Packrafting is a form of travel that combines hiking and boating (and other human powered pursuits—biking, skiing, etc). As a concept, it has been around since the mid 1800’s but gained some popularity in the late 1990’s early 2000’s as a number of well-known Alaskan adventurers were using them to complete large traverses and source to see descents.
These boats are lightweight—roughly 8 lbs, and can be carried on your back, or filled with all your belongings and paddled down a navigable waterway—using a river or creek as a trail. While packrafts can and are used solely on river trips, they are typically not a craft used to avoid hiking. Rather, they are used in addition to hiking to move through a landscape in a unique way that treats waterways (when possible) as an extension of trails or off-trail travel.
Wyo Rivers currently offers three levels of packrafting instruction.
1. Intro to packrafting/packrafting 101. These are one to 3 day, skills oriented paddle sessions. When permitting allows, we run a 3 day 2 night intro trip that includes an intro do backcountry water travel and camping.
2. Intermediate packrafting. These are 4 day, 3 night trips aimed at familiarizing the paddler with paddle to hike transitions, trip prep and logistics planning and developing decision making and risk management skills.
3. Advanced packrafting. When permitting allows, these trips will be 5-8 days and involve a lot of hiking, and water travel when possible. Usually we plan point to point trips and coordinate a shuttle to bring us back to our starting point.
Participants paddle through pristine wildlife habitat, paddle through class I – III rapids and familiarize themselves with packrafting equipment, river currents, paddle skills, planning and more.
We travel some of the west’s most historic and ecologically important rivers.
These rivers are gorgeous during the day and night and offers long mellow stretches of river and class I-III rapids.
These trips will focus on water travel, backcountry living, getting to know and how to care for your gear, packing a boat and reading water. We are offering 2 and a 1/2 day 101 courses out of Cody Wyoming. Participants on these courses will provide their own accommodations and meet us each morning for a an immersive day on the water. Some food is provided and rental equipment is available.
We will also offer 2 day (overnight backcountry camping) Intro to packrafting trips. Participants on these trips will be expected to have some experience living in a backcountry setting without amenities and will receive instruction and coaching to further develop their skills. All participants are expected to know how to set up their own backcountry camp/tent and prepare their own food (provided but not prepared for you). This trip is more challenging not because of the class of rapid you will encounter, but because of time on the water, distance from care, and an increased need for excellent hygiene, self-care, self-awareness and backcountry hazard awarenesses. All participants are expected to care for WRC gear, demonstrate excellent LNT practice, and follow environmental regulations as directed. You may be asked to camp differently than you are used to and are expected to make guide requested changes.
*Pricing includes equipment, food, instructor planning time, pre-trip discussions and prep, travel to and from the river, post trip discussions and prep, post trip meal, any equipment used that is listed as included. All rental items (wetsuits and drysuits are an additional cost). p
Wyo Rivers provides lunch and snacks each day, but not breakfast or dinner on Packraft 101 trips. This trip type offers participants the chance to paddle each day and enjoy the Cody area in the evenings.
Wyo Rivers provides all food for meals on overnight trips. Participants will be responsible for cooking their food and cleaning using the area best practice (LNT). Wyo Rivers provides cook equipment if participants do not have their own and instruction on meal planning/cooking.
Once we have returned to our starting location.
All Participants are encouraged to take notes and bring previously undiscussed questions. We may not have access to electricity. If bringing a laptop, please make sure it is charged.
Participants can shower (Wyo Rivers not responsible for providing a shower location or the evenings accommodations)
We will meet back up for a farewell dinner.
These packraft adventures are more remote than other trips and will not have any amenities or easy access to roads or cell coverage. Camping will be remote and participants are required to practice sound Leave No Trace. There will be portaging, hiking and many river hazards to assess and navigate on this trip—we will not boat every rapid we come to. Your guide will facilitate decision risk assessment, consequence evaluation and group decision making. Travel days will be longer and less predictable than our intro courses. All participants are required to be adaptable, embrace uncertainty and be excited to learn new skills, practice situational awareness and conservative risk management habits. We will always make and communicate a plan, but we may not always get to stick to that plan.
