How to Get Started Packrafting
A Conversation with Author and Packrafter Luc Mehl
Author and packrafter Luc Mehl joins us in conversation with thru-hiker and packrafter Renee Patrick to discuss how to get into packrafting.
Together, they share how they got started, what gear they acquired (and what gear they waited to get), and skills and safety tips that have helped them on the water.
This comprehensive guide to packrafting answers common questions to get into the sport.
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Meet the Experts
Luc Mehl is the author of the National Outdoor Book Award-winning instructional book, the Packraft Handbook.
Luc Mehl
Luc Mehl grew up in a village on the Kuskokwim River, Alaska. Growing up off the road system (you have to fly to the village) nurtured a strong appreciation for nature and Alaska's wild places.
After completing graduate degrees at UCSB and MIT, Luc returned to Alaska to work in the environmental sciences and to explore the mountains as often as possible.
Luc has visited over 10,000 miles of Alaska by foot, ski, ice skate, and packraft.
After losing a friend in a packrafting incident in 2014, Luc re-evaluated his relationship with recreation and risk. This process ultimately resulted in writing The Packraft Handbook (Amazon | Bookshop.org), a comprehensive instructional resource for people that want to incorporate portable boats in their adventures, which won the 2021 National Outdoor Book Award for Best Instructional Book.
Renee Patrick is a thru-hiker and packrafter with a love for exploring the land.
Renee “She-ra” Patrick
Renee “She-ra” Patrick has been hiking long-distance trails for almost 20 years, packrafting for almost 10.
She is a triple-crown hiker (has hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) as well as routes like the Blue Mountains Trail and Oregon Desert Trail.
Her love of backpacking and following waterways led her to discover the landscape from the bow of her packraft around the Pacific Northwest. When she isn’t busy at work establishing the 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail, she can be found rafting, backcountry skiing, or just forest bathing. Her packrafting trips can be found at Adventures with Packraft. Instagram: @wearehikertrash
Renee Patrick getting ready to launch on the Yellowstone River. Photo by Kirk Barnes
How do you get into packrafting?
Both Renee Patrick and Luc Mehl got into packrafting from backpacking. Here are their thoughts on the evolution of how they learned packrafting-specific skills.
Renee: I started backpacking in 2002 on the Appalachian Trail; I loved it, fell in love with the simplicity of life, and walking with everything I needed on my back. When I met my partner Kirk about 12 years ago now, he was a whitewater paddler. So I like to say that he is to rivers as I am to trails.
As I was hiking 2000 miles, he was doing extreme whitewater paddling, and I brought lightweight backpacking to the equation. He explained his desire to experience the landscape and what he had been doing by packing hardshell kayaks into remote wilderness rivers. When we became aware of packrafts, the only resources I found were from Luc’s Blog, Forest McCarthy, and Roman Dials, who are the main content producers out there when it comes to exploring the world in a pack raft.
So we purchased pack rafts, and although I couldn't find much information about it, what I did learn from your blog, Luc, is that curiosity is a great teacher. Along with a map, it’s a great director as to where to go and how to go. Thank you, Luc, for writing about and filming some of your adventures because it helps me get out the door and just say, “Okay, well, I don't know who's done packrafting in Oregon, but let's just go do it!”
The Packraft Handbook by Luc Mehl and illustrated by Sarah K. Glaser.
Luc: Like you, I came into it as a backpacker. Even though I grew up on a river, I hadn't done any river sports. I didn't think of it as a recreational outlet. So you and I share that common background, but what was different is that you had a partner that knew about water.
I didn't have that initially, but many of my peers in Anchorage were getting pack rafts, and they were really getting them as hiking accessories. It was kind of like the tennis shoe that would bring you down the river.
When you're on the water you don't have a lot of control over where the water is flowing. So I was lacking that in my learning curve. Then, I got really lucky to fall in with Roman Dial. He had organized a group of pack rafters that were really interested in rapids and whitewater, and there were also some kayakers that offered to look out for them and set up a little bit of safety.
Those kayakers introduced all of these safety norms that I assume you got from Kirk; I didn't really have those until the kayakers stepped in. So, that was all part of my evolution from a backpacker to somebody that was like, “Wow, whitewater is super fun!” Now, I'm at the point where I'd probably prefer to go whitewater boating than to go backpacking. I've had that full swing over the last 15 years.
Renee: I almost equate reading or learning a river to learning another language, much like walking without a trail. I love cross country hiking, where you read the terrain and find where the path of least resistance is.
