Kids and packrafting

I’ve got a photo somewhere of the first time I ran a river, on a tire tube. All of 8-9 years old. I still remember the exhilaration of bouncing through rapids. I can’t say that I caught the bug from this experience but the outdoors environment set me up for many challenging adventures even till today, 40 years alter

1983 Wangapeka river

Family rafting on the Clarence river, steamer wetsuits make for happy kids enjoying the water.

Running rivers or any water travel has the similar effect on most folk young or old regardless of boat type. I paddled plastic kayaks for over a decade but inflatable boats have always been my thing, after commercially rafting for 12 years and 20 years paddling inflatable kayaks, isat in a packraft for the first time, 5 years ago. My opinion is they are a great way to introduce kids to the virtues of river running.

I discovered packrafting when my eldest was 9 but by then I had already taken all 3 of my kids rafting regularly. One trip in particular early spring on a higher altitude run. It started off great until it started to snow, all 3 at 8,6 and 2 were all crying at the same time, that was probably the lowest we got family boating. Now they all love the river having had Mum and Dad drag them on Summer river holidays ever since, Mainly to the mecca of Murchison and the amazing natures playground of the Buller river and slowly introducing smaller and more independent boats as their confidence grows and they feel more comfortable w full sized river kit.

Kids love the independence of solo boats.

Packrafting requires a bit more confidence than the big rubber bus but not much more. I highly recommend letting your kids experience the joy of river travel without the need for focusing on technical skills initially. Start in packrafts on lakes or even the swimming pool. Let them feel the resilience of inflatable boats and how stable they are. Let them experience the tranquillity of floating or drifting with the flow before the learning really begins.

Zoe (at 12) on the Selwyn river in Canterbury.

That tranquillity is real. My kids in their first river trips even as toddlers were quick to nod off on board in the arms of mum or tucked into the hatch of a sea kayak. It’s worth considering for the first couple of outings. A larger packraft will have plenty of room for 2 adults and a dozing toddler on a float trip. But a single is also stable enough with a pre-schooler on dads or mums lap in easy white water.

My tips for the most amount of harmony taking kids on river trips are;

Safety. Don’t run class 3 with any children not having experienced class 2. Keep smaller children between adults legs in any rapid. Yes of course, wear correctly fitting life jackets and helmets on white water. Conversely don’t let uncomfortable equipment on still or moving water prevent kids from enjoying getting familiar with water travel. The pictures here of my children without helmets are on a class 1 river. Also a picture of the first time Eddy paddled solo in a packraft on a 100m section of moving water at age 4 ( a section he has swum before) in only a wetsuit.

Eddy (at 4) getting a feel for the packraft

Warmth. If a kid is shivering they won’t be enjoying themselves so take lots of layers of thermals and windproof clothing . A steamer wetsuit is the best warmth for a kid of any age and cheaply picked up on used forums/platforms. Conversely, in the peak of Summer protection from the glarey sun and sunburn is essential and keeping cool. Wide brimmed hats. Don’t disregard some sturdy footwear for the river bank environment.

Energy levels. A hungry kid is also a grumpy kid, it’s not rocket science. Take heaps of food and snacks. Keep them accessible, keep offering them. This is not the time to be concerned about sugary treats (unless for dietary reasons) sugar will bring your princess or prince from the depths of despair back to enjoying themselves in a matter of minutes. Thank Gawd for jelly snakes!

Leithan (at 10)

Plan the shuttle. Is the shuttle going to mean kids will be sheltered from the elements, provide some entertainment and get them in dry clothes the fastest. Kids aren’t going to be eager to go boating again if they had to sit on the side of the road for an hour, cold, getting bitten by mozzies/sand-flies/midges and wait for the shuttle.

Zoe (13) Leithan (11) on the Buller River

In this tech fuelled age packrafting is a fantastic medium to open your children's eyes to the wonderment of the great outdoors without the need for heaps of technical skill, massive physical exertion and enjoyment with family and friends. 

