Now Closed Until September

I am embarking on a solo packrafting expedition for several weeks. This is the trip I have been dreaming about for many years, and it’s the reason I started making packrafts in the first place, so in a very real sense, DIY Packraft owes its existence to the idea of this trip. I’m very excited about it, but since everything DIY Packraft-related is done by me without any employees or outside help, that means DIY Packraft will be effectively shut down while I’m away.

What this means:

• I will be unable to respond to support requests from customers who have questions about assembling their packraft kits while I am away. Most questions are already answered in the instructions, but please consider this if you are thinking about constructing your packraft kit during this time.
• No orders will be fulfilled while I’m away. All products are listed as “out of stock” in the shop and cannot be purchased.
• I will be unable to respond to email inquiries, social media posts, and direct messages.
• To prevent spammers* from flooding the DIY Packraft forum, new forum member registrations will be temporarily disabled.
• In order to prevent spammers from posting malicious links, new “Comments” on this website will be held in a moderation queue and will not be visible on the site until I return.

The good news:

• I am hopeful that new fabric will be ready in September, soon after I return.

My exact return date will depend on how long it takes for me to complete the roughly 700 km (450 mile) journey. If all goes according to plan, I should finish in late August or early September. (I’ll post information about the route after I return.)

Thanks for your understanding!

~Matt

* I have already implemented a number of software-based anti-spam systems, but these aren’t perfect and I’m still in a constant battle to keep spammers off the forum. It requires daily oversight, and when one spammer gains access for a few hours I receive emails from legitimate forum members who are understandably upset about receiving spam messages… I shudder to think about what would happen if I let it run wild for several weeks.