Tips and Technique

At Alpacka, we stock the few accessories, paddles included, that we seeas "the most fit" for use with our boats.  The practical uses we recommend for the paddles we carry are...

• Best All-Purpose Paddle: The Sawyer.  It's the Rolls-Royce of packrafting paddles.
• Best Hard Whitewater Paddle: The Splat.
• Best Class III & Lower Whitewater Paddle: The Manta Ray.  At lower technical difficulties, it's comparable to the Splat in performance at a more economical price.
• The Lightest Paddle: The Ultralight.  Designed for the Scout, as a flatwater paddle.

For a few more specialized roles, some of the best options aren't paddles we carry.  Those include:

Proud owner of a new paddle.

• The Super-Hot, Super-Tough Whitewater Paddle: Werner can make you a breakdown paddle.  It will probably cost around $400.
• The Garage Sale Paddle: Used sporting goods stores & garage sales may be a good place to find a full-size kayak paddle, if you're willing to compromise on weight and packability, and perhaps length or durability.  Our favorite variant is the "river booty paddle," which costs nothing when you find it bobbing in an eddy.
• The Hand-Paddle: You can cut "ping pong"-style hand paddles out of plywood.  On flat water with no time contraints, you can push yourself a long way with these guys.

If you'd like to get a little more detailed, we've built a Decision Matrix...

The Paddle Chooser...

Special Considerations for Packrafting Paddles

There's no need to go with our paddles, though we have chosen thembecause we believe they're very well suited to packrafting.  Factors to consider...

*Weedwhacker not included.

Our #1 Recommendation: Get a Breakdown Paddle. These paddles are ideal for both backcountry use & air travel.  A paddle that breaks down into short sections isexcellent for hiking and travel, and indispensable for climbing andbushwacking. These paddles stow completely inside a pack or small bag. Evenif you don’t plan on taking your Alpacka far off the beaten track, westill suggest getting a 4-piece paddle, because it gives you so muchmore flexibility.

Length: Historically, packrafters have relied on long paddles,in the 220cm to 250cm range. In older boat types, the paddler sat verylow in the raft and the longer paddle was preferrable for reaching outover the tubes. Since you sit much higher in an Alpacka raft, you don'tneed such a long paddle.

We find that a 210 centimeter paddle is most effective for general packrafting.  It packs well as a 4-piece breakdown, while being longenough to get out over the tubes for flatwater paddling, yet it's shortenough to maneuver quickly in whitewater. This short length also savesweight.

Durability: Many packrafters use their paddles hard, pushing offrocks and logs, and frequently find themselves in tight quarters. Therefore, we stock paddles we think can handle reallistic riverconditions.  We recommend staying away from the narrow sea kayaktouring paddles, which are designed for ocean travel, unless you'restrictly packrafting on open water.

Auxillary Paddle Blades: Depending on the nature oftheir trip, some packrafters choose to carry an extra paddle blade.Ultimately, no piece of equipment is indestructible and nothing is impervious to being lost in the brush. If you wish to carry an extra blade, you have a broad range of options:

• A full-sized extra paddle blade.
• A small, super-light auxillary paddle, such as the tiny plastic paddle Sevylor® makes for use with it’s “Trail Boat.”
• A pot lid.
• An avalanche shovel.