Hi Carl, I have been paddling a packraft for the past 2 years and almost all of my whitewater paddling has been in one. Part of the appeal for me was from being in a similar situation with not much space for storage as well as an interest in trips that combine paddling with hiking/backpacking. I have been very happy with my boat and the easy transport and storage is great for my situation. I would recommend a model with thigh straps, and potentially a TiZip if you think you might have a use case where being able to store gear inside the boat would be helpful. My boat is from Alpacka, but I don't have experience paddling any other brands/models. I'm happy to answer any other questions you have about my experience as well.