Belt drive for packrafting...

[intheways]

I'm thinking very conceptually here, because I have done neither.  I'm thinking of building up a bike that will be used for some packrafting trips.  It seems like people have had good luck with belt drives for bikepacking and the absence of chain lube makes me think it would be good when it's necessary to pull off the wheels and load the bike on the raft.

Am I missing anything obvious here?  Anyone else have experience with a similar setup?

[adelorenzo]

You load the bike drivetrain side up so it really doesn't make much of a difference on the raft.

Did a big bike-packrafting trip last year and we had one belt and three chains in the group. All worked just fine. The trade-offs were that the chains required lubing from time to time whereas the belt guy had to carry a spare belt. (Cleaning was a non-issue for belts or chains as the bikes were constantly submerged in fast-flowing rivers.) 

Personally, I'm scared off of belts because of the many reports of them skipping. I put a hell of a lot of strain on my drivetrains. not to mention flex into my wheels and frames. So I don't see myself ever trying one for that reason. But in terms of practicality for backcountry adventures they seem like a good option.

[intheways]

^^thanks for the info!