packrafting communication
When running a packrafting (or any) guide service or just doing paddling trips in general, communication with clients, instructors or your fellow paddlers is one of the most important skills to master. When paddling rivers, there are various forms of communication new paddlers need to consider.
As part of the American Packrafting Association’s #BeWaterWise Campaign, running throughout October 2025, we wanted to offer an overview of the communication skills you need to become a proficient paddler and expedition packrafter. Please take a course and read Luc Mehl’s, “The Packraft Handbook.” to dive deeper into each of these suggestions.
~Lizzy Scully, CEO, Four Corners Guides & American Packrafting Association board member.
What are the communication skills you need to be familiar with?
On River Hand & Whistle Signals
River hand signals and whistles give you a way to communicate with your partners while on the river. You can’t always hear the leader of the group when you’re the on the other side of the river or if you’ve dumped out of your boat. Whistles are an immediate and loud notification, and can be heard up to a mile away, says Luc in The Packraft Handbook. And while river signals differ around the world, you can and should always establish the ones YOU will be using on the river with YOUR partners when you go paddling.
Communication Devices
Likewise, communication devices help you navigate rescues in the backcountry (you can share information with rescuers in case of accidents) or get weather reports from your in-town contact or friend while you are in the backcountry. Devices include (from Luc’s handbook, page 69, with added notes):
- Phone or Satellite phone. The newer iPhones 14s and above have satellite communications capabilities! It’s not foolproof, but it’s certainly is helpful when trying to get a message out while in the backcountry.
- Two-way text messengers like Garmin’s in-Reach (which is what we use) and Spot Xs.
- Personal Location Beacons (PLBs) and one-way messengers.
Risk Management Plan & In-Town Contact
Establish a risk management plan for your trip specific to the area you are visiting, and make sure you have an in-town contact. Having a person in town who knows the plans is super important. As the CEO and office manager for Four Corners Guides, I am generally the in-town contact for Steve and our other instructors in the field.
Our risk management plans are comprehensive, ranging from who specifically to call to the wilderness first responder protocols our instructors follow in case of accidents to what kind of footwear they need to use to what exactly is in the first aid kit. You don’t necessarily need a 30-page plan like we have. However, you do want someone “in town” or back at base camp to know where you are going exactly, your proposed itinerary, when you are expected to return and what the plan is in case of an emergency. It’s also helpful for your in-town person and each of the members of your trip to know the abilities of each of the members, any medical issues they might have or drugs they are taking, and an emergency contact.
Have a listen to Luc Mehl’s Alaska Public Media interview, “Trip Planning & Risk Analysis in Alaska,” to learn more about this subject. This is a expansive topic that we will get into in a future post. Suffice it to say, a well-understood and practiced risk-management plan and well-versed in-town person can make rescues seamless and other important decisions easier to make.
Backcountry Radios
Another helpful form of communication for the backcountry are handheld, portable, short range radios (though short-range can be up to 4 miles in some cases). As a professional photographer, Steve has used waterproof radios to let people know when he’s ready for them to come down river. But, these radios can also help you communicate with your group when there’s poor visibility or a hazard in the river, or when you need to coordinate portages around rapids or just generally if the team gets speed out.
“I brought a pair of Rocky Talkies to Mexico on a whim, questioning whether the extra weight was worth it,” says Sarah Kilbourne, ED for the American Packrafting Association. “They ended up being a crucial piece of safety gear, allowing us to communicate within our group when unexpected heavy rains created high water conditions. Now, I bring the radios on every trip.” When we reached out to the company for photos, they suggested people remember to always bring water-proof ones!
Join The Conversation
How has good communication helped you in a paddling situation? Or likewise, how has poor communication resulted in a near miss on the river? Join the conversation over at the American Packrafting Association’s Instagram page or forum.
