Campman Outdoor Gear & Apparel

Growing up in Montana, the Smith River was well known to me but I never had the resources to take the trip.  Flash forward a couple of decades and I finally got the chance when a call came in from an old friend and owner of MLBO fishing guide service.  He pulled the coveted permit in the lottery for an early season April float.  While April is far from the ideal time to float the river, this makes it an easier time to win a permit in the lottery system.  Due to the popularity of the float, Montana regulates the river to 9 permits per day.  The popular dates are in June when run off is typically over and the water levels aren't too low which requires you to drag your raft across many sections.  April is hit or miss with run off as it seems these days.  You also run the high likelihood that you'll get cold weather and snow storms.  Lucky for us, we can call our vendors that we sell for the best gear on the market and borrow it for a week for "gear testing".  We got outfitted by Nemo Equipment, Big Agnes and Jetboil for our trip.

Loaded up with 2 rafts, a one man pontoon boat, and enough gear to outfit a NOLS class, we set out from Bozeman to Camp Baker the day before our launch date.  It's first come first serve for the camp spot reservations.  We got there earlier in the day and ended up second in line.  The rest of the permit holders came in behind us later that day.  Our fearless leader guiding the 4 other newbies had all the camp spot info and experience.  We waited our turn the next morning and spoke with the ranger assigning the camp spots along the river.  Since we were second, we got almost all of our first picks.  We were able to space out the 59 miles pretty well over our 5 days of floating.

With our camping spots mapped out and raft numbers we could put in and get on with the fun. The week before us had 75 degree days for most of the week and thus triggered runoff to start a bit early. The Smith was running pretty chocolate when we put in. Visibility was less than a foot. Still fish-able but not ideal. Regardless, we were in it for the long haul. With our 7 Yeti coolers loaded up with food, beer and booze we headed out. New regulations this year require bear proof containers with locks or hanging food and toiletries a standard distance from the ground to prevent bear activity. While roto molded coolers are the easy compliance, they are very expensive and many people are upset that locals may be getting priced out of being able to make the trip.

Once we put on, pretty much for the rest of the trip we got rained on all day every day.  We had breaks in the weather and one decent day but we were pretty wet the entire time.  Turns out that was a good thing for us as the rain was snow up above us and stunted the run-off.  This improved our water clarity and made the fishing much better.  We set up at Rock Creek for the first night.  I hear it's the most popular camp spot on the river and for good reason.  You get the spot to yourself and you have the world's largest bathroom.

The next day we got up, made some breakfast, and rolled down river.  The fishing got better as the water cleared up.  The water level went from 700 cfs down to 400 cfs.  This still allowed drift boats to be used on the river.  Any lower and you'd be bumping rocks in your boat on some of the rocks gardens.  During the day we'd pass or get passed by the others who drew permits on the same day.  There were groups of all sizes.  Some were partiers, some were fishermen, and others looked like they were just being dragged along for whatever reason.  The cocktails flowed freely during the day's float as well made our way down river to the next camp.  We'd take turns rowing or riding in the pontoon.  The pontoon person would race ahead and fish the side channels that were missed by all the floaters.  Then finally we would make it to our next stop and set up camp.  The way we had it set up was that we each took a breakfast and dinner to cook for the rest of the group.  Everyone was on their own for lunch.  Half the time we were too cold in the morning and just made coffee with our Jetboil Zip and Jetboil Sumo stoves.  They made making coffee a breeze in the morning.  A quick fill up and couple of minute burn gave us hot water.  We'd add the coffee grounds and use the Jetboil coffee press to filter out the grounds. 

In the evening we'd all relax after camp was set up.  That is except for the person who had to cook.  They had to put a little extra effort into feeding the troops for the night as well as clean up after.  We'd all then sit around the fire to warm up and dry off our clothes in preparation for the next day of getting rained on.  The Big Agnes Helinox Sunset chairs were great for the trip.  They are super lightweight but still comfy enough at the end of the day to relax in.  They are about half the size and weight of normal camping chairs.  The whole group agreed that they were a great pick up for the trip.

The next day we saw some cabins along the way.  80% of the land on the Smith River float is private.  The Montana DWP has done a great job preserving the right of the public to access the canyon.  Most of the cabins look to have been built years ago.  They are pretty remote to get to and with bad weather you're either not getting in or out of your cabin until things get nicer.  The roads in and out of the canyon are steep double track roads.  Some of the residents use big former military trucks to get around.  They will drive them right across the river to get to their cabins.  Even in high water they can fjord the river.On this day we saw an osprey grab a fish out of the water.  A few minutes later is was being chased down by a bald eagle and dropped the fish.  The eagle nearly swooped down and grabbed the fish mid air after the osprey dropped it.  It was pretty spectacular to watch that unfold.

In the evenings in camp we'd set up our tents.  We brought along a Nemo Losi 3P, Big Agnes Rattlesnake 4 person Mtnglo, and a Big Agnes Seedhouse 1 tents.  All held up well against the weather easily.  The Mtnglo integrated lights were a nice touch in the evening when getting ready for bed.  It gave plenty of light to read, change clothes, or just get organized.  I was skeptical it was just a gimmick but it turns out it's nice to have and the lights don't add much weight.

We also had bags from Nemo and Big Agnes. We brought along the Big Agnes Fishhawk and Nemo Strato Loft. The BA bag was a great bag. It's a mummy shaped bag with wider shoulders. It packs up small, plenty warm, and won't break the bank. The Strato Loft was my favorite. Paired with a Cosmo 25L pad and pillowtop cover, it's like bring a bed in the backcountry. The pad's 4 inches of thickness made sure you didn't feel the ground an the pillowtop added the right amount of softness. The Strato is rectangular and so you can sleep on your side, back or mover around freely. If you are willing to take on a couple of extra ounces then this bag is worth it.

So as you can see we got hooked up on gear. Back to the trip. Along the way there are petroglyphs that you can hike to. There are also lots of hikes that can be done along the river on the public land. While we were there, the goslings were hatching so we saw lots of new fuzzy baby geese. 

 About halfway on the trip there is a golf course and bar. The golf course is more of novelty as none of the holes are more than 100 yards it seemed. They owners only have 2 pairs of clubs that can be loaned. You could bring a putter and pitching wedge and probably be fine. The bar is fun to stop at and get a Deep Creek at the Heaven and Earth ranch.The cocktail if free but they do take donations of whatever you like to give as payment.

The whole week will blur past you.  Even in the bad weather, we had a great time.  It was amazing to unplug for a week and spend time with old and new friends.  The scenery was spectacular.  What seemed like endless canyon floating, kept me in awe the whole time.  It is truly a gem and one of the most spectacular floats you'll ever do.  

Be prepared to use latrine bathrooms, not have cell service, and have your mind blown by the scenery.  The preparation isn't monumental and you can even hire one of the 8 authorized outfitters if you prefer to go the luxury route.  I was introduced to duck pastrami and chipped elk along the way as well as a couple of new guys I'll be sure to hit up again when I'm in Bozeman.  While I didn't hit on the fishing much, we caught our fair share to keep us excited the whole way down the river.  So if you read this and you're in the same boat I was with not knowing what to do after you get the permit, then hit us up at Campman.com.  We'll provide the information you need and hook you up with the right gear.  Then you'll be all smiles for the 59 magical miles that is the Smith River float.