The Packraft Handbook - by Luc Mehl (Paperback)

About the Book

"It is both approachable for newcomers and deep enough to satisfy experts." - Joseph Bell, President, American Packrafting Association

Book Synopsis

"A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry." ― Anchorage Daily News

National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides
Banff Mountain Book Competition Guidebook Winner

• Alaska-based author is a leading expert on wilderness travel
• Emphasis on skill progression and safety applies to wide range of outdoor water recreation
• Vibrant illustrations and photos inform and inspire

The Packraft Handbook is a comprehensive guide to packrafting, with a strong emphasis on skill progression and safety. Readers will learn to maneuver through river features and open water, mitigate risk with trip planning and boat control, and how to react when things go wrong. Beginners will find everything they need to know to get started--from packraft care to proper paddling position as well as what to wear and how to communicate.

Illustrated for visual learners and featuring stunning photography, The Packraft Handbook has something to offer all packrafters and other whitewater sports enthusiasts.

Review Quotes

The Packraft Handbook captures Luc's knowledge about backcountry river travel. Everything from reading water to river hazards, packraft gear and safety equipment, 'The Packraft Handbook' reaches both beginners and expert paddlers.--Mary Cochenour "Out and Back Podcast"

A definitive text on the sport. Luc has the knowledge, community concern, and brilliance to write this needed handbook, and he found a perfect partnership with illustrator Sarah K. Glaser. Each epitomizes the modern adventurer who is self-propelled and self-reliant, with broad smiles and welcoming dispositions that come across clearly in this delightful and informative book.--Roman Dial "author of Packrafting! and The Adventurer's Son"

A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry.--Chris Bieri "Anchorage Daily News"

An ideal DIY instructional guide and manual that is immense interest and value to anyone wanting to safely get the most out of boating and other forms of wilderness oriented recreation. Impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, The Packraft Handbook: An Instructional Guide for the Curious is a 'must.'-- "Midwest Book Review"

Outstanding text from Luc Mehl, and the illustrations from Sarah Glaser bring creativity not seen in other river guides before.--Nate Ostis "Wilderness Rescue International Director"

This book is to the burgeoning and exciting sport of packrafting what Freedom of the Hills has long been for mountaineering: a foundational tome, an encyclopedic body of knowledge for beginners and experts alike, a book that will surely stand the test of time. Compelling writing, excellent photography, and superb illustrations combine to make this an exceptional guidebook. Most importantly, it is a treatise on risk taking and risk assessment. It is not an exaggerated claim to say that this book will actually save lives.--Chris Kalman "Banff Mountain Book Competition Jury"

This is the book we've all been waiting for. It is both approachable for newcomers and deep enough to satisfy experts. I know that I will refer back to it often as I continue to develop my own skills.--Joseph Bell "President of the American Packrafting Association"

The book uses photos and illustrations to show readers how to use the highly transportable watercraft.... The popularity of the packraft continues to grow, with the handbook aiming to teach people about how to use the boat, along with safety guidelines and the experience that Mehl gained paddling Alaska's whitewater.--Eric Jankiewicz "Paddling Life"

Essential reading for aspiring packrafters--Anthea Raymond "Adventure Sports Journal"

This book should be on any river runner's bookshelf or nightstand. Period. The ease of reading has made it a joy and will forever sit in the back of my mind for all my future river adventures with or without a packraft.--Josh Duplechian "Trout Magazine"

This is it: the bible of packrafting! It has it all: comprehensive coverage, intelligent layout, eye-catching photography, first rate illustrations and color throughout.-- "National Outdoor Book Awards"