Deep Cove - Belcarra Bikeraft
One of my objectives of this summer was to get a packraft and become confident using it, and scrape the surface of what a packraft is capable of on the south coast of BC. I have always been interested in multi-sport adventuring, and using a packraft is the perfect way to combine paddling with hiking or biking. Most packrafts can be carried on bikes, and in backpacks, and are lightweight for what they are capable of. There are several hiking and biking routes in BC that are either slower or not possible without getting across some body of water. Being able to easily carry around a boat that is durable and can transport heavy loads opens a world of new possibilities.
The packraft I chose to buy was the Alpacka Caribou, since it has the perfect balance of everything I am looking for. It is designed specifically as a bikeraft, so it is lightweight and compact, and tailored to carry a bike or other large cargo items such as hiking packs when inflated. It is 5 lb and can roll up to the size of a small tent, and is made of high quality, durable materials. Due to the quality of materials required for packrafts to be both durable and lightweight, they tend to be pricy. However, the Alpacka Caribou is at the mid to low range of packraft prices - mainly due to the simplicity of the design - which was a plus for me. Alpacka is a reputable company that has been innovating ever since they produced some of the very first packrafts, so I was sold on the Caribou. The raft comes with a lightweight inflation bag that allows you to capture wind to inflate the raft efficiently.
I got a discounted Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon 4-peice paddle, which is as compact as paddles come, and is under 2lb. For a PFD, I got the Jetty Inflatable Snorkel Vest from Amazon which is very buoyant and also lightweight and compact. In addition, I got some Titan Straps from MEC for securing the bike to the boat (and vice versa!). As shown in the table below, this paddling system comes in at a very reasonable 7.6 lb.
The Alpacka Caribou packraft.
I got a discounted Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon 4-peice paddle, which is as compact as paddles come, and is under 2lb. For a PFD, I got the Jetty Inflatable Snorkel Vest from Amazon which is very buoyant and also lightweight and compact. In addition, I got some Titan Straps from MEC for securing the bike to the boat (and vice versa!). As shown in the table below, this paddling system comes in at a very reasonable 7.6 lb.
Weight breakdown of my packrafting setup.
I made an order from Mt Waddington's Outdoors in Chilliwack, and they got the raft and paddles to me quickly. I was elated when they were delivered. Right away I tested my new bikeraft setup at a swimming pool. Below is a photo of the raft and paddle shafts mounted to the bike on a rear seat pack. I had the life vest and paddle ends inside the backpack beside the bike. After a few trials I ended up mounting a rack to the back of the bike and tying the raft to the top of it, as this made the system more stable and allowed me to carry panniers for additional storage on longer trips. The second photo shows the same items transformed into a water system, with the bike strapped securely to the inflated boat.
Not long after this, I gave the raft its first field test. I pedalled from home over to Deep Cove after work with my packraft mounted on my bike as shown above. The uphills were a bit slower than usual, but overall I didn't feel like the raft slowed me down much at all since the route is pretty flat. I made good time to Deep Cove, and descended to the beach at the northeast corner of Cates Park. I blew up the raft with my wind-capture bag, and mounted my bike to the bow of the boat. Overall this was fairly smooth, and soon enough I was in the boat paddling across the Indian Arm. I forgot to inflate the seat in the raft, so I was slightly uncomfortable and my elbows were rubbing on the side of the raft. The crossing was about 1.7km and it took me about 30 minutes. This wasn't bad, but I knew with more experience I would become quicker. I arrived in Belcarra as the sun was beginning to set, and enjoyed the calming view on the water as I packed up the raft. I pedalled the rolling hills in Anmore and arrived home in the dark to complete the circuit.
The packraft mounted to the back of my bike.
My bike mounted onto the bow of the packraft.
Not long after this, I gave the raft its first field test. I pedalled from home over to Deep Cove after work with my packraft mounted on my bike as shown above. The uphills were a bit slower than usual, but overall I didn't feel like the raft slowed me down much at all since the route is pretty flat. I made good time to Deep Cove, and descended to the beach at the northeast corner of Cates Park. I blew up the raft with my wind-capture bag, and mounted my bike to the bow of the boat. Overall this was fairly smooth, and soon enough I was in the boat paddling across the Indian Arm. I forgot to inflate the seat in the raft, so I was slightly uncomfortable and my elbows were rubbing on the side of the raft. The crossing was about 1.7km and it took me about 30 minutes. This wasn't bad, but I knew with more experience I would become quicker. I arrived in Belcarra as the sun was beginning to set, and enjoyed the calming view on the water as I packed up the raft. I pedalled the rolling hills in Anmore and arrived home in the dark to complete the circuit.
A nice sunset from Belcarra.
The Coquitlam - Deep Cove - Belcarra bikeraft circuit.
This was a confidence building trip that will hopefully set the stage for some more ambitious routes later in the summer. Remembering to put the seat in the boat will make paddling much more comfortable, and I'll inevitable become stronger and more skilled in the boat over time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2389812130/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/2389812130/overview
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