Announcement
Fabric For Sale
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 Read more
How To
Back Band Assembly Instructions
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 Read more
How To
Backband Attach Point How-To
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 Read more
How To
Slotted Attachment Point Video
I use this type of attachment point to secure the thigh straps to my packrafts, and because they’re low profile and only weigh 3 grams (0.1 oz), they’re a good option for securing things to your spray deck, behind your Read more
Announcement
Price Reductions!
Just a quick post to let you know that as of now, all the DIY Packraft kit prices have been reduced! With everything else in life getting more expensive, I hope this comes as a welcome surprise. Check them out Read more
Announcement
Thigh Straps Available Now
After many iterations, I’ve come up with a thigh strap design that works well, is comfortable, and has an installed weight of only 130 grams (4.6 ounces) including the attachment points. From now on, a set of thigh straps will Read more
Gear Talk
Inflation Bag or Electric Pump?
I’ve always used an inflation bag to inflate my packrafts, but I keep seeing people mention that they prefer to use a little portable electric pump, so I decided to buy one and try it out myself. Using the pump Read more
Customer Submission
Opie’s 2-Person Packraft Build Report
Due to its size, the 2-Person model is the most time-consuming DIY Packraft to build, and the most challenging model for a first-time builder. As you can see, however, forum member “Opie” did a great job on his! Opie posted Read more
How To
New Inflation Bag Assembly Instructions
As part of my ongoing effort to improve the DIY Packraft instructions, I’ve completely remade the inflation bag assembly instructions video and webpage. Hopefully the changes will make it easy for you to understand how to put the parts together. Read more
Review
New Heat Sealing Iron
This iron from Aliexpress was recommended by Bruce Campbell of Fairbanks, Alaska – a man of many great ideas! I bought one to try it out for myself, and I agree that it’s the best iron I’ve used for heat Read more
How To
Inflation Bag Boston Valve Adapter
Evan Rodgers emailed to show me this simple and ingenious method of using a second Boston valve to create an inflation bag adapter that screws into the packraft’s Boston valve. Great idea! Thanks for sharing, Evan! Here’s what Evan wrote: Read more
Uncategorized
Web Store Maintenace
Some of the software I use to run the DIY Packraft Shop has recently been updated to enhance security and functionality, so if you encounter any problems making a purchase, please contact me to tell me about the issue! Thanks Read more
Product
Video: The Fabrics
I made this video to show the current fabrics that I use to make the Ultralight and the standard weight DIY Packraft kits. In the video, I talk about some of their properties and show how durable they are. If Read more
Customer Submission
The first orange DIY Packraft
Customer Steve Gurney sent me these great pictures from his first trip in his DIY Packraft Skeena. Steve was one of the first people to order the new orange fabric, and I think it looks fantastic! The Caples River, near Read more
Miscellany
$200 DIY Packraft Coupon at Charity Auction
It’s that time of year again! If you’d like to save some money on a DIY Packraft and give to charity at the same time, you can bid on a $200 (CAD) DIY Packraft coupon at my local Rotary Club’s Read more
Announcement
Beautiful New Packraft Fabric Colors
I’m excited to announce that a fabric shipment has arrived with two new colors, orange and green (or pumpkin and sage, if you prefer)! These will be available as tube fabric in all of the standard weight packraft kits. Nikki Read more
Announcement
Replacement Spray Deck Stiffener
The DIY Packraft spray decks use flexible plastic tubing to stiffen the rim that the elastic spray skirt fits over (the coaming), and several customers have said that the tubing I supplied with their kit is too flimsy to secure Read more
Education
New Heat Sealing Video
As part of my effort to continuously improve the DIY Packraft instructions, I’ve made a new, more comprehensive video about heat sealing. It’s pretty long, but it’s everything you need to know, all in one place, and my hope is Read more
Announcement
New Type of Airtight Zipper
I have just received a new shipment of airtight/waterproof zippers from TIZIP, and this time I ordered some MasterSeal 10 zippers in addition to the SuperSeal zippers I have been using since 2016. Both zippers are the same size and Read more
Education
Packrafting Safety
Spring is here in the northern hemisphere and many of us are getting excited about packrafting trips we have planned for this paddling season, so now is a good time to think about paddling safety. Packrafting fatalities are very rare Read more
Announcement
Drybag Kits Now Available
I recently added roll-top drybag kits to the DIY Packraft shop. I designed the drybags with a diameter of about 23 cm (9″) so they will fit inside a packraft’s side tubes, and they’re fairly long, with a usable volume Read more
Announcement
Heat Sealing Forms For Sale
In response to a request from a customer, I’ve started selling pairs of wooden heat sealing forms in the DIY Packraft shop. These tools aren’t required for making a packraft, but they do make joining the tubes together a bit Read more
Gear Talk
Bikerafting Gear & Tips
Recently Guy Stuart of the Bikepacker’s Foundry was asked to give a presentation about bikerafting to a paddling club – apparently the presentation was a hit, and Guy made the slideshow available on his Bikerafting Gear List page. If you’re Read more
Customer Submission
Customer Tips & Build Reports
Recently I’ve had a few customers send me some construction tips and build reports that you might find useful. Build Report: Barbara B’s Skeena build report is one of the most detailed I’ve received, and it contains some great tips Read more