The Hollyford- Pyke packrafting loop Film above is the culmination for Zoe of running rivers in packrafts since she was 9 (but first full size rafted since 6). I was initially quite anxious as if she would have had the physical stamina for an extended trip of lake and river paddling and also 2 days solid hiking in pretty rugged terrain. 

Like any longer trip plenty of prep was required and Zoe willingly assisted with that, another important part of outdoor education. There was one big class 3-4 Rapid to portage but also boat portages to the huts from the water. I did 80% of these for her and leashed our boats together on the lakes so we wouldn’t get seperated, I lightly assisted there, on the whole though Zoe did exceptionally well. For me the stand out proud dad moments were the big physical effort of the coastal hike, negotiation through the drowned tree mazes on both rivers, assisting with lighting the fire, helping with meal preparation and transitioning from hiker to boater and back.

A level of maturity in my oldest that I hadn’t seen before. This is the result of mother nature's education not heaps but enough so my kids now understand the value of rivers, waterways, forests and mountains. I hope this knowledge will serve them into the future and sculpt good people. Packrafting and river running in general is one of the most rewarding family activities. Give it a try, a family that plays together stays together.

Craigieburn Forest Park and 'The High Line'

I first rode the Craigieburns, by memory 12 years ago there was only one trail, well 2 actually, The Edge and The Luge, that was the original and now what I call ‘The Classic’. Grovel your way up the Craigieburn ski area road and along the mostly traversing Edge complete with scree lines and exposure, hence the name. 

The Luge is another beast, I once took a mate from Golden Bay (RIP Paul Whitaker) for his first lap, at the bottom he exclaimed ‘ Luge! More like rootville!’ It’s the epitome of rooty trail but it flows..if it’s dry. 

Sometime in there more trails were added motivated by two driving forces, a burgeoning community of riders in the little collection of holiday homes called Castle Hill Village and Ground Effect Clothing’s slush fund that assisted the limited resources of the Department of Conservation to extend the trail network to include Hogs Back, Dracophyllum Flat, Sidle 72 and Coal pit Spur tracks to link up the trails from Castle Hill Village to Flock Hill Station.

It was now possible to spend 3-6 hours traversing xc style along the range with plenty of options for side routes.

More trail was built both legitimately and underground that became ‘approved’ such as Dicksons, Cuckoo Creek, Camp Saddle and Cockayne Alley increasing the difficulty of trails on offer and using the access of the Cheeseman Ski area to allow shuttles and allow the running of several big enduro events. 

Easier trails have also added value for families and beginners, including the Hogs Back uphill and Hut Creek Track. Not to mention the other world class climbing and bouldering at Castle Hill Rocks and the 5 ski areas that are unique to the ski industry of New Zealand and the ‘ski the clubbies’ culture. Cave stream. 

Finally Porters ski area jumped on the bandwagon and built a flow trail out the door of the Porters Lodge with a cafe for between laps. There is talk of more trail development in the adjoining conservation estate. 

12 years on from my first visit there is now an extensive trail network for all types of riders. Some accomodation but few users stay in the park.

‘The High Line’

The High Line came about from necessity on this trip, as late last year a big rain event came through and wiped out the lower section through the Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track in the Craigieburn Forest Park. 

The Cass Lagoon has a notorious reputation as one of the most difficult mountain biking routes in Canterbury. There are long hike-a-bike sections and stunted, gnarled sub-alpine beech forests, exposed roots, stream beds, and rock gardens. The challenge factor is high, plus we chose to hike to the ridgeline above Craigieburn ski area and drop into Cass Saddle via more than 500m of chunky steep scree. 

The climb from the valley floor was a steady hour on the access road, plus another two hours of mostly pushing on a steep 4x4 track, and then carrying the upper part of the ski area to the ridge. The scree was significantly chunkier than the previous time I’d descended it, not the creamy cut-your-way-through ball bearing type. Rather, it was patches of baseball-sized (and bigger) that instantly brought you to a stop, normally falling sideways onto sharp shingle with exposed skin.Now where are those knee pads…

Once at the saddle, we commenced licking our scree wounds and preparing ourselves for the descent to Hamilton’s Hut. Unrideably steep in only a few short pitches, this section is oh so good and gets better as the sound of the stream grows. 

