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I come to packrafting as a whitewater boater. I have a solid kayak and canoe roll in class 3 or 4 whitewater. I started back in 1963, and am trying to figure out how to slow down a bit, but not leave the game behind.
That said, I think Mark Oates cautionary note to packrafters is critical: take a swiftwater rescue class, learn to use a throw rope, get introductory instruction to learn to read whitewater. See more Mark Oates outfitting discussion at: at: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPackraftingAssociation/posts/1086691728061147
and: https://www.youtube.com/user/oatesma
And of course, the legendary Luc Mel at: https://thingstolucat.com/packrafting-equipment-guide/
Monica Morin, NPS, gives packrafting clinics, hoping to encourage packrafters to learn the basics of whitewater navigation and safety practices. Too many packrafters feel comfortable in their wide, stable craft in whitewater above their skill levels!
Understand that packrafts have specific performance limits. All packrafts. E.g.: They don’t side surf well. If you get thrashed and pop out packrafts blow away from you much faster than you can swim. So paddle with a partner! Better a group! Start in water you know you can handle. Stop and look ahead if you aren’t sure. Carry safety gear. Be prepared.
Enjoy,
Bruce
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Hi Matt
Just thought I’d post here to say I just did a weekend intermediate whitewater pack rafting course with some great instructors from Canoe Tasmania.
I paddled my version 2 packraft in a load of grade 2 and grade 3 (couldn’t say how much of each as I don’t have my eye in for being able to call one from the other yet). Having the instructors and spare boats around meant I felt fairly secure should anything pop. However the raft handled everything fine, I didn’t even tip it all weekend (miraculously).
Only mods were tight front and rear perimeter lines to hold if I fell out (tight enough to avoid entrapment, but can still grab in a hurry). Plus a self designed cruiser style spray deck.
The cruiser deck got swamped when punching through bigger waves so need to work on that a bit more. Just finding the balance between a secure deck and one you can easily get out of. I’d used the bear minimum of velcro, so need to add a little more in a few places.
Don’t think I’ll be hitting any grade 3 without some experienced folk on hand for the time being. But at least I know both I and packraft can do it now.
Cheers
Ed
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Just thought I’d add to my post and support Bruce’s comment above. Now I’ve had a flavour of some rescue skills, a full 3 day swiftwater rescue course will definitely be on my to do list. The course I did last week also emphasised the need for technical paddling skills so you paddle well and the packraft’s stability doesn’t make you complacent.
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Matt, if you were only going to choose one option would you make an inflatable floor or an inflatable seat?
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Hi Josh – I would definitely choose the seat, as it raises you up into a more comfortable paddling position. Without a seat, you have to lift your arms up quite high, which feels a bit awkward and would be tiring after a while. You could bring something else to sit on, like maybe a folded up camping mattress, but there’s a good chance it would get wet, so if you don’t have a chance to dry it out at the end of the day, you’d have to sleep on a damp mattress. Another option might be a sleeping bag in a waterproof stuff sack (i.e. a dry bag). I haven’t tried that though.
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Thanks for the insight Matt! Saftey is definitely the number one concern on any trip. I agree that in most whitewater applications, a hard shell kayak will out preform a packraft – especially in terms of durability. That being said, I don’t plan to use the raft for anything too extreme (at least dusing this stage in its development). I do however want the packraft to be capable of handling some stretches of rough rough water and unexpected obstacles that may be encountered when exploring seldom travelled waterways.
Here are my current thoughts regarding design:
Use an inflatable and self-bailing floor.
Add a second layer of material to the outer tubes from the floor connection, to the top of the tube. This would be done by lamination.
Add thigh straps.
Add tie downs for gear and attachment points for a spray skirt.
How much extra material do you think would be required to add the extra layer? 2 meters?
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Sounds good! I think if you lay out the patterns efficiently then you might even be able to get away with just one meter for doubling up the outside of the tubes (depending on how high up the walls you want the lamination to go); I think 2 m should be plenty, and you might have enough left over for other things too.
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Hi Daniel – as of early April 2017 I’m not aware of anyone paddling any difficult whitewater in a DIY Packraft… 2017 will be the first full year they’re out there in the wild, however, so that may change soon.
In the interest of managing expectations, I just want to start by saying no lightweight inflatable will ever be as tough and maneuverable as a plastic river kayak – even $2000 packrafts at four times the weight of a standard DIY Packraft can’t compete with a kayak – nor with a whitewater raft for durability.
To state the obvious (not for you, Daniel, but for you the general reader/for the record), in moving water there are many factors that will determine whether the paddler and boat survive intact – paddling skill, water level, wood, stream bed rock shape/size/sharpness, momentum (speed times the weight of boat+payload), judgment/risk-taking, luck, fatigue, packraft design, care taken during packraft construction, and the materials your packraft is made of (etc.). I’m doing my best to provide high quality packraft designs and materials, but everything else is up to the builder/paddler.
With all that said, here are a few ways to make a packraft more durable:
- Double up the material in places that are exposed to abrasion and sharp objects. For example, you could extend the floor material up 1/2 or 2/3 the way around the outside of the tubes (or add extra patches to the outside of the tubes) and seal extra patches of material in the front of the cockpit area where your feet will rub.
- Substitute heavier/stronger materials in place of lighter ones.
- Add padding (e.g. inflatable floor+seat) between your self/gear and the boat to reduce pinching forces when the boat encounters something hard – when storing gear inside the tubes, always wrap hard stuff in soft stuff, and when tying gear to the outside of the boat, avoid placing hard edges against the tube fabric where it could wear.
- Add sufficient gear tie-downs so gear is held securely in place without putting too much stress on any single tie-down as the boat is thrown around.
- Add a seat back and thigh straps or knee cups to improve the responsiveness of the boat so you can avoid more obstacles. This page shows some interesting ideas. Be very careful not to add any straps that could lead to entanglement!
- Add a spray deck and skirt or self-bailing floor to reduce the weight of the boat (and therefore momentum) by reducing the amount of water on board. (The lighter your boat+payload, the less force will be applied when you encounter an obstacle.) I’m told that some whitewater packrafters actually add weight to their boats to make them punch through big water better.
- Avoid under-inflating your packraft. If it’s too soft it could wrap around a sharp object and puncture or tear instead of bouncing off or sliding past the obstacle. Keeping your packraft firm will also make it more responsive.
- Sit forward in the boat for better weight distribution and handling (i.e. add a back rest or back brace).
I hope other people will add to this list, but again, let’s be clear – even doing all of these things will not guarantee a good or safe whitewater experience! Your safety and the integrity of your boat are your own responsibility! Remember the DIY Packraft Terms & Conditions and don’t do dumb stuff 🙂
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