In January, the opportunity to borrow a Neutron XL packraft came up. It was a cold afternoon with some great light when I picked it up from Peter’s place. The plan was to grab it on my bike, then pedal to Puntledge Park, paddle to Lewis Park, then bike home. For an after-work adventure in January, it seemed like a fun idea.
The NRS Neutron XL is designed as a durable whitewater packraft for larger paddlers or for taking more gear. It features a self-bailing floor, 12-inch tubes for stability, and is constructed from tough, PVC-free, TPU-coated nylon with welded seams. It has a 400 lbs capacity and weighs 12.2 lbs
It fit on the bike and didn’t affect the handling as I rode toward the river. Once arriving at the waters edge, I had to transition to a drysuit, with paddling gear, break down the bike, and inflate the packraft. It was great having a spot inside the raft to stow some gear.
Once the gear was all loaded, it was time to hit the river. Found the packraft very maneuverable, even with the bike on the nose. One slight adjustment of positioning on the bike, then it was off on the three km paddle to the top of Lewis Park.
Arriving at Lewis Park, it was time to return to bike mode. Under the spot light of winter light, the packraft was rolled up and gear stowed, then biked the 4 km back home.
The last photo shows some of the gear used for the adventure. The Kona Sutra worked very well for the biking portion of the trip with the added 7r rack. Found the packraft easy to paddle. The boat was still able to catch eddies and move around the river.
Had a Werner 4pc powerhouse, a NRS Foray Drysuit, NRS Ninja Pro PFD, NRS wetshoe, a NRS Tactly helmet, and a few NRS straps to help tie things down.
An excellent afternoon adventure. #microadventure
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