Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

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JohnClimber
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Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by JohnClimber »

I'm asking for Neris Kayaks from the Ukraine who are moving into pack rafts.
I hope that you might be able to help me to maybe help you.

They currently have 2 heavy duty PVC pack rafts in there range for use on White Water and rocky situations, but they are also aimed at hire centres for newbie paddlers.
I have both these coming tomorrow so I'll share my thoughts on these

But these PVC boats are like my Kokopelli PVC pack raft are heavy and don't fold down small enough for our sort of light weight adventures,

They have a new production line with a new laser cutter and welding machines, and now (following Covid stock problems) they have are now getting a regular supply of TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane) Which Alpacka and Kokopelli use in their mainstream pack rafts and which they use in their established kayak market.

But if there was a perfect TPU pack raft which was light weight, with a small pack size, that can carry camping gear and maybe a bike too.

If the price was more affordable (that the current main stream ones, but better quality that the Chinese imports) would you be tempted on buying one to extend your adventures?

What would you need to get you to even try one?

Thanks for your help :-bd
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fatbikephil
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by fatbikephil »

Yup. always fancied one but wasn't sure about the chinese ones and the alpakas seemed a bit spendy for what could be another fad (for me that is)
Velcro on spray deck seems the most useful add on but the internal storage pockets also seemed a good idea. Not too heavy, not too light.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

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Last edited by Cheeky Monkey on Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Too expensive and unlikely to be that useful / likely to get used. Using one seems a "contrived" experience, and I mean no insult by that 😇

<£200 and would start to get into the realms of a curiousity buy, for me.

Kayaks in any config' seem rather expensive (I've got a rigid Perception and an inflatable Advance Frame, both secondhand). Never mind sea kayaks 😳😳
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Dave Barter
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Dave Barter »

sounds weird but we are more interested in something small that squeezes into our van. After the Welsh weekend we nearly bought 2 just for messing about on lakes/lochs. So I might well fit into their niche as not really bothered by weight as I doubt I’d do much stuff with the bike. Hope that makes sense. Red wine .. 😀👍
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Lazarus
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Lazarus »

Cheap enough to try and not heavy enough to put me off

A deal with a full kit for someone who has nothing paddle and Life saver etc
I am personally not tempted* so not sure what that price point is for the curious though £250??

Oh and some videos of them trying to burst one and to pull a bike off !!

* i can paddle and I have a Kayak [ not used in 5 years at least ] if I wanted to do this and dont have any real interest these days
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Hamish »

I have two Alpacka rafts already so am not sure I will be buying one right now but I have friends who may.

I speak as a sea kayaker who has paddled for years all over the west coast of Scotland as well as at home in Wales. My pack raft is now used more than my sea kayaks. They are brilliant for exploring, quick faff free trips, walking in to paddle the very best bits of remote coasts, trips on remote mountain lakes/lochans, etc.etc.

I use to have to travel to Shrewsbury for work meetings. I'd go by train and Brompton and take the raft. When the meeting was finished for the day I'd have a quick paddle on the Severn.

Of course they have their limits and it's hard to beat a good sea kayak trip but if I didn't have a pack raft and I saw a quality boat at a good price I'd go for it. In terms of value for money they hard to beat.
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Piemonster
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Piemonster »

I think if they made a more affordable Nomad I’d bite.

I’ve had a shot in one of their current “packrafts” in person and I have to say. I don’t think it’s really a Packraft. It’s simply too big and is, for me, an inflatable kayak. Although it was sat next to a Caribou.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Hamish wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:14 am I have two Alpacka rafts already so am not sure I will be buying one right now but I have friends who may.

I speak as a sea kayaker who has paddled for years all over the west coast of Scotland as well as at home in Wales. My pack raft is now used more than my sea kayaks. They are brilliant for exploring, quick faff free trips, walking in to paddle the very best bits of remote coasts, trips on remote mountain lakes/lochans, etc.etc.

I use to have to travel to Shrewsbury for work meetings. I'd go by train and Brompton and take the raft. When the meeting was finished for the day I'd have a quick paddle on the Severn.

