2016 Packraft Roundup Details

Welcome to the 2016 APA Packraft Roundup! We are looking forward to getting to know you, and sharing some fun times with packrafts in less than two weeks! This email contains the important details you need to make your Roundup planning and experience seamless.

Basecamp
Our base for the Roundup is group campsites C and D at the Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton National Park on July 8, 9, and 10. Click for Google map and directions. You do NOT need to stop or pay at the campground host upon arrival; camping is included in your cost-sharing registration fee. The sites accommodate tents, cars, camper tents, tent trailers, and up to six RVs, but there are no individual electrical or water hookups. (If you will be traveling in an RV, and haven't already let us know, please email us at info@packraft.org and we will save you one of six RV sites.) When you arrive, feel free to pick a place to park your vehicle and set up your tent(s) in either site C or D. If you arrive late, try to squeeze in as best you can, and everyone else will do their best to make room!

Schedule
Please review and print the 2016 Roundup Schedule and 2016 Roundup Agenda. The Schedule is a timeline of events and activities, and the Agenda provides a timeline with descriptions and instructions. These two documents will be your guides for the Roundup.

Check-In
After you claim a campsite, please send everyone in your party over to Site D to check-in. At this time, we will collect your ACA release forms, sign you up for group outings, and distribute free raffle tickets to win an array of prizes from our awesome sponsors. Even if you arrive after 9:30, please head over to the Check-in table at Site D to see a posted roster where we’ve placed you for the outings in the morning, and what time your outing leaves. Make sure to check-in the next morning before your group leaves!

Safety
Safety is our number one priority. Everyone is expected to do their part to create a safe environment for all. Please arrive prepared, exercise good judgment, and review our Roundup Safety Checklist for a complete list of expectations. Click here for a list of emergency phone numbers.

GTNP Boating Permit
Many of our organized outings occur outside of Grand Teton National Park and no special permit is required. However, if you intend to join a Roundup outing inside the Park, or float rivers or lakes in Grand Teton National Park after the Roundup, you will need to purchase a $10 boating permit sticker at the GTNP Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming. Please do this before the Roundup begins if you are planning to join an outing inside the Park. If you aren't able to purchase your permit in advance, please let your outing leader know, and extra time will be allotted during the morning of your outing. Affix the sticker to the port stern (left rear) of your packraft. Please familiarize yourself with GTNP boating regulations before arriving.

Aquatic Invasive Species Inspection
Wyoming State Law requires all watercraft entering Wyoming to be inspected for aquatic invasive species (AIS). As you enter the State, please stop at one of the inspection stations for this quick, free, and painless inspection that is critical for the protection of this region's pristine waters. Click here for a statewide listing of inspection locations and regulations. If you arrive into Wyoming after inspection stations are closed, Wyoming Game & Fish will also be sending an inspector to the Roundup on Saturday morning for last-minute inspections. In addition to State-required inspections, all watercraft must be inspected each time it enters Grand Teton National Park. After your inspection, NPS AIS inspectors will issue documentation that you must carry during outings in Grand Teton National Park. Click here for a map of GTNP AIS Inspection Stations.

Outings
APA will be offering group outings on Saturday and Sunday tailored to participant packrafting ability/experience. There also will be outings for kids, and a women-only outing. Each participant may participate in one group outing per day. Please familiarize yourself with the 2016 Roundup Outings, so that you can sign-up quickly at our Check-In desk when you arrive on Friday. Outing space is limited, so please make a note of at least four desired outings per each person, in case your top two choices are full when you check-in. Outings will be led by a local paddler with swiftwater rescue training and an advanced co-leader. Groups will meet at 8:15pm on Friday evening and 9:15pm on Saturday to plan for the next day's outing, which will depart basecamp early on Saturday and Sunday, and return to basecamp by 5:00pm each day. If you are planning to arrive at basecamp after our Check-in hours (4-9:30pm Friday), but still would like to participate in a group outing on Saturday and/or Sunday, please let us know at info@packraft.org, and we will try to accommodate you.

Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker for the 2016 Roundup will be 2011 Golden Paddle Award winner Luc Mehl, a packrafter that embodies the modern Alaskan adventurer: multi-sport and media-savvy. Luc's expeditions up and over Denali, Mt. Logan, Fairweather, and the Cook Inlet skyline included skis, boots, bikes, packrafts, ice-axes, and whole tribes of friends. Luc will be leading a skills clinic entitled "Running Rivers Feature to Feature” in Snake River Canyon on Sunday during the Roundup. For more info on Luc's presentation, please see the 2016 Roundup Agenda.

Clinics
Thor and Sarah Tingey from Alpacka Raft and Mark Oates will be offering back-to-back clinics between 5:30-7:00pm on Friday July 8. The Tingeys will offer a boat repair seminar where you will learn everything you've ever wanted to know about Tyvek and patch repair. Mark Oates is an outdoor leader from Tasmania who has mastered the art of retrofitting packrafts with self-bailing floors. Check out the 2016 Roundup Agenda for more details.

Saturday Night BBQ
Dinner is on us at 6:30pm on Saturday, July 9! The menu includes pulled pork sandwiches, veggie burgers, hot dogs, and some tasty side dishes (the pulled pork and one side will be gluten-free & dairy free). Please bring your own plate and utensils. We will have a bucket line of wash and rinse water for clean-up.

Raffle
One free raffle ticket will be distributed to each Roundup participant at Check-in. Prizes include a variety of items: caps, shirts, swiftwater safety courses, gift certificates, daypacks, and more. If you would like to purchase additional raffle tickets, please purchase them in advance at the APA Store and we will distribute them at the Roundup. Due to Park regulations, additional tickets will not be available for purchase at the Roundup.

Gear Swap
The officially sanctioned APA Gear Swap for the 2016 Packraft Roundup has been canceled. Exchanging goods/funds inside GTNP without a concessions permit is against Park regulations.

Silent Auction
Many manufacturers have donated equipment to be auctioned in conjunction with this year’s Roundup...including boats, backpacks, and much more! More information to follow.

Film Festival
On Sunday evening, July 10, at 8:30pm, the Roundup will host our first ever annual Packraft Film Festival. A half-dozen short videos have been selected from submissions over the last few months.

2016 Roundup T-Shirts
Yes! We will have T-shirts to commemorate the 2016 Roundup. However, Park regulations dictate that we cannot sell them onsite. Please order them in advance at the APA Store, and we will have them waiting for you at Roundup Check-in. No shipping is available prior to the Roundup, but we will be happy to ship them if you order online after the Roundup.

Recommended Equipment
-packraft (rentals will not be available at the Roundup)
-inflation bag for backcountry outings
-hand pump or electric pump for roadside put-ins
-paddle (2 or 4pc breakdown paddle is best)
-paddling helmet (bicycling or climbing helmets are not allowed by our ACA insurance) 
-PFD (Type III)
-river throw rope
-paddling-specific safety/rescue knife and whistle
-backpack that will fit all of your packrafting gear
-hiking clothes (gloves, hat, rain gear, warm layers, socks, undies)
-paddling clothes (full drysuit or wetsuit, neoprene socks/gloves)
-dry bags (to keep extra clothing and equipment dry during outings)
-hiking/paddling shoes
-camp shoes
-camp clothes
-sun protection
-mosquito protection (repellent, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, headnet, hat, and buff)
-car camping equipment (camper, chairs, tent, sleeping bags/pads)
-car cooking and eating equipment
-food and beverages (APA is providing dinner on Sat. night, July 9)
-pepper spray bear repellent (optional)
-cell phone, charging cable, and portable charging battery (optional)
-if you forgot something, click here for a list of local businesses

Please let us know if you have any additional general questions at info@packraft.org. For registration and payment questions, contact David Nix at david.austin.nix@gmail.com or (385) 831-3682. We wish every Roundup participant safe travels and look forward to seeing everyone on July 8 or thereabouts.

APA Roundup Committee
Julia Yanker, Theresa Lundquist, Dick Stout, David Nix, and Thomas Turiano