A comprehensive safety and gear guide for the full-length Haw River and Cape Fear River expedition, from Rockingham County to the coast.
Starting at Troublesome Creek in Rockingham County, paddling the full Haw River, crossing Jordan Lake, and descending the Cape Fear to the Atlantic Ocean.
Troublesome Creek flows into the Haw River just south of Reidsville in Rockingham County, near the Rockingham/Guilford county line.
Search CalTopo for these coordinates, or search “Troublesome Creek Rockingham County NC” and follow it downstream to the Haw River confluence.
Paul Ferguson’s Paddling Eastern North Carolina (3rd Edition, 2018) is the authoritative section-by-section guide with dam locations and portage sides noted. Every serious source on the Haw, Deep, and Cape Fear points to this book. Buy it before the trip. It is more valuable than any single piece of gear.
Contact the Haw River Assembly (hawriver.org) before launching. They know the current state of every dam on the Haw, including recent removals, new storm hazards, and altered portage routes. A 20-minute phone call is worth more than hours of online research.
Low-head dams are called “drowning machines” for a reason. The recirculating hydraulic at the base can trap a swimmer indefinitely. Portaging is the only answer.
The hydraulic below a low-head dam recirculates water in a rolling boil that traps anything caught in it. PFDs are not enough because the aerated water reduces buoyancy. The counterintuitive escape is to ball up and swim down to find the outflow current along the river bottom, rather than fighting toward the surface.
Dozens of abandoned 19th-century textile mill dams concentrated through the Alamance County section (Gibsonville through Saxapahaw). Most are unmarked, in varying states of decay, and have the classic killing hydraulic. This is the most dangerous section of the entire expedition.
One of the best-known and most dangerous dams on the Haw River. Has killed paddlers. Mandatory portage well upstream. Do not approach to scout from the water.
12-foot, river-wide concrete wall on the upper Cape Fear near Corinth. Documented deadly hydraulic that has killed multiple paddlers. Cape Fear River Adventures explicitly warns: do not paddle over it under any circumstances.
Major dam at the outlet of Jordan Lake. Full portage required. Take out above the dam, carry gear around, and put back in below to start the Cape Fear proper at Mermaid Point.
Corps of Engineers structures downstream of Fayetteville. Flashing lights, large signs, and designated portage routes. Lockmasters have historically helped paddlers carry gear around. Well-marked but hydraulics below are still genuinely dangerous.
The deaths on low-head dams are not people who didn’t know the dam was there. They’re people who knew, got close to look, and got pulled in, or who tried to rescue a friend. The group must agree in advance:
1. Portaging is mandatory at every dam. No exceptions.
2. No one enters the water to rescue someone caught in a hydraulic. Throw bag from shore only.
3. Start angling to shore a quarter mile above any known dam.
4. Scout every dam on foot, even the well-marked USACE ones.
Standard safety equipment that every paddler should have on their person and in their boat. These are not optional.
Properly fitted. Should not ride up over the chin when in water. Higher-flotation rescue vests (Astral Greenjacket, Kokatat Maximus, NRS Zen) provide more buoyancy in aerated water near dams.
Primary: Gear Aid Akua Rescue Knife or the Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue clipped inside PFD pocket. Blunt tip, serrated edge, line cutter. For cutting free from entanglement in rope, fishing line, strainers, and debris. Backup: Trauma shears ($8-10) in the first aid kit.
Fox 40 pealess whistle attached to PFD zipper pull. Required by Coast Guard regulations on navigable waterways. Three blasts = universal distress signal. Every group member should know this.
Petzl e+LITE or similar clipped to PFD shoulder strap. Required by regulation on navigable waterways after sunset. Also essential for camp. White light visible from all directions.
Worn whenever near a dam, not just on rapids. Most low-head drownings involve being recirculated against concrete and debris. Carry on the boat and put on for dam approaches.