Of course they have their limits and it's hard to beat a good sea kayak trip but if I didn't have a pack raft and I saw a quality boat at a good price I'd go for it. In terms of value for money they hard to beat.
See, just goes to show it's probably my imagination that's the limitation 🤪
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by benp1 »

Dave Barter wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:25 am sounds weird but we are more interested in something small that squeezes into our van. After the Welsh weekend we nearly bought 2 just for messing about on lakes/lochs. So I might well fit into their niche as not really bothered by weight as I doubt I’d do much stuff with the bike. Hope that makes sense. Red wine .. 😀👍
What you rather a pack raft over inflatable kayaks?
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by yourguitarhero »

I have a Nortek (I think?) one.
I think an easy to attach/remove spray deck would be good (Velcro sounds good to me).

With mine they kind of missed a trick - the inflation sack has clips on the end like a dry bag, but a nozzle with a hole in it at the other end, so it's not much use as a dry bag! So I have to carry an extra dry bag to put my things in. SO maybe some kind of multipurpose dry bag that it is stored in, inflates it and then you can put your things in when you're paddling.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

{random thoughts}
I think there's a few underlying issues for many who might be raft curious.

1/ From the outside looking in - it appears a very expensive thing. Not only are you buying a raft but a pdf, paddle, etc. There's very little available at the budget end UNLESS you spend some time searching it out and doing your homework. As an example, I bought an Advanced Elements 4pc paddle and a blow-up pdf for less than £50. Maybe neither are fantastic but both do the job and they're also light / pack small. However, outside looking in, it almost appears that in order to partake, you need to spend £200 on a carbon Celtic paddle, £80 on a pdf and £300+ on a drysuit.

2/ I reckon many folk are unsure of how and when they might use a raft. I almost think that thinking adding a bike to the mix can be offputting, as it adds complication and a degree of faff. I'd probably prefer to go for a walk with a raft rather than a ride or as Dave suggests, pull it out of the car at the coast or lake etc.

3/ A £250 raft that doesn't weigh too much and packs well but doesn't look like you bought it from the pound shop in Barmouth could be a winner. Add the option to buy a paddle / pdf at time of purchase as Jon says and happy days.
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Aye, bikerafting is a whole new level of faff and multi-day bikerafting looks like an exercise in masochism for those of us who've shaved our loads down.

We've used ours mostly for short trips on local lochs, a few times at a sheltered beach, a couple of river trips.

I think they only make sense if you really enjoy the paddling bit. As a way of extending bike trips they're a bit spendy and faffy otherwise.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by ScotRoutes »

I should add - having recently started open water swimming, we're probably less likely to go paddling.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by jameso »

I've zero interest in the bike/raft mix unless it was the only way to do an A-B trip somewhere once in a lifetime, tbh it does seem a bit contrived otherwise (with all due respect - and riding my bike in a big circle every weekend is no less contrived really).

What does interest me is the packability for hike-rafting. I got into bikepacking by taking my outdoor gear and going riding with it. From time to time I think about following a river and camping along the way or maybe linking some lochs. I like boats, enjoy sailing, just don't really see it crossing with bikes much.

If the price, weight and stability/size suited hiking and use on fairly calm lakes and rivers I could be tempted as just another way to travel outdoors. How to handle staying as dry as possible, add-on spray deck maybe?
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by whitestone »

The cost aspect is mainly that it's a big upfront cost (ignoring loans and credit) - you can't really split a raft into bits and buy the bow, then the main body then the stern. It's a bit like biking in that respect. Something like walking/hiking you can head out with what you've got then maybe buy a pair of decent boots, then a better waterproof, etc. You may end up spending similar amounts but it will be spread out over many years. I've thousands of pounds worth of climbing kit but it was purchased over a period of thirty years, that's not to say that some items weren't individually expensive.

Usage is one of those catch-22 situations. While we enjoyed the Bala weekend last year we don't regularly visit areas where packrafts would be of most use. Of course if we had packrafts then we might well head to those areas more often. Somewhere like Sweden or Finland where areas are as much water as land would be ideal.

