A story about a trip to Sichuan Province, China to start playing pack crafts [Part 2: Interview with MRS Founder]

Last time, we reported on what led us to visit the packraft manufacturer MRS and what our visit to China was like

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This time, we will finally be sharing our interview with MRS founder and designer, Mr. Luo

The location was a room in the MRS office on the outskirts of Chengdu. The room, which is also connected to the showroom, was lined with packrafts and related accessories made by MRS, and on the walls you could see the development of packrafting in China, making it a room where you could truly experience the "past and present" of packrafting in China

Reception area in the MRS office

Childhood outdoor experiences and encounter with packrafts

First of all, how did a world-class, high-quality, authentic packraft manufacturer emerge in China, a so-called outdoor-developing country? First of all, I couldn't help but ask about the origins of his involvement with the outdoors. What was Mr. Luo's childhood like?

When I was a child, my father, who was a teacher, often took me to play outside

Of course, the word "outdoors" didn't exist back then, and there wasn't really any specific term for the activities we were doing. What I remember is that my family and I would get on long-distance buses without deciding on a destination, and we'd get off at any stop that appealed to us, thinking, "This station name looks nice, so let's go there today." My dad himself usually had no idea where we were. From there, we'd follow our curiosity and explore the area. If we got tired, we'd walk barefoot, or visit local farmers and they'd treat us to a meal. We'd turn the surrounding countryside into our adventure field, and we'd play almost every week

All my other friends were attending cram schools, so looking back, I think I may have had a different childhood than other people

I think this experience not only taught me the value of nature, but also helped me grow as a person. Everywhere I went, I naturally met new people and had all kinds of conversations with them. Thanks to that, I no longer felt uncomfortable communicating with others, and it helped me develop the skills to get along with people, or in other words, adaptability in a broad sense

Do you have any memories from your childhood of water sports that are connected to your current packraft-making?

One of the things I used to do a lot as a hobby from the age of 5 or 6 was rowing a boat. I think it was a canoe at the time

My dad was very good at negotiating, and had great communication skills. Of course, we didn't have our own canoe back then, so if we wanted to canoe, we had to rent one, but obviously it wasn't cheap enough to allow us to canoe as much as we wanted. At times like that, my dad would say things like, "It looks like there are plenty of customers now, and when other people see we're having fun, they'll want to join in and attract more customers. That would be good advertising, so can we use it for free?" and he would negotiate well and let us rent it for free!

It was only a small anecdote, but looking back now, I feel like it was through experiences like this that I learned firsthand, even as a child, that "possibilities are limitless." I think it was these experiences that nurtured my personality: even if there are no rails in front of you, no map, or no precedent, if you have a desire to do something, you should just try it; if you have a desire to create something, you should try it

The impetus for developing packrafts

When and why did Mr. Luo, who grew up only playing from a young age, decide to make his own packraft? The origins of packraft making came from his own ingenuity while playing

So, playing in nature has always been a part of my daily life, and the reason I decided to make one myself was because of a sudden desire to somehow make the boats (kayaks at the time) I used for fun more user-friendly. Of course, I was working at the time, so I had no ambition to turn this into a business

That's why I completely disregarded cost and tried to make what I would most want to use. I also used the best materials available at the time for parts. I was very happy with the boat I made, but even more so, my friends liked it, and I started making boats for them too

Before long, I began researching not only kayaks but also various other styles of boats, and before I knew it, I was turning my attention to packrafts among the various paddle sports. I thought that the TPU material, which is lightweight, easy to use, and resistant to damage even in cold regions, would be ideal for playing on the rivers of China, especially Sichuan

At the time, the packraft market in China lacked any satisfactory domestic manufacturers or products (this is still largely unchanged today), and most products were imported from overseas, with no hope of after-sales service. Given these circumstances, I had no choice but to improve or make the things I wanted myself. Of course, at first I took inspiration from products by Alpacka Raft, a top manufacturer that is still respected today. However, I aimed for products that would fit us better in every detail, such as sizes that were more suited to Asian physiques and a softer design, and I began the challenge of making new packrafts from scratch as a business

Product Commitment

There are said to be over ten packraft manufacturers in China. However, most of them produce cheap imitation products, and there are few manufacturers like MRS that are committed to quality and originality and can produce "genuine" products that can compete with overseas brands. What makes MRS packrafts different from other manufacturers?

