Isle Royale Forums

Anybody out there ever used a Packraft on the Island?

Not yet, but I have a Flytepacker packraft that I purchased over the winter and I plan to take it on my trip this spring to IR.

I've inflated it in my basement to confirm it will hold air and it seems pretty durable. My only concern will be keeping those nasty pike teeth away from it.....

There is a gentleman named Rudi Hargesheimer who works at Midwest Mountaineering in Mpls (and is also on the board of the MN Parks and Trails Council) that I'm pretty sure has packrafted IR. I seem to recall he stuck to the inland water route (McCargoe to Chippewa.) He also did Pukaskwa NP (Canada) a couple years ago, and has given talks on it.
He and Grant Merritt will be giving a talk at this spring's Outdoor Adventure Expo on "Isle Royale, Then and Now." I attended a similar talk from them this past fall, and I think this is a reprisal. It was well attended, and Grant shared stories of the old families on the Isle.

Not a packraft, but I've been taking my folding kayak to I.R. for the past twenty years. If you want to paddle or explore some inland lake, this type of watercraft is the ticket.

Thanks to those that replied,hope to hear from others. Wilderness Junkie I did send you an e-mail even after reading your reply about the make of your packraft.ooops!Still let me know your experience with it.Have a great trip!

I haven't yet but Ken Knight did a few years ago. Here is a link to his blog:
http://www.wanderingknight.org/travels/ ... iary1.html