Faffage - I think this is as much lack of familiarity with the processes of ingress/egress as anything. At Bala it was obvious how much quicker people were when setting up on their second session than their first. That progress would only improve, I can see how sub ten minute setup times are possible.
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

If I could walk the tops of the Wast Water screes and then paddle back to Nether Wasdale that'd be grand.

I can only imagine the looks I'd get with paddles sticking out the top of a pack whilst on the tops :grin:
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

What does interest me is the packability for hike-rafting. I got into bikepacking by taking my outdoor gear and going riding with it. From time to time I think about following a river and camping along the way or maybe linking some lochs. I like boats, enjoy sailing, just don't really see it crossing with bikes much.
Yep, that's kind of what I was getting at earlier. While light rafts for short, calm work do exist they seem to be a little over the price that most folk would consider spending on a 'new toy' or appear fairly crap (I'm not saying they are but first impressions count for a lot in these situations). A bit cheaper and a bit less toy-shop and I reckon there's a market. Obviously, I've no idea whether I'm asking for the moon on a stick or if what I'm asking is possible. :wink:
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yourguitarhero
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by yourguitarhero »

Bikerafting is an interesting one - I'm kind of gearing up to that after getting used to the raft on its own and have practised paddling with the bike on the raft.
Going to start with a single day, i.e. paddle down river from van parked at riverside then cycle back to van. Haven't quite worked out the best places to do it with camping etc yet, though that might be my lack of imagination.

I have found the packraft to be great to just leave in my van. I put it in a plastic box along with lifejacket, paddle etc so it's always there. Was very handy when I went to Glen Affric.
Obviously weight isn't important there, but maybe the small size is? A bit like an inflatable SUP
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by thenorthwind »

Lazarus wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:54 am A deal with a full kit for someone who has nothing paddle and Life saver etc
Bearbonesnorm wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:39 am 1/ From the outside looking in - it appears a very expensive thing. Not only are you buying a raft but a pdf, paddle, etc. There's very little available at the budget end UNLESS you spend some time searching it out and doing your homework. As an example, I bought an Advanced Elements 4pc paddle and a blow-up pdf for less than £50. Maybe neither are fantastic but both do the job and they're also light / pack small. However, outside looking in, it almost appears that in order to partake, you need to spend £200 on a carbon Celtic paddle, £80 on a pdf and £300+ on a drysuit.
Agreed. I did similar to you Stu - my first raft was a second hand Alpacka for £600 IIRC, but I just bought a £35 PFD (not fancy, has thus far kept me alive) and a £40(?) nylon/alloy 4pc paddle (also Advanced Elements). Did me fine for a good few trips - have upgraded my paddle when I got a bargain Kokopelli carbon one, still use the PFD. Added dry trousers much later. If a starter package were available, it might convince a few more of the curious (whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know. Perhaps the cost barrier to entry isn't a bad thing? But that's a whole other moral argument). But as Bob says, it would be a(n even bigger) chunk up front.
Bearbonesnorm wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:39 am I'd probably prefer to go for a walk with a raft rather than a ride or as Dave suggests, pull it out of the car at the coast or lake etc.
TBH me too quite often. A well-planned bikerafting trip, when it comes together, is a great thing, but it does take more planning/faffing than I'm often prepared to put in.
Cheeky Monkey wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:21 pm Using one seems a "contrived" experience, and I mean no insult by that 😇
jameso wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:24 am tbh it does seem a bit contrived otherwise
Absolutely. It's very silly. No slight taken :cool:
Cheeky Monkey wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:32 pm If I could walk the tops of the Wast Water screes and then paddle back to Nether Wasdale that'd be grand.

I can only imagine the looks I'd get with paddles sticking out the top of a pack whilst on the tops :grin:
Some packrafting I've done in the Lakes:
Paddled across Bassenthwaite Lake and walked up Skiddaw via Ullock Pike, thus avoiding a boring out and back from Keswick or a long walk along the main road. Yes, I did get some funny looks on top of Skiddaw with a paddle sticking out of my rucksack in 70mph winds in February.

