Packrafting!: An Introduction & How-To Guide

Paddle, paddle, paddle and do not give up.

Freewheeling down rivers in a packraft seemed little more than survival boating. The only technique seemed to be well-timed prayer.

You guys might be fast, but old age and treachery conquer youth and skill any day!

It is anyone’s guess what the Europeans or Kiwis will find to do with their boats.

Multi-functions for each piece of gear, Spartan philosophies, gear sharing, and new super-light technologies become essential on longer expedition trips.

intrepid weekend packrafters with compulsive map reading disorders

First, do not sit on your pack. It will soak the contents and crush the cook pot.

To right an upside down and loaded boat in the current, get upstream of the boat, turn it sideways, then reach over and grab the downstream tube, pulling backwards and out of the water toward you. This forces the upstream tube down and into the current, where the force of the water helps right the boat. It works like a charm.

An equally bad situation could be had by shoving a pack into the boat’s bow and beneath a spray deck. Because a spray deck is attached and a pack beneath the deck could pin the boater’s legs inside the boat, it is best to keep the pack on top of the tubes.

To avoid hitting the rock, then, very quickly and before you are too near the rock, back-paddle one hard stroke — the “snicker” — on the right or same side as the rock.