A boat on your back?!
Today we're starting our 'gear minute' series by introducing you to the packraft, that funny little boat.
A packraft is neither a plastic boat for wading in your swimming pool in summer nor a hard kayak for paddling down the Lesse with your mates loaded down with your bbq and your Quechua bob.
The packraft is a super-light (around 3-4kg), compact (ideal for walking with for dozens of kilometres) and super-manoeuvrable boat. It's not afraid of rapids and the fact that it's inflatable means that it's easy to make steering errors.
This is the ideal boat for combining walking and river descent.
Where can you go packrafting? 🤔
You can go packrafting in Belgium! We've listed all the rivers in Wallonia where you can go packrafting: the Amblève, the Lesse, the Ourthe, the Semois, the Viroin, the Houille, the Aisne, the Our, the Salm, the Sûre and the Vierre. You can check here in real time which rivers are navigable!
Our favourite rivers 😍
The Ourthe and the Semois are, in our opinion, the wildest rivers to paddle down in a packraft. The stretch from Nisramont to Maboge on the Ourthe, passing by the Rocher du Hérou, is like a little Canada!
As for the Semois, it has nothing to envy the Ourthe. It has no cliffs, but its green, wooded banks are sure to give you a change of scene. What's more, because of its length, it's possible to do a 2-day descent. A real weekend micro-expedition in Belgium for young and old. There are several campsites where you can pitch your tent and spend the night.
Finally, the Vierre, which is narrower and less travelled than the Semois and Ourthe, is particularly charming. Lake Vierre is a must-see in Belgium! The Vierre is not navigable very often, so keep an eye on it here!
DiscoveRent offers guided introductions to packraft! Click here if you're interested .
