The articles on this site, gathered into a few different ways in — by river, by season, by the year they were written.
Wherever you start, there should be a next article to read.
By river and lake · By season · Field notes · By year
Boats, Gear, Packing
- AlpackaRaft Model Comparison — Complete Guide
- AlpackaRaft Accessory Guide — Storage, Seats, Inflation, and Maintenance
- Packraft River Gear List — 13 Essentials I Actually Use in Hokkaido
- Packrafting Overnight — What to Add for a River Trip in Hokkaido
Before You Go
- Packraft Punctures, Damage, and What to Put in Your Field Repair Kit
- Packraft Care & Maintenance: Everything You Need to Know
- Packraft Rental in Hokkaido｜Rent a packraft in Hokkaido, Japan
By River and Lake
A single river can turn up here as a trip report, a guide introduction, and a note on where its name comes from. Separate articles, different angles on the same water.
Eastern Hokkaido
Kushiro River — Flows out of Lake Kussharo, through the Kushiro Wetland, and into the Pacific.
- Packrafting the Kushiro River — A 2-Day River Trip Complete Guide
- A Water Journey from the Kushiro River Headwaters — Packraft Tours with Tomoki Kokubun in Eastern Hokkaido
- Paddling the Kushiro River 100km — 2026 Packraft Expedition with Tomoki Kokubun
- I’ve Decided to Join the Kushiro River Expedition
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River Expedition — A Custom Paddle or a 4-Piece?
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River 100km Packraft Expedition — Settling on Two Pairs of Shoes
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River Expedition — Moving to a 20000mAh Battery
- Flying to Kushiro — Where to Get a Gas Cartridge Once You’re There
- The Name Kushiro — What Kusuri Once Meant(field note)
Lake Kussharo — Japan’s largest caldera lake, and the source of the Kushiro River.
- The Name Kussharo — A Mouth Where the Water Runs Out(field note)
- Ride Down, Walk Up — Connecting MKT Section 3 at Bihoro Pass
- The Views of 2025 — Year-End Message
Rawan River — A river in Ashoro, fed from Lake Onneto at the foot of Mt. Meakan.
Central Hokkaido
Sorachi River and Shisorapchi River — The largest tributary of the Ishikari River. Its upper reaches in Minamifurano are called the Shisorapchi.
- Shisorapchi River, Minami-Furano — A Trip Report: What I’m Calling “BC Packrafting”
- Hokkaido’s Shisorapuchi River — A Day of Packrafting, From TRAILS’ Packraft Addict #78
- Starting and Improving at Packrafting in Furano — What Furano Trek and Packraft Offers on the Sorachi River
- The Name Sorachi — A River Layered With Waterfalls(field note)
Toyohira River — The river that runs through central Sapporo.
Bibi River — A short river that crosses the Yufutsu plain into Lake Utonai.
- Down the Bibi River by Packraft and Bike — Matsubibi Bridge to Tappukoppu, and a Bowl of Ramen
- The Name Bibi — What “River, River” Points To(field note)
Lake Toya — A caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
Shiribeshi and Niseko
Shiribetsu River — Wraps around the foot of Mt. Yotei and flows west through Shiribeshi to the Sea of Japan.
- Chasing River Fog by Packraft in Winter Hokkaido
- Why Paddlers Keep Coming Back to the River — Shiribetsu Fest 2024 Pre-Event
- Packrafting in Niseko: Niseko Ukka’s Small-Group Tours on the Shiribetsu River
- Learning Packrafting for Real on the Shiribetsu River — H2O Adventure Guide Club, Niseko
- Flip Mechanics: Rocks — Niseko Ukka on the Shiribetsu River
- Shugakuso Hosts a Packraft Test-Ride Day on the Shiribetsu River
- The Name Shiribetsu — Ainu Words for Mountain River(field note)
Hidaka
Saru River — Runs along the foot of the Hidaka Mountains. Once ranked first in Japan’s national water-quality survey of Class A rivers.
Southern Hokkaido
Onuma — A lake in Onuma Quasi-National Park, near Hakodate.
Outside Hokkaido
Shimanto River — A river in Kochi Prefecture.
By Season
The same river runs differently at snowmelt and in autumn, in volume and in temperature. Grouped by when each trip took place, as a rough guide to when and where.
Spring
April to May. Snowmelt is still in the rivers, and the water runs high.