The palatial Hamilton Hut has 20 bunks and it’s pretty popular with the Te Araroa walkers (the trail from the top to bottom of New Zealand). It was full to the gunnels on this night, so Rod and I took our mattresses out the woodshed and made comfy. 

Knowing we had the more epic sections to come on day two, we ripped into it nice and early. Some flowy sections gave way to mostly mank for two hours. The old West Harper hut was a welcome sight. Built in 1957, some of the beech log framing still looked original. We collapsed on the long grass and ate some food, trying to lighten the load for the push to the lagoon saddle A-frame hut. 

Climbing out of the bushy valley was tough going, with a mix of riding little gems and shouldering the bike up narrow bushtracks, constantly bashing the wheels or getting wedged. Another couple of hours saw the crazy two-bunk, A-frame shelter come into view. We took a well-deserved break before soldiering on to the saddle proper where the wind chill was obviously combing off the glaciated peaks of the main divide. We donned jackets for the descent to the road end. It started off sweet but quickly turned into gnarly rocky mank with sizeable drop offs and the odd short hike. When we returned to the shelter of the forest the technical riding continued to within a few hundred metres of the waiting shuttle vehicle. 

All up, it was a seven-hour day on the first day and close to nine hours on the second. It was hard graft, with equal quantities of hiking to biking, but the rideable sections were sublime. It was the upper level of backcountry bikepacking—right up my alley, but not everyone’s. 

Rose rode a Salsa Deadwood with 29 x 2.6” tires, I was on a Salsa Pony Rustler on 27.5 x 2.8” rubber, and Rod was on his Giant Reign. Rose and I both had down wear (jacket/and sleeping bag) from Rab. My riding apparel is from Ground Effect. Rod and Rose used Salsa Anything Cradles on their handlebars. Both Rose and I have custom frame bags. I carried a Garmin InReach mini for emergency satellite communication. The video was predominantly shot on a Lumix GH5 with 8-18mm and 12-60mm lenses, GoPro Hero 7 black for POV, and my first attempt at aerials with the amazing little DJI Mavic Mini.

Footnote This is the first time I’ve put a disclaimer on a video. This is to discourage folks from thinking this is an easy overnighter. It’s not. Additionally, this sort of riding has an impact on the environment, which needs to be considered. Look after the backcountry.  

The Craigieburn Forest Park has many trails, follow 3 friends over the highest line in the park, and around a circuit in the heart of the Craigieburn Range. This is backcountry bikepacking to the extreme. DISCLAIMER Off trail riding on alpine scree comes at the risk to the habitat of rare native geckos.

I had met Sam Moore through a mutual friend and visited Forest Lodge of which Sam operates for the Cheeseman ski club. It’s tucked away at the base of the range a few km of the main road with trail heads going in every direction and the access road usable for shuttling to the gnarly downhills almost 400m vertical above the lodge. 

The lodge has basic shared accommodation with communal kitchen and living area looking down to the Torlesse Ranges across a huge alpine tussock flat. Hot showers and comfy beds await. Sam keeps the place spic and span and will even drive your shuttle for you if you’ve got your own vehicle. 

The trails are popular but not crazy, there’s a plethora of other trail destinations in Canterbury starting with the chairlift accessibility of the Christchurch Adventure Park and the Port Hills network, Mt Hutt bike park going from strength to strength and not just the stupid steep downhill trails it was only a few years ago and the North Canterbury foothills, wharfdale, blowhard, mt Thomas etc. that’s only the destinations and hour and a bit from downtown of the second biggest city in Aotearoa. 

In my opinion Craigieburn is top of the heap, Beech Forest, incredible views, established older benched tracks, new skool technical trail, scree, grade easy to sick! It’s the backcountry riders trail park. 

If you’re coming from out of Canterbury consider the Forest Lodge, no ones paying me to say that, but hey if you like riding backcountry of course you’ll like staying in a magic spot like the lodge. Ride your bike out the door or shuttle further afield.