A river is the same; it's more than just an accessory. I think that's what your book, the Packraft Handbook (Amazon | Bookshop.org), gets at; you stress this culture of safety. And I was lucky in that Kirk had been a teacher and guide there to teach me. But what would you say to people who want to get started and think, “Oh, I'm just gonna throw this boat in my backpack”? Do you have something you come out and say rather than handing over a 500-page book? Where do you suggest people start?
Luc Mehl and Sarah Histand "walking the dog" on the shallow Ivishak River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Photo credit: Will Koeppen
Where should I start packrafting?
Both experts believe that practicing what to do in worst-case scenarios in safe calm water environments like ponds is vital. Flat water is the ideal way to start packrafting. It also helps to go with other capable people. You can connect with other rafters with the American Packrafting Association.
Luc: Getting into packrafting is more than just throwing a boat in a backpack. It's a very high-risk sport, with severe consequences. I stress the culture of safety in packrafting.
I suggest, and I suggest in my book too, to start learning how to packraft at a pond. The Packraft Handbook (Amazon | Bookshop.org) is broken up into four parts, and the first part is about setting up a foundation. It's basically what someone new to packrafting should do. But even for more experienced packrafters, it's really good to practice in a pond each season.
When I get together with other pack rafters, we’d go to the pond or some other controlled setting. We inflate our boats and look at the rigging to make sure there aren't any loose straps or other things that could go wrong. The whole strategy in my book is to anticipate what can go wrong and practice how to respond to those things.
Renee: When I started, I was new to moving water; and I would have this death grip on my paddle at any given time. My hands hurt so bad because I was gripping so hard. I was petrified of falling out and I still don't like it, but I really had to get comfortable with it because it happens.
The first time I fell, I flipped over. I couldn't get the Velcro on my skirt, but luckily I do a lot of yoga, so my head was above water while my boat was still underwater. I needed that practice in the lake before heading to a river. I'm still resistant to swimming, but once you know what to do, it’s still really useful to practice for the worst-case scenario.
Luc: During one of the early seasons, a group of friends and I were meeting every Tuesday for a little in-town run. At the end of that run, I would always flip out of my boat just to practice getting back in. During that summer, I got way more comfortable with falling. I would even do things like throw my paddle as far as I could and then jump out of my boat. I knew I had capable partners that could help me out. So, I used that as an excuse to be curious and to play around with what could go wrong.
Renee: Make it part of your routine to practice like that. I need to be better at that myself.
Luc: While writing my book, I have thought a lot about how to split knowledge into buckets.
I began with the foundation, the "getting started stuff" that we talked about earlier.
The next part is about how rivers and open water work. I talk about things like the hazards, paddling river features, and how to do open crossings.
Then the next part is talking about everything that can go wrong; so that covers rescue techniques, medical emergencies, equipment failure, and repairing equipment.
The last part is sort of the backpacking part: carrying cargo, planning a trip, and what gear to bring. So those were the buckets I ended up with.
Interested in Water Sports? See our Water Sports related guides:
Luc Mehl learning to land waterfalls in a packraft on the Cascadas Micos, Mexico. Photo credit: Todd Tumolo
What is the biggest concern while packrafting?
Luc: What we're most worried about in the water is falling out of the boat. This can also happen on a lake, especially if the wind picks up and there are waves. You don’t have to be in whitewater or another high-risk environment to fall out of your boat. That’s why it helps to also practice how to get back into the boat.
Outfitting yourself is important. It is important to wear a life vest and be knowledgeable about equipment before we get in the water.
You look at your gear, understand its limitations of it, and make sure that it's outfitted for safety. Then, you practice responding to the things that you think might go wrong. It always helps to have somebody there who can inform you about these things. If you're a total newbie it may be harder to identify the things you don't already know. Hopefully, resources like my book can help fill in some of those gaps.
Note: A life vest or personal flotation device is important. See our Best PFDs and Life Jackets for more recommendations.
What's the base kit for packrafting?
The vest and wet/dry suit with your helmet with your paddle are your base kit. You should have good footwear that protects your feet, and other things like gloves if it's cold. But the life vest, the dry suit, the helmet, and the paddle, are the core clothing you need.
Luc Mehl paddling the headwaters of the Chitina River, Alaska. Photo credit: Graham Kraft
What type of packraft should I get?
For your first packrafting trips, find a boat that you can borrow or one you can afford to rent.
Luc: When I got into the sport, Alpacka Raft was the only company making inflatable boats that were intended for backpacking and downriver travel.
