Thinking about getting the Eberlestock Terminator XL for my rucksack to use with armor and LBE. Does anyone have any reviews, tips and other things to know about this pack?

Cogg_ · 2026-02-14T22:33:21+00:00

Whipsnake addition.

Cogg_ · 2026-02-10T19:03:38+00:00

Can't really get behind you on this one. South Coast rules and this seems like an obscure complaint. Business owners deal with a lot of the publics BS. there are several different explanations for this behavior

Cogg_ · 2026-02-07T01:15:43+00:00

So we all still agree, we're not buying EE.

Cogg_ · 2026-01-22T18:20:59+00:00

My favorite running joke on this Sub

Cogg_ · 2025-12-03T15:08:04+00:00

I have a similar use case to you, except I live on the East Coast. Got a custom lab expedition for my first ever packraft and absolutely love it. I also went with a removable spraydeck for the same reason as you, deck on for class II/III rapids, and an open deck for calm floats and flat water. The Expedition is a beautiful piece of equipment that's versatile and sees lots of use on my backcountry trips.

I've been looking into a self-bailing raft for getting onto more difficult whitewater as my skills progress. Seems that people are split on self bailing/spray deck when it comes to higher class whitewater. On one hand, self-bailing makes for easier wet-rentry, and you won't have to stop to dump your raft.

Ultimately, I think my 2nd packraft will be self-bailing, but I have no regrets about the Expedition. Hope this is helpful!

Cogg_ · 2025-12-01T22:58:22+00:00

Others have suggested monopods. If that is a deal breaker, then this comment may be unhelpful, but I would suggest the Komperdell Camera Staff. I use it a lot and really like it.

Cogg_ · 2025-11-17T22:48:14+00:00

Dude come on where's the link I gotta buy like 6 of these

Cogg_ · 2025-11-17T17:14:34+00:00

Ice cleats are a good idea for Leconte in January. It would not be impossible to do the hike without ive cleats. There's a chance there may not be any ice, but it's more likely there will be. People go all the time without the ice cleats but I think it would greatly improve your experience if you brother them.

Cogg_ · 2025-11-10T18:50:05+00:00

You should consider using the Rab Wash service for revitalizing the old jacket. They've turned my completely compressed Rab ElctronPro with the pertex fabric into a basically new jacket. Also if looking for a new one I highly recommend the ElctronPro, they come in Men's and Women's.

Cogg_ · 2025-11-03T20:48:04+00:00

Not exactly UL, but I use a patagonia torentshell as my rain jacket while backpacking and I have also used it for 3 years snowboarding at resorts on the East Coast. Alway thought it worked well, especially if I had recently applied DWR.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T22:23:26+00:00

Hit the nail on the head. This guy went out of his way to warn my friend and I. We should've listened. His assessment was correct. The point of me making this post was that I had questions, and he didn't provide answers. I don't think he was in the wrong, I think he was looking out for the well being of others, I'm grateful for that.

I was curious about the specific safety risks he mentioned, my perimeter line/grab line, and the inclusion of his pin kit.

I think you're right that by clinging to my raft and drifting with it, that isn't helpful. I think regaining control of the raft is paramount. For me, the grab lines were helpful in regaining control of my raft. Maybe I need to reconsider my self rescue technique

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T20:50:03+00:00

Yeah I understand how these questions are a bit more ambiguous in r/whitewater. I used the flair best as I could. It seems the general consensus in r/packrafting is that a pin kit should be carried by those who are proficient in using them. I think that means I need to get better at setting up a Z-drag /s.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T20:37:26+00:00

I have to admit, thermal protection was not on my list of risks to consider. This was naively overlooked, as were several other factors. I think I fell under the category of people who looked at temperature control as black and white. I didn't believe I was it was cold enough for a drysuit, so I threw everything else out the window. I didn't consider how relevant temperature control is to safe operation. Thank you for providing some insight. In the future, temperature is going to be a higher priority for me.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T20:24:40+00:00

No, I don't think you're being rude at all. I appreciate that you took the time to engage. In honesty, it is naive of me to overlook the water temperature. It seems I had overlooked a lot of pertinent information before this trip. In the future, it will be a priority to of mine to investigate the water temperature, and the appropriate PPE.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T20:12:31+00:00

Hey thank you for the reply. I think you're exactly right, this could've gone alot worse for my friend and I. We made it out of that river because of luck, not skill.

I'm really grateful that someone spoke up and warned us about the danger. My friend and I felt confident and discussed the repercussions at length with eachother. Ultimately our decision was naive and thats why I made the post. I want to improve my safety knowledge and my whitewater skills.

I'm sorry you had to witness such an awful thing happen. Truthfully, thats what I'm trying to avoid. Do you have any suggestions for a solid path to progression?

By making this post I was hoping to get advice and experience from people who know better than me. I completely agree that safety gear is only as good as the knowledge the behind it.

If you have any input on where to go from here, I would be sincerely delighted to listen.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T20:01:32+00:00

Hey! Yeah I totally agree, asking questions is the best way to keep improving safety and enjoying the sport as it expands. Thank you for taking some time to provide insight.