Early summer
June.
- Down the Bibi River by Packraft and Bike — Matsubibi Bridge to Tappukoppu, and a Bowl of RamenJune 19
- Ride Down, Walk Up — Connecting MKT Section 3 at Bihoro Passlate June
- The Views of 2025 — Year-End Messagelate June
- Rawanbuki — Water That Grows Japan’s Largest Butterburlate June
Summer
July to August.
Autumn
September to October.
- Urban Packrafting the Toyohira River, Sapporo | A 2-Day City River Trip by Public Transitmid-September
- Paddling the Kushiro River 100km — 2026 Packraft Expedition with Tomoki KokubunSeptember
- I’ve Decided to Join the Kushiro River ExpeditionSeptember
- Packrafting the Kushiro River — A 2-Day River Trip Complete GuideOctober
- Why Paddlers Keep Coming Back to the River — Shiribetsu Fest 2024 Pre-EventOctober
Winter
December to March.
Guided tours
Packraft guided tours in Hokkaido generally run from spring to autumn. Check each article and the operator’s own site for dates.
- Packrafting in Niseko: Niseko Ukka’s Small-Group Tours on the Shiribetsu River
- Learning Packrafting for Real on the Shiribetsu River — H2O Adventure Guide Club, Niseko
- Starting and Improving at Packrafting in Furano — What Furano Trek and Packraft Offers on the Sorachi River
- A Water Journey from the Kushiro River Headwaters — Packraft Tours with Tomoki Kokubun in Eastern Hokkaido
- Packrafting on One of Hokkaido’s Clearest Rivers — Packraft Chiroro in Hidaka, Hokkaido
Field Notes
Articles that are not about guiding or gear: the origins of place names, and old records of rivers. Where there is a record of paddling the same river, it is listed alongside.
- The Name Shiribetsu — Ainu Words for Mountain River
Paddled: Chasing River Fog by Packraft in Winter Hokkaido - The Name Bibi — What “River, River” Points To
Paddled: Down the Bibi River by Packraft and Bike — Matsubibi Bridge to Tappukoppu, and a Bowl of Ramen - The Name Kushiro — What Kusuri Once Meant
Paddled: Packrafting the Kushiro River — A 2-Day River Trip Complete Guide - The Name Sorachi — A River Layered With Waterfalls
Paddled: Shisorapchi River, Minami-Furano — A Trip Report: What I’m Calling “BC Packrafting” - The Name Kussharo — A Mouth Where the Water Runs Out
Paddled: Packrafting the Kushiro River — A 2-Day River Trip Complete Guide - Rawanbuki — Water That Grows Japan’s Largest Butterbur
By Year
Every English article, by the year it was published. Older articles are left as they were, not rewritten.
2023 (6) · 2024 (7) · 2025 (14) · 2026 (125)
2023
- Chasing River Fog by Packraft in Winter HokkaidoMar 8
- My Answer to the Best Packrafting Shoe: Astral Rassler 2.0May 18
- Have You Practiced Getting Back Into Your Packraft After a Flip?Sep 16
- It Was Packrafting That Brought Me Back to the RiverSep 19
- Packrafting the Kushiro River — A 2-Day River Trip Complete GuideOct 12
- Packraft River Gear List — 13 Essentials I Actually Use in HokkaidoDec 30
2024
- Shisorapchi River, Minami-Furano — A Trip Report: What I’m Calling “BC Packrafting”Jun 17
- The Alpacka Raft Temper Assist Valve: How It Works and How to Use ItJun 20
- Keeping Your Hands Warm While Packrafting in Cold ConditionsAug 17
- Packraft Care & Maintenance: Everything You Need to KnowSep 10
- Packraft Hokkaido is Now the Japanese Distributor of Nobdody’sSep 14
- Why Paddlers Keep Coming Back to the River — Shiribetsu Fest 2024 Pre-EventOct 5
- Packraft Punctures, Damage, and What to Put in Your Field Repair KitOct 15
2025
- Packraft Spray Skirt Guide — What It Is, When You Need One, and the IR Sixmile Skirt ExplainedMar 19
- Building a River Paddling Culture with Packrafts — Supporting the First StepMar 21
