You don’t even have to be ten years old to set off down the Vltava in a packraft. On your own, that is – by yourself in the boat. But how do you go about it?

A bit of preparation never goes amiss

I certainly wouldn’t recommend becoming a marksman, putting a child in a boat at the first opportunity and letting them drift downstream, or throwing them into the weir’s current.

We took a gradual approach. So, first of all, plenty of time on the rafts, whilst the young paddler gets to grips with what a flowing river actually entails.

And then a few paddling sessions on calm water, because without some basic paddling technique and the ability to manoeuvre the boat – such as turning left, turning right, stopping at the bank and crossing the current – I wouldn’t let my son into a single kayak, not even on the gently flowing Vltava. You also need a bit of physical stamina for paddling, because no matter how light the paddle is, your arms are bound to ache in the end.

Flat water training

Which packraft should you choose for a child?

Because children have short arms, they find it a bit harder to paddle a packraft than a kayak. The tubes are, after all, wide, making it harder to reach the water with the paddle. However, these drawbacks are more than made up for by the boat’s stability and manoeuvrability.

In any case, I’d recommend one of the models with slimmer tubes. They’re brilliant for ultralight use Backpacker, or any packraft with a kayak-style cut – Eddy, Eddy SB or Eddy HC.

If you have your boat custom-shortened, an internal length of 125 cm will, of course, be too long for a young paddler, but that’s not a problem. Any boat can easily be shortened by adding an inflatable footrest and EVA backrest, it’s no problem to adjust a packraft to fit a child perfectly.

For our first trip, we took the Ultima Eddy packraft. We just left the spray skirt at home – you really don’t need it on the Vltava.

Choosing a paddle

The answer here is simple. As light as possible. And ideally with a smaller rod diameter to suit small hands. We often take TNP Jago 2 pieced.

To the Vltava River below Koruna

For our first trip, we chose our local spot on the Vltava below Koruna. We’ll leave the car up above Dívčí Kámen by the train station, take the train one stop to Plešovice, and then head straight for the water. The little packrafter will, of course, carry his own boat down to the water without any trouble. He’ll inflate it himself, set it up, and he’s ready to go.

Luck is on our side – the Vltava is very full today and flowing brilliantly – someone’s turned on the tap at Lipno.

To start with, he’ll run the hose over a few more times, then we’ll stop at the turnaround and get going.

Admittedly, for the first few minutes, Honzík is a bit daunted by the water, which is flowing rather briskly by Vltava standards, but that fear quickly fades and by the time we reach U Rohana he’s paddling like a seasoned canoeist. Sandwiches and lemonade are a must, and off we go downstream. Round the rocks and through the swaying rapids, further and further.

Comments about “extreme fun” and that “it’s better than doing it as a couple” and “that she can do whatever she likes” only serve to confirm that nine years is certainly not too early. Perhaps, on the contrary, it’s too late. It’s hard to say.

The Vltava below Koruna is the most beautiful anyway

Small rapids will delight a child’s heart

I’ve got some basic paddling technique, but it still doesn’t hold properly sometimes…

A relaxing time on the Vltava

At Dívčák, just dry off the boats, pop them in your rucksack and follow the lovely red-marked trail back to the car. Hiking with the boat in your rucksack is, of course, all part of the fun. It just wouldn’t be the same without it…

Stay Wild, Be Free