Bruce C., a frequent contributor to the DIY Packraft forum and host of the popular DIY Packraft-making classes at the Folk School in Fairbanks, Alaska, has just finished this beautiful Voyageur 2-person DIY Packraft, and I just had to share these pictures he sent of its maiden voyage! Notice the Read more…
Recently I realized that a fast-curing adhesive was missing from my field repair kit, and that if something goes wrong on a packrafting trip and field repair tape won’t do the job, I might have to sit around for eight hours waiting for regular Aquaseal to cure. That’s not so Read more…
A couple of people in Australia and New Zealand have used freight forwarders to reduce shipping costs when ordering DIY Packraft kits, and I thought I should tell the rest of you about this potential cost-saving step. The amount of money you can save depends on your location and the Read more…
This is just a quick post to let you know that the V3 DIY Packraft Deluxe (single) kits are now shipping. I’m currently fulfilling the pre-orders, some of which were placed as far back as August, so please be patient if yours is a more recent order. I’m slowly catching Read more…
For trip planning, it’s important to be able to estimate how much water you can cover in a given amount of time. You need to consider wind and current speeds, of course, (especially if you’re paddling in a river or ocean), but all else being equal, how fast is a Read more…
Today I’m leaving town for a couple of weeks, but the new V3 DIY Packraft is pretty much ready to go, so kits will start shipping after I return on September 30th. The new V3 packraft instructions are posted under the How-To menu, but because of ongoing plagiarism, access is Read more…
Tom F. sent me this video and this link to a forum thread documenting the design and construction of a lightweight fishing float tube (a.k.a. bellyboat or belly boat) using heat sealable fabrics. Unfortunately the designer/builder, an engineer who posted under the name SHigSpeed, has died, but his posts live Read more…
Nikki’s parents were visiting over the holiday weekend and they wanted to try out the new packraft, so I took the opportunity to take a few pictures to share. You can see that the weather was much better than the previous weekend! Also, here is a new video of www.cubenmaker.com Read more…
For the maiden voyage of the V3 DIY Packraft, Nikki and I spent the weekend visiting some glaciers!
Here are some pictures of the new V3 DIY Packraft. This one is the 120 size, and has a 420D floor (TPU on both sides) and 210D tubes. As it is now, without the top-up valve and tie-downs, the weight is 1635 grams, or 3.6 pounds. The V3 is a Read more…
I’ve posted written instructions for assembling the inflation bag kit here. They are text-only, at the moment, but I will add photos and a video soon!
I’ve been working on a new packraft design for some time now, incorporating several improvements over the current V2 kits, including tougher floor material, easier construction, more sizes, and better performance. I might shut down the current V2 kit option in the online shop until the V3 is ready for Read more…
Some time ago I posted a page about making your own inflation bag*, and since then several people have asked me to supply parts so they won’t have to spend time and money sourcing them elsewhere. In response, I’ve designed an inflation bag that costs the same as one meter Read more…
I’ve just finished writing up instructions for the new seat kits, and they’re posted here!
A number of people have experienced temperature problems with mini irons like the Clover Mini Iron II and the Dritz Petite Press, so I am designing future DIY Packrafts to be easier to make using larger hobby irons like the Coverite Black Baron sealing iron, pictured above. Irons like this Read more…
Several people have asked for details about the new ultralight 40D ripstop heat sealable fabric available in the shop. At 100 grams per square meter (3 ounces per square yard), it’s very lightweight and packs down very small (similar to a modern tent fly fabric), but it’s surprisingly strong and Read more…
I have just added two new fabrics to the DIY Packraft Shop – 420D with TPU coatings on both sides, and 1000D with extra thick TPU coatings on both sides. These are relatively expensive, heavier fabrics, and because they are coated with TPU on both sides, they cannot be heat Read more…
It is not just a dream. After experiencing delays at literally every possible step between order and delivery (totaling almost five months!) the fabric shipment has finally arrived. Yes, friends, I have touched it with my own hands, and let me tell you – it is a wonderful feeling. The Read more…
The fabric shipment was finally released from Customs this morning after weeks of radio silence. Randomly or otherwise, they took a special interest in this particular shipment and removed it to an off-site inspection facility where they could poke and prod it with x-rays and sniffer dogs and who knows Read more…
Bad news first: Remember when there was that Customs delay last month? Well that was the export Customs office. Now the fabric shipment is in Canada, and here we have our very own Customs officers and apparently they have taken an interest in the shipment too. So much so that Read more…
It’s been a while since I uploaded any new pictures or videos, so when I went paddling today my plan was to bring my cameras and get some interesting shots; unfortunately, I managed to forget both my tripod and my GoPro, so I ended up just taking a few photos Read more…
That means kits and fabric should start shipping again next week! Again – fingers crossed…
Returning customers will notice that there are now more shipping options available during checkout. These prices are pulled directly from Canada Post’s website and are based on your delivery address and the combined weight of the items in your cart (you must enter your address before the shipping options will Read more…
Yesterday I made some changes to the back end of the DIY Packraft shop to make payments easier for people outside the US. The most noticeable change is that now prices can be displayed in your local currency, and you can pay in that currency so you won’t have those Read more…