Only plan to swim where public access and swimming are permitted. Check whether the site is open, seasonal, book ahead, closed or swimming banned, and whether entry or parking requires payment. A public footpath or a pin on a map is not permission to swim in a nearby pool.
When deciding what to bring to a swimming hole, pack for three things: entering the water, getting warm afterwards and returning to your transport. Our packing priority is to keep foot protection, dry clothing and essential medication accessible — not buried beneath wet towels.
Swimming hole checklist: the core kit
- Secure swimwear: a swimsuit or quick-drying shorts that stay in place and do not restrict swimming.
- Water shoes: closed toes, a secure heel strap or adjustable fastening, drainage and a grippy sole. Flip-flops do not provide equivalent protection.
- Quick-dry towel: keep a damp towel separate from electronics and spare clothing.
- Roll-top dry bag and phone protection: protect your phone, keys, wallet and medication, with a sealed phone pouch or secondary zip bag around the phone.
- Dry clothes and warm layers: include underwear, socks, a warm top, a hat and a windproof layer where exposure warrants it.
- Footwear for the return walk: walking shoes or boots suited to the approach, kept separate from wet swimming footwear.
- Drinking water and food: enough potable water for the whole outing, plus compact food in reusable, non-glass containers.
- Sun and insect protection: sunscreen, sunglasses and a brimmed hat; add repellent where mosquitoes, midges or ticks are present.
- First aid and personal medication: supplies for cuts and blisters, plus prescribed medication protected from water.
- Navigation and communication: a charged phone, an offline or paper map, and saved access-point details. Add a whistle, headtorch and power bank for remote approaches.
- Wet-kit and waste bags: separate bags for wet swimwear and rubbish; bring toilet supplies if the site has no facilities.
Choose water shoes that stay on when wet
Swimming-hole footwear needs to handle the bank as well as the water. Prioritise a closed toe, heel retention, drainage and a treaded sole for sharp gravel, submerged branches and slippery rocks. Check that the fastening holds your heel without compressing your toes: loose shoes can come off in current, while tight shoes can rub during the return walk.
Grip has limits. A treaded sole does not make algae-covered rock secure, and mesh uppers do not prevent every puncture. Use established entry points and avoid putting your weight onto submerged surfaces you cannot assess.
For a rough or lengthy approach, carry walking shoes or boots and dry socks. Wet water shoes may be suitable at the pool but uncomfortable on a stony trail back to the car.
Separate valuables, dry clothes and wet kit
A 5-10-litre dry bag generally suits small essentials such as a phone, wallet, keys and medication. A 20-30-litre bag is more suitable for spare layers and towels. Bulky clothing and changing robes may need more room, so choose by what actually fits without overfilling the closure.
A useful arrangement is a small bag for valuables inside a larger pack, with dry clothing protected separately. This reduces how often you open the valuables bag beside the water. Put wet swimwear, shoes and the used towel into a separate waterproof or washable bag afterwards.
Roll-top closures work by folding the opening down several times and clipping it shut. Follow the manufacturer’s closure instructions and stated submersion limits: a dry bag is not automatically suitable for being held underwater. Keep sharp objects and protruding container edges away from its fabric.
Give your phone a second barrier — a sealed phone pouch or secondary zip bag — before putting it in the dry bag. Incomplete seals and condensation can still damage electronics. Keep cameras and phones on land unless their protection is rated for the intended depth and duration.
A dry bag is not a certified flotation device. Do not rely on it to support a swimmer, and do not attach yourself to a bag, rope or fixed line while swimming in moving water: entanglement can prevent resurfacing.
Pack for the moment you get out
Warm air does not mean warm water, and a breezy bank can feel cold once you are wet. Bring dry clothes and a warm layer even on a sunny day. Keep them near the top of the bag so you can change without emptying everything onto damp ground.
For colder or longer outings, use a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid-layer and a windproof outer layer. Cotton dries slowly and loses insulation when wet. Avoid wearing heavy cotton clothing into deep water, where waterlogged fabric increases drag.
A quick-dry microfibre towel takes up little space. If there are no changing facilities, a large towel or changing robe provides privacy as well as coverage. Check local rules before bringing a changing shelter.
Bring drinking water, food and weather protection
Carry potable water for the approach, the time beside the pool and the return journey. Do not count on drinking from the swimming hole. Natural water needs filtering and disinfection using a method suitable for the source before it can be treated as drinking water.
