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Several people have asked if it would be possible to make a self-bailing or inflatable floor using the double-layer floor option, and I have finished retrofitting my multi-colored packraft with an inflatable floor in just this way. The inflatable floor is a great success! It adds padding between you and Read more…

I just posted this new video to go along with the page I wrote about fixing leaks, which you can read here: Punctures, Leaks, and Repairs.

One nice thing about a packraft is that you can toss it in your luggage when you go travelling and then go paddling at your destination without having to rent a boat. That’s what I did this Christmas, when I visited Vancouver Island. Don’t be fooled by the sunshine – Read more…

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered the TIZIP SuperSeal zippers! First there was a delay at the factory in Germany, and then the shipping took longer than usual because of the holidays, but I finally got the zippers from UPS yesterday and now I’m getting the pre-orders out the door. To Read more…

@tomi made this funny video of the first test of his packraft made from the DIY Packraft plans! Excellent work! You can ask @tomi about his experience by joining the forum!

Check out the new instructions for installing the TIZIP SuperSeal airtight zipper in your packraft here 🙂

I get a lot of emails from people with questions, tips, pictures, and requests, and for some time now I’ve been thinking I should add a forum or social networking platform to the website so others can benefit from our correspondence. Today I added this feature, which you can find Read more…

As many of you have noticed, the new Version 2 plans and DIY Packraft Kit instructions are complete, including videos, text, and pictures. You can find them in the How-To menu above. Here’s the packraft I completed while making the instructional videos:    

I have just uploaded this second instruction video for the kits and V2 plans. Enjoy! Text+picture instructions are posted here.

This heat sealing iron arrived in my mailbox today, and I’m really happy with it! Click here to read my review. Note: This is a post from 2016. See the current iron recommendations here. 

I did it! I’m offering exactly the same zippers available in the best manufactured packrafts, at a fraction of the cost. In order to get them at a decent price, I had to purchase a large quantity (the story of my life). To help balance the books I have decided Read more…

  After hiking up our local ski hill yesterday, Nikki and I were rewarded with an exciting ride down!

I just uploaded this video, in which I show the first steps in constructing a DIY Packraft from a kit. The same procedure is used for the new (Version 2) plans, after cutting out the shapes from the fabric. The next videos will be out soon. Text and pictures instructions Read more…

I am starting to make my next packraft, and when choosing which colours I wanted to use, I found it helpful to print out several copies of this outline and colour in the different segments with different options so I could see which design I liked best. If you want Read more…

I have posted a new video comparing the fabrics I used to make two of my previous packrafts to those that are available in the Shop now. Check it out!

Things have been pretty quiet on the blog lately, and that’s because aside from working at my “real” job I have been working feverishly to finish a new generation of packraft plans, featuring improvements based on my experience constructing and paddling packrafts made from the previously available plans. These new Read more…

The fabric is here! Now I am working overtime at my “real” job to pay for it, which leaves me little time to work on the website. I will be sending out an email to notify interested people when the fabric “goes live” in the Shop [available now]. I will Read more…

Just a quick update from the Port of Vancouver, where I have come to pick up my first shipment of fabric – it’s currently in “bond”, and I am waiting to clear customs, but with a little luck, I should take possession of the fabric today. The amount of paperwork Read more…

For a video and more up-to-date information on this topic, visit this page. If you’re paddling an ultra-lightweight inflatable packraft in any but the most ideal conditions, it’s almost inevitable that your boat will develop a leak at some point. Fortunately, that is not a big problem, because small leaks Read more…

If you’re on Instagram, you can now follow my packrafting adventures! Click the social icon above or search for me at @diypackraft 🙂