The Packraft Handbook: An Instructional Guide for the Curious

by Luc Mehl, Sarah Glaser (Illustrator)

Overview

"A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry." ― Anchorage Daily News

National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides
Banff Mountain Book Competition Guidebook Winner

• Alaska-based author is a leading expert on wilderness travel
• Emphasis on skill progression and safety applies to wide range of outdoor water recreation
• Vibrant illustrations and photos inform and inspire

The Packraft Handbook is a comprehensive guide to packrafting, with a strong emphasis on skill progression and safety. Readers will learn to maneuver through river features and open water, mitigate risk with trip planning and boat control, and how to react when things go wrong. Beginners will find everything they need to know to get started—from packraft care to proper paddling position as well as what to wear and how to communicate.

Illustrated for visual learners and featuring stunning photography, The Packraft Handbook has something to offer all packrafters and other whitewater sports enthusiasts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680516029
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	01/15/2022
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Luc Mehl grew up on the Kuskokwim River in interior Alaska. With graduate degrees from UCSB and MIT, he applies academic and village skillsets to his work as a swiftwater safety instructor and environmental data scientist. Mehl has traveled over 10,000 miles by packraft, skis, bike, and ice skates. He lives in Anchorage.

Sarah K. Glaser was born and raised in Moose Pass, Alaska. An education and adventure illustrator, she loves to combine "type-two" adventures and compulsive doodling. Her illustrations have appeared on sidewalks, helicopters, ambulances, dump trucks, and on/in a half-dozen books. She lives in Anchorage.

Table of Contents

Introduction 17

Part I Foundations 30

Chapter 1 Packrafting Equipment 33

Common Uses of Modern Packrafts 34

Packraft Designs 36

Inflating the Packraft 42

Packraft Care 44

Proper Paddling Position 45

Outfitting Your Packraft (Rigging) 49

Life Vest 56

Helmet 61

Clothing and Footwear 63

Outerwear: Drysuit and Raingear 65

Communication 69

Additional Packrafting Equipment 69

Chapter 2 Boat Control and Wet Re-entry 73

Getting In and Out of the Boat 74

Self-rescue: Wet Re-entry 78

Paddle Strokes 83

Edging: Giving the River Something to Grab 96

Chapter 3 Risk 103

Risk Assessment 105

Safety Drift 109

Risk Tolerance 110

Goals and Rewards 111

Part II Rivers and Open Water 114

Chapter 4 How Rivers Work 117

River Character 118

River Gradient 124

Measuring the Amount of Water in a River 126

River Features and Hydrology 133

River Diary 136

Chapter 5 The Principles of River-running 139

River Difficulty: Choosing Where to Paddle 140

Scouting 146

Setting Safety 150

Portaging 151

Group Size and Spacing 153

Maneuvering 156

Chapter 6 Navigating River Features 173

Braided Channels 175

Single Channels: Riverbends and Cutbanks 177

Strainers and Wood 180

Rocks: Pillows, Undercuts, Sieves, and Tongues 181

Holes 187

Waves and Big Water 192

Surfing 194

Waterfalls 197

Chapter 7 Open-water Crossings 201

Risk Assessment 202

Managing Open-water Hazards 205

Special Equipment Considerations for Open-water Crossings 211

Active Navigation 213

Launching and Landing 217

Part III When Things Go Wrong 220

Chapter 8 River Rescue From the Water 223

Principles of Rescue 224

Communication 228

Self-rescue: Swimming 232

Swimming With a Boat and/or Paddle 242

Rescue Swimming 245

Equipment Failure 246

Safety Boat 248

Self-rescue: Rolling a Packrart 252

Chapter 9 River Rescue From Shore 261

Throw Ropes 262

Shallow Water Crossings (Wading) 273

Entrapment 277

Rope Systems and Mechanical Advantage 286

River Rescue and Recovery: Review 297

Chapter 10 Equipment Repair and Modification 299

Repair Supplies 300

Damaged Packraft 304

Damaged Drysuit 314

Paddle 316

Permanent Glue Repairs and Modifications 318

Chapter 11 Medical Emergencies 327

Calling for Help 328

Pre-existing Medical Conditions 330

Drowning 330

Hypothermia 336

Waterborne Illnesses 338

Dislocated Shoulder 338

Head Injury 340

Trauma 341

Spinal Injury 342

First Aid Kit 342

Part IV Putting the "Pack" in Packrafting 344

Chapter 12 Backpacking, Camping, and Cargo 347

Packing your Packraft and Paddle 348

Carrying Cargo on a Packraft 349

Principles of Ultralight Backpacking 359

The Big Three: Shelter, Sleeping System, Backpack 365

Consumables: Food, Water, and Fuel 370

Other Priority Equipment 374

Conservation and Stewardship 376

Chapter 13 Research and Trip Planning 379

Choosing Where to Make Mistakes 380

Creating a Trip Plan 381

Water Research 382

Digital Mapping and Imagery 391

Take-Out 397

Appendix: Supplementary Resources 398

Glossary 404

Index 420

Editorial Reviews

The Packraft Handbook captures Luc’s knowledge about backcountry river travel. Everything from reading water to river hazards, packraft gear and safety equipment, ‘The Packraft Handbook’ reaches both beginners and expert paddlers.

Out and Back Podcast - Mary Cochenour

Outstanding text from Luc Mehl, and the illustrations from Sarah Glaser bring creativity not seen in other river guides before.

Wilderness Rescue International Director - Nate Ostis

A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry.

Anchorage Daily News - Chris Bieri

This is it: the bible of packrafting! It has it all: comprehensive coverage, intelligent layout, eye-catching photography, first rate illustrations and color throughout.

National Outdoor Book Awards

This book is to the burgeoning and exciting sport of packrafting what Freedom of the Hills has long been for mountaineering: a foundational tome, an encyclopedic body of knowledge for beginners and experts alike, a book that will surely stand the test of time. Compelling writing, excellent photography, and superb illustrations combine to make this an exceptional guidebook. Most importantly, it is a treatise on risk taking and risk assessment. It is not an exaggerated claim to say that this book will actually save lives.

Banff Mountain Book Competition Jury - Chris Kalman

A definitive text on the sport. Luc has the knowledge, community concern, and brilliance to write this needed handbook, and he found a perfect partnership with illustrator Sarah K. Glaser. Each epitomizes the modern adventurer who is self-propelled and self-reliant, with broad smiles and welcoming dispositions that come across clearly in this delightful and informative book.

author of Packrafting! and The Adventurer’s Son - Roman Dial

Essential reading for aspiring packrafters

Adventure Sports Journal - Anthea Raymond

The book uses photos and illustrations to show readers how to use the highly transportable watercraft.... The popularity of the packraft continues to grow, with the handbook aiming to teach people about how to use the boat, along with safety guidelines and the experience that Mehl gained paddling Alaska’s whitewater.

Paddling Life - Eric Jankiewicz

An ideal DIY instructional guide and manual that is immense interest and value to anyone wanting to safely get the most out of boating and other forms of wilderness oriented recreation. Impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, The Packraft Handbook: An Instructional Guide for the Curious is a ‘must.’

Midwest Book Review

This book should be on any river runner’s bookshelf or nightstand. Period. The ease of reading has made it a joy and will forever sit in the back of my mind for all my future river adventures with or without a packraft.

Trout Magazine - Josh Duplechian

This is the book we’ve all been waiting for. It is both approachable for newcomers and deep enough to satisfy experts. I know that I will refer back to it often as I continue to develop my own skills.

President of the American Packrafting Association - Joseph Bell