Forest Lodge set in stunning native beech forest in the Craigieburn Forest Lodge surrounded by some of the best mountain bike trails in Canterbury. Zoe and I heded up to the lodge for a night, caught up with the Mookie Brigade, played some cards and introduced 12 year old Zoe to some of the more challenging trails.

The future of the Trail network of the Forest Park is worth consideration. The opening of the new Paparoa Track has now established the Buller/West Coast as the premiere multi day mountain biking capital in the country with the new track added to the Heaphy, The Old Ghost Road and the West Coast Wildernes Trail. Multi day rides on this side of the divide are a bit less ‘world class’ but there’s some good options if you scratch around. However no major draw card in Canterbury. 

If I may suggest that the Craigieburn network was extended from Castle Hill Village further along the base of the range to Porters ski area the length of the point to point achievable would be in the vicinity of 35-45km. The trail would start/finish at two existing businesses (Porter’s Lodge and Flock Hill Lodge), it would would pass through Accommodation options at Castle Hill and Forest Lodge. It may be too short for the greyhounds but with the multitude of other trails branching off to make longer or more challenging routes possible. 

Could it be possible that Canterbury already has the makings of a world class multi day trail that could increase the number of bikers visiting and also increase the bump to the local economy. Only the future will tell. In the meantime make time to explore this

Ride What Ya Brung

Follow Deane Parker a first time Brevet participant undertake a 250km weekend bikepacking event with 'The Flahute Presents', in the Canterbury high country o...

“Why? So many folk asked me that, you know my trail riding buddies. It was almost if I’d said I was changing...insert- occupation/sexual orientation/spouse/road cycling. Who hasn’t heard about the rise of gravel cycling?” 

After the Fluid Trails expedition and 11 days on a rigid fat bike with a packraft strapped to the front, a svelte ‘skinny’ wheeled rig with no more than a light bivy set up seemed like a good idea.

With a busy life and the seasonal fluctuations of farming, I was looking for an off road mostly weekend achievable Brevet style event. Where I could get a feel for the long days in the saddle and still get some fun terrain to be able to maintain the mountain bike feel I’m passionate about. 

The Salsa Cutthroat seemed the ideal platform for that style event paired with a full frame bag for tools, cooker and most of my food, the Salsa anything cradle for sleeping kit- Rab Mythic 400 sleeping bag, exped Mat sea to summit pillow and Rab Zero G down jacket. In the Revelate Designs 8L Terrapin seat bag I had a Ground Effect Anti Cyclone rain coat and Splashdown over trousers, and a pair of merino long johns.

All the little bits and pieces in the Salsa top tube bag and the front pocket of the Anything Cradle Kit. I used my iPhone for navigation and had an Inreach mini for tracking and emergency. 

My Cutthroat is a 2019 Rival model. Factory apart from and Absolute Black oval 30T chainring and the most important upgrade, Teravail Sparwood 29x2.2 Durable tyres.

I was happy with the stock tyres but had heard of the legendary status of the Sparwoods on the likes of the Tour Divide. When I first put them on it was bit of a shock to see how rounded the profile was they certainly seemed narrower than the other 2.2’s that had a much flatter profile with more defined sidewalls. I only had a chance to ride the Sparwoods a couple of times before the Brevet but my confidence grew that they could cope with the jagged rocky terrain in the Hakatarere Conservation Area. 

“Needless to say I got comfortable with them and by the time I reached the gnarliest terrain I was throwing the Cutty around. Fast on the gravel and sticky on the rocks certainly makes this a fantastic option for most Brevet or bikepacking event courses.”

All images by Extremekid Productions

Thank you to the sponsors of the project:

Salsa Cycles

Trackme NZ

Goat Cycles Bike Shop

Ground Effect Clothing

Rab Equipment

Julbo Eyewear

Cyclewerks NZ

Teravail Tyres

Absolute Black

Lumix NZ

All things Brevet…

Film Brief:

Bikepacking and Brevet events are on the rise, a genre of biking that appeals to a wide market. In Canterbury NZ, ‘The Flahute Presents’ events organiser is fanatical about everything to do with biking, living on his own bike park and offering over 25 events (non competitive) in his calendar. This film will document his weird and wacky brevet style and follow a first time brevet rider through some majestic Canterbury high country.