NRS Compact, 50-70 ft rope. Primary rescue tool for getting someone out of the water from shore. Group needs at least two bags spread across different boats. Practice throwing at a target before the trip.
Inflatable bag over one paddle blade creates an outrigger for self-rescue re-entry after capsize. Essential for solo re-entry on Jordan Lake and the lower Cape Fear.
Hand bilge pump for emptying a swamped cockpit after capsize. Marine sponge with lanyard tied to seat for daily cockpit bailing. Large-cell marine or NRS kayak sponge.
Two-way satellite communication with SOS button and position tracking. Cell coverage is patchy on the Haw and absent on long stretches of the lower Cape Fear. Lets the group call for help and lets family track position daily. The most expensive safety item and the most important one.
Waterproof versions of the route maps accessible in the cockpit. Every dam pre-marked with portage side noted. GPS and phones die. Compass for the long featureless lower Cape Fear meanders.
Written plan left with someone not on the trip: put-in location, date, expected waypoints, take-out date, and emergency contacts. Family holds a copy, trusted friend holds a copy. If the group goes silent for 48 hours, SAR knows which 20-mile section to search.
OverBoard or Nite Ize RunOff pouch with lanyard clipped to PFD. Not a ziplock bag. Backup communication, camera, and emergency connection. Must survive a capsize.
Her feet are going to be wet. The strategy is to let them be wet comfortably, not fight it. A protection shoe for the river, a comfort shoe for camp.
The river and portage shoe. Worn barefoot every time on the water.
Designed for Navy SOF water-to-land transitions. Massive drainage ports. Non-absorbent PU insole. Full-length ABS shank protects against rebar, broken concrete, and sharp river rock at dam portages. SEAL rubber outsole (derived from climbing shoe rubber) for wet rock grip. Mid-height ankle support prevents rolled ankles carrying loaded boats. 1000D Cordura is indestructible for three weeks.
⚠️ Must break in wet for 1-2 weeks before trip. Test fit against kayak foot pegs. Sizing: Men’s 6 = Women’s 7.5. Runs narrow.
The camp and flatwater shoe. Replaces Crocs with better traction and foot retention.
Astral’s G.15 rubber outsole is one of the stickiest on wet rock at any price. Comfortable barefoot right after getting off the water. Drainage ports for fast water escape. Low-profile sole fits kayak foot pegs perfectly for long flatwater days on the lower Cape Fear when the Altamas would be overkill. Also works for wading to filter water, rinse dishes, or cool off.
✓ Doubles as a casual shoe after the trip.
Zero socks on the water. Both shoes are designed for barefoot wear. Wet socks of any kind inside a shoe for 8-10 hours in summer heat are a blister factory. Skip waterproof socks, skip neoprene socks.
2-3 pairs of Darn Tough lightweight merino wool socks (~$20-25/pair, lifetime warranty) reserved exclusively for sleeping. Kept bone dry in a dry bag. Never worn on the water. Warm dry socks at night in the tent are a morale item, not a paddling item.
For a fair-skinned paddler on a three-week expedition, items she puts on once in the morning and forgets about will prevent more sun damage than a case of sunscreen requiring reapplication every two hours.
Lightweight nylon button-up. UPF 40. Mesh-lined back venting. Buttons open for ventilation, close for bug protection at dusk. Takes Permethrin treatment well. Doubles as paddling shirt and camp bug shirt. Two in rotation for a three-week trip.
Women’s cut. UPF 50. Nylon/elastane. Zip-off legs for shorts while paddling, zip back on at camp for bug protection. Legs stow in cargo pockets so they’re always accessible. Two pairs in rotation. Permethrin-soak before trip.
⚠️ Practice zip-on/zip-off before trip. If zippers are fiddly, try REI Sahara or Prana Halle convertibles instead.
Clean, dry lightweight long pants and long-sleeve shirt, plus dry wool socks. Kept permanently in a dry bag. Never worn outside the tent. Can be cheap cotton. This is a morale and hygiene item that keeps a multi-week trip mentally sustainable.