There were already some varying quality inflatable boats, but they were either too heavy to consider for backpacking, or they weren't appropriate for downriver travel. So that's really what changed in the early 2000s with Alpacka Raft.
Since then, as the market has expanded, there are at least 32 packraft manufacturers. So at this point, it's hard to keep track of all the options, which is great because those different manufacturers bring new insights.
It's kind of a mixed blessing because, in our first boats, you only had to decide which size you wanted. Now, you can get a whitewater packraft, a packraft that is better for open water crossings, or a two-pound (one-kilogram) packraft that’s great for backpacking, but not good for rivers.
You have to really identify what you're looking for. I put some thought into this question of “what boat should I get?” My answer, at least in the book, is that the right packraft for you is the one you can borrow or one you can afford to rent.
What matters more is that you do that outfitting check that we talked about--making sure there's nothing in there that might trap you. Equally important is choosing a destination that's appropriate for that boat and for your skill level (more on that below). It's totally acceptable for somebody to get a $100 Walmart boat, so long as they stay close to the shore as opposed to taking it on a two-week expedition or down a river.
And that fits Treeline’s philosophy of inclusivity; it's more important to start somewhere and just recognize how to do it safely than to feel like you need to make a $2,000 investment. All the parts add up, and you don't want to skimp on the safety gear.
Renee: Right, and I know there are some pack raft rental companies out there as well, so I love that idea. A lot of us thru-hikers just don't want to spend money so we borrow or rent the boats before making that big investment. The $1,200 I spent when I bought my pack raft was a lot, but it's probably down to pennies per use because I've used it so much.
It also probably depends on how you are going to use it, how often, and for what kind of trips. That's how you might be able to justify a more expensive gear purchase. It’s about asking what your trip is going to be. It depends on what your goals are and what your budget is.
Renee Patrick packrafting an alternate of the Oregon Desert Trail on the Chewaucan River. Photo by Kirk Barnes
What type of paddle should I use?
Your ideal packraft paddle depends on your boat and where you are paddling.
Renee: You can't packraft without a paddle. I've been using a Werner paddle that breaks down into four pieces, so I can put it in my backpacking pack and hike with it easier. It's a whitewater blade.
Luc: I think what most people end up doing applies to both the boat and the paddle: they start with something that's entry-level, fall in love with the sport, and eventually decide to upgrade to something more expensive.
For paddles, that's mostly determined by the material of the paddle. So the most expensive end of the spectrum is carbon fiber, and expert paddlers are going to justify that cost for the lighter weight and rigidity of the paddle.
The tier below that is fiberglass; those are awesome! They're light, they're stiff, and they're more affordable.
The level below that would be some sort of plastic or hybrid paddle. Those are the most affordable; they're a great place to start. You might feel the paddle flex a little bit when you use it in the water. That probably won't bother you for your first season, but in your second season, you're probably going to wish that the paddle felt a little stiffer.
I think a common mistake with packraft paddles is that people generally choose one that's too long. The length of the paddle is relevant to whether you're going to be mostly on open water; on rivers, you want a shorter paddle.
On rivers, you're making deep strokes in the water, like high-angle strokes. You're trying to catch a big chunk of the blade and reach deeper water. On open water, you’re using lower angled strokes, so that's where a longer paddle would make it easier on your body.
So for pack rafters who are usually doing some rivers and some open water, the sweet spot is a paddle that’s about 197-200 centimeters in length for all body types.
Renee: Something I didn't realize I would be using my paddle for is portaging. We do a lot of these small creeks up in the mountains where we might have a log dam or two a mile. So I’d pack the raft, pick up the boat, and then use the paddle to push my way through the stream. My paddle has taken a beating, but I don't have a carbon fiber paddle. It must be fiberglass, but I did not expect to use it as a hiking pole as much as I have.
Luc: Yeah, they're great. Alpacka Packrafts is an excellent brand. Aqua-Bound is what I started with, and it's more affordable. Some are fiberglass, and some are more affordable materials. That's where most people start, with an Aqua-Bound paddle, and they're great. They also make a high-end paddle as well, so you can find something that will work for you.
Are trekking pole paddles a reliable piece of gear?
Renee: When I started, I remember seeing something where you could take a paddle blade and put it on a trekking pole. I know there are hikers out there that just repurpose one of their hiking poles and carry less weight that way. I never tested that. Do you have any experience with those, or maybe they're not even on the market anymore?
Luc: Yeah, I do have some experience with that. I had that same mentality on a trip around 2012. It was a 30-day, self-supported trip.
