The Nahanni River in Canada’s Northwest Territories is one of the world’s premier paddling destinations, and earlier this month six DIY Packrafters made the descent. Here are some pictures sent by Muriel Chahine from what looks like an absolutely epic adventure! Thanks, Muriel!
The Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on drybag kits and thigh strap kits (unless they’re part of a packraft kit). That means that if you live in the US then you’ll have the privilege of paying a 50% tax to the US government when you receive it from UPS. Read more
Muriel Chahine strikes again with this ingenious deck bag that converts into a day pack! “I really like it,” she wrote in her email. “Quite a bit smaller than the bulky ones everyone has (11+ liters) and of course way lighter. I left the front two straps longer to easily Read more
Chilko kits are now available with a spray deck and spray skirt (as opposed to the self-bailing model). If you’re familiar with the older DIY Packraft spray decks, the Chilko deck is a new design that’s simpler in some ways. If you’re interested in seeing how it goes together, check Read more
Thanks to Nick MacLean for trying out the Chilko so I could get this shot! There are dangerous holes on either side of this wave, so it takes skill to surf here safely.
If you’ve been following the US tariff drama, you may know that the US Supreme Court deemed many of the tariffs illegal back at the end of February. The US government has started processing refunds for the taxes it collected illegally, so if you paid a fee to UPS to Read more
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 faceted hull gives it a stable edge that you can lean into with confidence. Compared to the Atlin, Skeena and Telkwa models, the Chilko has Read more
The new Chilko whitewater packraft kit will include an inflatable footrest, and I’ve decided to offer the footrest as a standalone kit too, so those who’ve already made a Skeena, Telkwa, or Atlin packraft can paddle more comfortably. It only takes about half an hour to assemble one, and it Read more
Updated March 16, 2026 As a Canadian eCommerce retailer, I want you to know that depending on what you order, the Trump administration’s tariff policies may affect your order. Items certified as manufactured in North America, such as DIY Packraft kits, are exempt from tariffs (you will not have to Read more
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 $250 (CAD) DIY Packraft coupon at my local Rotary Club’s annual online auction. At the time I write this, Read more
The MasterSeal airtight zippers are back in stock! The MasterSeal and SuperSeal zippers are made by TIZIP, the world leader in airtight zippers, and both are excellent products. The SuperSeal has been used in packrafts for many years, but the MasterSeal is easier to install and operate, and this newer Read more
The Canada Post workers strike has changed from a total nationwide strike to a partial rolling strike, so the postal system is now functioning again, but slowly. Delivery dates are not guaranteed and you should expect delays with the following shipping options: Free Shipping for fabric samples, Xpresspost, Expedited Parcel, Read more
Until now, big and tall people haven’t fit well in a DIY Packraft, but that problem has been solved with the new Skeena XL, which I designed for Kenneth Dagfinrud, who had previously made three other DIY Packrafts for himself and his family and was looking for one that would Read more
Just a quick note for Americans wondering if the constantly-changing tariff regime will affect their DIY Packraft purchase: In the nine years I’ve been in business, none of my US-based customers has ever reported having to pay a tariff when they receive a parcel from me, and I have never Read more
To accommodate the back bands and thigh straps that are now included with the Atlin, Skeena, and Telkwa packraft kits, I’ve added a new option to the spray deck kits. If you choose a “Whitewater” deck, the cockpit opening will be moved forward 16.5 cm (~6.5″) compared to the original Read more
If you like the idea of having a spray deck on your packraft – but only sometimes – then you should definitely check out the clever design by DIY Packraft maker Muriel Chahine, who carefully documented her build process and graciously allowed me to post it on a dedicated instructions Read more
Michael from Hamburg, Germany, emailed to show me how he cleverly modified his heat sealing iron by replacing the rounded aluminum foot with interchangeable feet he fabricated out of scrap aluminum. Well done, Michael! This is the type of DIY genius that needs to be shared. If you have some Read more
I’ll admit I was skeptical when forum member @oldcanuck first emailed to say he was planning to try powering his fabric welding iron the old-fashioned way, using his wood stove. He assured me that there’s an area on the stove that maintains a consistent 210-220° C though, and I had Read more
Canada Post is back to work now, and all of your orders are on their way to you. Let’s hope there aren’t too many delays as they try to catch up during the busiest time of the year! If you’re placing a new order, you’ll notice that the Canada Post Read more
As the Canada Post workers strike drags on, I’m working to add new shipping options to the DIY Packraft shop. FedEx has been working for a while now, and the newest one is called Purolator. It’s a private courier company that delivers worldwide and is usually less expensive than FedEx. Read more
If you’d like to give the gift of packrafting to someone special this holiday season but you don’t know exactly what they’d like, consider giving them a gift card to use in the DIY Packraft shop! To purchase a virtual gift card (a coupon code), simply use the Special Order Read more
It’s been a long time since I sold any bulk fabric in the DIY Packraft shop (five years?!), so this is a bit of an experiment and I’m not sure how long it will last, but I have plenty of inventory right now so I thought I’d see if people Read more
I’m excited to announce that all the standard weight single-person DIY Packraft kits (Skeena, Telkwa, Atlin, etc.) now include parts for making a back band. Compared to a simple backrest cushion, a back band moves your seating position forward to better balance the packraft, and it also helps you sit Read more
Reclining against a packraft’s rear tubes is comfortable, but for whitewater paddling you’ll want to sit in a more forward and upright position. A backband makes that possible. This new video shows how to make and install attachment points for a backband out of fabric and a couple of ladder Read more