Click Here for Current Production Lead Times. Up to 1 week Lead Time on Accessories.

Happy Holidays! Alpacka Raft will be closed Dec. 23-29th. Our Customer Service and Shipping teams will be off at this time too, so new orders placed will be shipped when we are back. Thanks!

Close Menu
Back
Back
Back
Back
Back
Back
Back
May 24, 2023

Whatever Floats Your Goat.

New Film: 'Whatever Floats Your Goat'

Film, Story and Photos by: Jack Elder

'Whatever Floats Your Goat' is a fun film about Nico Castellano and her critters who are out motivating people to do better. She hopes to inspire conservation, sustainability and mindfulness by meeting people in the outdoor places they love.

Fun fact: Nico has one of the old school Alpacka Raft packrafts and we think that's pretty cool.

Watch the Film
(it's only 6 minutes and it's really fun)
About the Film

It seems like almost everyday now you meet someone who lives the “van life”, but It’s not everyday you meet a gal who lives in her van with a small herd of farm animals. It was a sunny July afternoon in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I was driving a remote dirt road that meanders up a wooded creek valley and dead ends somewhere near 13,000 feet. Windows down, getting jostled around in my old, trusty Tacoma, I was on the lookout for the perfect campsite. I saw a couple of ladies hanging out at their van just off the main road. As I drove past, I gave them a smile and wave and as my eyes shifted back toward the road, I noticed a large goat in my side mirror. I idled to a stop, put the truck in reverse until my open window lined up with the gals - and now two - large goats. I introduced myself and inquired about the big horned and hoofed animals casually lying there mashing their teeth. Nico revealed she resides in her van with the two goats, three chickens, and a not-so-small German Shepherd. After chatting for a bit and reveling at her story, I gave them the “nice to meet ya” and carried on down the road to search for a site. 

An hour or so later, I was getting camp set up and couldn’t stop thinking about Nico and the goat-van life. I started kicking myself for not getting her contact info. “That would make for a great little documentary” I thought, “What if I never see her again….” So I hopped on my bike and pedaled a couple miles back down the road to reintroduce myself, this time as a filmmaker. I pitched my very broad idea of filming Nico and the goats and she was pretty enthusiastic about it!  We chatted a few days later, devised a rough plan, and met up a week later at a campsite a little further up the road. 

I had no idea what direction the film would go. I hit record and let Nico and the goats do their thing. We were deciding on a good hike to do with the goats, and we got to thinking: both of us had never, but had always wanted to packraft in a high alpine lake. So we did just that. She saddled up the goats and we hit the trail! The goats, Lachlan and Bergsteiger blazed the trail with the packraft strapped to their back as I leap-frogged the group trying to film as much as I could. We got to our destination, inflated the packraft and crossed that off the bucket list.

This being my first fully self-made documentary, and having not much of a plan, I wasn’t really sure what would come of it, if anything. Needless to say, Nico and I were both stoked to turn the film into a partnership with Alpacka Raft. Since then, the film has made it into a handful of film festivals and has played so far in Anchorage, Boise, Flagstaff, and received the "Pure Joy" award at 5 Point in Carbondale. 

This being my first fully self-made documentary, and having not much of a plan, I wasn’t really sure what would come of it, if anything. Needless to say, Nico and I were both stoked to turn the film into a partnership with Alpacka Raft. Since then, the film has made it into a handful of film festivals and has played so far in Anchorage, Boise, Flagstaff, and received the "Pure Joy" award at 5 Point in Carbondale. 

Nico currently spends most of her summers in Alaska doing wildlife research and runs her nonprofit, Wild Edsie, which focuses on conservation, sustainability, and mindfulness education. You can learn more about her organization at WildEdsie.com. 

As for myself, I live in Carbondale, Colorado and specialize in outdoor commercial and documentary filmmaking. You can keep up with my past, present and future projects at JackalopeCinema.com.

Meeting Nico and the goats feels very serendipitous and has led to a great friendship. I’m really glad I biked back to her campsite that afternoon and followed through with the film. This whole journey has taught me that if you have an idea, or see an opportunity, go for it! Who knows what’ll come of it. I hope the film generates some smiles, and inspires people to live with more adventure, joy, and sustainability.

Film Credits

M. ovi Disclaimer (also shown in the film)

There are bacteria such as Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi), and other fatal diseases that can be transmitted from domestic sheep and goats to wild populations of bighorn sheep and other animals. That is why Nico regularly gets her goats tested for disease and keeps them separated from their wild cousins. Other people who own or care for domestic sheep and goats should do the same to protect wild populations. Please and thank you.