Packrafting: a different kind of family adventure
It all started with an ill-fated canoe trip….
My two boys had watched the canoes whizzing past on the River Wye near Symonds Yat and were desperate to have a go. I popped in to the canoe ‘depot’ to enquire about hiring a canoe for our family and they literally laughed in my face, ‘if you want a canoe, you should have booked three months ago!’
3 months ago!? I didn’t even know we’d be here on holiday 3 months ago… Who is that well-organised?! But, looking at the prices of canoe hire, I was quite relieved they were all full booked.
Surely there must be an easier way to canoe with a family?
Packrafting
This is when I discovered the wonderful world of packrafting.
What is a packraft?
Packrafting is the new kid on the block when it comes to adventuring, and its popularity is rapidly increasing. Packrafts are essentially lightweight, inflatable and easily-transportable kayaks. They fold up small enough to fit in a bag so you can easily hike or bike to any adventure spot and head off onto the water – letting the crowds eat your dust.
As soon as I discovered packrafts, I searched the internet for where I could find one. As luck would have it, Lidl were selling an inflatable canoe that week – hurrah! With much excitement, but not much research, I bought one! Unfortunately, on our first adventure, the canoe sprung a leak and was irreparable. It was the most expensive item of single-use plastic I have ever owned and I’m still guilt-ridden about that purchase.
Surely there must be a better solution…?
MRS Packrafts
Putting a bit of time into research, I read about the awesome fleet of MRS packrafts and their UK distributors, Paqualife. MRS have been researching, developing and manufacturing packrafts for over 17 years (since 2007) and are world leaders in packraft production so you know you’re in safe hands.
I spoke with Paqualife to discuss our needs and how we planned to use the packrafts. Together, we agreed that the MRS Barracuda R2 and MRS Adventure X2 were a good fit for our family.
Two double packrafts meant the four of us could go out on the water together, plus the Barracuda’s TiZIP internal tube storage would allow us to head out on packrafting camping adventures which sounded awesome!
Packrafting adventures
I cannot recommend the MRS packrafts enough. Since having the packrafts, we’ve been on coastal adventures – exploring sea caves, hidden beaches and paddling alongside seals and dolphins.
We’ve packrafted on Highland lochs, beautiful Welsh reservoirs and lakes across Europe. Here, with no ‘to hire’ kayak facilities, we’ve had the water to ourselves and could spend the entire day out on beautiful waters.
We’ve also adventured up and downstream on numerous rivers close to home. This is an entirely different way to experience the water; a quiet paddle with ducks, dragonflies and endless sightings of kingfishers. It’s bliss.
Are MRS good value for money?
There is no denying that packrafts are expensive. But, as with anything, the value depends how you’re going to use them.
As a family, we agreed that a pair of packrafts would be very well used. We’re frequently by the seaside and wanting to escape the crowds to go exploring the coastline.
We also travel to lochs, lakes and reservoirs at weekends and holidays so knew that we could make use of the packrafts here, as well as on the rivers close to home. There’s something endlessly satisfying saying ‘right, it’s a sunny day – let’s get on the water!’
There’s also the cost and faff of canoe/kayak hire to consider. I couldn’t believe how expensive hiring costs are, and that’s generally for a 1-hour session or limited to a guided session – there’s no freedom to spend the day on the water… picnicking, wild swimming and all.
For us, owning our own packrafts makes adventuring on the water easier and more exciting.
Are the packrafts easy to transport?
I often look at people with paddleboards. They’re big and hard to manoeuvre and the pumps are enormous! You’re generally limited to launching from near the car.
Packrafts are different. They pack up small enough to fit in a bag so can be carried along the coast, or on a hike to a remote destination. We’ve often hopped on our bikes to head to a hidden spot.
Likewise, they can be inflated using a bag system – it’s easy, quick and the bag weighs nothing and folds up to a tiny size.
Safety on the water
Always wear a buoyancy aid when out on the water and speak to the lovely folk at Paqualife about any safety concerns.