Walked from Hawes End over Cat Bells and High Spy and up towards Seathwaite - paddled back down and across Derwent Water. (Had planned to walk over Dale Head in the evening to Warnscale bothy, and across to Styhead Tarn for a full source to, er, somewhere descent but the weather was pish.)
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Hamish »

I must admit that I bought my raft with my eye on bike rafting. But, it does involve faff.

In the end I tend to ride to a place where there is some good paddling then leave the bike and set off in the raft. For example... Train to Ardrossan, ferry and bike to Jura and on to West Loch Tarbert. Jura is just the best kind of place for sea kayaking although it is a bit exposed or complex in places.. But with a raft W. Loch Tarbert is perfect place to explore with some truly amazing stuff to see. So leave the bikes and spend a couple of days in the loch staying in a bothy and exploring the raised beaches (google them if you don't know what I'm on about). Then return to Islay and on to Colonsay. Again, camp somewhere nice and explore the sound between Oronsay and Colonsay at high tide and then round the sandy bays on which ever side happens to be in the lea. It's not the same as a linear bikepacking trip but it's a hybrid adventure that a raft makes doable.

Beyond that, most raft outings are hikaboat affairs. Paddle a few miles of Pembroksire coast and walk back. Walk up to Llyn Llydaw, paddle to the end and have a sneaky camp. The lake is small but lying in a raft in the middle of it looking up at Snowdon is great.

I do have a few trips planned though. For example... I guess everyone will have watched the fatbike and packraft a down the beach in Alaska video. It really appealed to me and I have a trip planned from Saundersfoot to Rhossili via all the beaches using the raft to cross the estuaries at lowish tide. I just need to get my backside into gear and do it.

Another trip would be to link up dead end tracks beyond Hushinish using a raft across the lochs somehow. You'd need good weather for that mind. Last time I was there in a Kayak a raft would have been fine as it was like a millpond. I am under no illusions though threat we were lucky.
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Alpinum
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Alpinum »

JohnClimber wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:54 pm But if there was a perfect TPU pack raft which was light weight, with a small pack size, that can carry camping gear and maybe a bike too.

If the price was more affordable (that the current main stream ones, but better quality that the Chinese imports) would you be tempted on buying one to extend your adventures?

What would you need to get you to even try one?

Thanks for your help :-bd
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- light weight seat
Added a few tie downs and stuff some pieces of foam into it when running white water (mostly class II, sometimes III, very rarely IV), strip it down more trips with lots of hiking (say > 50 % of the moving time).

For me, this type of raft is about as ideal as it gets. Very versatile. As said, it can quickly be stripped down for more hiking biased trips (say 6 - 7 days hiking with 2 - 3 days rafting). The cruiser deck helps much staying warm when cruising down an easy river in changeable weather up north and can be opened without landing when the sun comes out and works well upto class III. Here, the hydraulics start to become forceful enough to blow the deck open (velcro won't hold) in my cases. Running a class III river I get that regularly, like 2 - 3 x a day. Obviously the boat fills with water and I need to go ashore, bail it out and re-enter the fun. Not too dramatic, but the spray deck mates will be waiting in an eddy. Even when the deck didn't blow, quite a lot of water came into the boat. So the practical limit of the cruiser deck comes much earlier than that of the raft itself.

Since my packrafting lately has consisted more of public transport, a little walk (.5 - 2 h), rafting for most of the day followed by another short walk and public transport back home, a raft like the Alpacka Gnarwhal would suit my paddling better. More focus on the raft then on the pack.

Sooner or later I'll be going back up north for a multiweek packrafting trip in the wilderness where the Yak will, once again, be spot on.
I'm seeing the classic series of Alpacka and similar boats (Anfibio's own and others) as a good entry point, a starting point for want-to-become-rafters with no rafting background or WW kayaking background.

