Rethinking “Perimeter Lines” on Packrafts

Are Perimeter Lines Necessary?

Securing anything to your packraft introduces a safety hazard, which is why many in the boating community are embracing the clean line principle. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned paddler, rethinking your packraft grab line setup is essential for maximizing safety and minimizing risks.

I have heard the argument that it’s safer to adhere to this principle and delete all lines on a packraft. In my experience, if you use appropriate material and install it properly, they are clearly more of an asset than a liability. However, I frequently see packrafts rigged with thin rope that sacrifices comfort, strength, and functionality. This post is a challenge to those setups and a call to rethink your rigging choices, particularly the use of cord less than 6mm in diameter, which I think is inappropriate and not worth the risk. Packrafters often prioritize lightweight gear, but there’s a fine line between “ultralight” and “stupid light” as Andrew Skurka has pointed out (read more here). I will also address the practice of installing tails, and make a case that different material is ideal for tails than for the bow and stern lines. 

The Role of Grab Lines: Three Key Functions for Packrafters

According to Dan Thurber, on packrafts we install grab lines, not perimeter lines. Line should not run along the sides of the boat, where we need clear access for self rescue and paddle strokes. I’ll use that nomenclature for the duration of this post. They have three purposes: 1) Something for swimmers to grab onto when in the water, whether that be their own boat or someone else’s, 2) A handle to use while passing boats on a technical portage and 3) A handle for someone on shore to grab to help a boater into an micro eddy or to help them in and out of their boat.


Material Matters: Choosing the Best Grab Line for Your Packraft


I strongly prefer flat (not tubular) webbing over rope for grab lines. Rope works, but I think anything under 6mm is totally inappropriate.

Here’s why:

• • Grip:  Webbing’s flat surface distributes pressure evenly, providing a comfortable and secure grip. Thin cord digs into your hands, especially under tension, making it painful or impossible to hold during an emergency. Even 6mm rope can be difficult to hold onto, which is why some rescue professionals recommend 8mm at a minimum for throw rope. 

• • Strength: Paracord and thin rope can lack the breaking strength required to extricate a pinned boat. While the grab line may not be the preferred thing to clip to for this task, why have anything on the boat that isn’t strong enough. Additionally thin cord may be more likely to saw through a webbing attachment point. The webbing I recommend has breaking strength of around 2000 lbs, is strong enough for most situations.

• • Versatility: We already carry rope, and webbing can be removed in certain rescue situations to provide additional functionality. For example, it can be used to fashion a Z-drag line to free a pinned boat, and has a variety of wilderness first aid uses such as making a sling. 

• • Portage and Functionality: Rope is harder to grab and awkward to handle when lifting or carrying a heavy loaded boat. Webbing provides a practical, easy-to-grab solution, simplifying challenging portages.

• • Visibility and Rescues: Webbing is available in a variety of bright colors that can contrast  with your boat, allowing paddlers to locate and grab the line quickly. Wider webbing is more noticeable than rope, which enhances safety in swift water or low-visibility conditions. For example, I use neon green webbing on my red boat. In a rescue, shouting, “Grab the green rope!” is far clearer and more actionable for a disoriented swimmer than saying, “Grab on!”

• • Bulk: Webbing grab lines allow me to roll my packraft into a smaller package when packing it into my backpack.

The lightest webbing that adds these benefits is heavy-duty, non-tubular nylon webbing, at least 1.8mm thick and ⅝ inches wide, with a breaking strength of 2000 lbs. Choose a heavily contrasting color for visibility. Here’s what I use: Amazon Link. Polypropylene webbing is cheaper and lighter, but much less strong, and its chief advantage of floating isn’t relevant when used for a grab line. Because it floats, it’s the best option if you add a tail to your packraft, which we will return to later. 

If you prefer rope for some reason, leave me a comment and explain why. I can’t see any advantages. If you are going to use rope, it should be at least as thick as a throw rope, 6.5mm/ or ¼” at the smallest.  

Proper Grab Line Installation for Packrafts

The bow grab line should be nice and tight. A loose line increases the risk for entrapment. The stern line should be as short/tight as possible while still allowing access to the tizip.  Use a water knot to secure flat webbing, tightening it methodically to remove slack. You can also choose to secure the line to the intermediate lash tabs, which Dan Thurber recommends:

I like a knot on each tab for two reasons: First, it reduces the total amount of slack that can make a big loop by shortening the effective length of the line to just the distance between two tabs.  Second, it adds redundancy in case one of the tabs fails.  This is a pretty fringe scenario, but is plausible on older boats with lots of sun exposure.

The disadvantage of this is that if there is a snag on the far side of the line, you need to access that section, as opposed to being able to cut the grab line anywhere on it’s length. 

Packraft Tails: Maximizing Benefits While Minimizing Risks

Packraft tails are even more controversial than grab lines. Here’s my preference for tails:

• • Material: I like polypropylene webbing that is wide enough to hold onto in a high visibility color. The whole point of the tail is to assist me in retrieving the boat if it gets away from you, so why use material that sinks and is hard to hold onto?

• • Safety Considerations: Avoid knots, because they can get pinched between rocks, and ensure the tail is short enough to prevent entanglement. They have been known to wrap around a paddler’s neck, limb, or paddle.

• • Environmental Risks: Tails can be hazardous in environments with wood or debris in the water, or even overhanging branches if the boat gets flipped up in a river feature.

• • Group Dynamics: Tails may be more appropriate in high-water situations where a loose boat could lead to a flush drowning, or in open water boating – any situation in which separation from the boat is a significant risk that outweighs the downside risks of a tail. Discuss their use with the group, considering the specific paddling conditions.
    
    

Final Thoughts on Packraft Grab Lines and Safety

When setting up your grab lines, remember that your rigging affects not only your safety but also that of your group. Discuss options with your paddling partners to ensure everyone’s equipment meets the team’s needs for the current objective. If someone has questions or critique of the way you have set up your boat, be curious and receptive as this is a group issue.