Packraft

Packraft and trail boat are colloquial terms for a small, portable inflatable boat designed for use in large and/or natural bodies of water, including technical whitewater. Packraft history is difficult to trace or verify, as relatively little print material is available, and many packraft ventures are not well documented and/or unverifiable.

Introduction

A packraft is raft designed to be light enough to be carried for extended distances, along with its propulsion system (usually collapsable paddles or lightweight oars). The entire package is designed to be light and compact enough for an individual to negotiate rough terrain while carrying the rafting package as well as other vital supplies, such as food, water, clothing, shelter, and other survival or back country equipment. Durability, cost, and capability are highly variable.

Pioneers

"Pioneering" use of packrafts is difficult to trace, as float tubes, inner tubes, and other small boats can in some of their uses be considered equivalent to packrafts, and have been in common use around the world for many years. The earliest known true "packraft" was carried by the Jefferson Arctic Expedition during the 19th century, and can be viewed in the museum to that expedition. This packraft was reportedly made out of natural rubber.

Perhaps the most famous packrafting pioneer is Dick Griffith, who used a packraft to descend Copper Canyon's Urique River (Chihuahua, Mexico) in 1952 before introducing them to the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic adventure race in 1982. Packrafts are now common equipment in that race. [cite web
last = Alaskan Alpine Club
title = Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic Race reports
url= http://www.alaskanalpineclub.org/WildRace.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .

A variety of companies have made packrafts in the past including Sherpa, Curtis, and a raft carried 30 years ago by Eddie Bauer (manufacturer and official name unknown). Furthermore, aviator emergency rafts have been used for packrafting purposes in a variety of applications for an unknown number of years.

Resurgence of Interest

Packrafting has experienced a small contemporary resurgence of interest. Cause of this resurgence is difficult to verifiably credit. Possible sources of this resurgence are 1) media exposure (National Geographic Magazine, Men's Journal, Backpacker Magazine, Backpacking Light Magazine, the movie "Into the Wild" have verifiable documented uses or exposure of packrafts), 2) exposure by high-profile users, 3) organic market growth, 4) growing availability of rafts, and 5) the release of Roman Dial's book Packrafting! An Introduction and How-To Guide.

Contemporary Prominent Users

Recent prominent users of packrafts include: Roman Dial (Alaska), Erin McKittrick and Bretwood Higman (Alaska), Brad Michaeljohn (Alaska), Forrest McCarthy (Wyoming and Yellowstone region), Tom Turiano (Wyoming, other areas), John Waterman, Ryan Jordan (hiker) (Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest), and Sam Perry & Nathan Shoutis (Western United States).

More recently, packrafting has become popular in Norway, the locale for an international Alpacka dealership. Packrafts have also been paddled elsewhere in Europe, in Mexico, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Australia (including its Franklin River), as well as Patagonia and tropical South America.

In the U.S. outside of Alaska, back country packrafting is focused primarily in the more remote areas of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (Montana), Yellowstone Ecosystem (Montana and Wyoming), Olympic National Park (Washington), and Mount Rainier National Park (Washington), as well as for canyoneering in Utah and Arizona.

During the 1980s and 1990s Dial pioneered several full-length wilderness traverses of the Alaska Range, Brooks Range, Talkeetna Mountains, Wrangell Mountains, and other Alaskan ranges requiring use of packrafts. He is also noted for combining packrafts with mountain bike riding, glacier skiing, and mountain climbing.

Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick are well known in the packrafting community for their innovative expeditions that employ the use of packrafts for flatwater river, lake, and fjord travel, notably across the Kenai and Alaska Peninsulas.

McCarthy and Turiano have descended many of the backcountry rivers in the southern Yellowstone Ecosystem (including the upper Yellowstone River near its source), and Jordan has descended many of backcountry rivers in the northern Yellowstone Ecosystem including the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and the Frank Church Wilderness.

Sam Perry & Nathan Shoutis have documented descents of high-class whitewater in the US west coast areas, including Class V and possibly higher whitewater.

Characteristics

Distinction from "Pool Toy."In this article, packrafts/trail boats are differentiated from “pool toys” or similar “flotation devices”, which are intended for use in an enclosed and controlled body of water, such as a swimming pool. A packraft/trail boat is intended for use in open bodies of water.

Distinction from "Man-Portable." A packraft is distinguished from a strictly man-portable raft insofar as it is designed to be light enough to represent only a fraction of the total weight an individual can reasonably carry. A packraft can be carried for extended periods, along with food, water, shelter, and other supplies that would enable the individual to traverse long distances through difficult terrain. All rafts listed in this article weigh less than (pounds) without paddles.

