Nick

Nick is from a military background and loves a bit of kit. He was a keen bikepacker before he turned to bikerafting, and now watercourses are no longer a barrier for him. See what Nick has to say on how he uses his MRS packraft.

I’m currently a professional Photographer in the Armed Forces and living on the West Coast of Scotland with my Wife Karen-Anne. I started cycling in my 40’s as a way of keeping fit, as my knees couldn’t take much more running, and bought a hardtail to commute and started exploring the local areas.  

Over the years I gravitated to road racing but returned to the dirt to combine my passions of the outdoors, cycling and photography by taking up bike packing. The network of forestry tracks, drovers, old military roads and single tracks allow a multitude of route options over multiple days.  

Since the purchase of a packraft, the surrounding lochs, rivers and coastal water no longer present themselves as a barrier, but only to further my adventures. In the summer months I use a tent but in the winter I like to use bothys or hostels for my overnight trips.  

Scotland offers riding on every type of terrain and with the right to roam, offer the perfect ingredients for all year-round adventures. 

I use an MRS Microraft L for all my bike rafting trips and have the custom colour option with TIZIP. The Microraft has a removable cruiser deck which allows for multiple options depending on weather conditions. Once the deck is removed for the warmer days, the raft packs down even smaller. This makes for a true all year-round solution and with the option of different sizes means that I could pick a raft that would still allow for a full paddle stroke even with the bike attached. The raised seat with a narrow profile makes the raft responsive and quicker than other wedge-shaped rafts.