Activity

Hi Sean, I’ve found that the TPU to non-TPU welds aren’t very strong, and with all the rolling and unrolling a packraft goes through, it probably won’t hold forever, so I’d put some Seam Grip (or similar) around the edges so if it does separate there at least it won’t leak. The seam sealing glue isn’t great as a structural adhesive either, though.…[Read more]

inner reinforcement

Thanks Matt,

I managed to reheat and separate the fabric. The TPU did separate in some places. I assumed that this means that it wont reseal??

Can you reseal TPU once if the TPU has lifted?

I wasnt sure if it would re-hold, so I reinforced with a second strip.

The inner reinforcement strip is attached to the base and to the non-tpu side of the…[Read more]

For example, here is a breakdown of the Alpacka lineup https://thingstolucat.com/2019/05/17/alpacka-raft-lineup/

And I’m told the Kokopelli rogue is closest to the expedition.

Where would the newest DIY packrafts fit in here? They seem like they would be in expedition/rogue territory with a balance between stability and handling.

Cool – any idea what kind of foam it is? Thanks!

I found some very thin foam at a craft store, 1mm or less, and use this under the seams when I iron, as well as affix it to my bowl or form. It makes things WAY easier. The welding is faster, and requires less passes, usually can do in one go. If it’s too thick it causes problems, but if you can find some thin stuff to make the surface have a…[Read more]

Oh, and it should still be airtight even where it’s overheated. Cheers!

Don’t worry – this is not a huge problem! If you can’t un-seal one side by reheating it and peeling it up, and then redo it (which you probably can’t), then I would cut a slit in the floor fabric perpendicular to the edge, long enough so that the fold disappears. Then simply cover the slit with patches – one on the bottom of the packraft’s floor…[Read more]

Hello

My kit should arrive tomorrow. Can’t wait. I use my rafts for fly fishing the PNW. Thanks Matt for giving us the option to build one. Love it.

Laith

Minutes… I can’t remember where I read that, but the idea is to use it like contact cement.

30 min or seconds?

Excellent – I’m glad it worked out for you, and thanks for posting!

I’ll be curious to see the reviews, as I’ve never seen a roll-closure that doesn’t leak some air and it would be annoying to have to frequently add air (as a lot of people who bought Windcatcher camping mattresses have found). Given their false statements about it being the lightest packraft ever, I’m skeptical.