- Choosing the Right Socks for PackraftingMar 29
- River Season Has Started — Time to Think About What’s NextMay 26
- Every New Packrafter in Hokkaido Multiplies the PossibilitiesJul 21
- Lotus Flower — On Gear That Actually Lifts Your SpiritAug 13
- Late Season Whitewater — Tension and Elation on an Unfamiliar RiverNov 14
- Nobdody’s Soli Fall ’25 — Where Alaska’s Wilderness Meets Paddling CultureNov 26
- Packrafting + Skiing!!Nov 29
- Packraft + α — The View That Was Waiting at the TopDec 24
- Packraft + α: The Mobility of Snow Hiking and Evolving Winter Gear SetupDec 25
- Packraft + α — Downriver with Snow Hiking Gear on BoardDec 26
- Snow Hike + α — Spring Low Water, and Still the Best CombinationDec 27
- The Views of 2025 — Year-End MessageDec 31
2026
January
- The 2026 Season Begins — Alpacka Raft’s Latest ModelsJan 3
- Packraft + α — Winter Packing StyleJan 8
- Alpacka Raft 2026 Models Now Available — Evolution ContinuesJan 15
February
- Is the AlpackaRaft Gnarwhal Good for River Touring? Why It’s Not Just a Whitewater BoatFeb 15
- AlpackaRaft Gnarwhal — The Whitewater Packraft That Makes Class III AccessibleFeb 15
- Alpacka Raft Caribou — Complete GuideFeb 19
- Should You Buy the Alpacka Raft Refuge?Feb 20
- Why the Alpacka Raft Chinook Excels on LakesFeb 25
- Alpacka Raft Chinook — Cargo Fly Deep DiveFeb 26
March
April
- Urban Packrafting the Toyohira River, Sapporo | A 2-Day City River Trip by Public TransitApr 4
- Is the Forager the Right Family Packraft? — How to Choose for River Trips with Kids and DogsApr 21
- Is the AlpackaRaft Forager Good for Hunting? — Load Capacity as a Strategic AdvantageApr 21
- AlpackaRaft Forager — Complete Guide to Alpacka’s Largest PackraftApr 21
- The Forager’s Cargo Fly and XL Loading System — Why Loading More Makes It More StableApr 22
- The Rendezvous Thwart System — Why You Can Stand Up in This PackraftApr 24
- Is the AlpackaRaft Rendezvous the Best Fishing Packraft? — The Only Model That Lets You Cast Standing UpApr 24
- AlpackaRaft Rendezvous — Complete Guide to the Fishing-Optimized Two-Person PackraftApr 24
- Packraft Chiroro Reopens for the 2026 SeasonApr 27
- Nobdody’s Sensei — The Flat-Brim Balaclava for Warm Days on the Water and the MountainApr 28
- Nobdody’s Guru — The Full Balaclava Built for Winter Paddling and Mountain UseApr 28
- Nobdody’s Soli — The Water Hat Built for Paddlers and Anglers Who Wear HelmetsApr 28
- River Station Gear Neon Magic RSG Standard Throw Bag 60′ — Bright, Fast to Throw, Fast to RepackApr 29
- River Station Gear PFD Style 45′ Throw Bag — The Throw Bag for Paddlers Who Wear Spray SkirtsApr 29
- River Station Gear GuideLaunch Waist Throw Bag 60′ — Deploy Fast, Repack Fast, Stay SafeApr 30
May
- AlpackaRaft Pack-A-Pump — The Pump Built for AlpackaRaft ValvesMay 1
- AlpackaRaft Cargo Fly Zipper-Style Inner Dry Bag — Standard Size (Set of 2)May 6
- AlpackaRaft Replacement Seat Guide — Choosing the Right Seat for Your Model and YearMay 18
- AlpackaRaft Self-Bailer and Whitewater Deck Floor System Guide — Choosing the Right Seat and Foot BraceMay 18
- AlpackaRaft Backband & Inflatable Backrest — Back Support Accessories GuideMay 18
- AlpackaRaft Thigh Strap Guide — 2-Point, 3-Point, 4-Point SystemsMay 19
- AlpackaRaft DIY Packraft Tube Patch Set — Permanent Repair Material for Packraft TubesMay 21
- AlpackaRaft Spray Deck and Spray Skirt Guide — Coaming, Ultralight Skirt, and Sixmile SkirtMay 21
- Packrafting in Niseko: Niseko Ukka’s Small-Group Tours on the Shiribetsu RiverMay 21