OR wide-brim sun hat (proven durability, decades of field testing). Paired with a separate OR Bug Net (Deluxe Spring Ring Headnet) that fits over the brim and cinches at the neck. Bug net packs to nothing in a dry bag. Hat handles sun protection during the day; net comes out at dusk or on slow swampy stretches where bugs are thick.
Polarized lenses reduce glare off the water and help read water surface to spot dam hydraulics and submerged hazards earlier. Chums Floating Neo retainer keeps sunglasses recoverable on the surface after a capsize. Non-floating retainers = glasses on the river bottom.
Simms, Buff, or UPF fishing gloves. The backs of her hands will blister from paddle grip plus sun reflection off the water by day five. Weigh nothing, cost almost nothing.
For the face, reapplied after swimming. Mineral/zinc provides a physical barrier that’s more forgiving if she forgets to reapply for a few hours. Covers the gap that clothing doesn’t reach.
For the neck and lower face. Weighs nothing, packs to nothing. Covers the chin-to-chest zone that a hat misses when the sun is high.
Hyper-evaporative PVA cooling towel. Dunk over the side of the kayak, wring, drape around neck. Cools to ~30° below ambient through evaporation. Unlimited recharges from the river. Stays cool and damp for hours (unlike a regular towel which dries fast). Clip the snap case to PFD or deck bungee.
Camp drying towel. Absorbs 4x its weight, dries 70% faster than cotton. Built-in hanging loop. Antimicrobial treatment prevents mildew even when packed damp. Get a bright color (gold/orange) for visibility as a secondary signal. Press-and-wring technique, not rub like a bath towel.
Permethrin-treated clothing is the single most effective bug defense for a multi-week expedition. It kills ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, and no-see-ums on contact with treated fabric. Total cost: ~$25-30 for two bottles of Sawyer (soak concentrate + spray).
Mix Sawyer Permethrin concentrate with water per instructions. Submerge all garments: paddling shirts, camp pants, camp shirt, sleep socks, hat, buff/gaiter. Agitate for several minutes. Hang dry completely (2-4 hours minimum).
After soak treatment dries, spray cuffs, collars, ankle openings, hood edges, and convertible pant zipper junctions with Sawyer Permethrin spray. These are the entry points where bugs find the one untreated inch.
Let everything cure completely outdoors. Do this 1-2 days before the trip, not the morning of. Permethrin is safe once dry but avoid breathing the wet spray.
Once fully cured, pack treated clothing into dry bags. The soak treatment lasts approximately 6 washes or 42 days of wear, perfectly covering a three-week expedition.
A Thermacell portable mosquito repeller creates a 15-foot bug-free zone at camp using heated repellent mats. Essential for cooking dinner on the lower Cape Fear where mosquitoes are relentless. Bring a refill pack for the trip length.
Anti-loss systems and organizational tools that prevent the slow attrition of gear falling in the river or getting left at campsites.
Spring-loaded reels clipped to PFD webbing. Attach sunscreen, lip balm, river knife. Pull, use, release, it snaps back. Removes the “where did I put that” problem entirely.
Clip water bottle to deck bungee. Clip dry bag to boat. Clip headlamp to PFD. Clip hat to shirt collar. Rule: if it’s not clipped to something, it’s gone.
Keeps polarized sunglasses recoverable on the water surface after a capsize. The single most commonly lost item on a river trip.
Different colors for different categories: red = clothing, blue = food/cook kit, yellow = electronics/valuables, green = camp gear. No labeling needed. Grab the right color. Sea to Summit Lightweight bags come in multiple colors and sizes.
Holds all small camp items in one place. Hang from a tree branch or paddle shaft. One bag to grab when breaking camp. No scattering small items across the campsite. Sea to Summit or Eagle Creek.
Lives between legs or bungeed to front deck. Holds snacks, sunscreen, phone in waterproof case, map, lip balm. Keeps daily-use items out of hatches and off the cockpit floor. NRS or Watershed.
