Grand Canyon Packrafting - March 2021
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2025
- Packrafting solo through the Upper Grand Canyon in the Alpacka Forager packraft.
Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch via the Colorado River (90 miles).
Hike out to South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail (8 miles).
Hannah and Johnathan Shininger
Link to Lower Grand Canyon Packrafting - • Grand Canyon Packrafti...
Looks and looked epic. Such a beautiful place. Looked way too fun too
Epic! I love the side canyon trips and the cave!
Well that's now on the bucketlist for me! Beautiful video and an amazing trip... thanks for the inspiration!
Un esperienza magnifica in luoghi meravigliosi! Bravi❣️from Italy 🇮🇹
Friggen awesome!!!! Amazing video.
Nice work! That swim in Hance had to have been terrifying!
My heart was pounding, thanks for the adventure 👍
Hey, I'm a packrafter in South Korea. Looks Great~!!! I'd love to go there someday. Great Job you guys~~~~^^
So cool. I've got a Forager on the way. Can't wait!
Awesome! You're going to love it!
Beautiful video. Impressive white water
Thank you!
There is an almost terrifying undercut. But the desert is enchanting.
so so sick.
So coooooool!
Where’s the button for ‘Love!’?
Well done
Great photography, great trip... I think the video would be way more useful to potential packrafters if you replaced the music with narrative. A two-person packraft Lees to PR trip is super cool. How much gear did you have? What did you do about a groover? What did you use for water filtration/treatment? Does Ranger Peggy allow for a smaller expedition FA kit for a two=person trip? Was there any Park pushback? On the occasions you swam, did one of you (both?) grab the raft or did you have to go retrieve it? If grabbing while flipping... did you practice before hand? So many questions!! Again, super cool trip!
Thanks! We had a blast. You can read more about our trip on the Alpacka Raft blog... www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/packrafting-the-grand-canyon-in-the-forager/
We packed roughly 120 lbs of gear, used poop tubes for solid waste, and used the MSR MiniWorks filter and Aquatabs for water filtration/treatment. The park service allowed a smaller first aid kit, and in general, did not give us pushback. When we flip the raft, we try to hold on to the grab line but it is pretty easy to retrieve on a drop-pool river. Hope this helps!
saludos desde CHILE
Great video, thanks for sharing. Im curious if after flipping, are you able to get back in the boat mid river? or is it necessary to swim it to shore?
Thanks! Yes, you can get back into the boat mid river. It takes some upper body strength and a good kick but it is definitely doable. Also, the floor is self-bailing, so once you flip the boat upright and get back in your seat, you can continue paddling.
Wow, amazing video and well done! I ordered a Forager too, question: if you were paddling solo, would you use the AB Shred Apart in kayak paddle mode or canoe mode for solo paddling?
It looks like the Forager is so stable it might be an easier boat to paddle in big water than a hard shell kayak, (assuming the paddler was reasonably competent in both). Your thoughts on that?
Thank you! I'm sure you will enjoy your Forager.
When I paddle solo, I use the AB Shred Apart in kayak paddle mode because it allows me to be faster and better balanced.
The Forager is certainly more stable than a kayak and it performs well in big water. However, it is much less nimble which forces you to punch through features that you may be able to avoid in a kayak. Hard to say whether the Forager is easier to paddle in big water, but my opinion is that it's more fun.
The disadvantage of the Forager is that when you flip, you are committed to the swim, whereas a reasonably competent kayaker would have a chance at rolling back upright. For this reason, I don't recommend the Forager for technical water above class IV.
Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t go above class IV In any boat anyway. It would obviously be a lot harder to eddy out to scout or whatever too in this boat, but it looks fun. You don’t do the duct tape over the drainage holes thing if you are paddling it on flat water, do you? I would be afraid of leaving a sticky residue. I’ll bet it was quite a load to pack up with also your share of the camping gear up either Bright Angel or North Kaibab (couldn’t tell which way you went)? Beast mode engaged!
Interesting idea, but no, I don't duct tape the bailing holes when padding flat water. I doubt the benefit would be worth the effort and potential mess.
It certainly was a tough hike up the Bright Angel trail with all of our gear! Of course, I would do it again in a heartbeat if we won another permit.
@@kentwilliams13
So im 99% convinced on purchasing the Forager now because of this video. Any regrets thus far on your purchase?
@@Renman78 No regrets! It’s a great boat.
Was it any easier to pull the permit to hike out BA or was it just as difficult as a permit for the full length? Trying to see if there’s an easier way!
Unfortunately, the same permit is required either way. Best of luck in the lottery!
Wow! That looked awesome. What an amazing trip. Good job on the video as well. Did you worry about the durability of the packraft? You covered quite a few miles... I need to find something similar with my wife, but not as BIG. :)
Thanks! We carry a packraft repair kit for holes/tears but have not used it. Over the past year, we have covered about 500 river miles and completed multiple wilderness trips with the packraft. Fortunately, the only maintenance required has been rinsing with freshwater and cleaning/lubricating the cargo fly. The Forager is especially durable because the hull is made with 420-denier nylon while the other Alpacka models are made with 210-denier nylon.
Krasa
I just bought a forger myself.
What paddles are you guys using?
Sorry follow up question..
Are you sitting on a seat or the boat during these rapids?
Aqua-Bound Shred Apart Carbon 4-Piece Packraft Paddle (240 cm)
We kneel on the floor of the boat and sit back on our heels during the rapids.
Congrats on your purchase. Enjoy!
Any advice or must do mods?
We are taking it on a Buffalo river hike/ float soon first time pack rafting with the wife.
Did you need to get a permit to do this?
Yes, we had to get a noncommercial river permit through the lottery system.
What model of packraft is it?
Alpacka Forager
👍👍👍👏👏👏🥲🥲🥲
Wow. Say "great" is nothing. It was awesome...