Last weekend the ice on my local river had opened up enough for me to go paddling, so I spent an hour navigating some Class 1 water while dodging ice rafts in the new 1-person packraft with the wrap-around floor. I carried the new 2-person packraft with me, and when I reached my destination I inflated it and took it for a few spins around a big eddy.
The water was too cold for Nikki to join me without a drysuit, so I loaded up the front of the 2-person packraft with rocks to see how it would perform, and she took some pictures from shore.
The new 1-person packraft handled very well, comfortably riding through wave trains and tracking relatively straight. (I’ll do some speed tests as soon as the lakes thaw.)
Loaded with rocks, the new 2-person packraft handled like a loaded canoe, which I guess is what it’s supposed to be. I’m not sure how much weight I had in there – I just covered the floor ahead of my feet in large cobbles – but the added mass was certainly noticeable. The canoe-style seat was very comfortable when partially deflated, and I think an inflatable floor might be worthwhile to help stiffen the long 2-person boat, as the side tubes flex like a typical 2-person packraft. I’ll get around to that at some point.
5 Comments
Steve S · June 1, 2019 at 9:03 pm
A 190 gsm wraparound floor would be quite a boost in ruggedness for the ultralight at not much cost in weight. The ultralight is the ticket for walkers who occasionally float, and a bit of insurance might be appreciated under some circumstances.
JoeD · May 28, 2019 at 12:59 pm
Hi Matt,
Any chance we can get the new design, but without the wrap around floor? I’d want beefier fabrics than the ultralight kit (210D tubes, 410D floors), but would like the ease of construction and improved paddling speed compared to the V3. I’m not sure the type of water I’m in warrants the wrap around floor.
Thanks,
Joe
Matt (Admin) · May 28, 2019 at 3:29 pm
Hi Joe, yeah, I’ll likely do a regular version of a similar design – not sure when I’ll be able to get to it. It’s good to know people are interested though!
Helen W · April 20, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Hi Matt,
How is the price of the new wrap around packraft likely to compare with v3?
Looking to order a diy packraft but will wait for the new one if the price is right.
Thanks.
Matt (Admin) · April 23, 2019 at 9:12 am
I haven’t calculated it yet, but it should be comparable to the V3 plus a bit for some extra things that will be included that the V3 kit doesn’t have.