There’s an ancient green 17-foot Old Town Tripper on the rack out back that, after countless river miles and more than a half-century of service, paddles just as well as she did new. The boat is a brute to portage thanks to its high weight and windage, but back in the day the vinyl/ABS Oltonar […] The post The Good Fairy: Features On Our Tripping Canoe Wishlist appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

MANCOS, Colo. (November 11, 2022) – The world’s leading packrafting brand, Alpacka Raft, is thrilled to debut the much-anticipated Valkyrie, its most capable whitewater boat to date. After 15 years of development and dozens of prototypes, the Valkyrie is the pinnacle of whitewater performance in an inflatable package, just as founder Sheri Tingey intended when […] The post Alpacka Raft Launches Most Innovative, Advanced Whitewater Packraft Yet appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

The greatest innovation to paddlesports in the past two decades is perhaps the modern packraft. Sure, ultralight inflatable paddle craft have been around as survival gear since World War II. But it wasn’t until the turn of the millennium, when Alpacka Rafts founders Sheri and Thor Tingey introduced the concept of a recreational packraft—a compact, […] The post Best Packrafts For 2023 appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

One of the newest products in the paddling world, packrafts have “blown up” in adventure circles. Modern explorers have turned to these compact inflatables to access waterways that might be impossible to reach otherwise—leading to incredible firsts, like crossing the North Pole by human power. Packrafts are durable enough to trust in remote environments, and […] The post Best Kokopelli Packrafts For 2023 appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

Inflatable dinghies, rafts and even kayaks have been around for decades. These durable and easy-to-transport boats appear on the back of sailboats and on whitewater rivers in remote corners of the world. Sea Eagle is one of the original inflatable boat manufacturers, and their kayaks are worth considering if you want a portable, light, well-performing […] The post Best Sea Eagle Kayaks For 2023 appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

Ihad recently returned from a tradeshow where the new AIRE BAKraft Expedition packraft was revealed when I received an email from Cameron Dubé pitching a bikepacking packrafting story. I immediately wrote back telling him I’d source the boats if he’d organize the food. AIRE BAKraft Expedition Specs Length: 10’2” Width: 40” Weight: 12 lbs Primary Materials: […] The post Packraft Review: AIRE BAKraft Expedition appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

Kelley Smith with Kokopelli Packraft takes us through the new Recon Packraft targeted at avid whitewater paddlers. The Recon differentiates itself from the rest of the Kokopelli lineup with a reinforced PVC construction making it ultra durable and slightly heavier than other models that are five to 10 pounds. The Kokopelli Recon comes in at […] The post Kokopelli Showcases Recon Packraft, Animas River Bag And Delta Inflatable Dry Bag appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

With these paddling gear options, you can hike in, bike in or get dropped off and be all set to go. The post 6 Essential Packrafting Items You Need For Fall appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

The following is a press release from Alpacka Raft. Alpacka Raft, the industry leader in research and development of modern packrafting, today announced the launch of its new Caribou packraft, a front-end loading and ultralight packraft that offers a modern take on an original classic. The Caribou is the lightest and most packable full-size packraft […] The post Alpacka Raft Launches the Caribou appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more

AIRE Inflatables has been a leader in personal inflatable kayaks and have expanded their line up to include the Back-Raft in 7’ and 10’ lengths. The ‘Spud’ is a youth kayak that when grown out of can be resold at a high resale value. Also exciting from Aire is the inflatable tent that can accommodate […] The post Video: AIRE Inflatables: Pack Raft Kayaks and Tent appeared first on Paddling Magazine ..read more