Skeena Assembly Instructions

Introduction

This is the homepage for the DIY Packraft Skeena assembly instructions. Before you begin work on your kit, please read the important information on this page.

If you have a question about something as you progress through the instructions, the fastest way to get help is to post a comment on the relevant page. If you need to send me a picture, respond to the order confirmation email or one of the other emails I sent to you (check your spam folder if you didn’t see them).

At the bottom of this page you will find links to individual pages that demonstrate each step of the Skeena assembly process in detail.

Skeena Kit Checklist

Do not use a knife to open your kit – you may damage the fabric.

Before beginning construction, identify the parts of your kit using the checklist below and then store the pieces in a place where they won’t get lost.

Please unpack your kit carefully – small pieces can be overlooked or misplaced.

Checklist:

A letter, which includes your password to the instructional pages and videos. Do not discard!
A large sheet of fabric in the color of your choice with the packraft’s shapes scored into it. If you ordered a multi-color kit then these parts will be scored into multiple fabric pieces instead of a single large sheet of colored fabric.
Pre-scored black fabric sheet including parts for the inflatable seat, backrest, ten attachment points, and for mounting an airtight zipper. One corner of this piece is labeled Seat +.
Pre-scored heavy black fabric for making the packraft’s floor, with alignment dots and a forward arrow marked in silver pen. The packraft model and size is also indicated (see below). This piece also contains ten pre-scored attachment point reinforcement parts. Note: This fabric is coated with heat sealable TPU on both sides.
One heat sealable Boston valve (black, three parts)
Two top-up valves for inflating the seat and backrest (flexible black valve stems and black+white valves)
Five pre-scored seam strips (black fabric, approximately 2 m or 6′ long)
Inflation bag fabric – lightweight ripstop fabric with no scored lines and no label, approximately 1 x 1.5 m, or 3′ x 5′. The color is usually the same as your packraft’s tubes, but inflation bag color depends on availability. Do not confuse this with the spray skirt fabric (sold separately as an option), which is labeled and has lines scored into it.
Inflation bag adapter tube – black rubber tube, 7/8″ (~2 cm) diameter & ~5 cm (2″) long
Scrap fabric for heat sealing practice, repairs, small accessories, etc. (this is all the fabric surrounding the packraft pieces)
Non-stick baking paper for mess-free heat sealing
Airtight zipper + lubrication (optional). (Zippers are usually packed inside the folded floor fabric.)

Multiple kits in one order:

If you ordered multiple packraft kits, they will be packed together to minimize shipping costs. The fabric shapes are not the same for different packraft models/sizes – if you ordered two different size/model kits in the same color, it’s a good idea to mark each tube piece with the packraft model/size to avoid a mix-up.

Note that where applicable, each fabric sheet is labelled in one corner with letters and numbers indicating the packraft model/size:
- “2P” indicates 2-Person “A” indicates Atlin”S” indicates Skeena”T” indicates Telkwa”UL” indicates Ultralight”120” indicates the 120 cm / 47″ size”130” indicates the 130 cm/ 51″ size”133” indicates the 133 cm/ 52″ size
- “140” indicates the 140 cm / 55″ size
- “145” indicates the 145 cm/ 57″ size
Example: the floor for a medium size Skeena (with a 130 cm/51″ long cockpit) will be labelled “S-130”
Example: the tube fabric sheet for a yellow Skeena, 120 cm/47″ (small) size, will be yellow with “S-120” written in one corner.

Additional Items Required:

These items are required to assemble your kit but are not included:

A heat sealing iron
At least two small (1 oz / 28 gram) tubes of Seam Grip+WP or Aquaseal or Aquasure (don’t use “Seam Grip+SIL” silicone tent sealant)
A bowl or other round object to iron over – ideally a purpose-made wooden form like the one shown in the Curved Seams section on this page.
A few scraps of lumber or other heat resistant flat objects, one a few inches (~10 cm) long and one about 1 m or 1 yard long (exact dimensions aren’t important). You may find other small sizes/shapes useful as well.
Masking tape
Scissors (make sure they’re sharp!)
A few small clamps or binder clips or paper clips
A ruler or straightedge
A permanent marker (silver Sharpie pens work well on black fabric)
The ability to stream video instructions

Instructions Passwords

Due to a problem with a copycat website, access to most of the instructional pages and videos is now restricted to those who have purchased a kit.

Your password is in the letter that came with your packraft kit. Please do not reproduce the instructions or share your password.

If you want to view the instructions before deciding whether or not to purchase a kit, instructions for assembling the spray decks, spray skirts, and drybags are not password protected. The old V2 DIY Packraft instructions are also not password protected – the packraft design, assembly methods, and instructional videos have improved since the V2 was discontinued, but the style of instruction is the same.

If you have ordered a kit and are waiting for it to arrive, feel free to contact me for your password so you can familiarize yourself with the instructions in advance.

To avoid confusion, your Skeena password only works for the Skeena instructions. Tips for resolving password problems are posted here.

How to Avoid Mistakes

You are much less likely to make a mistake if you understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, so please familiarize yourself with the instructions before you start ironing packraft pieces together. It would be beneficial to watch all of the videos in the links below before you begin the first step, but at least watch the video for the step you’re about to begin. Then you can restart the video, pausing it as necessary while you work.

Tip: When watching the instructional videos you can press the arrow keys on your keyboard to scrub back and forth, and if you click on the gear icon in the video player you can adjust the video quality and playback speed. (If you want to hear what I might sound like when extremely intoxicated, try setting the playback speed to 0.5x!)

I can’t remake the videos every time someone asks a question, so the text below the videos is where I add clarification and emphasis in response to feedback from builders. If you only watch the videos, you may make mistakes that are warned about in the text, so before starting each assembly step, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to check for pictures and written notes. Keep an eye out for any bold text, as this indicates important or critical points.

Skeena Assembly Steps:

Below are links to the instructions for assembling the packraft and its accessories.

You don’t have to assemble the seat, backrest, and inflation bag before the packraft, but some people prefer to practice on the smaller projects first.

Note the time estimates indicated at the top of each page – if you are working faster than these times then you’re probably not creating strong welds, so please do not hurry!

Iron Preparation & Heat Sealing Practice* If this is your first DIY Packraft, do not skip this step!
Separate Skeena Fabric Pieces
Mark & Label Skeena Fabric Pieces
Inflation Bag Assembly*
Seat Assembly*
Backrest Assembly*
Packraft Assembly:
Spray Deck Assembly* (optional)
Spray Skirt Assembly* (optional)

*These pages are shared with other instruction sets.

Questions? Leave a comment below!