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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 4 months ago
Beauty!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 4 months ago
Great trip report! Thanks for posting!
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 7 years, 4 months ago
The “leather iron” from http://www.aliexpress.com is my preferred iron for assembling DIY Packraft kits. It’s hot enough, it maintains a consistent temperature, it’s robustly built, it’s the right width for heat sealing […]

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Is there some benefit to replacing the plug as opposed to using an adaptor?
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You can probably save a few dollars by buying a new plug instead of an adapter, but other than that, there’s no benefit. When I made the video the only adapter I could find was about $30, which seemed excessive, but since then I’ve seen them as low as $8, which makes that option more attractive.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic 2 Chamber modification in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 4 months ago
Hi David, the diameter is 275 mm. Cheers!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 4 months ago
Very cool! Thanks for the tips, Christian!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic New users say "Hi" here to prove you are not a Spam Bot in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Welcome! I haven’t done any high pressure testing, but yeah, I think it will depend on the factors you mentioned plus the design of the inflatable object and how the forces are distributed along the welds. Cheers!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic How do you Heat Seal 2 Double Coated Fabrics? in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
You could try that – I’ve heard that it works but I haven’t tried it myself.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic 2 Chamber modification in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Hi David,
I think it’s worth trying – it’s one of those things I’ve been meaning to try for ages but haven’t got around to, myself. What I’m not sure about is the longevity of a glued joint on the inside of the tube fabric, and what’s the best adhesive to use. Some people have reported that a glue called HH-66 works well, but I can’t find it…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic How airtight are your boats? in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Hi Markus,
It sounds like the air is escaping through the zipper – a few small bubbles could add up to 1-2 breaths per hour, no? This could probably be resolved by cleaning the zipper and reapplying lubricant. If the zipper isn’t leaking and the seams are all sealed and the fabric isn’t damaged and there’s no dirt in the Boston valve or top-up…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic bowl for curved surface in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Done!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Hahaha!
Good looking fish!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Gorgeous shot!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Modify Therma-Rest pad for an inflatable floor. in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 5 months ago
Great idea, Bruce! It’s amazing you were able to remove the foam and reseal where it had been. Thanks for sharing!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
Beautiful!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Long Top Off Tubes in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
Yep, you just have to cut the black tube and insert some flexible tubing (or rigid tubing pieces that you can then attach flexible tubing to). You can get clear PVC tubing at most hardware stores, and that should work well enough for float bags. Cheers!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic TPU heat damage and repair? in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
Yes, I’ll help you out if that’s what you prefer – just send me a message through the Contact form.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Colorado River In Glen Canyon On My V3 in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
Fantastic! Beautiful pictures and great trip report! And thanks for the valuable feedback. Cheers!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
The iron I’ve been using lately is the leather iron from Alibaba.com. It requires some modification, but it’s better than the Black Baron because it’s narrower (more info here: https://www.diypackraft.com/construction/tools/ ). I see they’re also selling them on Amazon now too:…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic TPU heat damage and repair? in the forum DIY Packrafts 7 years, 6 months ago
By the looks of it, it’s probably not still airtight, so I would heat seal some scrap yellow fabric over the damaged areas, and then add some Seam Grip or Aquaseal along the edge between the patch and the black fabric, if necessary.
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 7 years, 6 months ago
Last weekend the ice on my local river had opened up enough for me to go paddling, so I spent an hour navigating some Class 1 water while dodging ice rafts in the new 1-person packraft with the wrap-around floor. […]

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I haven’t calculated it yet, but it should be comparable to the V3 plus a bit for some extra things that will be included that the V3 kit doesn’t have.
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Hi Matt,
Any chance we can get the new design, but without the wrap around floor? I’d want beefier fabrics than the ultralight kit (210D tubes, 410D floors), but would like the ease of construction and improved paddling speed compared to the V3. I’m not sure the type of water I’m in warrants the wrap around floor.
Thanks,
Joe-
Hi Joe, yeah, I’ll likely do a regular version of a similar design – not sure when I’ll be able to get to it. It’s good to know people are interested though!
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