*Pricing includes some equipment, food, instructor planning time, permitting, shuttle logistics, pre-trip discussions and prep, post trip discussions and resources, post trip meal. Bringing your own boat is encouraged but does not change the price. Items such as wetsuits and drysuits are an additional rental cost/day.
Wyo Rivers provides snacks and rarely stops to “cook” lunch. We will cook breakfasts and dinners. Pre-trip paperwork includes dietary restriction, allergy, medication and health concern disclosure forms. Please fill them out accurately and fully.
All Participants are encouraged to take notes and bring previously undiscussed questions.
Advanced packrafting experiences are facilitated in various locations throughout the state. Participation in this type of trip depends highly on fitness level and previous backcountry travel experience. We will contact you to discuss skill level, previous hiking, boating and backcountry travel experience.
We plan well for advanced trips, however it is important that guests realize trips of this nature are unpredictable by nature. You can expect everything to be planned out as with our other trips, but also, for the plan to change daily or even hourly as various objective and subjective factors are considered. Participants will be part of these decision making processes and should come with the mindset of an being an expedition mate.
Guides will focus on coaching risk assessment and conservative decision making in addition to all other skills outlined in our sample itineraries. Participants will practice scouting rapids and hiking routes, and leading decision making. We may take an arduous detour up a talus slope to get a better view of the river and downstream hazards or not run a certain section of river at all. We will need to portage and move over various terrain on and off-trail in remote areas. All participants on this trip are required to have previous experience boating on moving water at least class II, and backcountry travel and camping experience. If you are not sure you or your group meet the requirements, contact us.
*Pricing includes some equipment, food, instructor planning time, pre-trip discussions and prep, travel to and from the river, post trip discussions and prep, post trip meal. Participants who have their own equipment are encouraged to bring it. This will not change the price of the trip. Wetsuits, drysuits and other specialty gear may be available for rent.
Gloves
Helmets
PFD’s
Paddles
Boats
Tents
Stove and cooking supplies
Food for breakfast and dinner w/ snacks for lunch (please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions/allergies so that we can accommodate)
Packs or bags for storing your items during travel
Waterproof bags
Waste disposal supplies
Bear camping and food storage equipment
Wetsuits
splash gear
sleeping bags
sleeping pad if needed
If you are an overnight participant, this list outlines everything you should bring with you for pre-trip review.
If you are not camping, you will need many of these items and they should inform how you dress for your 2 day clinic and what you pack in a day bag for travel on the river. Day participants will be out on the river for 6-8 hours with no access to shelter.
We recommend bringing your own boat, tent and sleeping gear if you have it. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the best way to pack what you already have. If you do not have your own boat, or want to experiment with our equipment, we can accommodate only with what we have and won’t be making new purchases for that purpose. In addition to equipment all participants must bring the following:
Head
● Warm hat (fleece or wool)
● Sun hat with brim (ball cap)
● Sunglasses (or equivilent. If bringing glasses with transition lenses, please bring an alternative/spare pair)
● Headlamp
● Head net – optional
Hands
● One pair of light gloves
● Paddle gloves – optional (recommended for individuals with poor circulation or cold hands. Rental available)
Feet
● Closed toed river shoes or sneakers that you can paddle in. (wet suit booty rental available)
● Hiking shoe or boot (if different from your paddle shoe)
● Camp shoe (we recommend another pair of lace up light hikers or a closed toe croc. We will be in mountainous terrain, not on sandy beaches)
● 3 pairs wool socks
● 1 pair river socks (neoprene or waterproof) – optional
Sleeping
● Sleeping bag rated 0 – 15 degrees – Rental option available
● Sleeping pad (Rental option available)
● Travl Pillow – optional
Upper body
● Non-cotton t shirt (capilene or something wicking)
● Cotton long sleeve or sun shirt
● Non-cotton long sleeve -mid layer like a fleece (no sweatshirts. No cotton.)
