Hello all,
I’m planning a very remote hiking trip in Patagonia that should get me to a beautiful fjord with a lot of glaciers around.
I’m thinking about bringing a packraft with me to get closer to the glaciers and some nice viewpoints. It would involve doing about 0.5 - 1 mile crossings of the fjord. Here is what the place looks like: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/83847580
I need the lightest possible gear, as the hike itself is in very rough terrain (bushwhacking, cliffs, rivers, marshes, etc), and I’m taking food for 10-14 days.
I won’t need to take my backpack on the raft, only enough things for a day trip. I’m thinking that one of the ultralight Alpacka rafts, like Scout or CuriYak would work, but I’m not sure if they’ll do well on the open water. Obviously I’ll wait for good conditions before crossing, but wind can pick up at any time there. How big do the wind or waves need to get before I’m unable to paddle the 0.5 mile to shore? Also, I’m 6’4’’ and 172lb, but I understand that I can stick my legs out in the front of the Scout and paddle fine?
Will an ultralight paddle like Supai Olo do well?
Is glacier ice any danger for the raft? I won’t go if it’s all covered with icebergs, of course. Any tips on observing the tidal currents in the bay?
Anything else that could be overlooked by a noob?
Cheers,
Michal