How to Be a River Rat

Tips

• 1

  Camp on the banks of the river. No matter the season, this is a hallmark characteristic of a river rat; it helps you get a sense of the ebb and flow of the river and the surrounding plant and animal life. Camping also lets river rats familiarize themselves with the locations of important natural resources like firewood and wild game.

• 2

  Catch your food. River rats do not eat food bought from the grocery store; they are self-sufficient. River rats fish for walleye, bluegill, perch and catfish, among others; some even noodle for catfish with their bare hands. And if a river rat gets tired of the surf, he knows how to capture animals on the turf as well.

• 3

  Hike down the banks of the river. River rats are nomadic by nature because their curiosity meanders like the river. Hiking down the river banks give the river rat a better knowledge of the terrain around the river. He constantly eyes potential places for food as well as potential places to set up camp.

• 4

  Bathe in the river. River rats have no needs for the modern amenities of showers and bath tubs. The true river rat only bathes in the river when she is either dirty or hot from exertion.

• 5

  Use a boat, canoe or kayak to navigate the river. The purest river rats build their own watercraft, but it is OK to use watercraft that you did not construct. Transportation on the river is essential for the river rat to cover large amounts of ground in short periods of time.