A Beginner’s Guide to Packrafting & Bikerafting

Expedition Packrafting & More with Jeff Creamer, SSI Instructor & Alpacka Raft Boat Tester

Today, for our fourth episode, we’re bringing you an interview with Jeff Creamer, a Swiftwater Safety Institute Instructor and a boat tester and boat maker at Alpacka Raft. Jeff is one of America’s top packrafters, having done numerous remote, challenging expeditions on up to Class V whitewater in the mountains, along with some creative trips pairing boats and skis. We are stoked this year, as Jeff is teaching a Level 4, intermediate/advanced paddling course for Four Corners Guides this spring, May 17-19, 2024. In the first 15 minutes of this episode we learn a bit about Jeff’s previous life as a ocean canoe racer and PhD student, his packrafting mentors Dan Thurber and Mike Curiak, and his early adventures skiing, packrafting and backpacking. And then we dive into Jeff’s expeditions, how he plans for them, how he chooses partners, and more. 

A Chat with Alaska Packraft School's Jule Harle on How Women Learn Differently from Men & More

In the third episode of our Podcast, A Beginner’s Guide to Packrafting, Four Corners Guides owner Lizzy Scully talks with renowned Packraft Instructor Jule Harle. A long-time kayaker and packrafter and owner of Alaska Packraft School, Jule has been instrumental in legitimizing packrafting as a sport through her work as a guide and her work with others to get the American Canoe Association packrafting curriculum in place to accredit packrafting guides across the country. She volunteers with the Alaska Chapter of the American Packrafting Association, and she was this year’s Golden Paddle winner. Jule is coming to the Four Corners June 15-17 to teach a women’s packrafting clinic for beginner/intermediate boaters.
In this episode, Jule and Lizzy take about a variety of things, including: 
 How Jule got into teaching and why she started the Alaska Packraft School
What she loves about teaching
How she teaches women and men differently
And did you know that women have a significantly bigger part of the brain that processes things through talking? Unsurprising!
How when Jule started, her boat was too big for her and she couldn’t get back in, and how she’s come up with some hacks to help women with that particular skill and other skills.
Jule doesn’t think men have an advantage because of their strength or willingness to take bigger risks. Rather, she says women and men just learn differently, and she has techniques that make some of the things that seem easy for men easier for women.
Different ways to deal with PTSD and stress if you’ve had a bad boating or other traumatic experience
Finally we discussed what we’ll do in our first annual women’s beginner/intermediate course this June, including running scenarios where we “practice controlled chaos,” wet exits and re-entries, and boat fittings to optimize your performance on the water.

Whitewater Packrafting Gear: Recommendations From an Expert

In the second episode of A Beginner's Guide to Packrafting (& Bikerafting),  Tony Miely talks whitewater gear for packrafters. While he doesn't review the full spectrum of gear available (that would be a 5-hour video!), he talks about some of the basic gear that people need to get started with whitewater boating. Tony is one of the long-time owners of 4Corners Riversports, the premier boating store in SW Colorado.

A Chat With Steve ”Doom” Fassbinder About All Sorts of Packrafting Things

In this episode, Four Corners Guides Head Guide Steve Fassbinder discusses his packrafting history, how he gained experience & his packrafting kit (boats, PFDs, helmets & drysuits, etc). Doom offers tips for beginners, emphasizing the importance of honesty & communication when paddling with others, plus advice on choosing appropriate rivers & trips based on skill level, the benefits of seeking guidance & training from experienced packrafters & the importance of having fun!