Troutsman

You can use the arrow keys to skip forward and back, and if you click on the gear icon you can slow down the video too.

Nope… I just checked from two different devices and everything seems to be working fine.

The only common issue is people trying to use the wrong password, or the right password and the wrong instructions – make sure you’re on the right page for your kit and you’re using the password that’s in the letter that came with your kit.

There are a…[Read more]

Yep, I’ve been testing seats made entirely of 115 GSM fabric and haven’t had a problem yet (except where I did a poor heat sealing job on one!).

Right on… I guess your only mistake was thinking that you had made a mistake 🙂

Hi Cate – don’t worry! This is a very minor mistake and easy to fix.

There are multiple ways you could fix it, but if only the first side of the baffle is attached to the seat, the easiest thing to do is to cut off half of the baffle, and then cut a rectangle of scrap fabric 2-3 centimeters (~1 inch) wider than the part you cut off, and then weld…[Read more]

I noticed you didn’t order a spray skirt with your deck, so I’m guessing you’re using a different skirt, which might be a different shape, so trying to force it on may cause problems. If it’s a skirt designed for use on a kayak with a fiberglass or stiff plastic coaming, that will have a much tighter bungee in it than the one I supply with the DIY…[Read more]

Excellent – and thanks for the tip!

The bond made with Aquasure is much weaker than welded TPU, but in this case you are not relying on the Aquasure for a structural bond, only to make it airtight where the TPU is partly damaged. I would not use Aquasure between the seam strip and the tube fabric – even damaged TPU will be stronger, so simply reheat and reposition the seam strip,…[Read more]

Don’t worry – it doesn’t look too bad!

In this situation I would first remove as much cardboard as possible by heating it with the iron and scraping it off carefully with a knife, a little bit at a time (or peel it all off when it is hot if it will come off in one piece, but I think it won’t). Then reheat the folded/wrinkled area to release the…[Read more]

Good idea!

Yep, the TPU is what makes the fabric airtight, so if it’s damaged that could cause it to leak – check those spots first. Cheers!

Right on! The packraft looks great and so does the backpack – well done!

I’m sure people would be interested in more detail about the backpack, so if have any assembly shots or more photos showing how you attached things, I’d be happy to post them on the blog where more people will see (with credit to you, of course).

Enjoy the summer while it lasts!

The undamaged fabric is airtight, so you definitely have at least one leak somewhere. The first question to consider is whether or not it’s worth your time trying to track it down. Based on some quick math and an average lung capacity, the rate of air loss you’re seeing is equivalent to roughly 1/2 litre (1 pint) per hour, or 8 ml (0.25 oz) per…[Read more]

Great scenery, and fantastic work on the packraft! I love it!

Congratulations on finishing your kit!

I think you’ll have difficulty finding a paint that adheres to the TPU and is flexible enough that it won’t flake off. Even flexible polyurethane paint can’t handle the folding (I’ve tried it).

The Seam Grip plus pigment idea @legslegum mentioned will probably work.

A permanent marker could also work.

You…[Read more]

You bet! Just shoot me an email.

Hmm, yeah, I would apply some Seam Grip+WP or Aquaseal over these areas to prevent it from getting any worse. You could either cut away the part that has delaminated or glue it back down – it looks like there’s still plenty of fabric there so I wouldn’t be worried about the strength being compromised if you do cut it back (the seam strips are much…[Read more]

Great work, Aaron, and thanks for the feedback!

Just a note regarding the seats, for anyone considering a DIY Packraft build: I’ve totally redesigned the seats for 2021 so they’re much easier/faster to assemble and much less likely to develop leaks.