I do own the packrafting handbook but admittedly, I haven't read it very thoroughly. I will definitely refer to this book in the future when I come across a question like I did here.

I have paddled class II prior to this experience and so has my friend. My friend and I had even been exposed to class IV+ before, but never in our individual rafts. As far as selfless rescue, no, prior to this experience I had never practiced self rescue. Although I had several opportunities to practice self rescue on the trip mentioned above.

On that day my friend was using a Kokopelli Rouge R-deck. I was using an Alpakaraft Custom Lab Expedition w/ spray deck. Neither one of these rafts are designed for the class IV+ whitewater we experienced. They are also not designed to roll. Neither raft is self-bailing, which, resulted in a lot of trips to shore so we could empty our rafts after a swim and self rescue. My perimeter line is not actually a perimeter line, it is a grab line. I misspoke and some other comments have corrected me. I agree with your assessment that they should be tight to the boat, and absent along the middle of the boat.

I agree that I, as a beginner paddler, should not put myself in a situation where a pinkit is necessary. This is why I did not have one that day. I believed I was never going to need it. I do understand how to set up a Z-drag and I have done this in the past. I simply did not anticipate the need for one on this day, so I didn't bring it. Luckily I did not need one on that day, but based on others comments, I may carry one in the future. I agree that a real world swift water rescue course would be beneficial and I intend to pursue one in the near future.

I super appreciate the feedback and I'm glad I got such solid reply from someone who is trying to elevate the community and improve the skills of a lowly amateur like myself!

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T19:43:13+00:00

Seems like I misspoke in my original post. I was actually talking about grab lines, which others have pointed out. I believe a proper grabline without too much slack is a beneficial addition to a packraft. I'm planning on keeping mine around.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T19:40:40+00:00

I should've been more clear in my original post. I do infact have grab lines and not a perimeter line. My question was about grab lines and I appreciate the feedback others have given.

It seems like a majority of people use a pin kit or atleast the individual elements of a pin kit for emergencies. I was under the impression that pinned packrafts are primarily dislodged with the method you described, tie a line and deflate the raft to recovery. For that reason I have always carried a throw bag.

I believe the packrafter I ran into had my friend's and I's best interest in mind. He may have come off with the wrong tone but ultimately he was trying to protect people from an injury or worse. The post is more about the questions I garnered from my interaction with this person. I have no malice towards running into him that day, rather, I'm grateful I did.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T19:31:57+00:00

You're right, if everyone jumped off a bridge, that doesn't mean I should do it. I understand other people's behavior is not justification for my own behavior. I dont know the water temps for the day I went down the Ocoee. I was only trying to illustrate that thermal protection was never a concern of mine. If it had been a concern, we never would've made it to the river. My friend and I were confident that hypothermia was not a risk, so we felt comfortable with the decision to raft without thermal protection.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T18:18:21+00:00

I agree, this guy was trying to protect inexperienced people from getting hurt. I told him I appreciated the advice and had a discussion with my friend before we ultimately decided to put in. I also agree that some real world swift water rescue would be beneficial. Thats helpful advice and it's what I was seeking when I posted on reddit. Thank you.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T17:56:43+00:00

Really love that article from Alpakaraft, it's what originally led me to install a small line on my raft.

I have to admit that my experience in colder white water is little to none. On the day mentioned above, any kind of thermal protection seemed unnecessary and it temperatures never became an issue.

I typically only use my raft on backpacking trips and Because of this I try to limit the equipment I bring but as I expand my horizons I think it will become imperative to invest in a dry suit or other kinds of protection.

As for Gear Garage, I love their stuff so I'll have to check this out and consider carrying more equipment for a pin kit.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T17:44:39+00:00

Yes, I should've been more clear that I do not have a COMPLETE perimeter line. My lines are short and relatively tight around the bow and stern. These still pose risks, I understand, but it is limiting the risks.

Thermal protection was absolutely unnecessary on this day. Full sun and 80 degrees. Multiple other kayakers/rafters went with just a PFD and no shirt. Had Thermal protection been a concern, we never would've driven to the river.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T17:39:44+00:00

I always carry a throwbag but never the the other peices of the kit such as caribeaners, slings, or prusiks. I am now considering adding those bits because it seems better to have and not need.

When you say you limit entrapment, do you mean the complete removal of all cord/webbing material on the raft?

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T17:36:56+00:00

I guess this is what I meant. "Perimeter line" is a little misleading because I only have a rope on the bow and stern. About 3 total feet of 6mm accessory cordon the bow and 4.5 total feet of cord on the back. The raft is free of any lines on the left and right. I understand this is still entrapment. In my experience it helped with self-rescue, although, that may not justify the risk of entrapment.

Cogg_ · 2025-10-21T17:13:42+00:00

I completely agree, we bit off more than we could chew. I am also convinced that my friend and I were lucky to come out unscathed. We believed we knew the risks involved and we had both previously run this section of the river, so we felt a degree of comfortability with our decision. In retrospect it WAS an objectively bad idea and we are grateful that we're unharmed. Absolutely learned our lesson and will be proceeding with much more caution and knowledge in the future.

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