Kwok Wah Lai

I haven’t calculated it yet, but it should be comparable to the V3 plus a bit for some extra things that will be included that the V3 kit doesn’t have.

Hi Matt,

Any chance we can get the new design, but without the wrap around floor? I’d want beefier fabrics than the ultralight kit (210D tubes, 410D floors), but would like the ease of construction and improved paddling speed compared to the V3. I’m not sure the type of water I’m in warrants the wrap around floor.

Thanks,
Joe

Hi Dan, I’m going to paddle it and the new 2-person packraft for the first time this weekend, and if all goes well I hope to have kits available later this month. No guarantees though!

Hi Nick, I’ll be testing out a seat for this packraft this weekend – I suspect it might need a bit more work, but yes, I hope to have it in the shop soon. Cheers!

Yep, you’re right – it’s got a higher volume bow and stern.

No, there’s nothing about the V3 design that precludes a wrap-around bottom, but I don’t intend to offer it as an option.

Hi Christian, thanks for your interest! It depends on the type of paddling you want to do, but if weight isn’t your main concern, personally I would choose the new model. Aside from the design updates, the instructions will be easier to follow. It’ll be in the shop quite soon. Cheers!

I don’t foresee any issues with the seat back interfering with a spray deck – just place the cockpit coaming back far enough so the seat back doesn’t push against it. Thigh straps shouldn’t be a problem either. If you don’t like the seat you can cut off the seat back and just make a flat seat instead and add a back band or something else (or just cut the seat back shorter). If you get an extra top-up valve (or repurpose the one intended for the packraft) you could turn the seat back into an inflatable foot rest or a pillow to go between your knees. There are lots of possibilities. Cheers!

I haven’t designed one yet, but it’s certainly possible!

Yeah, I’ll probably make a video of the new packrafts after I finish all the instructions.

I see you found it 😀

Yup waiting eagerly for it to arrive now!

I’m really interested in this design for a couple river (moderate whitewater) trips. Do you have the interior width (front and rear, since it clearly tapers)? I’m looking at the two smallest sizes. Shifting weight forward for better weight balance (fore/aft) is a pretty standard packraft design (the included seat design does that to some extent), and I’m wondering if I will get a good fit width wise if I go that route.

I purchased a Telkwa kit from Matt in late June and finished it in early August. Building it was much like the V3 I built last January. However, there are a few key differences and so you should certainly review Matt’s updated Telkwa build videos to avoid some of the mistakes I made. Probably the biggest difference is that now Matt recommends using the “inside out” construction technique. I used that and found that it does aid in better access to the weld areas. On the down side, it also works the material pretty hard and there are touch up welds or seam grip “repairs” needed if you don’t take lots of care to get your welds right the first time. A person could still build the Telkwa using the V3 method as an alternative if so wished. I purchased my Telkwa kit with the zipper which definitely aided in the construction, especially in closing the aft seam.

I feel like the cockpit is just a bit narrower than the V3 as is the foot compartment. Still, there is room for me in the 130cm size.

The new seat design is fantastic with the pillow back. However, I definitely recommend sealing the seat separate from the seat back because while sitting on a partially inflated seat, my body weight pushed all the air into the back which left me with no air in the seat bottom. After I ironed the neck closed, I added a top off valve to the seat back. I put more air into the seat back and that gives great back support. Less air in the seat keeps my center of gravity lower in the boat but still keeps my butt off the floor.

I have taken my Telkwa on the middle Yellowstone River several times now, riffles only, maybe a possible low-end class 1 rapid. The Telkwa tracks much better in the water than the V3 does because of the more stream lined bow. I always add about 25# (12 kilos) to the front to keep it level in the water (a big, rounded rock has been used in the bow compartment a time or two, as well). I’m really pleased with how it handles. I have hit a few “butt dragger” shallows and had no fear of the bottom opening up. The extended floor up the side walls of the tubes gives me a bit more secure feeling should I scrape a log or rock although I have not done that and really try to keep from doing that.

My Telkwa weighs within an ounce or two of the V3 and pumps up with the same number of strokes from my small piston pump. My boating friends are amazed that I have built my own boats and are envious of the light weight when hauling gear back to the car shuttle or when hiking to a mountain lake (V3).

YES, this works even better in combination with a hot air soldering station:
https://www.banggood.com/858D-220V-Hot-Air-Soldering-Rework-Station-Handle-Handle-Stand3-Nozzles-p-1129100.html?rmmds=buy&cur_warehouse=CN

YES, this works even better in combination with a hot air soldering station:
https://www.banggood.com/858D-220V-Hot-Air-Soldering-Rework-Station-Handle-Handle-Stand3-Nozzles-p-1129100.html?rmmds=buy&cur_warehouse=CN

See the link in the first comment above.