There was deep insight that only Luo, a true outdoor enthusiast with many years of production experience under his belt, could have

The most important thing about MRS products, or what we "pay special attention to," can be summed up in one word: balance. The performance and quality of a packraft are a complex combination of various elements, such as lightness, durability, stability, straight-line stability, maneuverability, and ease of use, that make up a single product. The most important and difficult aspect is how to achieve a balance between these elements in the final product, in accordance with diverse needs and concepts. Simply collecting popular elements and combining them into one will never result in a good product. We sometimes refer to products from other brands, but even then, it's not just about incorporating the good parts; it's important to consider how to utilize them within the balance of MRS

Another important aspect is that we develop our own fabrics of satisfactory quality. For example, we seek out excellent materials, both domestically and internationally, such as German-made polyester TPU and Taiwanese-made nylon 66. We also specify the finest materials for each factory, carefully selecting the best materials. Of course, this is not the end of the story. We are constantly catching up with the latest developments, and if we hear of better materials or factories, we will immediately visit them to check them out, continuing our efforts to further improve our products

In addition to packrafts, the company now produces a variety of accessories, including PFDs (life jackets) and backpacks. It takes at least a year to develop a new product, from design to material selection, testing, and refinement. Even when spending time at the river with my family on my days off, I'm often trying out new models as a test. There's practically no time when we're not testing; we're always testing some kind of prototype. We also value feedback from the field, incorporate it into our designs, and then test these models in the field. Even after releasing the first version of a product, we continue to make improvements if necessary. By continuing this cycle, we achieve the ease of use and balance that users actually desire. Copies that are simply tacked-on copies of products don't go through this process, so they don't end up being truly good products. I think this is one of MRS's greatest strengths

Mr. Luo's outdoor life and the future of the packraft market

Luo often spends his days outdoors with his family. What does he think about the changes in attitudes and engagement towards the outdoors in China? What does the future hold for the global packraft market? What are his thoughts on entering the Japanese market in earnest?

On my days off, I cherish spending time with my family. We go out together as a family, hiking, cycling, and of course, rafting. Chengdu has mountains and natural beauty that are just a 30-minute drive away, and they are crowded with people on weekends. However, we tend to go to less-traveled areas instead. For serious mountaineering, there is a large mountain (Siguniang Mountain) just a three-hour drive away, and Chengdu is truly blessed with nature

However, in terms of the overall Chinese outdoor (packrafting) market, when we first started (around 2010), the packrafting market in China was so small that it could be said to have been almost nonexistent. Even if the Beijing Olympics sparked some excitement, it seems that the general public still lacked the awareness or financial means to spend money on leisure activities. Since then, interest in outdoor activities has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but due to a backlash and other factors, it cannot be said that outdoor culture has yet taken root in the country. Another factor making the development of the Chinese market difficult is insufficient protection of intellectual property rights. Even if a new product is launched domestically, there is a high risk of various types of theft, including designs, making it very likely that the significant development costs will be wasted

For this reason, overseas remains the most important market for MRS. Although we refer to overseas markets in general, we understand from experience that needs and business practices vary greatly depending on the region and country. This is also true in Japan. In this way, we obtain firsthand information from people who know the local market, spend a lot of time on preliminary research, and proceed carefully while valuing cooperation with local agents

However, we have not given up on the domestic market. We now have a system in place where intellectual property management professionals constantly check our content, including online, to prevent potential problems and aim for healthy market expansion. Meanwhile, MRS continues to make various efforts to increase packraft users in Japan. For example, we hold various events throughout the year, both online and offline, and are working to create an approach that allows people who are not previously interested in the outdoors to experience it for the first time. Just two days later, we are holding a packrafting event in downtown Chengdu to see the thousand-year-old Leshan Giant Buddha. Over 200 participants (133 boats) entered the event, including complete beginners (see our report on the event, " Paddle Leshan, Marvel at the Giant Buddha 2025 "). While the number of packrafters is still not as high as that of mountaineering or cycling, we feel that it is steadily increasing.

(Paddle Leshan, Marvel at the Giant Buddha 2025 event. Source: www.mrsraft.com)

a conservation program for alpine ecosystems, including the endangered snow leopard, which lives in the Siguniang Mountain Nature Reserve in the depths of Sichuan Province . Including these activities, we would like to continue various activities to help packrafting culture take root in a sustainable way.

Summary: Borders don't matter to manufacturers who strive to make quality products. All they have is respect and curiosity for nature, and honesty towards users

MRS (Instagram account)

The interview took place over two days, and we spoke about a wide range of topics beyond what has been written here, and I also shared some things about Japan with him. Even though it was our first meeting, the time flew by, and we had a very productive time. What left the strongest impression on me was Luo's strength as a person, which transcends nationality and title (something you wouldn't imagine from his outward appearance)

His passion and respect for the outdoors, his generosity in dealing with anyone sincerely, his strong will and courage to not give in to adversity, and his childlike curiosity are all apparent in every word that Luo speaks, and all of this profound humanity is embodied in the MRS brand and shaped into its products. I couldn't help but think that there is nothing more satisfying than being surrounded by tools made by such a person, and being able to face nature with such tools

We will continue to keep an eye on packrafts and MRS products. We will start posting articles about our packrafting experiences with MRS, so please look forward to them

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A story about going to Sichuan Province, China to start playing pack crafts [Part 1: China, the first time in 8 years, was too exciting in many ways]