[Jean Patrice Veilhan]

Hi Matt,

First, congratulations for your so exciting website! Hey, nice idea to ask us the question! These are my needs thus:

Definitely, a 2-person flat-water packraft, but not as the Alpacka Explorer 42 (I own it) which is too short. No, a long 2-person packraft, with side tube parallel with each other: that allows each packraft-builder to choose the length of his own packraft by adding a central piece with the length of his choice (as Jed already said). For instance, I’d need at least 3m50 to go on the sea, > 300m from the side (French laws)… and put a fatbike without taking off wheels. (Is it a lightweight inflatable kayak? a very long packraft? No matter the name…)

Matt, You wrote: “I’ve been working on a two-person packraft design for a while now, but I’d like to avoid the floppy side-tube syndrome that people complain about in the manufactured two-person packrafts. How much of an issue was this for you, @lynsg? I know you found the length an issue for comfort as well (it not really being long enough for two people to stretch out). Should I go ahead and release a typical two-person model with the inherent flaws, or should I wait until I can improve on the industry-standard design?”

The floppy side-tube should be an issue, but not too much in flat waters. I think wind from side is a bigger issue with a long packraft!

To avoid the floppiness of the lateral tubes, maybe we should build them like “a 8” and not “a 0” (I speak about a “cut view” of the tube). I have several Gumotex inflatable kayak: two of them are similar by length (Solar and Helios) and pression; but the Helios is “8” and the Solar is “0”; and the Helios is less floppy. (Moreover, a “8” profile give more space inside.). More difficult to build, but a DIY website is for persons who love that, isn’t it ?!

Maybe a whole inflatable mattress should add stiffness (if tubes are in the length). And that give a mattress for the campsite! And that allows self-bailing which is a great confort in ocean or grade-2 whitewater.

I resume: a 2-person packraft, customizable in length and in width, with 8-profile lateral tubes, self-bailing, and inflatable mattress!!

[Jean Patrice Veilhan]

(Gumotex in Europe = Innova in USA)

(“Helios” is no longer produced; the “8” side-tubes exist on the Gumotex/Innova Safari, and the kayak is stiff enough to surf 1m50 waves)

[Author]

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