Alpacka Raft

08/27/2026

If you were 19 and heading down the Middle Fork of the Salmon with your family, what would you bring for a semi-supported packraft trip?⁠
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Here’s what Ben Volpe, son of our Customer Service team member Blair, packed for his recent trip. The family carried the food and kitchen gear in a larger boat, leaving Ben to keep his personal kit light and simple.⁠
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Bonus: Before this trip, Ben had only paddled a packraft twice. By the end of the trip, he was confidently tackling larger rapids in his packraft.⁠
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It’s pretty amazing what a packraft—and a little time on the water—can open up when you’re learning. 🏔️🛶⁠
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👉️ See the full packing list at the link below:

https://alpackaraft.com/packing-lists -volpes-blairs-19-year-old-son-7-day-semi-self-supported-middle-fork-of-the-salmon-trip

Photo Credit: Blair Volpe

08/24/2026

The Dogs of Packrafting Photo Contest Is Back—Cats Welcome, Too!

Calling all pet owners. We know you love capturing adventures with your furry friends, and now it’s time to share them with us for a chance to win some fantastic Alpacka Raft goodies. Submit your best photos of your dog (or cat, or any other pet) enjoying time in, on, or around an Alpacka Raft. Not only could you win bragging rights as a contest winner, but the top three winners will win some awesome Alpacka Raft swag.

Bonus points will be given to those that also post their photos on Instagram and tag (we may re-share). ⁠
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This contest will end on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 11:59pm MST. Contest winners will be announced shortly after.

👉 submit your photos at the link in our bio.

Photo Credit: Christina Amburgy



*By posting and submitting photos, you are acknowledging and allowing photos to be used in, or on Alpacka Raft materials; including social media, email, website, print, and other forms of marketing.

08/24/2026

The Backpacking & Blisters team put together a compilation of answers from the experts and asked what is "Their #1 Gear Company". Dan Durston chose Alpacka Raft! Thanks so much, Dan and the crew at Backpacking & Blisters. Check out Dan's thoughts (+ Eric Hanson and Steven Smith's thoughts too) on the video compilation below.

08/19/2026

The Dogs of Packrafting (and Cats too!) Photo Contest has begun.

Calling all pet owners! We know you love capturing adventures with your furry friends, and now it's time to share them with us for a chance to win some fantastic Alpacka Raft goodies. Submit your best photos of your dog (or cat, or any other pet) enjoying time in, on, or around an Alpacka Raft. Not only could you win bragging rights as a contest winner, but the top three winners will win some awesome Alpacka Raft swag.

Bonus points will be given to those that also post their photos on Instagram by and tag (plus, we may re-share, with credit of course). ⁠
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This contest will end on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 11:59pm MST. Contest winners will be announced shortly after.

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*By posting and submitting photos, you are acknowledging and allowing photos to be used in, or on Alpacka Raft materials; including social media, email, website, print, and other forms of marketing.

New accessories designed to make your packrafting adventures more organized, efficient, and enjoyable. The Wet Exit Duffle, Gunny Sack Internal Bag, and Chuckwagon Pod are here.

08/19/2026

Biodegradable does not mean benign. Organic waste left on riverbanks introduces non-native nutrients into aquatic systems, attracts wildlife to high-traffic human areas in ways that alter natural behavior, and can spread invasive plant species through seeds deposited far outside their native range.

We hear this one a lot on the riverbank. And while organic waste does eventually break down, the assumption that it is therefore harmless is one of the most common misconceptions in outdoor recreation.
A banana peel can take up to two years to decompose in a natural environment. An apple core, up to eight weeks. In the meantime, organic waste left on riverbanks introduces non-native nutrients into aquatic systems, attracts wildlife to high-traffic human areas in ways that alter natural behavior, and can spread invasive plant species through seeds deposited far outside their native range. Biodegradable does not mean benign.
The Yuba River watershed is a living, finely balanced system. What we leave behind — whether plastic or produce — has consequences that ripple through it. On September 19th, SYRCL's Annual Yuba River Cleanup gives our community the chance to set the record straight, one bag at a time.
Pack out everything. Sign up to volunteer at yubariver.org

08/18/2026

Science meets packrafting. 🔬🌊

A custom coring rig built with packrafts, putting lightweight, modular gear to work in the field. Proof that packrafts can be more than a way to get downriver—they can be tools for research, exploration, conservation, and discovery.

Photo credit: Dr. S. Yoshi Maezumi

08/17/2026

Just a few days left to submit comments to the Department of Interior about proposed changes to wilderness policies. If enacted, the changes will threaten current protections of special public lands, including in the Dolores River canyon country. Comments are due by August 14!

Check out our most recent email newsletter for more details. Wait, what? You have not signed up to receive our newsletter?! Fix that right now by visiting our website.

08/12/2026

When you only have one packraft, but the fish are rising... bring your kid! 🎣

Although not a tandem boat, the Zephyr is a great way to get out on a calm lake together with a little kid, easy to paddle, tracks super well, and allows for plenty of opportunities to fish.

📸 Emily L. Doig

fishing

07/30/2026

Just a little info on how the Ferris Fire is impacting the Dolores River from the Dolores River Boating Advocates.