The handles on ski poles are made with heat-sensitive glue, so you can reactivate them by heating the handles. I boiled the handles and pulled them off, and I had this dishwasher hosing that I put on instead of the handles. The hosing happened to be just the right diameter to take my paddle blades.
I had these two poles with two paddles, it was all strapped together, and it worked. But in the long run, it wasn't worth doing all that. If we had had to do any challenging paddling, it might have caused me some trouble.
That's what I think about when it comes to cutting corners with equipment. I'd hate to be out there on this whole trip and have to turn around because I wanted to save eight ounces or a pound in my pack.
This has changed a little bit as I've gotten older; I'm willing to carry more stuff now, which is weird because my knees are getting weaker, right? But I don't want to be on a mountain and have an aluminum crampon break when a steel crampon would have worked.
I do love the mindset of trying to think of multiple uses for equipment; that's super fun–but it can bite you in the ass.
Renee: It is fun. But I think similar to you, I want to take something that I know I can trust. Especially when you know how you are going to be using it in moving water. The risk factor here is so much higher than in backpacking.
I joke with Kirk and say that on a long-distance trail, I might almost die twice over several months, whereas with packrafting, I might almost die twice in an hour. There are more situations in packrafting where I have to make decisions to keep myself safe. That's why you really want and need to trust your gear.
The NRS Current Helmet is an example of a popular whitewater-specific helmet with a short bill in front to create an air pocket over your face when water is flying over the top of the helmet.
What type of helmet is best?
Renee: Along the lines of safety, we also have helmets. When I started, I saw a lot of people wearing bike helmets when they were paddling. [My partner] Kirk, as a guide and a teacher, would tell me to think about what that helmet is doing for you if you're paddling, or if you were upside down. There are rocks on the bottom of the river; will that bike helmet that has big holes prevent your cranium from being crushed by a rock? Maybe not, depending on the rock encounter.
So that is how I learned that helmets are another area where you really don't want to cut corners. The reason whitewater helmets are sturdy, hard, and heavy plastic is because they're going to protect your head.
Luc: Yeah, I got the same lecture from one of my kayaking mentors. He basically said, it is annoying to have yet another helmet, but if you're going to get a specialty helmet, get the one that you wear when you're upside down in the water and you can't breathe.
A lot of white water helmets also have a short bill in the front, and some have longer bills, but the bill actually creates an air pocket in front of your face when the water is flying over the top of the helmet. That's an awesome feature, and it’s definitely something we want in terms of safety.
You might get this answer from me over and over, but the right helmet for you is what you have access to. And for some, that might be a bike helmet. But then, you probably shouldn't go down to a Class III or Class IV river wearing that helmet. You can match your objective to your skill level and not have a scary or high-risk environment.
Renee: Right, and a lot of these things you can work up to swap gear out and shop sales.
Related: The Best Road Bike Helmets
What life vest do I need?
Luc: Well, we haven't talked about life vests and that's number one on the list of gear to wear on a packrafting trip. It should probably be a Coast Guard-approved type-three vest that can keep you up.
The lowest buoyancy rating on life vests is 15.5 pounds. A water safety instructor mentioned to me that our bodies–because we're mostly water–are basically neutrally buoyant. But they're neutrally buoyant in a way that leaves our nose underwater. For the average body, given that added 15.5 pounds of flotation, the vest brings their nose above the waterline. So that's where that number comes from.
There are higher buoyancy vests that will actually bring your mouth above water as well. You want a well-fitting vest, and it matters that it fits well. When you purchase online, you can get directions about how to make sure that a vest is the right fit for you.
Related: Best Kids’ Life Jackets and PFDs
Read More: Best PFDs and Life Jackets
Luc Mehl and Sarah Histand paddling between sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Photo credit: Will Koeppen
What should I wear packrafting? Do I need a wetsuit?
Luc: The rule of thumb is to dress for packrafting as you'd dress for the swim. Class II water has a lot of fatalities because cold water is a killer. A dry suit or wetsuit can help. I would recommend knowing the temperature of the water during your outing because cold water is a killer. Even if it's not a killer, it can make things uncomfortable and it's not as much fun to paddle when you're cold.
A dry suit or a wetsuit can make a big difference in packrafting. But most pack rafters don't want a wet suit because they weigh more and they're not as compact for backpacking. For dry suits, I think the cheapest priced suit you can find is probably around $600, and that might be a good place to start.
Renee: I agree the dry suit is a game changer. Even in the middle of summer, some of our rivers are cold, the Metolius River is cold, coming right up from the ground all year round.
