Kayak, raft and SUP · Skin is gear

Wet hands, a spinning shaft, and sun from above and below.

A day on the river or the lake soaks the hands, then the paddle shaft grinds the thumb web and the base of the fingers until they blister. The sun comes off the water as hard as it comes from the sky. Here is the paddler's kit, from the put-in to the takeout.

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Skin is gear
Why paddlers blister

Soft, wet skin on a turning shaft.

Skin that's been wet for hours goes soft, and a paddle shaft rotating through the same grip a few thousand times shears it open. The thumb web and the base of the fingers go first. The water doubles the sun, so the backs of the hands, the knees on a SUP and the lips burn faster than they would on land. By the takeout the shoulders and back are done too.

Tape the known spots before you launch. Cover up for the sun once and forget it. Close any blister the same night so it's skin again for the next run. The Deschutes runs through our backyard. The crew floats it all summer.

A river day, hour by hour

From the put-in to the takeout.

Where paddlers' skin goes wrong over a day on the water, and what goes on at each stop.

Put-in · 8 AMTape and cover.

Tape the thumb web and base of the fingers. Sun hoodie on, zinc on the lips. Skeeter Scatter for the eddies.

Rhinos' Own Adhesive tapeSun Hoodie - Bamboo - SPF 50Reef Safe SPF 15 Zinc Lip Balm – Gentle Vanilla Scent
Mile five · 10 AMThe hot spot.

Pull over at the first rub. Dry it, retape. Split stick on anything that opened.

SplitRhinos' Own Adhesive tape
Lunch · NoonSun off the water.

Hydrate on the face, neck and hands. Pocket Water so you drink more than you think you need.

HydratePocket Water
Takeout · 4 PMWash the river off.

Castile wash at the truck. Cleanse on any scrape from the rocks.

All Natural Castile Body WashCleanse
That night · 9 PMClose it, recover.

Split+ whipped balm on blisters and cuts. Massage Cream on the shoulders, back and forearms.

Split+Massage Cream
Find your way in

Tell us what happens. We'll point.

No score and no wrong answers. Pick what sounds like you, and every answer opens another door: a fix, a page, a longer read.

The pack

What's in the dry bag.

Travel sizes in the dry bag. Full sizes in the truck.

New To Rhino?
All of it, one boxNew To Rhino?

The core products in travel sizes. A season on the water to try them.

The whole routineNew To Rhino?$58.65$39.95
10 items · pick a size, hit Add
Thumb web, before launchRhinos' Own Adhesive tape$3.95
Blisters on the waterSplit$4.95
Whipped balm, at nightSplit+$8.95
All day on the waterSun Hoodie - Bamboo - SPF 50$19.95
LipsReef Safe SPF 15 Zinc Lip Balm – Gentle Vanilla Scent$4.95
Sun off the waterHydrate$8.95
Eddies and campSkeeter Scatter$7.95
River offAll Natural Castile Body Wash$5.95
Rock scrapesCleanse$9.00
Shoulders and backMassage Cream$8.95
The crew

The people who test this on the water.

Raft guides, whitewater kayakers, SUP regulars. They tell us what the river did to their hands.

Paddle a lot, use Rhino, want in? Tap to apply.

Seen on the river

Show us the run.

The rapid, the eddy, the takeout. This wall is yours.

Rhino bamboo sun hoodie on a female model, front view.@rhinoskinsolutionsRhino bamboo sun hoodie on a male model, front view.@rhinoskinsolutionsHeaven sun hoodie in the Moab desert.@rhinoskinsolutionsZen Rhino rashguard surfing photo.@rhinoskinsolutionsRunner on the trail — Rhino skin care for runners.@rhinoskinsolutionsGrip-Enhancing Skincare for Gamers by Rhino Skin Solutions" – Close-up image of a gamer using Rhino Dry Spray to prevent hand sweat and improve control during gameplay@rhinoskinsolutionsTag us
#SkinIsGear

Post it, tag @rhinoskinsolutions and #SkinIsGear. We pull the best ones onto this wall every week.

Field reports

From the comments.

Paddler reviews land here as they come in.
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Made in
Redmond
Oregon

We make everything in our own facility in Redmond, Oregon, on 100% on-site solar, with the Deschutes running through our backyard. Outfitter pricing is available.

Made in Redmond

Where it comes from.

How Rhino started
Made in Redmond
Want to paddle with us?

Join the Rhino crew.

Guides, outfitters, paddlers. Apply, or ask about outfitter wholesale.

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Paddle kitPack the dry bag

The Rhino Deep Dive

Want the long version?

What is in each bottle, what it does, and when to reach for it. Ingredient by ingredient, sport by sport, in one book you can flip through.

Read the Deep DivePlay Find my Rhino