Then, as for myself, some evolve in paddling and may be looking for the type of Gnarwhal rafts.
- proper spray deck to go with a skirt
- larger seat
- thigh strap
- larger aft. These things make it heavier, more capable on WW, more engagement with the raft and thus more responsive. Or some have a kayaking background (solid boats like creekers, river runners) and they more likely find a type of raft like the Wolverine with smaller diameter tubes (Alpacka, again, for the sake that I only know their line up and differences in boats) interesting. Those coming from WW kayaking not only have the paddling experience, but are also used to carrying solid boats around and will happily go on trips with slightly heavier raft like those just mentioned, fully fitted WW rafts.

Whilst training with a kayaking/rafting/canoeing centre, I went down class III and IV with my Yak and found I was soon able to paddle stuff that overwhelmed myself, but also my Yak. The centre had Gnarwhals for rentals and when I gave one a go, I felt much more connected, more in control and the proper spraydeck stayed always put. On lighter rafts, removable thigh straps can be retrofitted quite easily, same with a better seat and some foam to wedge yourself into.
The Gnarwhal already comes with such options, which also can be removed or replaced to make it lighter, further blurrying the line between a WW raft and a hikers raft. The Gnarwhal also gets you easier out of holes thanks to the larger volume aft.
Personally, I'd stop when it comes to a proper spray deck for trips with a fair amount of hiking. The proper deck adds a lot of weight and takes away some versatility, but I see it as a must for big volume water.
The zipped in spraydeck, which Alpacka replaced the cruiser deck (velcro) with, might be a good balance, but I'd probably take the higher flexibility and lower weight of a cruiser style deck as a criteria when buying a first raft with less focus on WW.

That's two types for the uses I see for myself and most of the other boaters I met.

Then there's the type of load boats, which seem quite popular too. Capable on big rivers too, but more focussed on getting bike/hunt down a river. Or, as for a friend, to go fishing on a lake. Alpacka's version is called the Caribou I think.
Not my type of boat.
Whilst I can imagine to go on cycling trips where a raft is needed to get across a body of water, I don't fancy going on a bike ride, raft with the bike and ride it again. Faff and paddling with a bike... meh. But many others seem to love this type of trip, so there definately is quite some interest there. Never tried such a raft but can imagine they handle significantly better with a bike then the types I mentioned before.

Then there's boats more similar to an open canoe like the MSR Barracuda R2. I see quite some folks out (easy rivers, lakes with kids) on similae boats;
- PVC
- simpler
- 1/10 - 1/5 of the price of a Barracuda R2. Often these boaters don't quite need the packability of a TPU skin, nor its lightness and functionality and performance, but I guess if the prices were lower and the availability higher (PVC canoed can be bought in even an electronics shop in Switzerland in spring), they'd probably see more customers.

To me, getting a Gnarwhal feels not neccessary enough to justify the price, despite me checking every half year or so and I don't want to retrofit my Yak and cut down on its versatility, so I'm carrying on as before. With a cheaper, but equally capable raft like a Gnarwhal, I'd think twice.

I too think a well chosen bundle with a raft, compact and light PFD and 4 piece paddle would lower the entry hurdle.
Add in some other gear, training and trips and see the sellers bank account explode :lol:
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Dave Barter »

Another trip would be to link up dead end tracks beyond Hushinish using a raft across the lochs somehow. You'd need good weather for that mind. Last time I was there in a Kayak a raft would have been fine as it was like a millpond. I am under no illusions though threat we were lucky.
Yes this 100%. We walked to the private bothy and I said to Helen it would have been amazing if we could have got a kayak down there. Might even be inspired to do it now. Cheers
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JohnClimber
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by JohnClimber »

Many thanks for your comments.

Today I got 2 Neris PVC pack rafts that they are the right sort of price, but as they are a tough PVC they aren't for long bike rides although these come in a great pack pack I wouldn't want to do a 5 mile ride with it on my back.
These seem perfect for van pack rafting where faff isn't a problem.

I'll share some photos tomorrow and after my first paddle on Sunday morning
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Re: Pack rafts - Please may I ask?

Post by Rasta »

If you need someone to test the other one? :grin:

I have been paddling out to islands and camping with the hammock a few times last month. No bike though. Will be going again next week. Maybe the islands on Loch Morar or Loch Awe. With an inflatable canoe (Gumotex) not a packraft.
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