I have a long backpacking trip through southern Utah/northern Arizona planned for this spring and intend to some packrafting. But first, I need to buy my first boat! Since I’ll mostly be backpacking, I’d love to save all the weight I can on the raft. I know from talking to others that the Supai boat would be sufficient for most of the area I intend to raft, but I’m unsure about one: The Dirty Devil River. Anyone have experience with these boats and this river that could advise me?
Thanks!
Can’t comment on the Supai but have paddled the DD. This, like the Escalante, require a bit of boat dragging so don’t go too light. The Alpacka Yak has served me very well for years. I wouldn’t want to take anything more fragile into the backcountry. As for the DD, this is a great trip, see the write up on Angel Pt to Burr Pt, one of the most scenic in Utah. The key requirement is >=100 CFS, anything less and you’ll be dragging more than paddling. It’s a slow go at 100 but doable. The only time these flows are consistent are the last week in Feb and first couple in March. Around mid to late March the farmers drain the river for irrigation.
Thanks for the response. I have read about the flows required for DD, and know I may not be able to run it at all if my timing ends up bring too late. Thanks again for the input.
M 2c…
I would be going for the scout. I have a Llama and a Supai gear boat and love them both, but if you start dragging/ scraping on rocks the supai boat will literally tear asap. It is perfect for lakes/ high water easy floats, but will pop at the sight of sticks/ rocks!
Floated the DD 3 times. The Scout would be better than the Supai for durability (important for dragging on the DD), but you’ll have less flotation than in a full-sized boat (e.g., Yak or Llama), which means you’ll sit lower in the water and likely drag more. A full-sized boat might be a better fit if you can swing it. It would probably be worth the extra weight in your pack.
Floated the DD 3 times. The Scout would be better than the Supai for durability (important for dragging on the DD), but you’ll have less flotation than in a full-sized boat (e.g., Yak or Llama), which means you’ll sit lower in the water and likely drag more. A full-sized boat might be a better fit if you can swing it. It would probably be worth the extra weight in your pack.
Sounds like a unanimous win for the Alpacka! Thanks for all the input everyone. I’m gonna go with an Alpacka raft.
One advantage of inflatable kayaks is that they can be transported by hand using a carry bag. This is the perfect type of kayak for those who do not have enough space in their garage to put a hardshell boat in. 