Recent Adventuring

and The Packraft Handbook!

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The Packraft Handbook

Available in May 2021! Pre-orders are now available! The Packraft Handbook is the definitive instructional resource for packrafting—everything you need…

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Far East Alaska Range

Sarah and I have been eager to see this stretch of the Alaska Range, the eastern limit. For me, it…

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Arctic Refuge Road-to-Road

2020. https://vimeo.com/447040316 Will Koeppen posted a daily diary with ten excellent photos for each day of the trip. Check them…

Show Up and Blow Up

In 2012 I started making "Show Up and Blow Up" highlight videos of whitewater packrafting. Each video captures a different point along my packrafting learning curve. I thought other people…

Let’s Talk About Drowning

5 Apr 20215 Apr 2021

I'm embarrassed to admit how late in my outdoor recreation game I learned how to help a drowned patient. I wasn't there when my friend Rob Kehrer drowned, and if…

Self-publishing an Instructional Book: Part I (Everything up to Printing)

29 Mar 202130 Mar 2021

I just spent a year writing The Packraft Handbook (pre-order it!). I’ve been producing bite-sized outreach content on my website for many years, but decided to quit my job and pour…

Risk Assessment for Rivers and Avalanches

15 Jan 202116 Jan 2021

Disclaimer: This discussion is based on my personal experience, collaborators' feedback on The Packraft Handbook, and publications (see references at bottom). This discussion benefited from the feedback of Trip Kinney,…

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Putting the Shoulder in Shoulder Season

29 Nov 202013 Dec 2020

A recent fall on the ice gave "shoulder season" new meaning for me. This post is about shoulder dislocations and a reduction technique that you can teach yourself. Based on…

Packraft Field Repair Kit

28 Aug 20206 Dec 2020

Let's talk about tape. My field repair kit has evolved from anticipating a glued patch to expecting tape to be enough. This is largely because simple tape repairs have been…

Route-Planning with ESRI Worldview

14 May 202018 Jan 2021

Whenever possible, I do route planning with Google Earth. Google Earth's 3D imagery allows me to fine-tune a route and identify features I might otherwise miss in two dimensions. But…

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For Sale or Trade, One Reverse-Averse Van

I wrote this Craigslist advertisement in 2018 and am belatedly giving it a home here.I think the advertisement is the most popular thing I've written; it even reached a friend…

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The Adventurer’s Son

11 Feb 20209 Mar 2020

The Adventurer's Son, by Roman Dial, will be available February 18th, 2020. Anchorage friends can join Roman Wednesday, February 19th, for a book release event at Bear Tooth Theater.You can…