Hunting for Wild Ice
Wild Ice Hunting for Wild Ice It wasn’t long ago that optimistic Nordic skaters might drive for hours hoping to find wild ice, only to pull into a lakeside parking lot to see waves lapping at a rocky shore. Catching … Read More
Nordic Skate Companies
Nordic Skates Nordic Skate Companies Below is an alphabetical list of companies that currently make Nordic skates and Nordic skating equipment. Ermine Skate Founded in 2021, Alaska-based Ermine Skate is North America’s first and only Nordic skate company. Ermine’s colorful … Read More
Anchorage skating destinations
Wild Ice Anchorage Skating Destinations The Anchorage area has an active wild ice skating community and a hugely diverse range of skating destinations, from quiet alpine tarns to marshes to glacial lakes studded with icebergs. Below is a list of … Read More
Wild ice grading system
Wild Ice Wild Ice Grading System The skating surface of wild ice is graded from A to F. This grade refers only to the surface quality of the ice–not thickness, safety, aesthetics, or other factors. Wild Ice Grades A Clear, … Read More
Current Packraft Companies
Packraft History Current Packraft Companies Below is an alphabetical directory of established companies in the packraft industry. Alpacka USA The company that launched the modern packraft industry in 2002. Today Alpacka offers a diverse range of customizable, USA-made packrafts for … Read More
Cockpit Configurations
Anatomy of a Packraft Packraft Cockpit Configurations The cockpit of a packraft is the area in which a paddler sits. There are three broad categories of packraft cockpits: open boats, decked boats, and self-bailers. No one cockpit type is necessarily … Read More
Packraft Care and Maintenance
Repair, Care and Maintenance Packraft Care and Maintenance Packrafts are very low-maintenance watercraft, but following a few simple guidelines will help maximize your packraft’s lifespan and make your boat more enjoyable to use. Cleaning Cleaning packrafts removes contaminants that can … Read More
2002-2018: The Great Blow-Up
Packraft History 2002-2018: The Great Blow-Up In the 1980s-90s the sport of packrafting went through a long, quiet incubation period. A few grizzled outdoorspeople bought, repaired, and traded Curtis and Sherpa packrafts, pushing the simple boats to their limits (and … Read More
Gear Storage
Anatomy of a Packraft Packraft Gear Storage Gear can either be lashed on top of a packraft’s bow or stored inside the tubes. Internal storage lowers the boat’s center of gravity, improves sightlines over the bow, and keeps gear dry. … Read More
Packrafting PFDs
Accessories Packrafting PFDs As with paddles, there really isn’t such a thing as a “packraft PFD,” but some PFDs will tend to work better for packrafting than others. Good options for packrafters include those that are light, built from quality … Read More