Plus, a lot of these, especially desert rivers, only run in the winter or the spring. So when you go, you have to time it for the rain to hit the snow and give a nice flow of water in some of these creeks. You want to know that you're going to be toasty warm, and when it's pouring rain, it doesn't even matter. You can wear your down jacket and your wool sweater underneath that.
I’m sure in Alaska you live in your dry suit, right?
Luc: I mean, I started packrafting in rain gear. In Alaska, when people ask me about getting into packrafting, I suggest that they incorporate the cost of the drysuit into their decision and their budget.
To just give a little summary on how you want to dress for packrafting, the rule of thumb is basically to dress for the swim. Again, we're playing this game of what could go wrong, and well, you could be swimming instead of boating. So you have to figure out how you can accommodate that, and staying dry makes a huge difference. That's how you would determine your layering under that dry suit, and it takes a bit of trial and error to find that sweet spot for you where you don't get too sweaty or too cold.
What footwear should I wear packrafting?
Renee: I learned the footwear rule firsthand. I always wear close-toed shoes while packrafting. I love to hike in Chacos, so obviously Chacos seemed like a great packrafting shoe.
But that didn't end up being the case. Again, I was in one of these portaging scenarios where I got out of my boat and immediately cut my toe open on a sharp rock in the creek. Now, I always wear close-toed shoes.
Related: The Best Hiking Sandals
Read More: The Best Wet Wading Shoes
Ideally, all your packrafting gear will fit in the boat! Photo of Renee Patrick on the Yellowstone River. Photo by Kirk Barnes
How should I prepare my pack?
Renee: I want to take a step back towards gear now because we didn't really talk about packing the pack raft. So carrying all the gear: the PFD, the paddle, the boat, the throw bag, the helmet, the patch kit. These things add up! I was shocked at how much my pack weighs when you're trying to get all of the stuff in.
Lightweight backpacking gear has really helped. It's great because you've got your tent, sleeping bag, and the essentials down so that you can fill up all of that other space with boating gear. I just got to help on a pack redesign, the Six Moon Designs Flex pack, which now has a pocket for paddles and more versatility to strap things to it and expand or condense its size.
Having a comfortable pack is a game changer. When I went into the Owyhee River, it was a two-week trip. I had probably a 70-pound pack, with a week of food on my back, and it was very painful. With the Flex pack, that weight carries much better since we designed it for packrafters.
Renee Patrick packrafting Paulina Creek in Oregon. Photo by Kirk Barnes
Lightweight packing tips for getting to remote rivers
Luc: The ultralight backpacking gear strategy does serve us really well by allowing us to get our pack as light as possible. As part of my outdoor experience, I like having less stuff. I like the simplicity of having all the things I need for this overnight or long trip.
The biggest ways to save weight, you mentioned the big three: the pack, sleeping system (sleeping bag and sleeping pad), and the shelter. It also depends on what size and volume backpack you have. The vest might be on the outside, or the vest and the boat might be on the outside. You can make that work, but it can add weight.
Renee: When we first bought our Alpacka Rafts, they did not have the cargo fly, so we got them retrofitted. Now, we have a dry zipper on the boats, and you can store gear inside the boat [and keep it dry]. This seems like a game changer.
When we're out doing week-long trips, we store the gear inside the boat; it actually makes the boat paddle with more stability through a rapid, and you have a little more push. I found that to be the biggest thing. You can throw anything you don't need during the day in the boat. I see a lot of the versions out now do have a zipper on them, which is huge.
Luc: Yeah, I agree. I can't imagine going back; I sure love having that zipper, and if I am in rapids, it makes me way more comfortable than having a big backpack in the front.
But like you, that's not how I started. People can do it, but you just have to adjust your objectives to match what you've got and what you're comfortable with.
Do I need to take a water rescue class?
Renee: You've mentioned the Swiftwater rescue class a few times. Can you explain what that is? Should everyone take that? If so, when?
Luc: Yeah, so independent of packrafting, there is a set of instructional courses called Swiftwater rescue training or Swiftwater rescue technician training. Some of these classes are targeted at fire departments and rescue professionals and they teach things like how to pull a truck out of the river. A lot of that's not that relevant to us.
But the other parts of those classes include how to swim in cold water, how to recover an unconscious swimmer, how to stabilize somebody that's got a foot trapped in the river, and how to use throw ropes. That stuff is all super relevant to packrafters. There are more courses now that are kind of targeted toward pack rafters, that focus on those more relevant pieces of the curriculum. Those are awesome courses for everyone [interested in packrafting] to take.