Salsa Cutthroat, to be used in the project

Synopsis:

Shailer and Candice Hart own a little slice of paradise in the McQueens Valley on the southern slopes of Banks Peninsula. They call it ‘The Haven’, a series of trails criss cross the steep hills in some regenerating native bush. The scene will be set by introducing Shailer and his events.

After interviewing the couple at their home, footage will be shot riding their trails. Aerial footage will reveal the majestic setting of The Haven.

The third character is Deane Parker, Deane hasn’t competed in any bike racing for over 25 years from a promising start as both a road and mountain bike racer. Normally the type of rider that shies away from events.

Deane will particpate in the ‘Lakeside Views’, a 250km 2 day brevet to have a go at an organised event. We will film Deane’s preparation and get some insight into what’s involved as a first time brevet rider.

The event will be shot POV style by Deane with supporting ground and aerial footage by Extremekid Productions.

Below is a short film shot in the same location to the event;

Project Status;

The event is scheduled for 28/29 September. The project is being supported by Salsa Cycles and Salsa’s platform will be the online premiere for maximum exposure. The film will be submitted to other online sites i.e bikepacking.com radavist.com groundeffectclothing.co.nz and pinkbike.com.

The resulting film will be sub 10 minutes in length to appeal to the online audience. The target audience is bikers from all walks of life that may have contemplated participation in a Brevet/Endurance style event

The plan is to premiere the film Mid December. Our goal is to generate 10k views within a 6 month period. To achieve this we will also offer editorial for printed magazines (Spoke Magazine) and for blogs on sponsors websites. There will be a trailer released prior to the film premiere and accompanying social media campaign.

We are looking to attract brand partners to support the film with funding, product and online platforms for exposure.

Current Partners.

Premium-

Salsa Cycles

Trackme NZ

equiPment-

Ground Effect Clothing

Rab Down wear

Teravail

Cyclewerks NZ

Goat Cycles Bike Shop

Sponsorship Proposal.

Premium Sponsor;

Any brand that can cover the trip expenses will receive maximum exposure at the same level as Salsa Cycles. This will include;

• Brand logo appearing at the start and in the credits of the film

• exclusive editorial content for your use

• tagging in the accompanying social media campaign

Equipment Sponsor;

All brands that support the project with equipment will receive the following exposure;

• Brand logo appearing in the credits of film

• A gear review published on deaneparker.nz and offered for your use

• tagging into the accompanying social media campaign

Image by @extremekidproductions (also the title pic)

Bikepacking Gear Comparison and review

Title image by @extremekidsproductions 

In the past year and a bit I have been fortunate to be able to trial a few brands of bikepacking bags during my incessant need for backcountry bikepacking and bikerafting trips. I want to make it clear that some of this equipment has been supplied to me through sponsorship for projects but I have also purchased several items that I couldn't resist trying too. 

my latest incarnation rig for bikerafting. Big influence from the Salsa EXP range. 

Cactus Outdoor

Cactus Outdoor have been an awesome partner in the past 6 months and I felt very honoured to be asked to trial a pre production handlebar harness and seat bag and provide a small amount of input to the finished product. 

Cactus gear being put to its paces on 'Looking Down is looking Up- The Harper Pass Brevet'  

On the 5 day ride to film 'Looking Down is Looking Up- The Harper Pass Brevet' we were lucky enough to have support from Cactus and we put the gear through its paces in some rugged terrain. Just like most Cactus equipment the bags are built super tough and I reckon they'd outlast  other brands. The Grippin alloy buckle is a great feature on both the Love Handle handlebar harness and the Love Bundle seat bag, hopefully when they are worn they will be easier to tighten but the reality is most straps are best tightened gently with pliers which can overload plastic buckles but not grippin buckles.

