Packrafting the Denison River in South West Tasmania 

We were hoping for high flows on the Gordon as it’s supposed to be quite exciting at high flows. :) Unfortunately it was a bit of a slog :(. Still beautiful though.

Mostly Kokopelli Nirvana 2017 self-bailers (quite different to and better than current generation of Nirvana) plus one Alpacka Yak DIY self-bailer and one Nirvana XL. Cheers

We have been using the HMG Porter packs for the past 9 years (I think). They have generally been excellent although can get uncomfortable when we combine canyoning and packrafting gear for cold environments due to the large weight we are carrying. They are not as waterproof as they make out but they have handled pretty tough Tassie scrub well. That said sockdolagerequipment.com is going to be the next pack that I try (I believe it will be released soonish) as they have a more advanced harness system that should handle the extra weight better. I haven't tried one of these yet but am hoping to soon.

@@MarkOates cool, I didn't know he was releasing a bag. I've been using his bow bag for a while and really love it. Thanks mate!

I'm also interested in learning the Packraft brands and models that were used please.

@@cjsoutdoors4412 "Mostly Kokopelli Nirvana 2017 self-bailers (quite different to and better than current generation of Nirvana) plus one Alpacka Yak DIY self-bailer and one Nirvana XL." From the comment above 👍

A variety: Alpacka Classic Yak that we converted into a self-bailer, 2x 2017 Kokopelli Nirvana self bailers and 1x 2017 Nirvana XL self bailer.

@@MarkOates do you have a preference on self bailer or white water deck.

@@SuperChriscunningham My personal preference for the environments I paddle and the role I take on the river is very much around using self-bailers. Often I am leading on rivers in Tasmania which have a LOT of wood in them and a lot of inherent dangers. As such I am always jumping out of and into my packraft to scout, set safety and also take photographs. Our rivers are more drop pool than some places and so decked boats are rarely an advantage. Yes, decked boats are warmer but the time involved with dealing with the deck is too much of a disadvantage for me personally. If I lived somewhere really cold like Alaska I'd have the option of a decked boat in my fleet however for the occasional cold weather I just adjust my layers under my drysuit. For other people it depends on what and where they are going to paddle as whether a deck or self-bailer is the best option.

@@MarkOates I’m trying to decide on the two options. I think also the self bailer might work the best for me