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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 7 years, 11 months ago
Several people have asked if it would be possible to make a self-bailing or inflatable floor using the double-layer floor option, and I have finished retrofitting my multi-colored packraft with an inflatable floor […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 11 months ago
@awg28 Hi Andrew – yes, absolutely! It will not have to be fitted during assembly.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 7 years, 11 months ago
I just posted this new video to go along with the page I wrote about fixing leaks, which you can read here: Punctures, Leaks, and Repairs.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Alternative sources for fabric and other materials in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Thanks for the review, @webermarcoweber – you are one of the few people who have experience with both the DIY Packraft fabrics and fabrics from ExtremTextil.
Your new fabric is in the mail 🙂
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Alternative sources for fabric and other materials in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @michael-s-morse,
I and a few others have experimented with fabric with TPU on both sides, but everyone has concluded that it is unsuitable because it is very difficult to heat seal – you can’t apply heat directly to it with a sealing iron because the iron melts the TPU, creating a sticky mess. You have to sandwich it between two layers of…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Alternative sources for fabric and other materials in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @michael-s-morse,
I and a few others have experimented with fabric with TPU on both sides, but everyone has concluded that it is unsuitable because it is very difficult to heat seal – you can’t apply heat directly to it with a sealing iron because the iron melts the TPU, creating a sticky mess. You have to sandwich it between two layers of…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Alternative sources for fabric and other materials in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @michael-s-morse,
I am currently sourcing fabric with TPU on one side and a thick, airtight PU coating on the other side, so stay tuned for that addition to the shop! I and a few others have experimented with fabric with TPU on both sides, but everyone has concluded that it is unsuitable because it is very difficult to heat seal – you can’t…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) and
Quincy are now friends 8 years ago -
Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years ago
One nice thing about a packraft is that you can toss it in your luggage when you go travelling and then go paddling at your destination without having to rent a boat. That’s what I did this Christmas, when I […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @Lynsg,
That’s too bad! Was it the eBay 58W iron you mentioned above? I had a similar problem with one of the soldering irons I tested.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @Lyn,
That’s too bad! Was it the eBay 58W iron you mentioned above? I had a similar problem with one of the soldering irons I tested.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years ago
Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered the TIZIP SuperSeal zippers!
First there was a delay at the factory in Germany, and then the shipping took longer than usual because of the holidays, but I finally got the […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Thanks @studio67, I would be very interested to see some detailed pictures and dimensions of the spray deck!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Thanks @Jose, I would be very interested to see some detailed pictures and dimensions of the spray deck!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic What plans/kits would you like to see next? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Thanks @José, I would be very interested to see some detailed pictures and dimensions of the spray deck!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Packraft Sizing? in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years ago
Hi @OlympicMtnBoy! The packrafts are designed with a fairly narrow cockpit to minimize weight and improve paddle clearance, so a pack will probably not fit between your legs. If you build a Large size, however, you will have an extra 20 cm (8″) of length and a day-pack would probably fit in front of your feet or behind your back.
An alternative…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) and
José are now friends 8 years ago -
Matt (Admin) and
Tomi are now friends 8 years ago -
Matt (Admin) and
Lyn St George are now friends 8 years ago -
Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years ago
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Very funny! Thanks
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I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s definitely on the list of things to do. I have an idea of how to approach it, but it will require a bit of trial and error, so please bear with me 🙂
Just curious, was the raft you retrofitted a single floor or a double floor before adding the inflatable floor?
It was a single floor. It’s not possible to heat seal to the back side of the fabric, so “windows” would have to be cut in the top layer of a double layer floor in order to attach the third inflatable layer.
Not yet. I think the R-value would be low because there’s no insulation and the air can convect freely… but it would be much better than sleeping on the ground!
Hey Matt, I’m about halfway into assembling my Telkwa kit, and everything is going smoothly so far. I’d like to make the raft self-bailing, and am curious on your thoughts.
I’m thinking I can make the Telkwa self-bailing by just adding four drain holes near the rear of the cockpit (using the two-way valves to plug the holes when in long stretches of calm water.
What are your thoughts on the necessity of adding an inflatable floor into the Telkwa? I’m thinking that with the seat being as large as it is, I can get away with not adding the floor, especially since bulk fabric ordering has been suspended for the time being!
I assume that the weight of the paddler is the biggest variable in determining how much water remains inside the raft when configured as a self-bailer, but having never sat in a DIY raft I’m unsure how deep my rear will be submerged below the water line (165 lb) so was curious about your experience.
I haven’t tested this myself, so I would start by adding one drain to the finished packraft and then paddle around with it open to see where the water level equilibrates. If it’s acceptable with the just the seat, add the other drains and go for it. If it fills up with too much water, then I’d start thinking about a separate inflatable floor insert. Cheers!
Thanks Matt, sound advice. I’ll post my results here for posterity after testing.