The design team does have some finishing work to do on the density of the rubber handlebar bumpers. The seat bag is bomber and has the least sway of any seat bag I've used. Unfortunately it is not seam sealed but a plastic bag inside will keep your gear dry on most trips. 

The top tube bag is super simple light and has the added bonus of a mesh pocket on the outside that Muel tucked jelly dinosaur lollys into on the tour of central Canterbury. 

The Cactus Outdoor bikepacking gear is sewn up in the Christchurch factory keeping NZ working and this brings positive karma when purchasing. Also Cactus gear is renown for being 'Cactus Tough' and this has definitely trickled down to their bikepacking range. Finally, the price point of their range is lower than some other major brands made offshore making Cactus exceptional value.  

Trialling some of the first production gear from Cactus in the Canterbury backcountry.  

 Salsa Cycles

 Salsa Cycles has an impressive range of bags recently updating their EXP range with frame bags for fat bikes and Salsa hardtails. 

The EXP Anything cradle is a design marvel and addresses the two major issues of the handlebar harness, cable crush and head tube rub. Check out my full review here. 

I recently took delivery of a EXP frame bag for the Salsa Mukluk which is incredibly cavernous and will definitely add a lot of value to that rig on bikerafting missions. Just like the entire range the frame bag is seam sealed and nearly waterproof.  

The EXP Seatpack, which has an air release valve for easy sealing is awesome,it doesn't need lining and will safely keep your sleeping bag dry in wet conditions. However when fully loaded the Salsa seat bag does have a fair amount of sway. 

The EXP Top Tube bag is significantly larger than the cactus model (for better or worse) is also seam sealed and has the option of bolt on to Salsa compatible frames. 

The water resistant nature of the EXP range makes them standout choices when using in damp environments especially bikerafting. 

Salsa Cycles slogan 'Adventure By Bike' resounds through the entire range of bikes and equipment and is exceptionally well designed by the team in Minnesota and obviously the parent company, QBP has its offshore manufacturing channels dialled. 

The Salsa EXP Anything Cradle system with front pouch and dry bag, Southern Alps NZ.  

Salsa Cycles EXP range is available through Cyclewerks here in NZ and SCV Imports in Strayla.

This image shows how the Salsa EXP Anything Cradle smartly keeps the load away from the head Tube and cables/hoses.  

I have had 2 custom bags made by Dom @dirtbagutilityco. The full frame bag for the Pony Rustler has seen a few trips now and is a well made piece of kit. I can highly recommend Dom for your custom bag. See my full review here 

climbing out of the Waiau-toa Clarence river after a solid week of adventure with Revelate gear. 

 Revelate Designs

Revelate Designs is synonymous with bikepacking. Revelate helped start the surge of interest in loading a mountain bike with nylon bags and going backcountry. 

I used the Revelate handlebar harness and Pika seat bag for the  7 day journey that was Waiau-toa Odyssey and they performed very well. The handlebar harness never budged with packrafts/paddles and PFD's attached over hundreds of km of rough terrain and I believe the mark 2 model has made improvements further. 

The Pika seat bag was good, see my full review here. It did suffer a hole from scuffing against the seat post though also it is not seam sealed. 

Revelate Designs can be purchased in NZ from Cyclewerks. 

Image courtesy of Stirling Images  

Shown above on Muel's bike is a seat bag from another good NZ manufacturer Stealth Bike Bags. 

its fair to say that the bikepacking gear market is flooded with brands and products . There is a bag to suit every rider in every application, this is a great position for the consumer as s/he has a wide variety of price/durability/weight/sizes to choose from not to mention the custom options. There really is no excuse to strapping some lightweight camping gear to a rig and going on a journey. It's your choice if it's a month long crossing of a continental divide or a sub 24 hour escape from civilisation into the hills, so get amongst it!

This film was shot on a 2 day bikerafting loop I discovered on the West Coast. Bikerafting relys on using bikepacking bags at their limit including the extra loads of a packraft, paddle and bouyancy aid.