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Mage — Choose the Deck and Floor Configuration That Fits Your UseMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Refuge — The Only Way to Get a Refuge Now That the Standard Model is DiscontinuedMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Zephyr — Order a Zephyr with a Flatwater Spray DeckMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Chinook — Order a Chinook Without the Whitewater DeckMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Gnarwhal — Choose Your Size and Volume IndependentlyMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Caribou — Design Your Own Caribou, Built to Order in ColoradoMay 24
- AlpackaRaft Custom Lab Expedition — Design Your Own Packraft, Built to Order in ColoradoMay 24
- Furano Trek and Packraft Opens Bookings for the 2026 SeasonMay 26
June
- Starting and Improving at Packrafting in Furano — What Furano Trek and Packraft Offers on the Sorachi RiverJun 4
- Building River Skills in Niseko — Yukioibito’s Packraft, SUP, and River Rescue ProgramsJun 4
- Paddling the Kushiro River 100km — 2026 Packraft Expedition with Tomoki KokubunJun 4
- A Water Journey from the Kushiro River Headwaters — Packraft Tours with Tomoki Kokubun in Eastern HokkaidoJun 4
- Packrafting on One of Hokkaido’s Clearest Rivers — Packraft Chiroro in Hidaka, HokkaidoJun 5
- Learning Packrafting for Real on the Shiribetsu River — H2O Adventure Guide Club, NisekoJun 10
July
- Packraft Guides Can Be Certified Too — JSPA’s Guide and Instructor Recognition SystemJul 3
- Ride Down, Walk Up — Connecting MKT Section 3 at Bihoro PassJul 3
- The Governor-Certified Outdoor Guide License — Hokkaido’s Canoe and Rafting Guide Certification SystemJul 8
- Start Packrafting with Someone Who Knows RiversJul 9
- Talk Event at Patagonia Sapporo Store — Tomoki Kokubun, July 11 (Sat)Jul 9
- River Credentials — RAJ (Japan Rafting Association) River Guide CertificationJul 9
- American Packrafting Association Sets July Dates for Packraft Roundup 2026Jul 11
- American Packrafting Association Weighs In on Leash Safety While PaddlingJul 14
- American Packrafting Association Releases Video Series From Basic Strokes to River RescueJul 14
- American Packrafting Association Releases Third Be WaterWise Module on Safety and Risk JudgmentJul 16
- H2O Adventure Guide Club Breaks Down Group Rescue Basics for PackraftersJul 17
- American Packrafting Association Releases First Be WaterWise Module: Gear to River Trip PlanningJul 18
- 3 Steps Back Into the Boat, From Niseko UkkaJul 20
- International Packraft Film Festival Comes to Minamifurano, HokkaidoJul 21
- H2O Adventure Guide Club Breaks Down Throw Bag Rescue BasicsJul 22
- A Family Paddles the Arctic — Alpacka Raft’s Report from Alaska’s Arctic RefugeJul 27
- Do You Need a Cow Tail? Niseko Ukka on the Tow RopeJul 28
- Shugakuso Hosts a Packraft Test-Ride Day on the Shiribetsu RiverJul 29
- Family Packrafting Time — A Day at Lake Toya Spent Mostly Swimming on Flat WaterJul 30
- Flip Mechanics: Rocks — Niseko Ukka on the Shiribetsu RiverJul 31
August
- Two Days on the Ruby Horsethief, Colorado RiverAug 1
- Flip Mechanics: Holes — How Niseko Ukka Sizes Them UpAug 2
- Bikerafting the Shimanto River — HLC Shikoku Opens RegistrationAug 3
- The Alaska Packraft Guidebook, 2nd Edition, Coming Summer 2027Aug 4
- Furano Trek and Packraft Launches a YouTube Channel, BC FURANOAug 5
- River Knowledge Worth Knowing — Niseko Ukka on Terms and SignalsAug 6
- Understanding the Current — H2O Adventure Guide Club on 3 Basics of River RunningAug 7
- Down the Bibi River by Packraft and Bike — Matsubibi Bridge to Tappukoppu, and a Bowl of RamenAug 8
- Paddling Sandstone Canyons — A Multi-Day Trip on Utah’s Lake PowellAug 9
