Join Kindling Collective and Packraft Maine for a weekend of camping, hiking, and paddling in queer community in the Moosehead Region of Maine! Experienced whitewater instructors will introduce you to the basics of safely navigating whitewater in packrafts. We will paddle downstream with all of our gear, camp, paddle more, camp again, and then pack up our boats and hike back upstream to finish the trip.

What is packrafting? Packrafting is a sport that blends boating and hiking (or biking). Packrafts are lightweight inflatable boats that roll up to a small packable size. Packrafts can easily be packed in a backpack or on a bicycle. The word “packraft” combines “backpack” and “raft,” as generally, packrafters paddle on rivers, lakes, streams, and other bodies of water, paddle to shore, deflate their rafts to store them in their backpacks, and hike around.  Often, but not always, packrafting involves multi-day expeditions and overnight camping. The packrafts we will be using are perfect for learning how to paddle whitewater.

Experience required: Familiarity with camping encouraged

Draft Itinerary

Day 1: Meet up with the group at the trailhead. Review personal gear, distribute group gear, and inflate boats. Learn some whitewater paddling skills, practice on dry land, and then bring boats to the water. Eat lunch, paddle an introductory section of the Kennebec, head to shore, and deflate boats. Pack boats in packs and hike back to the campsite. Set up camp, cook dinner and eat together as a group, enjoy a fire, and then go to sleep in tents.

Day 2: Wake up, cook and eat breakfast as a group. Pack up camp, inflate boats, and pack gear into boats. Paddle downstream, practice whitewater skills, eat lunch, and then arrive at our campsite. Set up camp, cook and enjoy dinner as a group, make smores over a fire, and sleep in tents.

Day 3: Wake up and cook breakfast. Play in whitewater on the rapid by campsite. Eat lunch, pack up camp and boats, and hike 5 miles back upstream. Debrief and wrap up by 5pm.