A Roundup of Packrafting Podcasts
If you love the convenience of podcasts, here’s our not-to-miss list of podcasts geared to packrafting…
(photo courtesy of @traversealaska)
The Whitewater Discussion Podcast
The Whitewater Discussion Podcast is hosted by packrafter Max Clemencon, who currently lives in the French Alps. This podcast covers boating skills, river safety and conservation for both whitewater kayakers and packrafters. You can connect on Facebook and listen on PodBean.
Backpacking Light Podcast Series on Packrafting Safety
Ryan and Stephanie Jordan are the founders of Backpacking Light. They covered packrafting safety on their podcast many years ago—but safety is safety! It doesn’t go out of style. You can listen to Part 1 here, then follow the links to the rest of the series.
By Land, Episode 29: Packrafting with Alpacka Raft
By Land’s episode with Thor and Sarah Tingey includes their history of packrafting and the history of Alpacka Raft. They also touch on how to plan trips, what to know before you start buying gear, how their company supports conservation efforts, and more. Listen here.
(photo courtesy of @sara_likes_rocks)
The Adventurepreneur Playbook Podcast: Interview with Sheri Tingey
Jeremy Jensen of Adventurepreneur Playbook interviewed Alpacka Raft founder Sheri Tingey in December of 2019. She talks about what it’s been like as a female innovator in the outdoor industry and, of course, all about packrafting. Listen here.
River Talk Podcast
Erik Weiseth, Zach Collier and Priscilla Macy host the River Talk Podcast. They have a couple episodes (so far) that either focus on or include packrafting. One is this interview with Alpacka Raft’s Thor Tingey. The other is No. 48: River Logs, Packrafts, Social Media and Rafting Creeks.
The Pursuit Zone: Interview with Alice Bowers
Alice Bowers is an English geography teacher turned cyclist/hiker/packrafter. Paul Schmid of The Pursuit Zone interviews her, in part about her 600 kilometer packraft trip across Bangladesh. Listen here.
The Gritty Podcast, Episode 522: Interview with Thor Tingey
Brian Call of The Gritty Podcast chats with Thor Tingey about packrafting from a hunter’s perspective. The website has the interview on video format, as well as audio-only on iTunes and others.
(photo courtesy of @packraftexplorers)
Brand New: The Packrafting Podcast
New Zealander Dulkara Martig launched The Packrafting Podcast this spring, May 2020. As its name suggests, this podcast will be dedicated to packrafting.
As of this writing, the first episode is up and ready! Dulkara intends to release one episode each month for now, and hopes to increase it before too long.
We asked Dulkara to give us some background on herself and her packrafting experience as well as her vision for the podcast…
AB: Tell us about your background.
Dulkara: I grew up in the South Island of New Zealand, where I dabbled in many outdoor sports from a young age. I was in love with whitewater kayaking in my late teens and early 20s but I was never drawn to commit enough time to become an expert in any one sport. I’ve always loved doing a bit of everything.
When I discovered packrafting, I fell in love immediately. What a perfect adventure tool for a generalist who loves journeys! I started packrafting towards the end of what many of us call the ‘golden era’ of modern-day packrafting.
We had incredible technology that was rapidly improving every year but the international community was still super small and close-knit.
Dulkara Martig, creator and host of The Packrafting Podcast
If you were a packrafter you could go to any country in the world and the people who packrafted would immediately be your friends. Early adopters of adventure sports tend to be wacky, comfortable to jump in the deep end and explore with little information or guidance from anyone. That’s an exciting community to be part of.
I was proud to be invited to join the Alpacka Raft Ambassador team when they first launched in 2017. I still find Alpacka to be one of the most inspiring companies in the adventure world—a family company with a big heart that’s heavily involved in their community. Alpacka is also an amazing advocate for the environment.
After a few years of working and adventuring all around the world, I’m now mostly based in New Zealand. My work life, just like my adventure life, sees me dabble in all sorts of things. At the moment I work in conservation education and have a few freelance writing projects on the side.
AB: What’s your vision for the podcast?
Dulkara: There are no other podcasts exclusively dedicated to packrafting! My goal is that this podcast will be a celebration of the growing packrafting scene and the joys this sport brings to our lives.
I would like it to be something the packrafting community can be proud of. A place for like-minded people to connect and be entertained, inspired and learn new things about our awesome community. 
(photo courtesy of Dulkara Martig)
There are so many wonderful characters and stories within our international packrafting family. I’d also love to unearth stories from people who aren’t as active or as outspoken online.
Initially I’ll focus on conversational episodes (an interview with one guest). As the season progresses I’ll get a bit more creative with episodes that follow different formats. I’d also love to open the floor to some great storytellers within the packrafting community.
AB: What kinds of topics will you cover?
Dulkara: Packrafting is the common thread that will be tying interesting stories and people together.
My goal is to find a nice balance between fun, light-hearted interviews while also going beyond ‘adventure stoke’ to delve into deeper topics like mental well-being in the outdoor community.
I’ll cover exploration in different parts of the world, the evolution of packrafting, addiction to adventure, the joys of packrafting.
Some episodes will also be more educational, discussing different fatalities and how to stay safe in a range of packrafting environments.
Dulkara on the Franklin River in Tasmania
For more, be sure to check out The Packrafting Podcast website and Instagram page.
So there you have it, a whole selection of podcasts about packrafting. Enjoy!
Let us help you choose a packrafting paddle! Contact our friendly Customer Service team today: 715-755-3405 • [email protected]
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