Anti-chafing. Applied preventatively from day one to inner thighs, anywhere that rubs. Three weeks of wet shorts, salt, sand, and river grit will destroy skin. Small tube lasts the whole trip.
One bottle handles dish washing, body washing, hand washing clothes, and wound cleaning. Multi-use means less stuff to pack and lose.
Liquid IV, LMNT, or Nuun tablets. One in the water bottle every morning. Dehydration sneaks up because breeze and water mask sweat. By the time she feels it, she’s already impaired.
Duct tape wrapped around a water bottle (zero space). Tube of Aquaseal or marine GOOP. Spare drain plug if applicable. A cracked hull that can’t be patched means abandoning a boat.
Foot care on a three-week wet expedition is the difference between finishing and not finishing. The daily routine matters more than any single product.
The green bottle. Contains menthol and zinc oxide (antifungal). Not baby powder, which is just talc with fragrance and has no medicinal properties. Travel-size bottle.
Anti-friction barrier applied each morning. Creates a moisture barrier that slows skin breakdown. Also works for general chafing prevention everywhere else.
Unlike moleskin, Leukotape stays on for multiple days even when wet. Keep a roll in the deck bag, not buried in a dry bag. The moment she feels a hot spot, stop and tape it. Not tonight at camp. Right now.
Insurance item. If trench foot or fungal infection develops (white, macerated, cracked skin between toes), this stops it from getting worse. Small tube in the first aid kit.
Trimmed toenails prevent pressure at the end of the shoe when feet are swollen from being wet all day. Trim before departure. Bring clippers for a mid-trip trim.
For flushing wounds with clean water. River water in an open wound causes infection fast. A proper flush is the most important first aid step for any cut on a river trip.
Moldable aluminum splint for stabilizing a broken wrist or ankle until evacuation. Weighs a few ounces. Rolls up flat in the first aid kit.
Cut clothing, cut PFD straps, cut spray skirt material if grab loop fails. Also serves as backup cutting tool to the PFD knife. Safer than a knife when cutting gear off a person.
For closing small cuts. Faster and more waterproof than bandaids, which fall off immediately on a river trip. Field-proven wound closure that keeps water out.
Ibuprofen (pain/inflammation), Benadryl (allergic reactions from stings where help is hours away), antibiotic ointment, and any personal medications in a waterproof container. EpiPen if anyone in the group has known anaphylaxis risk.
These rules are agreed upon on dry land, before the trip starts. They are not negotiated on the water.
Start angling to shore a quarter mile above any known dam. Do not approach the dam from the water to scout. Ever. The upstream boil can pull a boat in from farther than you think.
Get off the water and scout on foot at every dam, including the well-marked USACE ones. No exceptions. No “we can see the portage from here.”
If someone is caught in a hydraulic, the only acceptable rescue is a throw bag from shore. No one enters the water. This is how rescuers become second victims.
Check the Bynum gauge before each day’s section on the Haw. Above 5.7 feet: do not paddle open boats. Above 4.7 feet: do not paddle without whitewater experience. High water makes every dam hydraulic dramatically more dangerous. Wait it out.
The biggest risk isn’t the first dam. It’s the ninth dam, when the group has successfully portaged eight times and starts to feel like the system is routine. That’s when the accident happens. Every dam gets full protocol. Every time.
If caught in a hydraulic: ball up and swim down to find the outflow current along the river bottom. Do not fight toward the surface. This is counterintuitive and must be discussed and understood before the trip, not learned in the moment.
The real risk isn’t whether any one person takes the dam seriously. It’s group dynamics. College trips drown at low-head dams because one person decides to run it, others follow, or someone tries to rescue a pinned friend and gets caught in the same hydraulic. The decision made on dry land, before the trip, with everyone in agreement, is worth more than any single piece of equipment.
Tasks to complete before putting on the water. These preparation items are as important as the gear itself.