Alaska Legislature Citation of Honor

I was very surprised to receive a citation of honor from the Alaska Legislature for The Packraft Handbook and my efforts in promoting a packrafting culture of safety. The backstory is that at least one former and one current Representative are avid packrafters (how cool is that!).

This book was a huge undertaking. I was told that there wasn’t enough of a market to warrant publication, but I trusted my gut—quit my job, hired the help that I needed, and emptied my bank account to make it happen. It feels incredible to have this work recognized.

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Alaska Legislature Honoring Luc Mehl and Sarah Glaser for The Packraft Handbook

With great admiration and esteem, the members of the Thirty-Third Alaska State Legislature acknowledge the outstanding achievements of Luc Mehl and Sarah Glaser and their publication of The Packraft Handbook—a book that has significantly contributed to the understanding and enjoyment of packrafting around the world.

As author of The Packraft Handbook, Luc Mehl has created what has become the indispensable resource for packrafters of all skill levels, whether newbies just starting out or grizzled veteran paddlers. Importanly, Luc’s writing emphasizes safety and has instilled a culture of safety in the sport; it is further augmented by his workshops and other writing. Luc is arguably responsible for a culture shift within the packrafting community that much more prominently foregrounds safety.

Sarah Glaser’s lively illustrations help bring The Packraft Handbook to life. An experienced paddler, Sarah creates a playful graphic complement to Luc’s prose that helps illustrate scenarios that can otherwise be challenging to see in the mind’s eye. Her inimitable artistic style adds joie de vivre to every page.

In addition to rave reviews from packrafters around the world, The Packraft Handbook has also garnered critical acclaim. In 2021, The Packraft Handbook won the 2021 National Outdoor Book Award. The book continued to make the rounds on the award circuit, and in 2022 won the Banff Mountain Book Competition Award for the guidebook category.

A member of the Banff competition jury described The Packraft Handbook accordingly, “This book is to the burgeoning and exciting sport of packrafting what Freedom of the Hills has long been for mountaineering: a foundational tome, an encyclopedic body of knowledge for beginners and experts alike, a book that will surely stand the test of time. Compelling writing, excellent photography, and superb illustration combine to make this an exceptional guidebook. Most importantly, it is a treatise on risk taking and risk assessment. It is not an exaggerated claim to say that this book will actually save lives.”

It’s especially appropriate that the authoritative text on packrafting has been produced by Alaskans. Luc Mehl grew up in McGrath, and Sarah Glaser in Moose Pass. Packrafting is a homegrown Alaskan sport that was pioneered in Alaska by Alaskans. From Roman Dial to Dick Griffith to the founders of Alpacka Raft, Luc Mehl and Sarah Glaser are profoundly maintaining the tradition of keeping Alaska the center of the global packrafting community.

The members of the Thirty-Thrid Alaska State Legislature join the chorus of acclaim for The Packraft Handbook, and honor and congratulate Luc Mehl and Sarah Glaser for their exceptional contributions to the sport of packrafting.

Signed by Cathy Tilton, Gary Stevens, Rep. Genevieve Mina, Sen. Matt Claman, and Rep. Zack Fields. May 1, 2024