Very creative, i like it!

Wow, Matt you’ve advanced the field immensely. This is the best tandem packraft design available. Congratulations. I clearly have to buy one for next winters project!
Bruce
Fairbanks

Hi Ryan, it’s actually already posted on page two of the shop as a sort of soft launch because I haven’t written and recorded the instructions yet or had a chance to paddle it to be sure it performs as expected (everything is still frozen here). I’m pretty confident in the design and I’m working on the instructions, but I don’t have a firm timeline for when they’ll be done. Regarding the price, it’s significantly higher than the previous 2-person kit because it includes way more stuff (not just the bare bones boat pieces).

Hi Paddy, the best way to get a sense of the size would be to grab a tape measure and lay out the dimensions (given above) on your floor with tape or furniture and then sit within the lines. I’m sure the seat could be made into a pack – it would require some trial and error to make it comfortable for load carrying. I’ve never made a backpack, myself, so I’m not sure how difficult that would be. Cheers!

Matt,
Great job, I’m waiting on my sample pack & your testing of the new 2 person model. Is there a possibility of the wrap around floor on the new 2 person model, lots of rough creeks & rivers in central Texas?

I’m not sure what you’d really be getting out of the deal. I’m not a BL member, but it seems like there are plenty of avenues for people will find out about packrafts in general. People who would consider DIY as an option will find your website. The end product depends a lot on the person who is assembling it and a one-off review might be done by somebody who is more interested in quick rather than quality work and might not be impressed with their final product.

I will say that most reviews I read are near worthless. Every once and a while there will be gem that shows experience with the product with thoughtful insights.

Thanks, Steve – those are the same thoughts I’ve been mulling over plus some things I hadn’t really considered, so I appreciate your input. Cheers!

Thanks for the insight, Arnold, and the encouragement. I certainly do love working on DIY Packraft stuff. Like anything, there are aspects that aren’t so enjoyable… it would be nice to be able to hire someone to help out so I could accommodate more orders and put more effort into growing a “real business”, but there are zoning and insurance and workplace safety things to figure out before I’ll be able to take that leap. I wouldn’t want to get a big increase in publicity and orders and then be unable to fulfill them in a reasonable amount of time… They say a business that isn’t growing is dying, but I remember when one of the big packraft brands ran their Kickstarter campaign and got so many orders they took forever to fulfill them, and that just seemed to annoy everyone. Eventually they made it work though, so maybe that’s the right way to go.

Hi Zach, that’s a great idea. Thanks!

Hi Peter – thanks for your thoughtful comments; those are all good points. I haven’t sold so many kits that it’s likely there’s someone in your area who has one, but it is possible – feel free to send me an email, and please put a feeler out on the forum as well.

There actually is a guy in the UK who copied my website and has been selling packraft kits that use the older V2 assembly methods, which is why my newer instructions are password protected. I’d prefer to share everything and encourage people to document their builds in detail, but at the same time it’s annoying to have someone reword my ideas and market them as their own, so now there are certain things I’d rather not have widely publicized. It’s hard to maintain faith in humanity when I get emails from confused customers because someone has purchased a URL almost identical to https://www.diypackraft.com and redirected it to their site…

Thanks for the idea, Dan – I’ll give it some thought. And cool tents!

Hi Steve – that’s certainly a possibility for people who want it, as the V3 is still a good all-around design. Since the ultralight boats (hopefully) won’t be shooting any rapids, I wanted to offer an ultralight boat that is a bit easier to assemble and faster on flat water.

Thanks, Felix – I just added the results of my speed tests, too!

The fabrics are the 115 GSM yellow and 190 GSM black fabrics that are available in the shop. I’ll start selling the kit later in November – I just have to finish figuring out how to produce it and how much it will cost.

Yes, eventually there will be an update to the V3, though perhaps not with this design. If people want this design made from the heavier fabrics, that could also be a possiblity.

Thanks for the question – the 190 GSM fabric has TPU on both sides, so it can’t be heat sealed with an iron in the same way as the single-sided fabrics, so I won’t be offering a kit made entirely from that fabric.

Awesome. Very exciting. How can this be leveraged to make a two person boat? Think this fabric can be used with the voyageur template?

Awesome. Very exciting. How can this be leveraged to make a two person boat? Think this fabric can be used with the voyageur template?

Can we order the new design with standard fabrics? That is, 420D floor and 210D tubes? I know the new Telkwa model has the new design but it also has the wrap-around floor which I wouldn’t need, so I’d rather save the weight. But I like the new design for the faster construction time and faster flatwater travel compared to the V3.