Greetings from Scullbinder Ranch! Today we're talking safety

By Lizzy Scully

As guide service owners, Steve and I feel a strong responsibility to not only ensure the safety of our clients, but also the safety of the packrafting community at large. Thus, Steve received his Level 4 certification in the very first American Canoe Association Level 4 Packraft Instructor Course course in Colorado back in 2023. That same year, I joined the American Packrafting Association’s Education & Safety Committee. That committee actually developed the ACA’s instructor training program! This means packrafting students can rest assured that their instructors go through rigorous trainings and certifications to teach a uniform curriculum of packrafting in the United States and beyond. All FCG instructors have Level 3 to 4 certification.

Since I joined the Committee, we have worked hard to continue to enhance Packrafter safety. Our latest effort, led by filmmaker Deane Parker in conjunction with the Packrafting Association of New Zealand, is a series of 10 Be WaterWise videos. Deane and his crew designed these safety-focused videos to provoke conversation and ideas around packrafting safety.  

BE WATERWISE - CHECK IT OUT!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

To add to the conversation, Steve and I, along with our assistant, Boof, decided to show y’all how Steve rigs our basic Alpacka Classic packrafts. We are actually heading out on a four-day course this weekend and are re-rigging some boats to clean up old, thin cord and batten down the hatches. We made this vertical video for Instagram and YouTube. 

Here are some other rigging videos on YouTube. There’s actually not a ton out there, so stay tuned. I’ll have one of our guides write a more comprehensive article about all the different ways you can rig a packraft and the benefits (or not) of those different ways. For now, check these out and join the American Packrafting Association to get a steady stream of awesome community-oriented safety content, packraft advocacy info and more.

  1. APA 101: Rigging Your Packraft
  2. Rigging Your Packraft with Luc Mehl. You might get a little dizzy watching this video, as Luc’s videographer didn’t have a super steady hand. But it’s full of great information, as all Luc’s resources are.