Table of Contents
Introduction 17
Part I Foundations 30
Chapter 1 Packrafting Equipment 33
Common Uses of Modern Packrafts 34
Packraft Designs 36
Inflating the Packraft 42
Packraft Care 44
Proper Paddling Position 45
Outfitting Your Packraft (Rigging) 49
Life Vest 56
Helmet 61
Clothing and Footwear 63
Outerwear: Drysuit and Raingear 65
Communication 69
Additional Packrafting Equipment 69
Chapter 2 Boat Control and Wet Re-entry 73
Getting In and Out of the Boat 74
Self-rescue: Wet Re-entry 78
Paddle Strokes 83
Edging: Giving the River Something to Grab 96
Chapter 3 Risk 103
Risk Assessment 105
Safety Drift 109
Risk Tolerance 110
Goals and Rewards 111
Part II Rivers and Open Water 114
Chapter 4 How Rivers Work 117
River Character 118
River Gradient 124
Measuring the Amount of Water in a River 126
River Features and Hydrology 133
River Diary 136
Chapter 5 The Principles of River-running 139
River Difficulty: Choosing Where to Paddle 140
Scouting 146
Setting Safety 150
Portaging 151
Group Size and Spacing 153
Maneuvering 156
Chapter 6 Navigating River Features 173
Braided Channels 175
Single Channels: Riverbends and Cutbanks 177
Strainers and Wood 180
Rocks: Pillows, Undercuts, Sieves, and Tongues 181
Holes 187
Waves and Big Water 192
Surfing 194
Waterfalls 197
Chapter 7 Open-water Crossings 201
Risk Assessment 202
Managing Open-water Hazards 205
Special Equipment Considerations for Open-water Crossings 211
Active Navigation 213
Launching and Landing 217
Part III When Things Go Wrong 220
Chapter 8 River Rescue From the Water 223
Principles of Rescue 224
Communication 228
Self-rescue: Swimming 232
Swimming With a Boat and/or Paddle 242
Rescue Swimming 245
Equipment Failure 246
Safety Boat 248
Self-rescue: Rolling a Packrart 252
Chapter 9 River Rescue From Shore 261
Throw Ropes 262
Shallow Water Crossings (Wading) 273
Entrapment 277
Rope Systems and Mechanical Advantage 286
River Rescue and Recovery: Review 297
Chapter 10 Equipment Repair and Modification 299
Repair Supplies 300
Damaged Packraft 304
Damaged Drysuit 314
Paddle 316
Permanent Glue Repairs and Modifications 318
Chapter 11 Medical Emergencies 327
Calling for Help 328
Pre-existing Medical Conditions 330
Drowning 330
Hypothermia 336
Waterborne Illnesses 338
Dislocated Shoulder 338
Head Injury 340
Trauma 341
Spinal Injury 342
First Aid Kit 342
Part IV Putting the "Pack" in Packrafting 344
Chapter 12 Backpacking, Camping, and Cargo 347
Packing your Packraft and Paddle 348
Carrying Cargo on a Packraft 349
Principles of Ultralight Backpacking 359
The Big Three: Shelter, Sleeping System, Backpack 365
Consumables: Food, Water, and Fuel 370
Other Priority Equipment 374
Conservation and Stewardship 376
Chapter 13 Research and Trip Planning 379
Choosing Where to Make Mistakes 380
Creating a Trip Plan 381
Water Research 382
Digital Mapping and Imagery 391
Take-Out 397
Appendix: Supplementary Resources 398
Glossary 404
Index 420
