Author

Zach Collier

Zach is an avid whitewater boater who enjoys seeing new rivers for the first time. He's also the owner of Northwest Rafting Company, a river outfitter that offers trips in the Pacific Northwest and a few select international destinations.

AIRE BakRaft Review

Monday, October 29, 2018

I’ve been using the AIRE BakRaft Expedition for a couple years now and want to share my thoughts about their strengths and weaknesses. First and foremost, these revolutionary ultralight kayaks...

Books: Wild and Scenic Rivers, An American Legacy

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, my friend Tim Palmer wrote this masterpiece full of information and photos about America's Wild and Scenic Rivers....

Pro Tip: Poison Oak

Friday, October 13, 2017

For many mountain bikers, rafters, and kayakers poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) is one of the scariest things found in the woods. This nasty bush is commonly found in California, Oregon,...

Gear Review: Jackson Nirvana

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

I only review kayaks that I like and I absolutely love the new Jackson Nirvana kayak. When I first saw photos of this boat my first impression that it was...

Pro Tip: Spring Multi-Day Trips in Oregon

Thursday, March 9, 2017

We have an impressive snowpack in Oregon and I'm getting ready for some unique multi-day trips this spring. Instead of picking a particular river, consider picking a time frame and...

Gear Review: The Latest and Greatest Whitewater Guidebooks

Friday, February 10, 2017

I love my library of whitewater guidebooks with classics like Charles Martin's Sierra Whitewater, Dick Scwhind's West Coast River Touring, Grant Amaral's Idaho the Whitewater State, and John Garren's Oregon...

Gear Review: Jackson Rockstar Large

Saturday, October 22, 2016

For a long time I assumed the Jackson Rockstar was only for throwing big tricks on perfect holes and waves. Boy was I wrong. This is a fun and remarkably...

River Safety: Northwest Cataraft Progression

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

The rainy season is about to come to the Northwest which means boating season is right around the corner. Whitewater runs like the Upper Clackamas and Wind Rivers become training...

Pro Tip: Setting up the Groover

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Portable toilets on river trips are affectionately known as the "groover" after the grooves older metal ammo cans left on your butt cheeks after sitting on them. Modern groovers are...

Dagger Nomad L (Newmad) Review

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

For 2 years I paddled a Nomad 8.5 and loved it. It was forgiving, predictable, and boofed like a dream. I'm 6'2" and 220 lbs so I always felt the...