Matt (Admin)

Great job, and thanks for posting!

To answer your question about the potential benefit of sewing the seams, I have done lots of destructive testing on the tube-to-tube seams used in the DIY Packrafts and the fabric around the weld always fails before the weld does – in other words the ironed seams are stronger than the fabric tubes – so while…[Read more]

The short answer to your first question is “yes,” and the short answer to the second question is “no” – you could make a packraft with only flat seams, but that would be stretching the definition of “packraft”… something like the Klymit LiteWater Dinghy is about as close as you can get.

That Anfibio packraft you linked to has a flat seam around…[Read more]

I don’t see any major problems here – it sounds like you have a small hole that needs to be plugged with seam sealer. Try to remove any foreign objects that might prevent the sealant from filling the gap between the fabric layers (I’m not sure what that white stuff is) and then apply more Seam Grip/Aquaseal on the spot that is leaking and the…[Read more]

Thanks for your interest in a DIY Packraft kit 🙂

For your intended use, an Ultralight would suffice, but for more peace of mind the Skeena would be better (I think a Telkwa would just be extra weight and bulk).

I used the shortest (120 cm) Skeena on my recent 30-day trip and it was more than tough enough for use in the lakes, class 1-2 rivers,…[Read more]

I recommend using something with a radius slightly smaller than the tube you’re working on.

It kind of depends on whether or not you think you might want to add a spray deck sometime in the future – if not, strap plates directly under the bike frame tubes would probably work best – but they would likely interfere with the placement of a deck, so if you think you might want one in the future, I would use the loops. Hopefully that makes sense.

Very interesting – thanks!

I’ve been using Type 2 attachment points at the rear of my cockpits to tie in the seats, and that has worked really well. I orient the hinge line perpendicular to the packraft’s center line so the attachment point can swing freely forward and back.

I’ve been using the Type 3 attachment points for perimeter grab lines and for attaching my backpack…[Read more]

Thanks for posting – the pink ukulele makes a great hood ornament!

Thanks also for the feedback about the seat. This is a common refrain, so I’m in the process of redesigning it to make it easier for people to assemble without leaks.

Thanks for the pictures and the details about your experience putting the kits together – it looks like you did a great job!

I have certainly tried to improve the construction methods and instructions since version 2, so it’s good to know I’m on the right track. Cheers!

Very interesting – I look forward to reading some reviews to see if it works as advertised!

Hi – one thing to keep in mind is that these areas are invisible on the inflated packraft, so don’t be reluctant to spread the Seam Grip or Aquaseal onto the tube fabric there, as any discoloration will not be noticeable. A thin layer spread wide should do the trick, especially if you have a zipper in your boat and are able to apply it to the…[Read more]

It looks great! And thanks for the note about the time!

Beautiful!!