DIY Packraft | Site-Wide Activity https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/ Activity feed for the entire site. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:50:51 -0700 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 ececce6244c2bbfdf3992c6cfc7f219b Matt (Admin) wrote a new post https://www.diypackraft.com/?p=21527 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:53:57 -0700 Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer After binning more prototypes than I care to admit, the Chilko whitewater packraft is finally here! As you can see in the pictures below, its […]

]]> 298f0d2bcba3006d2541b9fbcaf7a38d Christian001 replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/heat-sealing-tools/#post-21520 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:54:03 -0700 I used a heat gun to do some tricky spots on my packrafts. I used the “858D Heat Gun” (search for it on AliExpress). I flattened the smallest nozzle slightly with pliers. This allowed me to direct the airflow much more precisely onto the seams. I don’t recall the exact settings (temperature and airflow) right now, but if you need me to look them…[Read more]

]]> 0 0dfa0b54b67e9405c704874af54b4f7c balloonbuster became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5383/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:11:02 -0700 0 811baa6f1f79c3f4564e8bb4d42b7c10 Matt (Admin) replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/say-hi-here-to-prove-you-are-not-a-spam-bot/#post-21485 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:01:31 -0700 Welcome!

Just scroll down to the bottom of the topics list when you’re logged in and you should see a form to create a new topic there.

 

]]> 0 24108e77f1e4cfba0a28f2556be5f042 RooflessRider replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/say-hi-here-to-prove-you-are-not-a-spam-bot/#post-21483 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:54:42 -0700 Hello,

I really appreciate all the resources posted here and on YT for diy rafts.

I’d like to make a post about a making a diy ‘cataraft’ however I can’t find an option to create a new thread, only reply to existing ones…?

]]> 0 7fd4cee09067fa62fc06a0b18192e5b4 zhanghz became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5377/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:44:30 -0700 0 6893e96d8c0c5a5c7d6201a6369786d6 RooflessRider became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5376/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:30:58 -0700 0 60f433d6baeb6bdb20f8952f0e5ad949 Calima replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/heat-sealing-tools/#post-21405 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:17:36 -0700 Thanks, then I will stick with the iron and I will test the iron on the banner since I will be reusing it I can make tests there.

]]> 0 bba75cb2b343dde632edee71e0779830 Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/heat-sealing-tools/#post-21404 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:28:01 -0700 Hi, some people have used hot air welders successfully, but I tried it and couldn’t get it to work well myself. I found that I needed three hands, and it was difficult to direct the heat only on the areas I wanted to weld.

I’m not sure if an iron will work on the banner vinyl material you have.

 

]]> 0 8d40b9a19a39bc5861c1457a8c66f846 Calima replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/heat-sealing-tools/#post-21403 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:54:16 -0700 Hi!

I would like to make a packraft and I also have some old vinyl banners for other projects, so my question is if you could use this too for the packraft.

I already checked the forums and the mini iron as far I understand wont work really well with 110v, but if it is the best tool for the job then I will buy that one, I can always make it work…[Read more]

]]> 0 7f4965bf887765ee4ac5cb1faed0d1da Calima replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/say-hi-here-to-prove-you-are-not-a-spam-bot/#post-21402 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:49:06 -0700 Hey, human here

]]> 0 4ac7897ac71e0cacc140dffc806f1408 LeonChen became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5370/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:42:50 -0700 0 6827dfd06fbb62298661c9fd3faf1604 Calima became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5367/ Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:23:22 -0800 0 58d508bfce1fbdac6fa94dedc76a48c9 Calima's profile was updated https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5366/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:13:44 -0800 0 d4c395cca116a4f10018f6ff12fb4783 Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Ultralight backrest and backband in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/ultralight-backrest-and-backband/#post-21396 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:09:08 -0800 I don’t normally include the back band parts with the ultralight seat kits, but I can if you want. I think it would work fine, but I haven’t tried it, so I’m not 100% sure. Just send me an email if you’re thinking about ordering one and you want those parts.

Most of the weight savings in the ultralight seat kit comes from the seat bottom, which…[Read more]

]]> 0 532177dc027e993ae750e4f81ebb463c elimcparlan became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5363/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:04:17 -0800 0 7e9454aa53585c8d81691e5acc78a0ad Andriy replied to the topic DIY Accessories in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-accessories-2/#post-21391 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:38:32 -0800 It’s a good idea, but I made boats for friends for special military operations. Speed, simplicity, and weight are essential there. They take several boats. Usually, when a mine hit, they threw the boat away. If it survived, they unscrewed the plug, threw it away, quickly deflated it, and left. There are several spare plugs in the pocket. If the…[Read more]

]]> 0 36e8d19cbf816bf33d0231890ae886bf Christian001 replied to the topic DIY Accessories in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-accessories-2/#post-21388 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:50:36 -0800 Hi Andriy,

you don’t need two valves. One is enough. I use a clothespin, one end of which I’ve shortened slightly. This allows me to insert it into the bottle valve. This holds the lower flap open, allowing the air to be released.