Pack compact, high-energy food in reusable containers. Avoid glass, food that melts easily and loose wrappers that can blow into the water. Keep food accessible without opening the compartment holding your dry clothes.
Apply sunscreen before reaching the water and reapply according to its label, especially after swimming. Bring a brimmed hat, sunglasses and clothing for exposed banks. Do not apply sunscreen, soap or shampoo directly in natural water.
Add insect repellent where mosquitoes or midges are present, and check local tick guidance for routes through grass or woodland. Pack for the forecast at the swimming area and approach — not only the nearest town.
Carry first aid and a way to give your location
Build the first-aid kit around the likely problems: cuts from rocks, blisters from wet footwear and delays on the return route. Include plasters, blister dressings, sterile gauze, antiseptic wipes, medical tape, disposable gloves and tweezers. Add suitable pain relief and any supplies needed for the group’s medical conditions.
Keep personal medication in a labelled waterproof container, within its storage-temperature limits and easy to reach. Carry enough for delays; do not leave essential medication in the vehicle. Prescribed emergency medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, needs to remain accessible.
- Save a usable location: record the exact access point, nearest road, GPS coordinates or grid reference. “At the swimming hole” may not tell rescuers where to reach you.
- Plan for weak reception: download the route or carry a paper map. Save emergency contact details offline; a power bank does not solve a lack of signal.
- Carry remote-route equipment: keep a whistle on your person and bring a headtorch if a delay could leave you walking out in darkness.
- Tell someone your plan: leave the destination, route and expected return time with someone who is not joining you. Avoid swimming alone in unfamiliar or remote water.
For an emergency, call 999 or 112 in the UK, or 911 in the United States. If someone is in difficulty, alert others and use a reach aid or throw line from land if available. Do not enter hazardous current to attempt an untrained rescue.
Uncontrolled shivering, confusion, slurred speech or loss of coordination require urgent action: help the person out of the water, replace wet clothing with dry layers, insulate them and call emergency services.
Pack to leave the swimming hole as you found it
Bring a sealable reusable waste bag even if bins are shown on the site information. Take out food scraps, wrappers, plasters, tape and wipes — including items labelled biodegradable. Keep rubbish separate from clean clothing and food.
- Use toilets where provided. If there are none, bring toilet paper and a sealable waste bag, and follow the land manager’s human-waste rules. Do not leave paper or wipes beside the water.
- Leave washing products at home. Even biodegradable soap can affect aquatic environments.
- Protect the banks. Use established access points rather than trampling vegetation or creating another path down a steep slope.
- Keep glass out of the kit. Broken glass is difficult to spot on banks and in shallow water.
- Check dog rules before bringing a dog. Carry its drinking water, keep it controlled where required and prevent access to water with blue-green algae warnings.
Make these checks before travelling and entering
Equipment cannot compensate for a closure, unsafe flow or a missing exit. These checks belong alongside the packing list.
- Before travelling, check access with the operator or land manager. Look for swimming restrictions, seasonal opening, bookings, fees, parking rules and route closures. Save the notice and the date you checked it. A general right to enter a park or follow a path does not establish permission to swim everywhere nearby.
- Check official water-quality information. Where testing exists, read the latest result and its sample date, as well as current pollution and algae notices. England’s Environment Agency bathing-water profiles and relevant US beach or park programmes do not cover every inland swimming hole. If a site has no official testing programme, there is no official test result to rely on; clear-looking water is not a safety assessment.
- Check weather, rainfall and water conditions again before entry. Heavy rain can increase flow and carry contamination into the water. Hazards may remain after the rain stops. Stay out during official pollution or blue-green algae warnings, and leave the water and exposed shoreline during thunderstorms.
- Assess the bank and exits before getting changed. Identify an established entry point, a usable exit, current direction and visible hazards. Rivers, creeks, becks and waterfall pools can conceal debris, undercuts and powerful flow. Do not jump or dive into unfamiliar water.
Enter gradually and leave if breathing becomes difficult, movement deteriorates or judgment is impaired. Keep children within arm’s reach in the water, with a dedicated adult supervising; buoyancy aids do not replace supervision. Do not swim after alcohol or impairing drugs.
The packing priority
Protect your feet, double-protect your phone and keep warm clothes separate from wet kit. Add supplies for the actual approach and return journey — not just the time in the water.
Outdoor swimming is at your own risk. A complete bag does not make an unsuitable swimming hole suitable: check access, official notices and conditions before every swim.