Expedition Packrafting: Multi-Day Packrafting Courses

We designed this trip for adventurers looking to hone their backcountry packrafting skills. Although we do teach many of the standard techniques from our other packrafting courses, we spend less time on self-rescue and aggressive swimming skills and drills. Instead we focus more on what it takes to accomplish a multi-day packraft adventure in the backcountry. Checklist of things we cover in this course:

• Basic packraft equipment use and care
• Self-rescue, partner-rescue
• Dealing with currents
• Aggressive & defensive swimming positions
• River dynamics
• Intermediate paddle strokes
• Using eddies
• River commands

Plus, you’ll learn some of these skills:

• Field repair-tips & tricks
• How to pack light for backcountry packraft adventures
• Using online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
• Using paper maps and navigation in the field
• Trip planning & logistics
• Expedition pack lists
• What to pack and how/where to pack it
• Expedition vs. personal items
• Expedition food planning and prep
• Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
• Managing your backcountry camping and boating gear
• How to find a good camp
• How to efficiently transition from the river to camp
• Reading whitewater/hazards and avoiding them
• Expedition mentality

River & Paddling Gear

• Drysuit (required at least for the first day – rentals available)
• Moisture-wicking base layers (top and bottom – no cotton)
• Insulating mid-layers (fleece or wool for under the drysuit)
• Neoprene socks and river shoes or booties
• Sun hat or brimmed cap (fits under helmet)
• Sunglasses with retention strap
• Sunscreen and SPF lip balm
• Dry bags
• Water bottle (at least 2L capacity)
• Optional but recommended:
  • River knife
  • Whistle
  • Throw bag

Backcountry Camping Gear

• Dry bag capable of carrying all personal gear
• Lightweight tent or shelter system
• Sleeping bag (rated for desert nights – 20–30°F recommended)
• Sleeping pad
• Lightweight stove, fuel, lighter/matches
• Cook pot and eating utensils
• Personal mug/bowl/spork
• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Camp clothing (including warm layers for night)
• Lightweight camp shoes or sandals
• Personal hygiene/toiletries kit (including quick-dry towel, toothbrush, etc.)

Other Essentials

• Personal snacks for travel and training day
• Dry bags or stuff sacks to organize gear
• Trash bag (for Leave No Trace)
• Any prescription medications or allergy supplies
• Identification and health insurance card

Patagonia Packrafting Course

La Venta River Packrafting Course

You will need a drysuit for most courses. Rent drysuits locally at 4CornersRiversports.com (they only have four), or get a 15% discount if you order them online at BackcountryPackraft.com (we will give you the discount code once you pay your deposit).

We also do not provide whitewater boats. However, we have four total whitewater boats to rent for a small fee of $30 per day: one small Wolverine, one medium Wolverine, one medium Gnarwhal and one large Gnarwhal. Please visit the Alpacka Raft sizing guide to determine which boat is right for you.

Our multi-day bikerafting and packrafting courses are *NOT* for people with zero experience in the backcountry. We do not prepare food for you, set up your tent, teach you how to use camping gear, or cater to your every need. Our goal with our guide service is to provide you with additional skills and tools to accentuate your already-existing backcountry skills and to help you realize you can travel with less in the backcountry (and in life).

Please do not expect a standard big boat river trip with large kitchens, tons of beer, etc. Our courses are low-impact, lightweight adventures where we carry everything we need from start to finish. They are also not easy. We strive to challenge you mentally and physically. While we don’t want to scare you away from doing one of our courses, we want you to be realistic about your abilities. In general, you must have basic backcountry skills and a level of fitness that allows you to:

• Bike from 10-30 miles per day; OR
• Packraft at least six miles of flatwater per day; OR
• Paddle up to 15 miles on a river per day; OR
• Hike five-15 miles per day; OR
• Do a combination of all these things in one day

You will carry all your garbage out, including your toilet paper, baby wipes, extra food scraps and sometimes your poop. We will recycle as much as we can post course. We likely won’t be washing dishes, as we’re exclusively using dehydrated foods. But, if you do end up using pots or dirty your cup with oatmeal, for example, you must wash these items no less than 300 feet from any water source, using biodegradable soap, and burying the waste water at least 6 inches deep.

We may book a course with a minimum of two people. However, we reserve the right to add additional people to those small courses if all have similar abilities, skills and fitness levels. Our margins are tight. We don’t make money on courses with only two people. If you wish to have a private, one- or two-person course, please let us know in advance, as the price is higher.

