Beauty Of The Packraft
Lightweight, Durable & Packable- What More Could You Need?
With the advancement of modern fabrics and materials there is room for innovation at a seemingly unlimited rate. There exist today amazing materials to make new things from and bring to reality what were previously only visions. Imagine a flotation device with similar capabilities as a kayak that weighs ~10-11 lbs. Then think about this raft in a form that is packable, yet extremely durable. Next, envision the ways it can be used for great adventure and you have the packraft. This concept has in actuality been around for a long time, never has it been so easily or safely achievable.
Why Not Float And Bike?
Where solo float trips were impossible because of logistics, they are now very much doable. No more need for a second car to get you back to where you where. If you have a packraft, lifejacket, backpack and bike you are good to go. Take the wheels off the bike, strap everything onto your raft and get on the water. When you reach your end point on the water, take out, assemble bike and ride back. No more paying for a driver to go from one point to another. The days of needing another person for their car are gone. This is a game changer!
What About A Float Then Hike?
Kayaking is so much fun, right?! There is a small local river than would be very cool to go down but there is no insertion point where I can park and walk 20′ to put my kayak in. No problem. You can now hike to where you want put in, inflate packraft and go. When you are ready to get off the water, take out, pack up and hike back. Seriously, this has never been easier to do. This beats a long walk over rocky terrain with a 20 pound solid kayak any day of the week.
So You Like To Hunt?
Even the sport of hunting in remote areas can be made easier by use of packraft. Think of how much easier it would be if you could float your harvest to the nearest point on a waterway by where your vehicle is parked? This is a huge improvement over hauling it back on foot or by bike. Using a packraft allows you to go further and access more areas in less time that over wise are untouchable. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The History Behind The Phenomenon
Concepts such as inter tubes, small floating inflatable devices and other such items have been around for a very long time. The realization of the packraft is arguably first seen used by Dick Griffith in his exploration of Copper Canyon in Mexico. He used an inflatable raft to access and traverse the terrain here in 1952. Since Dick’s first trip, there have been a cascade of innovation on these rafts and their design. Many people with many uses have utilized these amazing crafts to their advantage in order to access more.
Companies Who Produce Packraft Products
A few small, made-in house outfits or departments of larger companies have popped up to market and produce packrafts. The big ones are Alpacka Raft, Kokopelli Packraft, NRS, Feathercraft, MRS, Nortik, Aire, Koaro, Ironraft and DIY Packraft. The last one isn’t a finished product company and as the name suggests, DIY Packraft sells kits for the end users to assemble at a highly reduced cost. My experience with Alpacka Rafts has been wonderful, no problems and I would highly recommend them. At the moment, I have an order in production for a Caribou with their internal gears storage system. Also, I have been building (for a long time) a large raft kit from DIY Packraft.
Try One Out, It May Change Your Life
There are places these crafts can be rented from, some companies do loaner programs for certain uses or expeditions. Look into what your options are if the price is too rich. They are not inexpensive but for what you get with them and the quality on some, I can say they are worth the cost. Packrafts open up doors to adventures and modes of travel that before where locked closed. The access you get from using them is almost unbelievable. I greatly dislike this over used cliche but it fits here- packrafts are a game-changer.
