Lyn St George

Don’t worry – if you do a good job sealing the remaining 1″ of fabric to the floor it will be more than strong enough. I design the overlaps to be much wider than necessary for a strong bond, and even half the width there is more than strong enough, assuming proper heat sealing technique over the entire weld. Sealing the cut-off piece of fabric to…[Read more]

Wow – very cool photos! It looks like a great time!

Great shot, Ken! It’s scary how dry things are though…

Hi Kyle, I usually have a bit of misalignment there too and it’s not a problem (and being on the bottom of the packraft, it’s not noticeable). As long as the combined length of each edge (floor + tube) is the same, you can iron the strip on without any wrinkles in one tube or the other.

Interesting – yeah, the ones I have are different brands than yours, but they do take a long time to heat up using 120V (at least ten minutes), and one of them has a bogus ground like yours. I haven’t noticed the temperature varying too much in either of them though.

Interesting! Thanks for posting this… it is a bit worrying that the safety features aren’t as advertised, but we should never leave these irons plugged in unattended anyway, so maybe it’s not such a concern.

I didn’t quite follow the steps to the conclusion that it’s only suitable for 240V – can you explain your reasoning?

I would suggest placing it across the top of the seat so it can wrap around the corners and not cross any seams. Locate it closer to one edge or the other so you can sit on the seat without it being right in the middle.

Very cool! It’s a great idea for ultralight propulsion.

Amazing achievement! It’s a really impressive feat of endurance, and on a beautiful, historic trail. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for the tip about the swimmers’ paddles, too. I’m curious, do you find it easier to paddle forwards or backwards with them?

That looks totally fine to me. A little Seam Grip+WP and you’re good to go!

Excellent work as usual, Ken!

I think the zipper will be fine there, but if you notice any issues, please tell us. Thanks!

Step 4 in the Ultralight instructions has as much information about the form as is posted elsewhere… there aren’t really “instructions” – just pictures and diagrams and a description.

For anyone who hasn’t purchased a kit, there are also pictures and a description on the Heat Sealing page (under the How-To menu).

Hi Max – well done for sticking with the project!

I think trimming the slit will be the best approach here. It might make a slight dimple in the tube there when it’s inflated, but that part will be underwater, so it won’t be very noticeable.

If you have a seam strip that is longer than required, you could extend the slit a bit farther into the…[Read more]

Excellent!

Hi Allen,

I would start here: https://www.diypackraft.com/faq/why-is-my-airtight-zipper-leaking/

Congratulations on the excellent work! What a cool place to explore, too!

It sounds like you’re 99% finished but you’re discouraged and you’re getting ready to give up, but leaks are a very fixable problem, so don’t despair!

That said, I’m even more confused now… Can you tell me what packraft model it is and which set of instructions you’re following? I don’t think I recommend using adhesives for any structural bonds…[Read more]

Welcome! Here’s some information about whitewater paddling in DIY Packrafts: https://www.diypackraft.com/faq/whitewater-capabilities-of-diy-packrafts/