I bought a packraft because I wanted to get on more rivers.
Somehow that eventually turned into getting invited onto the American Packrafting Association board. lol
Still a slightly weird sentence to type.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I actually want my place in the outdoor world to look like. Not really what title I have or what events I show up at. More like... where can I actually be useful?
Packrafting has become a huge part of that.
I don’t think anybody really understands what one of these weird little inflatable boats is gonna do to their life when they first get in one. You think you’re buying something that lets you float down a river and then suddenly you’re staring at maps differently and planning trips around places you barely knew existed.
That’s what happened to me anyway.
And the actual paddling is only part of it.
The packrafting community is also where I’ve learned a lot about risk. Not how to make risk disappear, because obviously that isn’t how any of this works. More how to talk about it honestly and how to make a conservative call without acting like that means you failed.
There’s a lot of trust involved in doing this stuff with other people.
I think that’s one of the reasons I care so much about helping more folks find their way into it, especially queer people who might not see an obvious way through that first barrier.
I’ve gotten to take people out without some giant financial ask or expectation that they already know the language. Sometimes it’s basically just... come try this weird boat and see what happens.
Those days have ended up meaning a lot to me.
The APA already does a ton around education, access and bringing packrafters together. I’m excited to be part of figuring out what comes next and where I can actually help.
Also yes, I would still very much like packrafting to continue absolutely blowing up. Obviously.
These little boats changed my life in ways I did not see coming. Pretty grateful I get to spend some time helping take care of the community around them now.