Ok, truth be told this isn’t actually my first packraft. I bought a DIY packraft kit many years ago, began making it and got so stressed out by it I tucked it away in a box. This is my first complete packraft that I bought to try and push myself to finish the original one.

So what is a Packraft?

Like most outdoorsy people, I quite enjoy being out in a boat from time to time. A canoe on a pond, a sea kayak for a coastal plod, even love an island ferry trip. The issue is, owning any boat seems to be plagued by two issues for me. One, you have to store it somewhere, which is hard because even a small boat is quite large, and two, you have to transport it somehow, which is hard because even a small boat is quite large.

Inflatable kayaks and SUPs are cool solutions, you can chuck them packed away into a car boot or cupboard, but packrafts take it one step further. Being able to roll up a kayak shaped boat to the size of a small tent allows you to basically take the boat anywhere, and coupled with a 4 piece paddle and a compact buoyancy aid, lets you have a full water based adventure kit that you can also comfortably walk, cycle, or even take public transport with.

I ordered my prebuilt “Paddle Ready” packraft from IronRaft, a UK company who also made my DIY kit. I’d kind of assumed their complete packrafts would be the same design and construction as their DIY boats, just with all the faff of doing it yourself taken away. Turns out they’re a different shape, construction, and fabric. I’m pretty sure they’ve just ordered branded versions of Aliexpress packrafts, but they do run inflation tests which I like!

The orange Paddle Ready on the left, blue DIY kit on the right, both from Iron Raft.

I cannot express how much I’ve loved heading out in this wee boat! Suddenly every loch has adventure potential, every island is slightly easier to reach, and the rivers that span the country call out to be followed.

Yes, paddling the boat is cumbersome, it doesn’t track well (slightly better with the additional skeg), and is very susceptible to wind. But it allows me to plod about on open water and rivers, sits extremely stable even in rough conditions, and has led me to much more adventurous explorations of my local area. I’ve driven, walked, bussed, and taken the train, all while carrying a full boat set-up in my backpack. Not having to fit a roof rack and haul a heavy boat up is nice too.

I have also been out when the conditions have changed, making boating more challenging than initially planned. It’s really nice to be able to bail anywhere on the shore, pack everything away into a bag, and walk back to where you need to be, not having to worry about how to cart a heavy boat back.

Basically I love this big orange floaty-boat. I cannot wait to come up with even more silly boat based journeys.