]]> 0 cd50b655e14783ba742171625d672414 Andriy replied to the topic DIY Accessories in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-accessories-2/#post-21382 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:23:16 -0800 The translator did not translate correctly. These two valves are lighter than one Boston valve.

]]> 0 59d4057033a7399f948973fd1f67ab78 Andriy replied to the topic DIY Accessories in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-accessories-2/#post-21381 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:20:09 -0800 I want to show you how I make the valve. The only drawback is that you need to make two of them. One to inflate, the other to deflate. But it’s still easier than a Boston valve. I can’t post a photo of the boat without permission, since I designed it myself, so I’m posting a photo of the valve so you can understand the principle on a boat with a…[Read more]

]]> 0 28ce66e9efa855b13282fd76fc6283f5 Andriy replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/heat-sealing-tools/#post-21380 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:56:34 -0800 I use a translator, so please excuse any mistakes. I want to share my soldering iron modification. I combined two soldering irons. I took the base from a mechanical one and the handle from an electronic one. I drilled an additional hole in the base for the temperature sensor and also made a hole in the handle (in the plastic) for the wires.…[Read more]

]]> 0 bd2b74a76eaeefe74ce886323814ae29 Andriy replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/say-hi-here-to-prove-you-are-not-a-spam-bot/#post-21379 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:46:07 -0800 Hello, everyone! I am not a bot. How do I post on the forum? I would like to share my experience in making accessories. I have some interesting ideas.

]]> 0 5cc57dfac3b4145b77025fc271437a41 Floater started the topic Ultralight backrest and backband in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/ultralight-backrest-and-backband/ Fri, 27 Feb 2026 02:52:03 -0800 Does the ultralight seat kit come with what is needed to add the backband to the backrest? Has anyone tried this out, or does adding all the extra material mitigate the weight benefits?

]]> 0 e12e47091685f838b4cf9077df745f60 lvwagner became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5353/ Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:28:25 -0800 0 9ee1fe3a2a9395fefef3742eb4266c38 Graeme W became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5351/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:42:35 -0800 0 6df4692b0612b6942ba2bc37f25d8fe4 Chriskayak became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5350/ Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:24:43 -0800 0 cb079fdb7cd5ee73c4a824168bacd70b Floater became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5347/ Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:50:19 -0800 0 0ef626345ab1e3be13559f91f9a64e6c morphy_richards replied to the topic Which Packraft? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/which-packraft/#post-21289 Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:53:47 -0800 Thanks 👍

]]> 0 b81a7fb5415dd29fcc78993f3a7f3cd2 iovodeverett became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5344/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 18:50:26 -0800 0 218bde7b38b08670919fa8b3f517d79b Lee replied to the topic Which Packraft? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/which-packraft/#post-21288 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:34:14 -0800 I’m 6’2” and have an Atlin and the lightweight.  I fit easily in both.  I have the largest atlin and with a bike mounted up front I have plenty of room for my legs with room to spare, and enough clearance from the bike that I can paddles hard without feeling jammed up.

When the bike isn’t up front, I can have a full backpack up there and it ma…[Read more]

]]> 0 1f54aa59903053b4c1ab36adf360e222 morphy_richards started the topic Which Packraft? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/which-packraft/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:59:53 -0800 Hello, I’m hoping to get a packraft and use it on some expeditions this summer. I’m quite a tall person, 6″ 2′ and I’m hoping to use it on bike packing adventures.

I will most likely use the Packraft on rivers, it’s unlikely to be whitewater with my (quite big) big stowed on board.

Because of my size I keep looking at the XL Skeena but for the…[Read more]

]]> 0 dfbc2df04602482f2f88f82b43ca308e morphy_richards replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/say-hi-here-to-prove-you-are-not-a-spam-bot/#post-21286 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:50:42 -0800 Hello! I’m not a robot, honest !

]]> 0 02eee3ff2186a83224f373eb101e7c51 gbarker replied to the topic Layering fabrics? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/layering-fabrics/#post-21280 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:09:51 -0800 Before building a skeena, I designed and built a packraft of my own which involved layering up two layers of approximately 250gsm fabric together. These were TPU coated on one side only, with the coated surfaces facing inwards. It did work OK except for a few wrinkles and as noted above, the laminated fabric is stiff.
I wasn’t overly happy with t…[Read more]

]]> 0 4795f0c6ee7fb2f156bff16e88e8668f Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Layering fabrics? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/layering-fabrics/#post-21279 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:51:07 -0800 Yes and no… You can layer fabrics together to make something stronger, but you can’t iron directly onto TPU without making a mess, so at least one of the fabrics has to be coated on only one side. The woven fabric is less resistant to abrasion than the TPU (and soaks up water and dirt, etc.), so depending on the application, that may or may not…[Read more]

]]> 0 92378e0bd21a5f66e06461af7b390cab Mrmagoo started the topic Layering fabrics? in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/layering-fabrics/ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:18:20 -0800 Would layering fabrics together with a clothes iron create a stronger fabric than a single heavier layer?  Or would the resulting fabric loose too much flexibility? What would the result of layering two 190GSM fabrics together for a floor be vs a single 475 GSM floor?