We follow strict principles of leaving nothing behind. When camping in group sites we will use pit toilets when provided. On all dispersed backcountry bikepacking and packrafting trips, guests must dig six-inch deep cat holes no less than 300 feet away from any water source, campsite or trail, unless regulated otherwise, in which case approved wag bags will be used and all solid (fecal) matter will be carried out. On the river we will follow all regulations regarding human waste. I.e. we will use wag bags and hard-sided containers. No guest or guide will ever burn toilet paper or garbage. All toilet paper and hygiene products will be packed out.

We provide all the food you need when you’re in the backcountry, including dehydrated meals and packaged foods for lunches and snacks. We’ll also provide some fresh foods, such as apples and avocados. We are unable to prepare or carry fresh foods such as sandwiches due to food handling requirements that we can’t meet because we travel with such minimal weight (i.e. we can’t carry coolers).

We highly recommend that you take this opportunity to unplug and play hard. You may want to take photos, of course, but most of the places we visit will not have cell reception. Be prepared to disconnect. In case of emergencies, your guides will have an In-Reach device.

All our guides have Swiftwater Safety Certification and are certified Wilderness First Responders. Head Guide Steve Fassbinder has additional swiftwater and Kayak Instruction training. Guides will always bring a comprehensive first aid kit(s), appropriate for the length of trip and number of people. We have a Comprehensive Risk Management Plan that includes an Emergency Evacuation Plan. Plus, our guides will teach you about and regularly remind you to consider the following hazards:

1. Heatstroke and dehydration can easily shut down your tour and ruin your experience. We encourage you and will remind you to both bring and drink plenty of water, to eat snacks throughout the day, and to wear hats and sunscreen to minimize sun exposure. We will make plenty of water available to you, and our water sources will be scouted in advance.
2. You may also experience dramatic weather events. For this reason, we require that you bring sufficient warm, synthetic or wool clothing and waterproof rain layers.
3. Rattle snake bites are rare, but can happen.
4. You will be traveling over rough, uneven terrain; roots, rocks and sand are inherent to biking and hiking to and from the water’s edge to camp. You must always wear helmets (and gloves season/weather dependent) while riding.
5. For all packrafting and bikerafting courses, you must respect the power of both flat and running water. Strainers, rocks and swims in cold rivers can make your trip go bad quickly, as can swims in cold lakes due to powerful winds tipping boats over. You must always wear your PFD on the water, a helmet if there are rapids, and weather/season dependent, a dry or wet suit.

Our self-supported, low-impact bikerafting and packrafting courses are geared toward that subset of adventurers who prefer human-powered adventures, where they have a limited impact on the environment and a low-carbon footprint. While we do drive to get to a start point for an adventure, our goal with everything we do is to do more adventure with less stuff. We hope you can take what you learn back to your “normal” life. We also seek to show you less crowded corners of the Four Corners region.

Popular Four Corners destinations like Moab and Durango are busy. You can’t go anywhere even in the backcountry without seeing people. We cater to those of you who don’t mind suffering a bit in order to find more solitude. The terrain in the Four Corners is complicated, remote and rugged. We believe if we give you a safe, but difficult and engaging extraordinary experience, we may change your life and enhance your reverence for and understanding of this landscape.

Course instructors are certified American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors, have Swiftwater Safety Certification and are certified Wilderness First Responders. 

Our instructors are early adopters of packrafting that have led many expeditions and courses across the American Southwest.

Yes! You may schedule a private course for one or more people anytime we have a guide available. Just click “Reserve” to fill out a quick inquiry form, and we’ll be in touch to coordinate.

Anyone who already has backcountry skills can do one of our courses. You must be able set up your own tent, cook for yourself in the backcountry, understand the types of clothing you need to stay safe, warm and dry in a desert or mountain environment, and, in general, you must understand how to comport yourself in the wilderness. You also must have a reasonable level of fitness. And if you are doing a course that involves bicycles, you must know how to ride a bicycle.

We are able to make some accommodations to do guided trips with people with disabilities, but all guests must still have basic backcountry camping skills. Please email us to discuss.

The only exception to these rules is if you want to spend a half or day packrafting. Then, you only need a basic level of fitness.

Our multi-day bikerafting and packrafting courses are *NOT* for people with zero experience in the backcountry. We do not prepare food for you, set up your tent, teach you how to use camping gear, or cater to your every need. Our goal with our guide service is to provide you with additional skills and tools to accentuate your already-existing backcountry skills and to help you realize you can travel with less in the backcountry (and in life).

