Packraft-Specific Rescue Training | Denali, AK May 30 – June 1, 2026

A leader in the packraft industry, SSI has been offering packraft specific rescue training for over a decade. While others race to figure out how to best teach this evolving skill, we have years of experience and refinement with regard to our tailored curriculum.

WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR:

• Commercial Packraft Guides
• Special Operations
• NPS , BLM, USFS
• Recreational Paddlers looking to achieve a higher standard of training than the 2-day course provides

PACKRAFT COURSE PREREQUISITES:

1. A desire to learn
2. Packraft, paddle, and all associated boating gear necessary to travel downstream
3. Proficient swimmer
4. Physically capable
5. All of the listed PPE
6. Meet all of the Essential Eligibility Criteria 

ONLINE MODULE: Yes, 2hr required online training

MINIMUM AGE: 16 with parental consent – 15 with a parent participating

CERTIFICATION: Up to 3 years

COURSE FORMAT: 3 day PSRT course with 2 hours of online training prior to start date. 8 hours each day of in-field training. Total class length: 26hrs.

WHEN: May 30 – June 1, 2026

WHERE: Denali Village, AK

FIELD SITE: Nenana River

INSTRUCTOR: Kyle Milne

GEAR FOR THIS COURSE:

Drysuits Required
The welcome packet details the gear you will need for this course. As an SSI student, you get access to student pricing in the SSI Gear Shop! Once you register you’ll have access to the shop through your SSI account.

ABOUT THIS COURSE:
Using the PRO-I as a platform, this packraft specific rescue training teaches techniques and principles with regard to limited resources in a wilderness setting using a packraft as a rescue craft, or a means of either primary or secondary travel. This course will meet the needs of professionals who find themselves using packrafts as a means of downriver travel or to access gear or personnel in difficult situations. This course is designed for commercial packraft guides, backcountry rangers, U.S. border patrol, and special operations teams that may find themselves in remote areas where risk management is critical. Recreational enthusiasts are also welcome.

Topics include equipment, swimming and self-rescue, boat control, hydrology, throw ropes, entrapment, safety boats, knots, anchors, and rope systems. An effort is made to cover each topic but water levels, weather, and other elements may make some skills unworkable.