- Willows and Hidden Stories — 115 Miles Down the Russian River, Source to SeaAug 10
- 2025 Dogs of Packrafting Photo Contest WinnersAug 11
- Arctic Alchemy — Roman Dial Chases What’s Changing in the Brooks RangeAug 12
- New for 2026 — Flatwater Boats and Refined ClassicsAug 13
- Skills and Knowledge for Coastal Packrafting SafetyAug 14
- Conservation Tales — Protecting Patagonia’s Native FishesAug 15
- Lake Powell — A Paddle of ContrastsAug 16
- Waterproof Meets Usable — Understaffed Packraft Tests the Mindset Packs Bow BagAug 17
- The Name Shiribetsu — Ainu Words for Mountain RiverAug 18
- To Snow Lake’s Hidden Island — Cynthia & Tex’s Backpacking-Meets-Packrafting GuideAug 19
- The Name Sorachi — A River Layered With WaterfallsAug 20
- A UL Gear List for Veracruz — Understaffed Packraft’s Full KitAug 21
- The Name Kushiro — What Kusuri Once MeantAug 22
- The Name Kussharo — A Mouth Where the Water Runs OutAug 23
- A $20 Storage Bag — Understaffed Packraft’s DIY GuideAug 24
- The Name Bibi — What “River, River” Points ToAug 25
- Chasing Whitewater in Jalcomulco, Mexico — Understaffed Packraft’s Jalco FlowAug 26
- JSPA-Certified Safety & Rescue Training in Hakodate’s Onuma — H2O Adventure Guide ClubAug 27
- Five Lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness — Cynthia & Tex’s 3-Day West Fork Foss TrailAug 28
- I’ve Decided to Join the Kushiro River ExpeditionAug 29
- A First-Timer’s Bikerafting Trip — 3 Days on the Lower DeschutesAug 30
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River Expedition — A Custom Paddle or a 4-Piece?Aug 31
September
- Low and Slow — Building Whitewater Skills When the Water DropsSep 1
- Flying to Kushiro — Where to Get a Gas Cartridge Once You’re ThereSep 2
- Kayakimün — A Union of Strength and Identities on the Biobío RiverSep 3
- The Start of a Veracruz Expedition — Understaffed Packraft’s Mexico 2.0Sep 5
- Packrafting, Then and Now — A Longtime User Looks BackSep 7
- AlpackaRaft Expedition — The Complete Guide: Features, Sizing, Weaknesses, and Buying VerdictSep 8
- AlpackaRaft Oasis Bucket — A Foldable Water-Carrying BucketSep 8
- Pete McBride’s New Book, The Colorado River: Chasing WaterSep 9
- Alpacka Raft Zephyr — Complete Guide: Travel, FlatwaterSep 9
- Alpacka Raft Scout — Complete Guide: What the Weight Buys You, Who It Suits, and Where It ExcelsSep 9
- Alpacka Raft Mule — Complete Guide: Load Capacity, Fabric Choice, and Paddling With DogsSep 9
- Alpacka Raft Gnarwhal — Complete Guide: Real-World Capability, Sizing, and Staying WarmSep 9
- Alpacka Raft Mage — Complete Guide: Design, Fit, Sizing, and Field SuitabilitySep 9
- Clean, Drain, Dry — Boat Care That Protects Our WatersSep 10
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River Expedition — Moving to a 20000mAh BatterySep 11
- Bikerafting Iceland’s South Coast With Chris BurkardSep 12
- Hokkaido’s Shisorapuchi River — A Day of Packrafting, From TRAILS’ Packraft Addict #78Sep 13
- Gearing Up for the Kushiro River 100km Packraft Expedition — Settling on Two Pairs of ShoesSep 14
- AlpackaRaft Model Comparison — Complete GuideSep 15
- Packraft Inflation: Bag or Electric PumpSep 15
- Alpacka Raft Refuge — Complete Guide: Lightweight Whitewater, Custom Lab OnlySep 16
- AlpackaRaft Accessory Guide — Storage, Seats, Inflation, and MaintenanceSep 16
- Rawanbuki — Water That Grows Japan’s Largest ButterburSep 16
- Rolling Up Your Packraft, a Tutorial (Alpacka Raft Official Blog)Sep 18
- Packrafting Overnight — What to Add for a River Trip in HokkaidoSep 25
- “The Care of Rivers Is Not a Question of Rivers” — Tanaka Shōzō, the APA, and Packrafting in JapanSep 26