Words & photos:
John R Dean and
Sam N Dean

Packrafters:
John R Dean and
Sam N Dean

Performance coaches take on packrafting

Packrafting is not new, as you will see from the short early history below, but it has become more popular mainly due to its portability and ease of transport. We tested out packrafts on the River Spey in Grade 2 water to assess their merits in a moderate water environment. 

The strength of packrafting is its lightweight, portable nature, making it easy to transport and, in our case, the ease of re-running the same fun rapids again and again. Packrafts are very easy to inflate, with no need for an electric pump or even a hand-held pump if you do not want as they can be inflated using a supplied inflation bag.

This low-tech approach to inflating a packraft is mainly due to the need to only pressurise to 1-2 psi. On the water, the packraft feels like it ‘hugs’ the contours of the waves, creating high stability for the paddler. In addition, the low seating position aids the high stability due to the low centre of gravity of the seated paddler. This high stability provides the paddler with confidence to try out manoeuvres, especially for those paddlers unfamiliar with the moderate water environment.

For those with a background in white water kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding, it does come as a little surprise that the manoeuvrability of the packraft is not as great as those other craft. The packraft feels like it scuds over the water’s surface when performing a breakout (of the flow). On the other hand, ferry gliding is possible and achievable with ease. On approaching rapids, the low seating position in the packraft makes the visibility of river features less pronounced, so it does not help with river reading. This could be an issue when packrafting rivers you are unfamiliar with.

The packraft provides fantastic opportunities for traversing through the river and lake systems (e.g. in Sweden), where sometimes there is a disconnect between one river/lake and another due to its portability and low weight. Within a packraft, there is little room for anything other than the paddler, so kit must be mainly transported on the deck in waterproof bags. Depending upon how much gear you might be transporting on the front deck, visibility for river feature reading could be hindered. The high buoyancy of a packraft also means that it remains unaffected by river boils encountered in moderate water alongside eddy lines.

As with any inflatable, a packraft is susceptible to a puncture or a ripped base. On that basis, carrying a repair kit as part of the necessary gear is essential, particularly for a multi-day trip or even a day trip in an inaccessible location. The high portability and lightness of the packraft do mean, however, that ‘walking out’ is a definite remedy to a significant puncture.

Packrafting is fun and adaptable to moderate (Grade 2) water environments (e.g., the River Spey from Ballindaloch to Aberlour with the well-known features of the ‘washing machine’ and Knockando rapids). Finally, packrafting provides flexibility for travel either by car or on foot as a backpack.

History
Packrafting is not new, but it has a varied history that originated in the 1840s when Lt. (later Captain) Peter A. Halkett (Royal Navy) (1820-1885). Halkett wanted a versatile water-based craft to transport an individual, but at the same time, it was portable and could be easily carried over any terrain. History often tells us that an invention can only occur because of another invention, and so it was with packrafting.

Halkett’s development of a ‘cloth-boat’ in 1844 required the invention of rubber-coated cloth some twenty years before by Charles Macintosh. Halkett’s dual-purpose ‘cloth-boat’ doubled up as both an inflatable water-based craft and an item of clothing (the boat cloak). The ingenuity of this ‘cloth-boat’ was extraordinary; the cloak could be spread out on the floor and inflated with bellows, while the cloak’s walking stick could be adapted as a paddle by removing the handle and replacing it with the (paddle) blade.

Photos: National Maritime Museum, London. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/library-archive/boat-cloak-or-cloak-boat

The whole ‘cloth-boat’ weighed around 3.5 kg, making it very portable (and wearable). It could be inflated using the bellows in around 3-4 minutes. Its four separate airtight compartments supported the notion of a durable inflatable, as it would not sink if a compartment leaked! And as every gentleman carried an umbrella, it could serve as a sail. And, as well as a single-person boat, he also adapted his design for a two-person inflatable boat. The concept was ideal for exploration, and its intended purpose was to explore the Canadian Arctic.

After such an illustrious start, you would think that packrafting would have taken off. But far from it. Any future developments in the concept of a portable, inflatable watercraft that could be easily transported in a backpack whilst hiking had to wait another 100 years. The adaption of military survival and aeroplane rescue rafts after WW II opened the concept of packrafting for travel and exploration. Slowly and surely, purpose-made packrafts appeared via inventors and were tested by explorers keen to exploit their portability in remote white water river locations. Notable packrafting companies, including Alpacka Raft Co., American Safety Equipment Corp. and Curtis Designs, started to appear.

Packrafts tested by authors
Alpacka classic https://alpackaraft.com/products/classic/
Alpacka refuge https://alpackaraft.com/products/refuge/
Kokopelli Packraft Rogue R-deck https://kokopelli.com/products/rogue-r-deck-removable-spraydeck/
Kokopelli Recon Self-Bailing https://kokopelli.com/products/recon-self-bailing/

The Authors
John R Dean is a performance coach for white water canoes and kayaks. He was the first person in the UK to hold the dual awards (UKCC Level 3). He is also a Paddles UK Assessor for open water and white water canoe leader and coach awards, standup paddleboard white water leader and white water coach awards, and the white water safety award. Sam N Dean is a performance coach in open canoe (UKCC Level 3). He is a provider of performance coach, coach and instructor awards from the British Canoe Awarding Body; Sam is also a trainer/assessor for leadership awards across advanced and moderate water environments in canoe, standup paddleboard and white water kayak.

Useful information
A thoroughly resourced book: Packrafting – A UK Manual. Jason Taylor, Pesda Press Ltd., 2023. ISBN: 978-1-906095-91-8. www.pesdapress.com/index.php/product/
packrafting-a-uk-manual/

Youtube
Youtube has many valuable and informative articles on packrafting safety, rolling a packraft, outfitting and rigging a packraft, as well as some fantastic expedition trips to view to both entertain and excite you as well as you start to dream and then plan what your next trip is going to be.