattress, fill her up and head for the hills. Here are our favourite add-ons for a RuckRaft weekender.

Snugpak sleeping bag: Snugpak are the only UK manufacturer and whilst they may not be the smallest to pack down, they are nice and warm, just what you want for a night under the stars. We have prioritised light and portable in the past but then been chilly at night. The other option is layers - lightweight bag plus a lining.

Terra Nova tents and tarps: Terra Nova all the way.

Therm-a-Rest mattress: Therm-a-Rest camping mattresses get our vote. Many have copied but none are as good. The original and best.

And best of all, you can fit all of this and more in your RuckRaft, so dig that map out and start planning some routes.