You should probably do one of those courses every three years. I practice those things every year. I teach it, so it's a little bit different; but even if I wasn't teaching it, I'd be out practicing with my throw ropes, which is on the rescue end of the spectrum.
There are now, at least in packrafting hot spots like Colorado and Alaska, some classes on how to packraft or packrafting 101. Those are going to include a lot of the stuff we're talking about here, but in person in the pond.
That's a great place to start and meet other pack rafters. It's an opportunity to practice your skills and identify gaps in knowledge. These are all really worth practicing each year. I don't know if many people that are listening are backcountry skiers, but it's the same strategy with avalanche training. It's like you practice with your beacon each year, instead of just counting on remembering how to do everything from year to year.
How do paddlers measure how good they are?
Renee: Something that makes a lot of sense to me is that you call yourself a Class II paddler, it means that you can paddle successfully through a class two stretch of river.
But maybe you're really a Class II paddler when you can rescue someone from a Class II river. It goes both ways, it’s not just about keeping yourself safe. But when you're traveling it's a good idea to ask yourself: can you provide safety? Can you provide assistance to someone else if they get in trouble?
That's something that sometimes gets overlooked. And I'm developing my skills by looking out for the other people that I’m with.
Luc: I like that; I haven't heard it said that way. Another way I've heard it is from Nate Ostis. He wrote a textbook for NOLS, an excellent Swiftwater rescue guide. He said that Class III boater is somebody that can swim in Class III water. It's not just a question of being able to navigate those rapids, but also to swim in them if things go wrong or you need to help somebody.
I think those are all components of what it takes to say that you’re a Class II or III paddler. I also included in my book a way for people to monitor their progress, because this is something I’ve asked as well: “Am I ready to go to Class III water?”
I've got some guidelines for that in the book. I inherited from a friend this idea of paddling up a level. He described a kayaking friend who wanted to go paddle the big rapids. His dad said, sure you can do that as soon as you paddle the smaller rapids backward. And so he had to work at that and when he felt he had the skills to paddle those smaller rapids backward, then he went to the big rapids, paddling forward, and was in great shape.
I love that mentality that says, “let me use the skills that I have for water that's more difficult. Let me use those in less difficult water so I'm not at risk.” But at the same time, you’re building all these skills and building muscle memory. I think that's an awesome learning strategy.
Tyvek tape is essential for boat repair on inflatable boats
What do I need to know about boat repair?
Renee: Something I want to touch on is boat repair. I have the same boat that I bought almost 10 years ago, and I have probably about 20 patches on it.
What I love most about these boats is that with Tenacious Tape, and sometimes duct tape, it is so easy to patch them in the field. In fact, during one packrafting trip, Kirk and I were out and he ran into a pointy rock, got a huge eight-inch gash on his boat, and started sinking. And it was okay since they're pretty easy to repair. Do you have any good repair stories in the field?
Luc: Yeah. My favorite is a simple one. There's this underwater tape. Tyvek Tape makes one, Patch-n-Go makes one. I thought this stuff couldn’t possibly work underwater. So I tried it, and I was alongside a friend whose boat had a slow leak right at the waterline.
I had him lean away from me and expose that tube where I could reach, and I just cut a slice of this tape as we were both sitting in our boats floating down the river. I just put that on his boat and it helped! So I have a big chunk of that tape that I use now. And I’ve used that on a few other small holes as well.
Another gear repair story I can think of isn't actually mine. One of my favorites is from a friend who actually lost a paddle blade, which is shockingly common. But he had this great solution where he took a band of wood and bent it in a paddle shape. And then he put a stuff sack over that and taped the stuff sack to provide the face of the panel. And then went another 70 miles like that, so that was pretty awesome.
The boats are shockingly repairable, which is really refreshing. That helps when you're deciding to make that big purchase, to know that they can last 10 years with home repairs.
Renee: One thing to keep in mind is I found I get the most holes when I'm portaging.
How do you decide where to go packraft?
Renee: I know folks want to know about where to go packrafting, and how to decide where to go. I tend to look at a map and say, “this blue line looks interesting.” If there's a trail along the river so that you can scout it as you're hiking in, that's great because then you can see if there are any features, such as logs, in the water. It's often when I'm pushing or carrying my boat through brush that I get little pinprick holes in it. I’ve had a lot of those that I've had to patch over the years.
But how do you decide where to packraft? Or where to go? There's also the question of the water to land ratio. Does that matter? How do you plan a trip, and how do you suggest other people plan one?
Luc: This is a tough one. I think conditions are so different in Alaska, where there are either roadside runs that are really well established, or there are remote backcountry trips where you are hours, days, or weeks from help.
