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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 1 day, 7 hours ago
More Tariffs for Americans
The Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on drybag kits and thigh strap kits (unless they’re part of a packraft kit). That means that if you […] -
Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Chilko XL Internal Length? in the forum DIY Packrafts 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Yeah, I think the Skeena XL is a much better option for taking a small passenger. It’ll be much roomier.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Chilko XL Internal Length? in the forum DIY Packrafts 2 weeks, 4 days ago
The internal length is about 1.50 m. Cheers
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 1 month ago
Deck Bag/Day Pack
Muriel Chahine strikes again with this ingenious deck bag that converts into a day pack! “I really like it,” she wrote in her email. “Quite a bit […]-
Great job Muriel Chahine!! The bag looks awesome!
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 1 month ago
Chilko Spray Deck
Chilko kits are now available with a spray deck and spray skirt (as opposed to the self-bailing model). Thanks to Nicolas Schneiter for […] -
Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 1 month ago
Chilko Surfing Video
Thanks to Nick MacLean for trying out the Chilko so I could get this shot! There are dangerous holes on either side of this wave, so it takes skill to surf here safely. -
Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Flaking/peeling floor in the forum DIY Packrafts 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Hmm, I haven’t heard of anything like that before, but it kind of sounds like the previous builder spread some kind of sealant over the fabric, thinking it would provide extra protection, but it didn’t stick to the TPU very well. Does that fit what you’re seeing?
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Inflation Bag Boston Valve Adapter 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Hi William, that’s great!
I’ve never heard of an o-ring failure on a Boston valve, so replacements aren’t something I’ve looked into. If you’re concerned about it, maybe bring a small piece of rubber that you could cut a gasket out of in a pinch (like a resistance band or a balloon or something like that). Alternatively, you could buy an extra…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer 2 months ago
Hmm, unfortunately the geometry wouldn’t work out, but that’s great to hear!
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer 2 months, 1 week ago
Ha! That’s a great idea 😀
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Thanks!
If all goes as expected, the spray deck should be the same or a similar price to the other spray decks. -
Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Awesome, thanks for posting! I can probably do a multi for you next week – send me an email to discuss. Cheers!
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 3 months, 1 week ago
Tariff Refunds!
If you’ve been following the US tariff drama, you may know that the US Supreme Court deemed many of the tariffs illegal back at the end of February. […] -
Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Thanks! The rivers are flooding here, but I hope to be able to do that soon!
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 4 months, 1 week ago
New Footrest Kit
The new Chilko whitewater packraft kit will include an inflatable footrest, and I’ve decided to offer the footrest as a standalone kit too, so those […] -
Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Meet the Chilko Self-Bailer
After binning more prototypes than I care to admit, the Chilko whitewater packraft is finally here! As you can see in the pictures below, its […]-
Heck yeah finally! 😀
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Well, it looks like I will need, or at least want, to build another boat this fall! 🤞
That is one great looking boat!
Do you have an approximate price for the spray deck when it releases? Or is it too early to speculate?-
Thanks!
If all goes as expected, the spray deck should be the same or a similar price to the other spray decks.-
Excellent! I will probably be waiting until the new year to do this as a winter project. I am also hoping that my health and wellness benefit through my insurance will consider this a healthy activity and they will reimburse me a portion of the cost. It certain promotes a healthy lifestyle which saves them money in the long-term.
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Ha! That’s a great idea 😀
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This looks sweet, Matt! Competition with the Mage at 30% of the cost, and over a pound lighter. I would love to see some footage of it in whitewater.
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Thanks! The rivers are flooding here, but I hope to be able to do that soon!
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Somehow I missed this announcement. Great to see your leg straps and inflatable floor designs mature into a new boat!
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Looks awesome Matt! Do you think it would be possible to modify it to have smaller diameter tubes by using more overlap when sealing the tube fabric to the floor fabric, or would that mess up the geometry of the boat? Would love a whitewater focused boat that paddles more like a kayak, and lower volume tubes would help (I know this is really difficult to pull off in practice). Regardless, awesome work and I’m glad to see you’re still putting out new rafts! My skeena is one of my prized possesions and I’m glad to see the diypackraft dream lives on.
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Hmm, unfortunately the geometry wouldn’t work out, but that’s great to hear!
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Matt (Admin) commented on the post, Tariff Info for US Customers 5 months, 1 week ago
You don’t have to do anything yet. UPS will pay the fees to US Customs on your behalf, then UPS will try to contact you by phone and/or email to get you to reimburse them. If you don’t hear from them in the next few days, let me know and I’ll ask Purolator for the UPS tracking number (they don’t automatically send that to me). Once UPS contacts…[Read more]
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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 5 months, 1 week ago
Welcome!
Just scroll down to the bottom of the topics list when you’re logged in and you should see a form to create a new topic there.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Heat-sealing tools in the forum DIY Packrafts 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Hi, some people have used hot air welders successfully, but I tried it and couldn’t get it to work well myself. I found that I needed three hands, and it was difficult to direct the heat only on the areas I wanted to weld.
I’m not sure if an iron will work on the banner vinyl material you have.
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Ultralight backrest and backband in the forum DIY Packrafts 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I don’t normally include the back band parts with the ultralight seat kits, but I can if you want. I think it would work fine, but I haven’t tried it, so I’m not 100% sure. Just send me an email if you’re thinking about ordering one and you want those parts.
Most of the weight savings in the ultralight seat kit comes from the seat bottom, which…[Read more]
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