Canyoneering Protection

Protection is about more than just gear—it’s about anticipating the conditions and equipping yourself accordingly. Whether you need to guard against abrasions from sand, stay warm in cold water, or shield yourself from the intense desert sun, it’s important to pack with purpose. Essentials like helmets, wetsuits, drysuits, knee and elbow pads, gloves, and sunscreen are all part of the equation. Many of these items overlap with general “gear,” but viewing them through the lens of protection ensures you’re thinking about the environment and its challenges with YOUR survival.

When you approach each canyon with a mindset or framework that balances the items you’re bringing and the protection they provide, you’re less likely to forget critical gear—whether it’s a spur-of-the-moment trip with 10 minutes to pack or a major expedition planned over weeks. Framing your preparation this way not only minimizes accidents but also equips you to handle those inevitable “what if” or “uh-oh” moments with more confidence.

The following items qualifies as canyoneering protection:

• Head Protection: Helmet

• Body Protection: Full Wetsuit/Shortie/Drysuit

• Knee Protection

• Elbow Protection

• Hand Protection

• UV Protection

Head Protection: Helmet – Canyons are rugged, with potential of falling rocks (especially when rappelling), so always protect your head in every technical canyon.

Body Protection: Wetsuit – Essential for cold water; even in the summer, canyon water can be chilly.  In alpine canyon settings, a dry suit might be a better option to stay warm.  A wetsuit works by trapping a thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene. This thin layer of water warms up due to conduction from your body’s heat.  And if the wetsuit is thick enough, it can act as a barrier and keep most water from coming in contact with your skin as wetsuits are, skin-tight.  The recommendation is 3 mm to 5 mm.  Anything lower doesn’t add much thermal protection, but it would be better than nothing.  Check the online canyoneering forums for suggestions as they vary and change yearly.  A $50 one on amazon might last 10 canyons, but if that’s all what you are going to do, then that works. But you can invest in a higher quality one with less seams or seam protection. Less seams or one with seam protection makes it more comfortable when it’s pressed against your body all day long (my wife suggested that point that I overlooked!).

Body Protection: Drysuit – a must have for winter canyoneering when water temps are frigid, helping you stay dry and insulated.  Drysuits differ from wetsuits as they have gaskets around your neck and arms typically and you have to squeeze your body into it.  I’ve done a few frigid canyons wearing only sweatpants, a t-shirt, and fleece on top and have been adequately okay. Not cold but not hold and have enough maneuverability in them.  Invest the time into research and save some money (most are $1000+) if you are serious about winter canyoneering. 

Knee protection – Perfect for narrow, “skinny” canyons where you might be high-stemming or scraping your knees on rough rock.  Always good to keep these in your pack, just in case.

Elbow protection – Like knee protection, elbow guards are great for those tight, narrow spots where you elbows take a a beating too.  These are also easy to store and pull out as needed.

Hand protection – in other words, gloves.  Durable, rubber-dipped gloves under $10 work best to guard against scrapes will still offering decent grip on cold rock.

UV Protection – Sunscreen is vital for desert trips! Or at least a hat or buff.  A SPF above 30+ is recommended for your neck, face, and arms from painful sunburn and to reduce the risk of skin cancer.