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aaron.scott77 replied to the topic Help & Questions re: DIY Packraft Construction in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Hi,
I have a question regarding heat sealing the tubes to the 1000D fabric.
I’ve notice that air bubbles like to form after I’ve sealed the fabric and left it to cool – 10+ minutes afterwards. So I’ve been placing a piece of timber with some weights and leaving it.
This seems to minimise the bubble formation. Then I heat / repeat over and…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years, 8 months ago
A couple people have posted some great tie-down designs in the forum since I made my original tie-down video, and after several attempts at combining their ideas with my no-sewing policy, the following tie-down […]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic New seat design in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Hi Lyn,
The manufacturer doesn’t indicate a pressure rating so I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ve tested them up to about 5 psi (350 hPa) myself and they showed no signs of stress.
For reference, a 170 lb (77 kg) weight distributed over an area of 12 x 18″ (30 x 45 cm) on an inflatable seat exerts about 0.8 psi (55 hPa) – quite a large safety factor.
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Lyn St George replied to the topic New seat design in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Just received some of these new red inflation and deflation valves, and I’m curious as to how well the deflation valves hold. I originally got these for dump valves on the reserve air bags in the tubes, but am thinking now of adding them to the main seats in the rafts and my new sleeping mat (rather than just holding the inflation valve open). On…[Read more]
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FloteBote1337 became a registered member 8 years, 8 months ago
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic An Inflatable Drybag that fits through your zipper. in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Great idea, Bruce! It looks durable and very easy to pack. Using a wooden form to seal the circular ends is a great idea, too – it’s a useful tip for anyone who wants to create round drybags of any type. Thanks for posting!
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Bruce started the topic An Inflatable Drybag that fits through your zipper. in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Concept: A double-wall, inflatable drybag you can slide through a TiZip and into your raft. You could make a single-wall bag with a zipper, but to my mind zippers are expensive and stuffing gear through them is awkward. Besides, we have all used simple roll down dry bags for decades, and they work just fine, but they can’t be inflated.
If you…[Read more]
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Timo replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Hi!
Currently working my first V2 raft.
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Timo became a registered member 8 years, 8 months ago
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jonw changed their profile picture 8 years, 8 months ago
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Simon replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Hello,
Eagerly awaiting a delivery, and if anyone has a good suggestion of a good heat sealing iron (EU plug) I’m all ears.
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Simon became a registered member 8 years, 8 months ago
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years, 8 months ago
Bruce C., a frequent contributor to the DIY Packraft forum and host of the popular DIY Packraft-making classes at the Folk School in Fairbanks, Alaska, has just finished this beautiful Voyageur 2-person DIY […]
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The thing along the side of the packraft looks like adjustable points for tie downs? Is that correct and if so any idea how they were done?
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That’s correct – I believe they’re made out of the 1000D and 210D fabric with holes punched through, and they were heat sealed to the tube from the inside, before putting the packraft together. Cheers!
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Hi Kent, the construction method is the same as for the single V3 kits, so there’s not really any difference in difficulty – the seams are longer though so it might take a bit more time. Cheers!
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Excellent!
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years, 8 months ago
Recently I realized that a fast-curing adhesive was missing from my field repair kit, and that if something goes wrong on a packrafting trip and field repair tape won’t do the job, I might have to sit around for […]
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As this seems to be an older posts and Aquaseal UV doesn’t appear in the shop anymore, are you able to confirm whether this is still the quickest curing glue you’d recommend for a field repair kit?
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Yep, I still recommend it. I’ve stopped selling adhesives because they’re not supposed to go through the mail and they’re not allowed into some countries.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
It looks fantastic! Thanks for posting, Bruce!
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Dave replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
Yes, totally! Interested to see how it handles solo as well.
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Kwok Wah Lai replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
A beautiful piece of art, really! 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
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Bruce replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
First inflation of my V3 Tandem packraft! It is 11 feet or 3.5 meters long, interior is 182 cm long. I will have to search for a safe lead in winter’s ice to give it a try! -
Bruce replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 8 years, 8 months ago
The uplifted front of the Jingda Thermoelectric Products “leather” Iron, purchased through Aliexpress, makes it indispensible for tight spots and small corners especially when finishing the ends or reaching through bunched fabric.
The tip allows one to reach and heat spots at high angles.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 8 years, 8 months ago
A couple of people in Australia and New Zealand have used freight forwarders to reduce shipping costs when ordering DIY Packraft kits, and I thought I should tell the rest of you about this potential cost-saving […]
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It cost me about $80USD total to get it to Tasmania via a US freight forwarder.
When I first ordered the site was quoting me $140 AUD postage which is a bit of a deal breaker.
I notice now its only quoting about $100AUD.
So I probably wouldn’t have bothered with the forwarder now.However the postage times from the forwarder are generally fast.
They often have special rates for DHL, FedEx, UPS etc. So it ends up taking 2-4 Days from Los Angeles to Tasmania.-
Thanks for the feedback, Aaron. I’ve been refining the estimated weights used to calculate the shipping costs of the different kit variations so they’re closer to the actual weights, and that’s probably why the shipping price has changed. Smaller kits with lighter floor material and/or no extras can weigh under 3 kg, which is one of those thresholds where the price jumps up on overseas shipments. Thanks!
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Hi Eleonora, unfortunately I don’t have an answer for you and I doubt you will receive one here anytime soon because I have only a few customers in Italy and I don’t recall any of them having used a freight forwarder. You might be able to find more information elsewhere online – if so, please tell us here. Also, sometimes the direct route is the most cost-effective even if it isn’t cheap. Thanks!
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First inflation of my V3 Tandem packraft! It is 11 feet or 3.5 meters long, interior is 182 cm long. I will have to search for a safe lead in winter’s ice to give it a try!