Usage

Packrafts are used in a variety of applications. These include:

*River Crossings [cite web
last = Backpacker
title = Alpacka Rafts
url= http://www.backpacker.com/article/1,2646,8173,00.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Whitewater (up to Class IV) [cite web
last = Backpacker
title = Alpacka Rafts
url= http://www.backpacker.com/article/1,2646,8173,00.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Remote Lake Fishing [cite web
last = Backpacker
title = Alpacka Rafts
url= http://www.backpacker.com/article/1,2646,8173,00.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Travel Boats [cite web
last = Kayak Asia
title = Adventure Travel Packrafts
url= http://www.kayakasia-ps.com/alpacka/alpacka.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Adventure Racing [cite web
last = Alaskan Alpine Club
title = Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic Race reports
url= http://www.alaskanalpineclub.org/WildRace.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Open Water Crossings [cite web
last = Erin McKittrick
title = Packrafts
url= http://www.aktrekking.com/Packrafts/index.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Remote River Descents [cite web
last = Backpacking Light
title = Packrafting Gear List
url= http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/packrafting_gear_list.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Hunting [cite web
last = Alpacka Raft
title = Alpacka Raft
url= http://www.alpackaraft.com/Site/Alpacka.cfm?InfoID=14&CFID=18737585&CFTOKEN=59542927
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Canyoneering [cite web
last = Alpacka Raft
title = Alpacka Raft
url= http://www.alpackaraft.com/Site/Alpacka.cfm?InfoID=14&CFID=18737585&CFTOKEN=59542927
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Aviator Boats [cite web
last = Alpacka Raft
title = Alpacka Raft
url= http://www.alpackaraft.com/Site/Alpacka.cfm?InfoID=14&CFID=18737585&CFTOKEN=59542927
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .
*Rock Climbing Access [cite web
last = Eugene Buchanan
title = First Skate Ski/Raft Circumnavigation of Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
url=http://blog.mountainhardwear.com/mission_project/2007/03/first_skate_skiraft_circumnavi.html | accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .

Manufacturers & Construction

Alpacka Rafts

The Alpacka Raft Company was founded in Alaska and is now based in Mancos, Colorodo. It currently produces 4 Packrafts models, 3 of which can have spraydecks fitted (Alpaca, Yukon Yak and Denali Llama) the new model Dory does not have a spraydeck option.

For very cold environments InsulMat inflatable Pads can be fitted in all Alpacka's except the Dory, the InsulMat not only provides insulation from cold water (as the name implies) but also protects the paddler from impacts with submerged boulders, it doubles as a 3/4 length sleeping mat.

The Dory, which can easily take 2 people/heavy loads, can be used to row with oars (using the lightweight 3 pc oar frame) paddle with a double bladed kayak type paddle or with 2 single canoe type paddles. The standard lightweight oars/paddle convert to all 3 variants.

Alpacka rafts will tolerate extremely hard usage, yet pack small and weigh very little.

Weight: convert|4|lb|abbr=on. to 5 lbs. 8 oz. (Dory, convert|2|lb|abbr=on. oar frame not included in weight). Length: 67” (Alpaca) to 83” (Dory) Construction: Urethane-coated Nylon. [cite web
last = Alpacka Raft
title = Alpacka Raft
url= http://www.alpackaraft.com/Site/Alpacka.cfm?InfoID=14&CFID=18737585&CFTOKEN=59542927
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .

evylor Trail Boat

The Sevylor company produces a wide range of inflatable products, including several small hunting/fishing oriented rafts. Only one boat, the Trail Boat, is small enough to be considered a packraft. Weight: Approximately convert|3|lb|8|oz|kg|abbr=on to convert|4|lb|12|oz|kg|abbr=on with plastic oars and inflation kit. (BackpackGearTest.org) (+ quoted as being suitable for slow moving water and well protected lakes).Length: convert|5|ft|8|in|m|abbr=onPersonal Capacity: 1 person. (Sevylor)Construction: Polyurethane-coated nylon and PVC [cite web
last = Sevylor coporationg
title = Hunting and Fishing
url= http://www.sevylor.com/hunting.html
accessdate = 2007-04-15 ] .

Other Boats

Other small rafts have been manufactured in the past, under such names as Sherpa and Curtis. References are needed to present information on them. Unconfirmed rumors also exist of similar Russian-made rafts.

External links

* [http://www.trailpeak.com/index.jsp?cat=river&con=article&val=4340*ev/ trailpeak.com: Alpacka pack raft opens up remote areas.]
* [http://www.trailpeak.com/index.jsp?cat=river&con=article&val=4325*art/ trailpeak.com: Packrafts take you anywhere.]
* [http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/packrafting_gear_list.html Backpacking Light: Packrafting Gear List and Trip Description]
* [http://www.backpacker.com/article/8173 Backpacker.com: Alpacka raft review.]
* [http://www.aktrekking.com/Packrafts/ AK Trekking.com: Packrafting photos and Information]
* [http://www.aktrekking.com/beyondSpec/index.html Beyond Spec: Packrafting photos and Information.]
* [http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/ 4000 mile Packrafting Expedition on the Pacific Coast - Seattle to Aleutian Islands]
* [http://www.alpackaraft.com/ The Alpacka Raft company.]
* [http://www.sevylor.com/ The Sevlyor company.]

References