Not every trip starts at a rental and ends on a popular trail. Packrafting and bikerafting are a way onto wild, unfrequented, hard-to-reach water – for people who like to set their own routes and don't mind a stretch of walking where no classic kayak can float.
What packrafting is
A packraft is a very light inflatable boat – it usually weighs 2–4 kg and, once packed down, fits into a backpack together with a take-apart paddle and a light pump (most often an inflation bag). That means you carry it between stretches of water: you walk a bit, you paddle a bit, and you string together into a single route the water stretches that no rental links up. It opens up narrow wild rivers, mountain streams and trips into the backcountry, and along the way it solves the age-old problem of one-way trips: your ride back is on your shoulders.
How to choose a packraft
Gear differs by purpose. Light, simple models are great on calm water and where there is a lot of walking, when every gram counts. Heavier ones, with higher sides, a spraydeck and a stiffened floor, cope with faster water and hold a course better into the wind. For bikerafting, strong deck attachment points and a tough material matter, because the bike loads the bow. Starting out, choose easier water and an all-round boat, and only then specialise in whichever direction draws you in.
What is bikerafting?
Bikerafting is packrafting with a bike. You cover part of the route by bike, and when water gets in the way you cross by packraft, with the bike strapped to the bow – usually crosswise, wheels to the side, low and as close to the deck as possible. The mounting has to release with a single pull, because after a capsize you need to be able to unclip a bike weighing a dozen-plus kilos from the boat. This lets you join cycle trails with water ones and set up a loop that would be impossible on the bike alone or in the kayak alone: you ride to the river, paddle a dozen or so kilometres down it and come back overland by another way. Fix the bike firmly and low, wheels forward, so that it doesn't block your view and doesn't raise the centre of gravity more than it has to.
Why packrafting is catching on in Poland
Freedom of route and mobility. You can bring the light gear by train or public transport, walk with it to places no car with a kayak trailer will reach, and put in on water that no rental serves. Poland has plenty of small, wild rivers and streams for it, until now practically overlooked by tourism. For some paddlers it is exactly that uncertainty – not knowing whether a stretch will turn out to be passable – that is the greatest thrill; they work out for themselves where you can get through, and set their own trail.
How I approach packrafting at Stan Wody
I'm strongest on the water, and that's where I want to be useful. On the map, the "Your own way" mode gives a full planner across all of Poland's water – for explorers, packrafters and bikerafters. I leave the cycling part to specialist apps (such as Komoot), and you take the water stretch from me; in time I'll add GPX import and export, so you can join the land stretch with the water one into a single track and keep the whole trip in one file.
Packrafting – what to keep in mind at the start
Light gear does not excuse you from the rules – the same safety rules apply: a buoyancy aid, watch out for cold water and weirs. A packraft is light and prone to catching the wind, so it's harder to hold a course on open water, and wild rivers can be shallow and overgrown – expect to carry the boat often and to push through fallen trees. Bring a spare for repairing the hull too (a patch and glue). Check the regulations: through reserves, such as the lower Pasłęka, consent may be needed, and to paddle a river that borders Belarus, Ukraine or Russia – for example the Bug – you must notify the Border Guard post at least two hours in advance, travel only in daylight (from half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset) and keep to the Polish side. On the borders with Germany, Czechia, Slovakia and Lithuania these obligations do not apply. It is also worth checking whether a temporary ban on entering the border zone has been introduced on a given stretch – the extent of such bans changes every few months. On a wild, solo trip always leave your route plan with someone.