]]> 0 4a03eb9be92a251aafc1881526a96860 Mrmagoo replied to the topic Intrigued by ultralight roll top packraft. Tell me why it's a bad idea in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/intrigued-by-ultralight-roll-top-packraft-tell-me-why-its-a-bad-idea/#post-21274 Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:54:10 -0800 <p style=”text-align: left;”>The roll top closure doesn’t intrigue me as much as the 3 piece construction does.  According to anfibio that results in lower weight for the same fabric strength.  Not sure how true that is, but their RTC is pnly 2.6 lbs for 210D fabric.  Planning to make my first packraft in the coming months.</p>

]]> 0 1f8d510c84815bb2e7161cab80223491 morphy_richards became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5335/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:19:52 -0800 0 dc1ecee65b1bf41f7bb41802481af3b7 SamWestover replied to the topic Paddling flatwater with a dog in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/paddling-flatwater-with-a-dog/#post-21271 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:02:46 -0800 Awesome, thank you both.  🙂

]]> 0 250c748bae2a3ec8281a4f1ba7c8eb31 Mrmagoo became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5332/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:22:25 -0800 0 2265add8fa4f3bbf1992af3a0599afbb Smokescreen became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5330/ Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:33:37 -0800 0 1cf3d73891606d270fd6273b72cdc850 Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Dry Bag Score Line Mistake in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-dry-bag-score-line-mistake/#post-21243 Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:25:15 -0800 Hi troc, thanks for the feedback – I will try to make that more obvious.

I think it will be easier if you simply trim off the red fabric and make a sandwich like you described. Remember you will need to extend the strip past the edges of the bag so you can attach the buckle. If you’ve trimmed the end flush with the edge of the bag, you can splice…[Read more]

]]> 0 62049187088b7e1bb24f3f6227f1dba7 troc started the topic DIY Dry Bag Score Line Mistake in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/diy-dry-bag-score-line-mistake/ Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:19:38 -0800 I just received my first kit. I separated the scored portions at the bottom of the bag, but I didn’t realize the top was also scored until after I attached the 2 sided TPU ribbon piece. I don’t have quite enough of the ribbon to redo it on the correct part. Is it a better idea to weld the other side of the ribbon to the bag’s top (creating a…[Read more]

]]> 0 0805c821cc23de83892915baebcf070e troc became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5326/ Sun, 28 Dec 2025 23:53:20 -0800 0 8d5d099962c1c7c1e06a67b824c4cc23 mttgilbert replied to the topic Paddling flatwater with a dog in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/paddling-flatwater-with-a-dog/#post-21235 Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:26:33 -0800 I made the two person for my dog (55lb english lab) and I plus camping gear and I’ve really liked it. There’s plenty of space and weight capacity. I have a closed cell foam piece cut to fit the front of the boat for the dog (simple blue closed-cell sleeping pad, which doubles as the dogs bed in camp).

I was hesitant about the canoe style sea…[Read more]

]]> 0 e587259403d784efba2ea4f967877549 Andriy became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5323/ Sat, 27 Dec 2025 20:44:13 -0800 0 91301db3c8b19e4867e1afa990f79ca0 mokiraz became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5321/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 01:26:39 -0800 0 0bf124865b8c005425970c9e76be9077 Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Paddling flatwater with a dog in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/paddling-flatwater-with-a-dog/#post-21226 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:04:54 -0800 Hi Sam,

Other than the Ultralight, any model will handle a 50 lb dog without popping. For alpine lakes, I would probably choose an Atlin (the largest size), because it’s wider in the foot area so there’s more room to share between the two of you. If you were going to be paddling with the pup for hours at a time, I’d consider a Skeena XL for even…[Read more]

]]> 0 ec7fdbb12130bafd612fe7d03050436f SamWestover started the topic Paddling flatwater with a dog in the forum DIY Packrafts https://www.diypackraft.com/forums/topic/paddling-flatwater-with-a-dog/ Sat, 20 Dec 2025 07:05:39 -0800 I’m in love with my Alpacka Wolverine for whitewater, but I’m interested in building one of your packrafts to be able to paddle on alpine lakes and quiet rivers with my dog, Lucy, who weighs about 50 lbs.  I’m not looking to pack a lot of gear, though I guess I might have a backpack, if I’ve hiked in somewhere with the boat.

– Do you recommend…[Read more]

]]> 0 e2c116b1affb606b098476e8df204c95 SamWestover became a registered member https://www.diypackraft.com/activity/p/5315/ Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:56:16 -0800 0 90a875af24d3cf128db62b24e6cba291 Matt (Admin) wrote a new post https://www.diypackraft.com/?p=21145 Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:20:02 -0800 Discount at Charity Auction It’s that time of year again! If you’d like to save some money on a DIY Packraft order and give to charity at the same time, you can bid on a $25 […]

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