I think you all in the lower 48 have a lot more in between where you can get in the woods, but still, be kind of close to an exit if you need. I lean heavily on the resources that the rest of the paddling community has already put together. Anytime I'm looking at a new river, I put it on the Facebook boating group to ask if anybody knows anything about the river and I collect information that way.
For the truly remote rivers that don't have a lot of information, I’ll geek out on Google Earth trying to calculate gradients and identify rapids. I've got some of those resources on my website, but that's probably less appropriate for new paddlers. Others probably want to stick to that learning curve and be a little bit closer to safety.
Mostly, I would lean on what everybody else has already figured out because it's easy to think that we're inventing something new. But, you can learn a lot from kayakers and from canoers. These communities have built up a lot of resources that allow us to get right to the sport without having to re-create anything.
Renee: That's a great point. Something I've heard a lot from Kirk is that if you want to learn how to pack raft, learn how to kayak. If you want to know what this river is, look it up in Soggy Sneakers or American Whitewater. That way, you're seeing the resources that are already there on things like water level, river features, and safety.
There is a huge percentage of the population that's paddling. I think a lot of what packrafters want to do, there are already resources available for sea kayakers, canoers, and whitewater canoers. There are multi-day, long-distance canoe trips and sea kayak trips.
Even in Oregon, the Willamette River is a 100-mile river trail in the Willamette Valley. You can do that in any raft, it doesn't have to be a sea kayak; it could be your packraft. In fact, we do a lot of roadside boating, so Kirk will be in his hardshell kayak and I'll be in my pack raft. It doesn't matter that I'm not actually packing it, it matters that I’m paddling it and that I stay comfortable in the boat.
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Is it Safe to Packraft solo?
Renee: What are the thresholds for solo paddling? We can equate it to how backcountry skiing people head in with a partner, especially in avalanche terrain.
The question is: what is the threshold when traveling without a partner? So, I did a very long solo pack raft trip, 175 miles on the Owyhee River, as part of the Oregon Desert Trail. I spent a lot of time thinking about safety, but I'm also a long-distance solo backpacker, so there's a whole other skill set I have, like taking certification classes to be a wilderness first responder.
I think a lot of it comes down to making good decisions. So, I chose to portage and walk around a lot of the bigger water. I had a Garmin inReach satellite messenger. I was communicating sometimes several times a day with a partner, but I realized that is also risky.
Can you speak a little bit about the solo aspect of pack rafting? How do you gauge if it's a real risk or an acceptable risk that’s in line with your interest and skills?
Luc: To the extent possible, I'm making all of my decisions based on data; that's just how my brain works. What I want to do is analyze what I know and then make a decision based on that.
If you’re looking at the fatality data, the answer is: don't ever paddle solo. That's the right thing to do. This is a new way that I've been thinking about risks for myself on my personal trips; it's helpful for me to just say, this is the right thing to do. In this case, the right thing is to always paddle with a partner, and that helps me acknowledge when I'm cutting corners.
In your case, you're saying, “I'm going to do this trip solo; I know it's not the right thing to do, but I will check in at this crossing and I will be really willing to port everything that I'm even a little hesitant about.”
Those are all ways that you are trying to balance out the fact that you're not taking the right path here. If you have somebody with you, ideally somebody that's a competent and capable partner, that is a huge resource for you. That's your safety net; they can help you get to your boat, or you can hold on to their boat and get pulled ashore.
I think four of the 12 fatalities of packrafters were solo paddlers. I think if those four guys had been with partners, maybe none of them would have passed, right? It’s just such a big margin to have somebody there looking out for you.
Not everybody has access to a partner; I get that. I've paddled solo a little bit, but it sure isn't my first choice. When I do, I’ve dropped that risk tolerance big time; I make sure my equipment is dialed in, that I'm wearing a dry suit, that I'm wearing a vest, and I commit to portage the Class III rapids.
So, recognize when you're putting yourself at greater risk and make decisions that will drop that risk tolerance. That's the advice I would give.
A Google Earth view of the Koyukuk River in Alaska, a place where Luc Mehl packrafts.
What does the future of packrafting look like?
Renee: With climate change, the places that are ideal for packrafting seem to be changing. Some places are drying up. Others are expanding this question to hydrology, wildfires, indigenous rights, and access rights.
So where do you see packrafting going in the future? Do you think there'll be more concentration on certain rivers or people spreading out?
Luc: Boy, that is an awesome question! And I'm not qualified to answer it, because I am still focused on Alaska. Alaska has way more rivers than I'll ever have a chance to get on. Thinking about globally or nationally, things are changing with rivers, but I have no idea what's going on anywhere besides my backyard.
