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

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

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

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

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

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

Accessories Packrafting Paddles Solo packrafts are almost always paddled with double-bladed kayak-style paddles. Packrafting paddles are characterized by a high degree of packability, light weight, and reliability for paddling in remote locations. The ideal paddle is dependent on packraft type, … Read More