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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Gluing something to a packraft in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 9 months ago
I have tried many adhesives and do not recommend any of them, but two that other people have recommended (I have not used them because they’re not available where I live) are HH-66 and Stabond. They will stick to the fabric, but I don’t know if they’ll stick to a magnet. You may have better luck heat sealing a piece of fabric over the magnet to…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic 2-Person Suitability for WW in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 9 months ago
In your situation I would rent packrafts for the event – much less stress and more time for training.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 4 years, 9 months ago
Ken S. recently sent me some pictures of his growing DIY Packraft fleet, which looks fantastic. He also sent some really useful feedback for me, which I have turned into the Telkwa build report linked below.
I […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Internal Drybag Connector in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 9 months ago
You can iron attachment points to the inside of the floor piece where it’s exposed between the ends of the tube pieces… that’s probably easiest.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 10 months ago
It’s just double coated, and that’s where the extra weight comes from.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 10 months ago
Hi @peteh
This is a common occurrence and nothing to worry about, due to some variations between the fabric pieces each time I cut them. You can trim the edge(s) to fit between the dots/slits, but don’t trim all the way along the seam – simply start trimming at the required width and then gradually make the trim narrower and narrower until it…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Alternative lightweight inflation valves 4 years, 11 months ago
I prefer the heat sealable Boston valves because they are much easier to install.
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Alternative lightweight inflation valves 4 years, 11 months ago
Unfortunately you have to cut a hole in the cap for the air to flow through, so it wouldn’t be waterproof.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Is it just me, or are these comments not nesting properly anymore? I’m replying to other comments, but I’m seeing my most recent comments at the top of the page.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Yeah, that’s definitely the area that is most likely to leak. I find that a cup or two of soapy water on the floor of the packraft works well there – you can hold the packraft up so the water pools over the floor-tube joint and squeeze the tubes while rotating it slowly… the bulk of the water will stay at the lowest point (obviously), but a…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling discouraged! Are you sure it’s losing air, or could the pressure decrease be due to temperature changes? Can you elaborate on the situation and length of time we’re talking about?
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Great, I’m glad that worked.
The ultralight fabric isn’t as strong as the heavier fabrics used in the other kits (obviously), but it won’t spontaneously start leaking in undamaged areas, so once the leaks are fixed that’ll be it unless it gets damaged.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
You may have to expand your search with the soap and water to cover more area, not just along the seams (there could be small areas of the tube fabric TPU that were accidentally melted with the iron, for example). You might also check the valve to make sure it’s not leaking.
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Iron Modification Video 4 years, 11 months ago
You can probably save a few dollars by buying a new plug instead of an adapter, but other than that, there’s no benefit. When I made the video the only adapter I could find was about $30, which seemed excessive, but since then I’ve seen them as low as $8, which makes that option more attractive.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 4 years, 11 months ago
I’ve been working on an article about how to evaluate different packrafts when you’re shopping around online. It started out as a blog post, but it ended up being quite long and detailed (over 4000 words!), and I […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat Iron in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
This iron has been sold.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Seat Tie-in tabs in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
For the “V4” boats with the hourglass shaped seat/seat back, I find that a single “Type 2” attachment point (on the Tie-Downs & Attachment Points page) works well at the rear of the cockpit floor. I tie a length of cord through the attachment point and around the neck of the seat.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY tizip in Kokopelli packraft in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Send me a message and I’ll help you out with this.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Packraft failure – near drowning in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Thanks for posting this, Derek! We can all be glad that it ended well (more or less) and we can learn from the experience – but man, what a scare! I’m so glad you’re all okay.
Just yesterday I was thinking that maybe I should write a post or make a video about cold weather packrafting, and you’ve spurred me into action. For now, here’s a related…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat Iron in the forum DIY Packrafts 4 years, 11 months ago
Yep!
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