The Packrafting Survey: What Is It? And Why Do It?

The Bikeraft Guide Survey

OK, we’re spilling the beans… or at least some of them. Back in 2023 I ran The Bikerafting Survey, with a big host of awesome sponsors. It was a fun, not super scientific survey that aimed to find out more information about bikerafters and aspiring bikerafters. I thought it would be interesting to: 1) run a long-form survey and learn a bunch of interesting things I could share with the community, sponsors and really anyone interested; 2) give a bunch of cool stuff away (to inspire people to participate); and 3) get some email addresses for marketing purposes.

The Radavist published comprehensive results, which you can see here. It was hugely and surprisingly successful with nearly 1100 participants.

The Packrafting Survey, Part 1

Not long after, I joined the American Packrafting Association board of directors and was keenly interested in the results of their Packrafting by the Numbers semi-annual survey. I got together with the crew to talk about trying to get numbers up for the APA survey. And then we brainstormed another big idea, which I’ll keep under wraps for now, but which will (hint hint) aggregate and report on all the data we glean in a way that’s never been done before for packrafting. More on that when we’re ready to launch the second round of surveys.

So early in 2024, the APA folks, an awesome, really smart data guy named Trent Pearce and I started working hard on a very comprehensive series of questions for this survey. And this past December 2024, we ran our first, much abridged “test” version of the survey, the raw results of which you’ll find in various screenshots below.

The Packrafting Survey, Part II

Over the next few months Trent is going to do some magic with numbers in order to refine the survey. And we’ll finalize the actual survey, with the goal of launching it late fall 🤞. So stay tuned for the next iteration. It will come with, hopefully, a whole host of fun prize giveaways to encourage you to fill it out.

Hasta pronto, amigos! ~ Lizzy Scully, CEO Four Corners Guides