Hi dear packraft DIYers,
I would like to share some pictures of my DIYed and some points on trouble shooting of air leakage.
I must thank Matt first for his great web site and products. He had made my dream came true without costing arms and legs.
It is for my sea side recreation, watching birds flying and fishes jumping. But most of all, I am enjoying the tranquility of the sea when it is calm.
The PVC inflatable canoe, alone, I have been using is weighted almost 20kg, it was a kind of torture in handling it.
So, I was always thinking about of replacing it with a lightweight inflatable canoe or raft.
Commercially available products today are Yotta expensively unaffordable to me. Their prices are unreasonably marked high, I said to myself.
So, I told to myself to forget about it as simply as I can’t afford it.
Until I found “DIY packraft”, then I entered a different world.
I don’t mind any colour of fabric, so go for a readily available medium sized digi-camo DIY kit. Actually, this dig-camo is beautiful.
My raft is weighted about 1.4Kg.
After doing the last seam sealing of the stern strip, I tested the air leakage.
Using the method described by Matt, I had found leaks on the apex of stem seal strip and at the junction between tube L1, 2 and the floor piece. The bubbles they formed were easily visible big. They had been fixed by using Aquaseal.
Then leaving the raft inflated for overnight, it was found deflating very slowly.
Inspected carefully and by applying soap water again onto all seam strips then wait very patiently while observing. Some numbers of very small or minute bubbles formed very slowly on a point of the R1-2 seam strip.
It was a dry join and problem was fixed by re-solder and then applied a little bit Aquaseal.
The raft was left inflated for overnight again. Next morning, it was found good, no noticeable deflation.
Also made an inflatable 2nd floor (321g) mattress.
Difficult to make it good, the air pressure is very high when I sit on it and the heat sealing inside will break into segments.
Pockets of air (tube dia.) should be made small that air displacement will be small when weight is stepping on it.
The 67g blue colour back rest in the pic is just a cheap air pillow for camping, paddle is 980g, PFD is 625g, tuck Tape is 200g and repair kit is 33g (from local camping store).
My berghaus backpack is about 1kg.
All stuffs could be loaded into the backpack.
Raft items with backpack all together is weighted less than 5kg.
Add a bottle of water and something to eat, I am ready to go seaside kayaking now.
Thanks very much once agin to Matt, “DIY packraft” and inspirations from all DIYers.
Wish everybody all the best!
Cheers.