Matt (Admin)

Thanks Bruce.
To my mind this is absolutely the right tool for any fabric that’s not UL, but it needs time to learn how to use it to the best advantage. I also have a little 700watt ‘solder re-work station’ thing which I tried once. Both temp and air-flow are easily controlled, but the thing is just a wimp, like using a candle when you need a…[Read more]

You can get masterseal 10’s from extremtextil.de in Germany. They currently have 23cm, 71cm and 91cm long zips. Or you can get superseals from lomo.co.uk, but these are much heavier and more expensive, more suited to the boat rather than the gear.

Cheers
Lyn

Just received some of these new red inflation and deflation valves, and I’m curious as to how well the deflation valves hold. I originally got these for dump valves on the reserve air bags in the tubes, but am thinking now of adding them to the main seats in the rafts and my new sleeping mat (rather than just holding the inflation valve open). On…[Read more]

A beautiful piece of art, really! 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

Have you considered adding a spout to it, like the Exped Schnozzel Pump? The schnozzel comes out of the side, not the bottom, so you can rest the bag on the ground away from whatever is being inflated and just “fall” on it. After a hard day when you feel like collapsing rather than inflating your sleeping mat, being able to ‘collapse’ on the pump…[Read more]

I’ve started using my Jingda “leather” iron again after all. Having ground and filed the bottom flat and the width down to 24mm, it really is quite good. The minimal temperature drift and massive heat retention is excellent. As for the shoe on mine bubbling, it has to be poor metallurgy. I have to assume that it’s made from recycled alloys, and…[Read more]

Hi you guys.

Live in denmark, copenhagen.  Used Matts kitt’s. And the fabrics are great. Great quality and easy bonding (at the right tp)

But i have had problems with the heat sealing. But that is due to the soldering iron..

First used the Clover, but it does lack power, with some of the alterations and improvements alread described in the…[Read more]

Re the leather iron from Aliexpress mentioned in Comments.

I’ve just used mine in earnest (though not on a boat, alas) and have to change my opinion. The shoe is a solid lump of alloy, yet after a few hours it bubbled! See the photo. It looked like a chrome plating with bubbles, but after taking it all apart it is actually solid. The bottom of…[Read more]

I bought my MRS from the German store and got their Anfibio paddles too. For the new DIY rafts I have paddles from celticpaddles.com in Anglesey – they make a series specifically for packrafts, and these look the cat’s whiskers.

Aha – have just found a youtube video showing what you describe. So I guess this inner valve would also be ‘sticky and cling to itself’ as you mentioned before on your own gear. I’m dead keen on finding a replacement for zippers if possible, and was just thinking about making up a test rig of a bladder representing the hull with a ‘tube’ thing in…[Read more]

I made an air pillow once with a roll top, thinking that a dozen rolls ought to keep air in. It stayed up for a couple of hours but was always flat in the morning.

Thermarest have a new ‘speedvalve’ on one model Neoair. This looks like a roll top about 20cm wide. Towards the end of the video they say ‘tuck the black inner valve all the way…[Read more]

Check posts 2248, 2771, and 2901 for fabrics from Seattle and Rockywoods. There are many other posts here from people who have tried other fabrics and concluded that it was a mistake. Currently Matt is the only supplier offering the correct fabric to the public. I speak as someone who bought the wrong stuff in the past and will not again -…[Read more]

500den TPU Cordura from extremtextil

FYI: I have just made a test weld on this with a strip of Matt’s camo fabric, using the hot air gun, and can report that the result is perfect. The weld is very strong, and with no sign at all of heat damage to the fabric it can fairly be assumed to be the ’66’ variant. The TPU coating is thick and the cordura…[Read more]

Thanks so much Matt,

My raft had first virgin cruise today and I would like to share some more pics and points about it.

It was super fun to paddle with my DIY raft on the sea, your design is so good that even this is my first packrafting with kayak paddle (I was self-trained with Canadian style canoeing with an oar) it can be handled very…[Read more]

Hi dear packraft DIYers,

I would like to share some pictures of my DIYed and some points on trouble shooting of air leakage.

I must thank Matt first for his great web site and products. He had made my dream came true without costing arms and legs.

It is for my sea side recreation, watching birds flying and fishes jumping. But most of all, I…[Read more]

Dear, I have the same question as I am thinking of doing or not installing that top up “valve” (but actually it is not a valve, it is just an air tap) to the raft being DIYed at the moment. However, thinking it as similar material to the Boston valve’s base, I will install it in the way as similar to that for a Boston valve installation as…[Read more]

Dear, I have the same question as I am thinking of doing or not installing that top up “valve” (but actually it is not a valve, it is just an air tap) to the raft being DIYed at the moment. However, thinking it as similar material to the Boston valve’s base, I will install it in the way as similar to that for a Boston valve installation as…[Read more]

For weight in the bow, I’m thinking that when the boat needs to be manoeuvrable in moving water then the pack should sit behind with me jammed back against it; but for better tracking on flat lakes and the like then the pack would be up ahead, sitting on the floor and leaning on the bow; when the gear needs to be certain of keeping dry then it…[Read more]