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I’m new to pack-rafting so forgive me for my ignorance. I’m in an upcoming adventure race (Expedition Oregon) where we have been told that there will be about 70 miles of swift water pack rafting/some bike packing going up to Class II/III. By the nature of the event, we aren’t told exactly what we will be running so the exact river/difficulty is not clear.
The organizers have recommended either Alpacka Gnu or Foragers as the pack-raft of choice. We are in teams of four, and the thought is that two 2-person boats will be faster than four 1-person boats.
I don’t have much use for a burly two person boat beyond this race, so I’m not super keen on purchasing an expensive Alpacka and was looking into trying to make my own.
My question is wether people think that the DIY 2 person would be up to the task. The TPU numbers seem relatively comparable. I think the only modification would be to try and make it self-bailing or to add a spray deck: even though I’m not super crafty it would seem feasible.
Just hoping to see other peoples thoughts before embarking on this path.
Cheers
Jesse
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Agreed! Unfortunately, the only outfitter renting double pack-rafts–that I can find, anywhere in NA–is sold out for the race (Backcountry Packrafts).
This leaves me renting a couple singles–a few of us have our own singles–or looking for an affordable way to get a double–unfortunately, not much re-sale action for doubles on the packraft FB groups that I’ve found.
That’s what brought me to this post and considering a DIY approach.
The only manufactured double other than the alpacka that would seem appropriate would an MRS which is similarly priced–for a double that is mildly ww capable–or a sputnik3, which comes in at around 1000 and looks quite promising but I can’t really find any reviews.
(Either way, thanks for the response and a great website/resource to peruse and learn more about pack-rafting).
Cheers
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I hesitate to recommend a DIY Packraft for unknown whitewater conditions… so much depends on the conditions and the paddlers’ skill. I assume the race organizers wouldn’t send you into unsafe conditions though, so it’s probably not a bad option. It would be a lot of work to make something you’re not passionate about though, so it might make more sense to purchase one of the packrafts you mentioned and then sell it after the race. I think it would retain most of its value if you treat it well.
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