Please do not expect a standard big boat river trip with large kitchens, tons of beer, etc. Our courses are low-impact, lightweight adventures where we carry everything we need from start to finish. They are also not easy. We strive to challenge you mentally and physically. While we don’t want to scare you away from doing one of our courses, we want you to be realistic about your abilities. In general, you must have basic backcountry skills and a level of fitness that allows you to:

• Bike from 10-30 miles per day; OR
• Packraft at least six miles of flatwater per day; OR
• Paddle up to 15 miles on a river per day; OR
• Hike five-15 miles per day; OR
• Do a combination of all these things in one day.

No. We do not provide shuttle services or transportation as part of our courses. Please plan to rent a car or drive your own vehicle to your course. We will work with all participants to help them figure out carpools with each other.

It totally depends on how skilled your child is in the backcountry and how much experience they have riding bicycles. Can they set up their own tent? Can they carry a 30-pound backpack? Can they ride at least six miles on a laden bicycle? Are they comfortable and uncomplaining if they sometimes get cold and wet? If your child has, for example, easily mountain biked 20+ miles in a day or done a triathlon, we’ll assume they can do one of our tours. However, we’ll assess each child’s ability on a case-by-case basis.

Absolutely not. All ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs are considered by Four Corners Guides to be “do not touch or take anything” areas. You must leave all artifacts exactly where you found them. Human contact can and does degrade these artifacts, structures and paints used to make the pictographs found in these sensitive areas.

All Four Corners Guides guests must sign our “Antiquities Agreement” in advance of your tour. If we catch you stealing artifacts or defacing ancient ruins, petroglyphs or pictographs, we will not hesitate to report you to the authorities, remove you from the trip (at your expense) and ban from all future FCG tours. We have a zero tolerance policy in regards to taking, stealing or defacing antiquities. There will be times, such as on our Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park Tours, that you may be able to pick up and photograph pottery shards and other items, with permission from the Ute Mountain Ute guides.

We run courses in the United States late March through early November, weather permitting.

We keep our course size intentionally small, with a maximum of 12 participants. This ensures personalized instruction, more time for hands-on practice, and a stronger connection with your guides and fellow adventurers. Whether you're in a solo boat or paddling tandem in a two-person packraft, you'll get the attention and support you need to build confidence and skills on the water.

We may book a course with a minimum of two people. However, we reserve the right to add additional people to those small courses if all have similar abilities, skills and fitness levels. Our margins are tight. We don’t make money on courses with only two people. If you wish to have a private, one- or two-person course, please let us know in advance, as the price is higher.

To avoid getting sick or spreading illness, we encourage guests to regularly utilize hand sanitizer after going to the bathroom and regularly throughout the day before meals.

Yes, but all body washing will be done with biodegradable soaps no less than 200 feet from any water source.

We recommend that you take this opportunity to unplug and play hard. You may want to take photos, of course, but most of the places we visit will not have cell reception. Be prepared to disconnect. In case of emergencies, your guides will have an In-Reach device.

All our guides have Swiftwater Safety Certification and are certified Wilderness First Responders. Head guides Steve Fassbinder and Thad Ferrell have additional advanced swiftwater and Level 3 Packraft Instruction certification through the American Canoe Association.

Guides will always bring a comprehensive first aid kit(s), appropriate for the length of trip and number of people. We have a Comprehensive Risk Management Plan that includes an Emergency Evacuation Plan. Plus, our guides will teach you about and regularly remind you to consider the following hazards:

1. Heatstroke and dehydration can easily shut down your tour and ruin your experience. We encourage you and will remind you to both bring and drink plenty of water, to eat snacks throughout the day, and to wear hats and sunscreen to minimize sun exposure. We will make plenty of water available to you, and our water sources will be scouted in advance.
2. You may also experience dramatic weather events. For this reason, we require that you bring sufficient warm, synthetic or wool clothing and waterproof rain layers.
3. Rattle snake bites are rare, but can happen.
4. You will be traveling over rough, uneven terrain; roots, rocks and sand are inherent to biking and hiking to and from the water’s edge to camp. You must always wear helmets (and gloves season/weather dependent) while riding.
5. For all packrafting and bikerafting courses, you must respect the power of both flat and running water. Strainers, rocks and swims in cold rivers can make your trip go bad quickly, as can swims in cold lakes due to powerful winds tipping boats over. You must always wear your PFD on the water, a helmet if there are rapids, and weather/season dependent, a dry or wet suit.