Renee: Something that I've done more of recently because it's what we have for most of the year in eastern Oregon, are these really low volume rivers. A lot of the year, these rivers have almost no water, but there's a lot that you can scoot along; you can pick up your boat and walk through it, and we have done some really low volume paddling in beautiful, amazing places.
Some people might have said there's not enough water to go. But if you're willing, I think what packrafting offers is a sense of adventure, or what I mentioned at the start of this conversation, curiosity.
That's because you can carry your boat and pack it in. You can walk until you find something suitable. You can walk to a high Alpine lake. I think it really opens the door to exploration within your comfort level and skill set. It's really exciting to try something just to find out as you go; that's half of the fun.
Sometimes, when I'm packrafting, we may not even paddle! There are plenty of trips where we just put everything in the backpack, and we don't end up inflating the boats. But that's the kind of trip we like to do.
Favorite Packrafting Trips
Many packrafters say their favorite trips are on the Escalante River, parts of the Colorado River, Green River, or rivers in New Zealand. We ask our pack rafting experts their favorite places.
Luc: I don't have a favorite packrafting trip in Alaska, but I love the scenery of the Brooks Range. My wife and I have been doing long trips up there, like three weeks at a time, for the last five years. I get something really rewarding from that experience.
I also love driving an hour from Anchorage to run Six Mile Canyon, which is a World Class rafting site. There are Class IV rapids, and I love the thrill of having to be on my line and knowing which stroke to make right when, and having a matter. It's super rewarding, too.
And I like the stuff that’s in the middle, kind of remote, kind of technical, but not Class IV. I’m loving it all! These boats just helped me realize how much water was out there, and how we could be a way to access it instead of being an obstacle.
Growing up, I always thought the river was the end of where you could go like you couldn’t go any further. You couldn’t cross that river. But with a packraft, that's like a new trail for me. I love that; it’s a little bit of a cop-out, but it’s true.
Renee: I like to say rivers are trails too, exactly. But also this is something you've been doing a lot of, and other people are curious about the multi-sport aspect of it.
How do you combine other sports with packrafting?
Renee: It's not just hiking and paddling, you’re throwing some skis on there, and even a bike on there. Can you talk a little bit about the ways you’re throwing other sports in with the packrafting?
Luc: The strategy for me on longer trips is that I want to travel as efficiently as possible. So I kind of identify which part of the trip could be skied, which part could be biked, etc. Then, I try to plan the trip to make that work.
All that I would like to emphasize to listeners here is that as soon as you do that, you've got to step back to your foundations, go to the pond with a bike on the front, and fall out of your boat. I say this because you might not be able to get back in the boat, and you need to know that before you go out there for real; you need to have a plan for how to get to shore and take care of yourself.
So this is the same thing with skis on the sides, even having a backpack on the bow if you don't have the cargo zipper that we were talking about. If you've got a backpack strapped to your bow, the right thing to do is to practice all that in a controlled setting before you go on the trail overnight.
Renee: So practice, practice, practice before you go on that three-week adventure.
Final thoughts on the Culture of Safety
Renee: Is there anything else we haven't talked about that you think a beginner would be well suited to hear before they run out there?
Luc: Well, there's so much, right? That's why I just spent a year and a half writing a book.
Renee: Buy the book! The Packraft Handbook (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Luc: Buy the book, that's what they need to know!
I loved how you framed this with curiosity right from the get-go. That's it: curiosity and care. That's how the book starts, by saying the path to safety is caring. This got really personal to me when my friend Rob died because that just sucked for everybody. His parents, his partner, and all of his friends.
This isn't really the right way to say it, but could he have cared more? Could he have cared enough to have taken a swift water rescue class? Could we as a community, as his friends, have cared more to recognize that we all needed to be wearing dry suits?
He wasn't wearing a dry suit, I wasn't wearing a dry suit; that was probably part of the reason for his fatality. But it's recognizing that caring is going to be the key to a long paddling career; that's what I want! That's what I want everybody here to have, to carry curiosity, to get on the learning curve. Share when you make mistakes, and help others when you see stuff they're doing wrong. That's all part of this culture of safety.
Thank you so much, Luc and Renee, for being part of this conversation. I know a lot of people had so many questions about packrafting, and I feel like you both did such a wonderful job about showing the importance of curiosity and practice!
Luc Mel has a new book, The Packrafters Handbook (Amazon | Bookshop.org). Be sure to check it out!
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