Packrafts are small and light enough to be carried in a backpack. They are opening up a whole new world for exploration by backcountry enthusiasts. Rivers that are formidable obstacles to a hiker can be crossed safely in a packraft. In the Grand Canyon, routes have been put together using packrafts to safely cross the Colorado that haven't been explored since famous explorers Colin Fletcher and Harvey Butchart risked their lives on air mattresses. Fantastic traverses involving equal parts paddling and hiking have been created in places like the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and in Alaska and New Zealand. First packraft descents of rivers have been logged in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
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Companion forum thread to:
Podcast: Alpacka Packraft Safety Design Features
…hmm… Too bad this, and the last several podcasts, haven't been showing up in the iTunes feed. I would love to be able to load them to my Shuffle…
I've never found Alpacka wet exits to be anything other than "automatic." Maybe in my case it's the 200lb object steering the raft, but the velcro-secured spraydeck never fails to disengage itself before the raft is even beyond 90 degrees. I then fall out, generally alongside the raft, head upright and legs down. As the velcro wears, the odds of a problematic exit would seem to become even less likely, though I'd be interested to hear what experiences others have had, especially those with less dead weight in the boat!
Jerry, try right-clicking on the Download link alongside the BPL media player, 'Save Link As.' Then in iTunes select File > Add File to Library, and copy or Sync the mp3 podcast to your iPod.
I've only had one unintentional wet exit. I had to deliberately reach for and find the grab loop to open the spray deck. I didn't connect with the loop on the first pass. I've attached a whiffle golf ball to the loop to make it easier to find underwater.
What I'll have to try is to practice wet exit without using the grab loop to figure out how best to push off to get out of the deck.
I usually keep the upper part of the spray deck, the torso portion, open, mostly because it's a little tight fitting to seal the velcro all the way up to the elastic & toggle closure, especially when wearing a foam PFD. (Really only a 43 chest / 35 waist here)
I wouldn't be surprised if a full closure would be less inclined to open of its own accord, especially for lighter folks.
The wiffle golf ball idea sounds like a good added safety feature.
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