● Wind Shirt – optional (Patagonia’s Houdini and the Adidas lightweight windbreaker are examples of what we mean)
● Puff jacket or equivalent (Many folks bring a lightweight puff and a heavier puff jacket for camp)
● Rain jacket (this needs to fit over all your other layers and be packable. Snowboarding and ski jackets with insulation are not ideal)
Lower body
● Long underwear or equivalent, non-cotton (capilene or tights made for sports work)
● Long pants, non-cotton (quick drying hiking pants). NO SWEATPANTS OR JEANS
● Warm fleece pants or puff pants option (again no sweat pants. These are synthetic or wool and need to trap warmth. It is best if you can fit these over a baselayer and your other pants)
● Rain pants/Splash pants – optional
Bags
● Waterproof duffle made for boating (Watershed is a good example. You can rent a water resistant hyperlight backpack from us)
● If bringing your own Packraft, please bring the roll top, water proof bags that fit inside your boat that came with it. (if you do not have these or your boat does not have internal clips, let us know)
● Small compressible bag or backpack that you will use around camp. (if you are borrowing a pack from us, you do not need to bring an extra)
● Stuff sack for your sleeping bag
● Extra medium stuff sack with closure on top (this will be for food storage)
●Extra small stuff sacks x 2 (for your personal packing use and organization)
Other
● Bowl with lid or small pot (we recommend a titanium personal pot that you can cook in, drink from)
● Spoon (we like one that fits inside our bowl. This should be durable)
● At least two liters of water storage. These should be hard bottles. (we use nalgenes, recyled juice containers. You can bring a bladder, but we ask you have at least 1 liter that is non-puncturable.)
● Mug for hot liquids or small thermos – optional (this can be nice on cold paddle days. We like a thermos because it keeps the liquid hot while you paddle)
●Your necessary toiletries. Exp. toothbrush, small toothpaste, floss, contacts/solution, hair ties, small lotion/hand salve, small soap like dr. bronners.
**Please do not bring makeup, rolls of toilet paper, an extensive face washing routine or smelly products. We often travel in bear country and the fewer synthetic odors the better.
● Small pack of fragrence-less wet wipes (these are great for personal hygiene)
● Medium sized, sealable, plastic bag. This will be your personal trash bag.
● Notebook/pen, book, or small art supplies (multi-day only. Check with guides regarding extra items)
Optional Items
● Phone in waterproof case that can be secured to you/ your boat for photo purposes only. (You will likely not have cell phone service on these trips. If you do, we ask you keep shared space technology free. (WRC provides one personal waterproof case for each guest)
● Camera at your own risk ( should be waterproof or able to be stored/protected)
● Lightweight umbrella
WRC is not responsible for securing or providing accommodations before or after your trip unless otherwise discussed and arranged with WRC prior to arrival.
There is an additional service charge if WRC is coordinating your accommodations in addition to the actual cost of your hotel or air bnb.
During overnight travel participants will use tents or sleep out when weather permits.
Participants are responsible for getting themselves to and from the designated meet up location prior to trip start (that may be our office, or a trailhead location we give you)
WRC will provide all shuttles to and from the waterway start locations. Vehicles may be parked at our office or will be left in public parking areas that we will shuttle back to post trip.
WRC is not responsible for securing airfare or overland travel to ensure that our clients arrive on time to the meet-up location.
Some start locations are a ways from cell service and require travel on dirt or unmaintained roads. Please plan accordingly when you account for travel times.
Meals outlined in your specific trip description and itinerary are what is provided by WRC.
WRC will not cook meals on your overnight trip unless previously arranged/preferred by participants.
WRC is not responsible for meals before and after the trip other than meals specifically included in your trip description (like a trip dinner).
Participants are responsible for and expected to let WRC know about food allergies and preferences prior to trip start.
All WRC guides are fully vaccinated against COVID – 19. At this time we do not ask our clients to be vaccinated.
We do recommend all guests have up to date standard US vaccinations. (exp. Flu, Tetanus, MMR, HPV, Hepatitis etc)
WRC requests all clients fill out their covid history accurately and disclose any flu-like illness taking place within the 7 days of trip start date.