Gear Up with Zion Adventure Company

gear up with zion adventure company

Zion Adventure Company is a rental company conveniently located near the entrance to Zion National Park. They provide services such as rental gears, guided hikes and canyoneering, rock climbing and other outdoor activities. The sole purpose of our visit, however, was to rent gear in preparation for our hike to The Narrows. I called ahead of time to make sure if we need reservations to rent their gear. I was told that reservations are only required for groups of 8+ for the warm water package.

Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted by a member of their staff. For everyone hiking The Narrows, a video awaits you. This short instructional video is beneficial to your hike. I, on the other hand, couldn’t sit still because I was itching to get my gear and head out. After watching the video, it’s time to pick out our gear. Canyoneering shoes, neoprene socks and a walking stick are the basic necessities for the bottom-up hike. For those of you ladies that has itty bitty feet like I do, it’s best that you arrive early. The smaller sizes were mostly gone and the one’s that were left were beaten up and had some material peeling off from the shoes. Luckily, I found one right behind a pair of size 9’s.

Tip: It’s best to find a pair 1/2 size bigger than your regular shoe size to give room for the neoprene socks. Also make sure you can wiggle your toes inside! You don’t want to have bruised toes after your hike. As for the neoprene socks, the staff member told me that it should feel snug but not too tight that it makes your toes curl. Lastly, the walking stick is the least of your worries. However, I noticed that some had different lengths. I picked the one that was closest to my shoulder height.

They have several packages available for your trip to The Narrows:

1. Warm Water Package: $23.00 first day/ $11.50 for each additional day.

-This package includes a short orientation video, canyoneering shoes, neoprene socks and a walking stick.

2. Cold Water Drypant Package: $43.00 first day/ $21.50 for each additional day.

-This package includes everything above plus drypants.

3. Cold Water Drysuit Package: $53.00 first day/ $26.50 for each additional day.

-This package includes everything on the first package plus a drysuit.

These items can be rented separately and in addition, you can also rent canyoneering and technical gear, camping and backpacking supplies, dry bags and backpacks, camera cases and hiking accessories. After we got our gear, we filled out a rental form that also allowed us to input our emergency contact info. Checkout was fast and easy and I like how reasonable their prices are. The staff were attentive and helpful. Even though it was extremely busy, they made sure to get everyone fitted and ready to head out.

My advice is to arrive early to have more selection and not make the same mistake as we did. Make sure you account for the time difference (depending on where you’re coming from) and the time you need to watch the video and fit your gear. Make sure to return your gear before 8:00 pm.

My review of the gear:

I read online that some people advised not to rent gear. They said that they’ve done this hike in regular running shoes or hiking boots. I advice you to do the opposite and rent the gear especially if this is your first time hiking The Narrows. Shelling out $23 is nothing compared to the agony of twisting your ankle or having bruised toes.

Personally, I felt secure knowing that I was wearing stable footwear that was extremely beneficial when I was trudging through the waist-deep water. The shoes are not waterproof but rather it provides good drainage so the water doesn’t stay and soak your feet. It also had a good grip and prevented me from slipping. I saw some people hiking with their sandals and I highly advise you to not wear anything that is open toed. I bumped my feet into rocks several times and I’m glad I was wearing the canyoneering shoes.

The neoprene socks are also not waterproof but it kept my feet warm throughout the entire hike. My only complaint was that it smelled really funky afterwards even though they cleaned everything when we dropped it off by the end of the day. Thankfully, my friend brought alcohol wipes that we used to sort of sanitize our feet. Lastly, the hiking stick was very helpful in keeping me balanced because it allowed me to feel for rocks before taking a step. If you want to feel secure and worry free during your hike, I recommend you to get the gear.